An interesting way to add music to your home school curriculum is with the study of hymns and/or the memorization of Scripture songs. The use hymns and Scripture songs for music can easily be tailored to fit your family.
The value of song as a means of education should never be lost sight of. Let there be singing in the home, of songs that are sweet and pure, and there will be fewer words of censure, and more of cheerfulness and hope and joy.
Messages to Young People, 292
Organize Your Study
Choose the number of hymns and/or scripture songs that you would like to study for the year. Some families prefer to concentrate on just one hymn or song per month, others may rotate through two or three at one time. You could further refine your hymn/song study to align with your Bible curriculum or a particular period in history. It might be interesting to study several hymns from one author, or choose hymns that fit a particular theme. You could select the hymns sung by church pioneers or choose to learn new hymns to add to your family’s worship repertoire.
In regards to hymn study, there are so many details to choose from that will make your study interesting:
*Author of the hymn
*Composer of the music
*History of the tune if is a traditional tune
*Scriptural reference that goes with the tune
*Date and circumstances behind the hymn
*The hymn as poetry
*Memorize the hymn
*Learn to play the hymn on whatever instrument you choose
*Object lessons that the hymn may teach
*Using the lyrics for handwriting practice/copy work
*Listening to both instrumental and vocal versions of the hymn
Hymn & Scripture Song Resources
Sing A Bible Verse– Free sheet music for more than 300 original songs by Wayne Hooper provide an easy way for children – and adults – to memorize Bible verses.
Thy Word Creations – Sells books and CDs for Scripture memorization with music.
Adventist Book Center – Don’t forget there is a companion book to the Seventh-day Adventist Hymnal that gives background information for each hymn. There is also Early Advent Singing, which includes a history and story about each hymn from early Adventist history.
The SDA Digital Hymnal website is a collection of midi files and other resources based on the Seventh-day Adventist Hymnal.
The Cyber Hymnal website contains over 8,000 hymns. It is an excellent hymn study resource with lots of author and composer biographies.
Hymns for Kid’s Heart features free sheet music as well as free mp3 files for a nice selection of hymns. You can also purchase the full-featured book that includes author biographies and a devotional for each hymn.
The best free hymn study resource that I’ve found on the web is the Squidoo lens by blogger and homeschooling mom, Jimmie. She shares some great free hymn study note booking pages that she created, as well as a web page full of good ideas.
Here is a printable/downloadable .pdf version of this post to add to your notes: Hymn Study pdf
The value of song as a means of education should never be lost sight of. Let there be singing in the home, of songs that are sweet and pure, and there will be fewer words of censure, and more of cheerfulness and hope and joy.
Messages to Young People, 292
“During the first six or seven years of a child’s life, special attention should be given to its physical training, rather than the intellect. After this period, if the physical constitution is good, the education of both should receive attention. Infancy extends to the age of six or seven years. Up to this period children should be left, like little lambs, to roam around the house and in the yards, in the buoyancy of their spirits, skipping and jumping, free from care and trouble” – Ellen White
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The Adventist Home Educator 