In a post below, Anne references the curriculum she uses (Omnibus) as helping her teach/model biblical discernment to her kids:
We look at what the book we’re studying is saying and what the culture is saying about the particular topic, and then we take that to our final authority, Scripture. This has become a pattern in our home that we can apply to movies, tv commercials, etc.
We’d like to hear more about how you approach discussing current events and pop culture with your kids (both home and in classrooms). Is there something specific you intentionally do to bring the discussion around to biblical worldview thinking? Does the discussion just pop up after reading a magazine article or watching an advertisement on television? What does that look like in your environment?
howkidsthink.wordpress.com 
We try to bring God into our daily life occurances as much as possible.
The easiest time is when it comes down to serious issues. It is natural to talk about God’s role re: major topics. For example, my son has battled cancer, and it was important for us to make sure he had a clear understanding that God didnt “plan” his cancer, or give it to him. And we didnt want him to think it was his fault either, so we have make a point to reference life according to Scripture; God created man, the enemy tries to hurt man, but Jesus died to save man, and the devil will be the big loser. When someone we love dies (it happens often when you know a lot of kids with cancer) we talk about Heaven, what a great place it is, and what our friends are doing up there (my kids have decided there is a house made of Oreo cookies.)
When it comes to the more minor issues in life, we make efforts to include a Christian view point. Either how things contribute to God’s plan, or what we can do to foster God’s love to others. For example, my daughter has started a new preschool class, and when I ask her how her day went, or who she played with on the playground, I try to respond to her answers in a way that includes Jesus. When she says she played with JJ and not Emily, I say, “God made Emily too, her heart hurts when she is left out.” or when she has done something nice, “That is like when Jesus was nice to people, you were being a great friend.”
I find it hardest to include God, when I am not being Godly. When I lose my patience with my kids, it is much easier to just get mad, but I am working on teaching them the Fruits of the Spirit (which I need to grow myself!) so I try to respond to their anger with; “Love doesnt lose it’s temper, love is patient and kind. Let’s think of ways we can be patient and kind instead of angry, and ask God to help us.”
It’s not always easy, and I try to strike a grounded balance, rather than seeming like I am being overly spiritual…
The nice thing is that my kids bring up Jesus and God as much as I do, and it warms my heart to see them learn about His qualities and character, and seek to replicate it in their own lives.
Being a second grade teacher- focusing more on the basics didn’t afford much of this. However, at school, we always started the day with a devotional time and prayer requests. Usually during prayer requests, current events would come up. It gave us an opportunity to talk about the events in the news briefly- but the focus was on praying for the people/situation. Last year, in the school neighborhood we had a couple attempted child abductions. Of course, this was of great concern. We were able to talk to the children about: God’s protection over us, the importance of obedience, staying with the group. These ideas had purpose in the specific situation, but then we were also able to talk about why those things (God’s protection over us, the importance of obedience, staying with the group) were important ALL the time.
As a longtime home schooler who uses a secular curriculum, we have lots of opportunities for discussing what the world thinks. When the science curriculum teaches evolution as a fact, I just stop and say, “How does that sound to you?” I am always amazed at how insightful they are. When we came to the Big Bang Theory, my fourth grader said something like, “Well, but how would that come from nothing? Something had to be there first.”
I always check to see what they think first, and then they’re always open to hear what I have to say, and what the Bible has to say.
i don’t actually do a lot of that yet as my children are still very young. if something comes up, or if they ask a question we will go to the bible and see what God has to say about it.
Hmmm…my children are still pretty young, but we try to uplift the good and the godly. We are hoping to create in them an appreciation for high art, for good (modest) fashion, a desire for truth, etc.
So far, what they have seen of “the world” has not impressed them too much. My daughter wonders why people would want to “do that” to themselves, etc. We have never spoken in those terms and do not really lead the discussion in that manner.
I really do try to limit what I expose my children and myself to at this point. We do not read the newspaper or watch the news. I am truly a believer that taking in too much ‘worldly’ information produces a negative outlook. We still come across quite a bit though in everyday living. My children are being taught that the Bible is our instruction manual, and that it is the place to go for answers. So we go and look for the answers. I also try to inform them about how other people may look at the same situation from a worldly perspective. It is my belief that by showing them both views, they will learn to more effectively discern.
I’m not sure I’m much help on this topic. I really wish I could remember what kinds of conversations I had with my parents about current events when I was small, but I don’t even remember much about the events that were current then. I do know that a solid Christian education in American history and civics was a tremendous help when I realized with a shock in ’88 that President Reagan couldn’t be president anymore and started paying attention to national politics. (We used A Beka at my private school, but my parents encouraged me to explore more on my own, and it just so happened that around the same time CBS was showing the miniseries _This Is America, Charlie Brown_.)
One thing I can add, though, is that gifted kids have a very strong sense of right and wrong and a strong desire for justice. That fact alone can open doors for conversation.
As Rose mentioned, understanding history is essential to understanding current events. This is where I plan to start with my children while they are young–both American and world history. Seeing how God has worked in the past, the mistakes people have made, etc., will give them a basis as they get older for understanding what is going on now.
When it comes to methods, I think our primary method will be sitting at the dinner table and talking. This is definitely an area where my husband is more adept than I am–I’m the idea person, he sees how ideas fit into the real world.