Why Teach Hymns in Your Homeschool?
You likely already know that the great songs of faith inspire, they are easy to memorize, and the study of hymns is an excellent means of building both vocabulary and theology. But I believe that the foremost reason to teach hymns to our children is so that they will get to know these songs as special friends that will remain with them throughout their lives.
I was twelve years old when my grandfather died. It was the great tragedy of my childhood. He was not particularly scholarly; he had not even graduated from high school. He was not a serious man, who sought to teach his grandchildren the rigors of theology. Rather, he was a mischievous man, alive with the wonder that was life. This man of mischief introduced me to good friends of his, and these friends were hymns.
More than forty-five years have passed since my grandfather placed his large, work-worn hand on my chest and patted me as he sang “I Love to Tell the Story” before putting me to bed. In my memory, he sang off-key, and I think he sometimes got some of the words wrong, but it was the feeling I remember most, as he bellowed this song before telling me goodnight. As he sang, I felt his love for that mysterious Story, and, equally, I felt his love for me.
Even before I knew much of the cherished Story he sang about, I felt the Story and I loved the Story, because he loved the Story, and he loved me. In this way, he introduced me to a friend that has traveled with me around the world, through childhood all the way to being a grandmother myself.
Hymns have been there at my life's celebrations, and they have been the companion of my life’s sorrows. They are the friends who have been there through good times and bad. The hymns I sing as I walk the floor with my infant grandson in my arms are the same hymns that my grandparents once sang to me.
It is that connection, not only to the words and the tune, but to the generations of faith who have gone before us, that lends the richness to these songs. These same songs that inspired trust and faithfulness in those long gone, remind us that the God we worship today has been worshiped since time began.
When we teach our children, let’s not merely focus on facts and skills, but remind ourselves of the importance of introducing them to “friends” that will stick with them. Good books, inspirational poems, and stunning paintings all have their place in becoming “friends” with our children. But, to me, the classic hymns of the faith are unparalleled as treasured companions that will, for a lifetime, remind of our children of “God, our help in ages past, our hope for years to come.”
At Where’d You Learn That? Homeschool, we create hymn studies that allow you to dive into learning some of these great hymns as a family. The simple, scripted lesson plans and discussion prompts will allow you to get to know each song intimately, as friendship requires. Check out our shop to find the “Amazing Grace” Study, and you can find our Nature Collection (featuring “For the Beauty of the Earth,” “This is My Father’s World,” and “Fairest Lord Jesus”) is available for FREE on the Freebies page.