Raising our boys to be young men is a huge goal in our house. We want them to know how to take care of themselves and how to rely upon and trust God no matter what is happening. We were happy to be able to use Personal Development for Young Men from Landmark’s Freedom Baptist Curriculum with our 17-year-old.

This is an 18-week course that goes over not just the Essence of Manhood and What Manhood is Not, but also things like Understanding Women, Satan’s Attack on God’s Creation, Skin Care and The Role of the Christian Young Man in Dating to name a few of the topics. The Curriculum Set that we received included the Student Study guide, Tests and Quizzes Book, the Study guide Answer Key, and the Tests and Quizzes Answer Key.

This was a very easy, open and go curriculum. I didn’t have to do much planning, as my son as able to see that each week in the study guide was broken up by days. He was able to do each day without a lot of help from me. He only needed me for grading and to recite his weekly memory verse to me.

Every Monday, he would go over the vocabulary words for the week.  These could be found in the back of the study guide, and all he would need to do would be to copy them to the page. The next day included him reading the lesson. These were short but to the point lessons. It took a week or two before he realized that this was all he had to do on the second day. It was a nice change from his regular school load. After having some time to think about what he read, the next day he would answer questions about the lesson. Once again, the questions were not hard, the hardest part was to remember that he had to respond in complete sentences.

The end of the week was where there was a little more meat to the lesson. Lesson Four is the day where there is an essay that goes along with the topic of the week. It is recommended that the essays be at least two paragraphs long, long enough to be challenging, but not too long to cause frustration. The last day of the week is quiz day. The quizzes are short, 4-8 questions going over the main points from the week. It is also the last day that your child will recite their memory verse to you, showing that they really did work hard on memorizing it during the week.

Halfway through the course, there is a Quarter One Test. There is another Test at the end of the course. These two tests go over everything that has been learned so far. These are great refreshers that cover everything from the vocabulary words to the memory verses.

I really didn’t have a huge role in this course with my son. This was a very independent course that is geared towards 9th-12th grades. I loved watching him take control of his learning and actually learning how to personally develop into a young man with God as his center.

We both loved the Personal Development for Young Men course. It was easy, but not too easy. It has a very Christian focus, and it talked about all the topics that my husband and I felt were important. My son didn’t argue about the course and actually enjoyed that it was in book form that he could take anywhere in the house to do. I loved hearing him memorize the Bible verses, knowing that they were picked for their meaning.

If you are looking for a health course for your sons, we would recommend Personal Development for Young Men.

—Product review by Amanda Hopkins, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, June, 2018

Another Reviewer Perspective:

Personal Development for Young Men

Landmark’s Freedom Baptist Curriculum

www.landmarklfbc.com

Never before in the history of America has there been such an assault on genuine masculinity and Biblical principles. Our culture has turned masculinity into a nearly undesirable trait, falsely equating it with abuse, power, violence, and empty bravado.  Now more than ever, families who desire to raise their boys with Biblical, old-fashioned values need help and encouragement, so Landmark’s Freedom Baptist Curriculum has published a course for high school boys called Personal Development for Young Men.  It is designed to be used over one semester, or eighteen weeks, and fulfills the requirements for a half-credit elective.

This curriculum tackles topics that might typically raise an eyebrow when seen as part of a course for young men, such as love, fear, emotions, jealousy, and feelings, before delving into more predictable lessons on anger, self-control, and immorality. The first half of the course builds a strong Biblical foundation of character and the attributes of a Godly man.  Emphasis is placed on developing the inner man first, through lessons on inner strength and following God’s leading. Weekly memory verses reinforce the lessons that are taught, and weekly writing assignments help the student foster his own growth.

There is an entire section devoted to dating, a popular area of interest! Biblical principles are at the core of the lessons. Not only are the young men admonished to respect the young ladies and treat them properly, but they are taught why it is important. Another entire section of the course is devoted to proper care of the body with regards to diet, nutrition, exercise, and skin care.

Each week includes five lessons, complete with reading material, correlating questions, a writing assignment, and a short quiz. There are two tests - one for the end of each quarter. The set also includes answer keys for the quizzes, tests, and workbook questions.

We have used this material in a group setting, working with high school age young men. The lessons are relevant and laid out in a well-organized manner, suitable for personal study or classroom teaching. This course is currently being sold on the publisher’s website for $35.

This is a well-rounded course that thoroughly covers all aspects of Christian manhood, equipping young men to learn the principles that will guide them to growing into adulthood successfully, being pleasing to both God and man. There is an underlying theme that a man will be able to function well in any field if he will first develop a personal walk with God.

-Product review by Erica Beyea, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, June, 2018