Curriculum Review - Bridge Curriculum - Rio from Cook!

Rio is a Bridge Sunday School curriculum from David C. Cook. Rio features solid resources with a strong focus on teaching God's Word - they say they want to " help kids see the Bible isn't just a collection of cool stories—it's a cohesive story of God's plan for them." Allow me to share with you some information about Rio!

• Publisher - Cook  
• Website - http://rio.davidccook.com/rio/ 
• Price - $129.99 per age level - one teacher and 10 students - $24.99 for each additional five students
• Scope - Through the Bible
• Available for Elementary

Strengths -

• Biblically Sound
• Variety of interactive options included for each lesson to engage children in thinking about the point of the Bible lesson - activities spread throughout the teaching of the Bible lesson.
• Children open their Bibles to discover Who God Is in each lesson.
• Strong Teacher devotionals and prep materials - Cook says, "Discipling leaders to share from the overflow of their own hearts is what Rio is all about. Rio is designed to feed and challenge everyone involved in the experience."
• Each Theme/Topic is unified and some weeks the actual Bible lesson is, but not all weeks.
• Some reproducible resources are available

Would like to see - 

• Live-it activities for each week to help children know how to live what they are learning
• Unified scope and sequence all weeks for all ages
• Quarterly service projects to "Put Feet to Their Faith" 
• Optional second service
• More affordable pricing - excellent quality/color in student/family materials, but could really add up if you have a larger class

Rio curriculum is written with the goal of being a "God-centered" curriculum. They say, "Because God is the main Character - from beginning to end - Rio focuses on Him in each lesson. Rio lessons help kids recognize who God is doing in each story; they focus on His character, His sovereignty and His worthiness." If you are looking for a Bridge curriculum with a strong focus on teaching children Who God Is, this curriculum is well worth taking a look at to see if it may be a good "fit" for your ministry! Cook says, "Rio knows kids today don’t think about information the way they used to. Kids see information as interconnected, and that’s how Rio presents its Bible lessons—as all part of the same incredible story written by God. Rio incorporates spiritual disciplines and enables kids to access the Bible on their own, helping them learn how to study and relate to God's Word beyond the classroom."