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SSTN # 56 - July 28, 2006
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IN THIS ISSUE OF THE SSTN e-NEWSLETTER:
1) Summer Outreach? 2) Large Class 3) No interest in senior high? 4) Large Class
Buzz Words - Paul and Silas
5) Large Class 6) Large Class 7) Large Class 8) Women of the Bible 9) Website all ages
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1) Summer Outreach?
Besides VBS, what other outreach activities does your church provide during the summer?
thanx
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2) Large Class
Hi Susan,
>My Sunday School class of 1st-3rd graders has recently increased in size >from about 9 children to nearly 20. While I'm trying to rejoice in this >opportunity...younger boys don't seem to understand the lesson unless >they are doing something active ...incorporate movement instead of >lecture.
Not to mention that it's more fun to be doing something than just being lectured to. ;o)If you don't have a helper, then you need one. In fact, you might even have a liability issue on your hands if you don't have another adult in there with you.
"Lecturing" or I prefer to call it, "story telling" is fine, if you incorporate other techniques with it. For example, reading with passion and emphasis while having kids act it out or draw it or use clay, something hands-on while you're telling the story or directing them to tell it. For example, see the "Wedding Banquet" parable in the Skits section of the site at:
http://www.SundaySchoolNetwork.com This entire parable is told and taught using a hands-on Bible approach.
Once the story is told, then a game (or craft) can coincide with it. I guarantee you'll have their attention. However, if you have rowdy kids, an extra helper is necessary to keep them focused while you teach.
One more thing, I like to say to the kids that I have something really important to tell them that will help them for the rest of their lives. Therefore they need to listen really carefully so they can learn what it is they need to know. (It's amazing how many stop to listen when I say this.)
Your webservant, Sarah Keith <>< SundaySchoolNetwork.com
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3) No interest in senior high?
I know that our church is not the only church to start losing kids after confirmation. It seems like as soon as they get confirmed, they don't think it is important to come to Sunday School anymore. I have always worked with a group younger, 9 through 13 and I wonder what I can do to keep them excited about coming. This summer we have been using the "Christ's Apprentice" program, which is mission based. The kids are enjoying it. But, again, the oldest kids are 13. Also, getting adults interested in teaching teens is tough at our church. Does anyone have any suggestions as to how to get the teenage crowd turned back on to Sunday School. And please understand that we are a small group of Christian Education people. We struggle to kept enough teachers for the younger kids. And, as much as I try to get the people to move to a more contemporary way of worship, we are still a more traditional church. I am struggling, need HELP! Cindy
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4) Large Class
>I'm frustrated, ineffective and hoping for help from >some of you who teach large groups regularly.
Susan, I’m hoping you have a staff helping you, for safety reasons as well as saving your sanity. :-)
As soon as you see interest lagging, move on. Change the setting. Do something different. Avoid being so locked to a schedule that you have to finish Jeopardy or die trying!
The Bible story interaction is a must. Children retain about 10% of what they hear, but they’ll retain 90% of what they hear, see, and DO. So whatever you have to do, adapt your story to include participation. Let the children build the Tower of Babel. Let 4 children become a chariot—2 wheels and 2 horses, with 2 more children inside as Philip and the Ethiopian (or Egyptians chasing Hebrews). A child with outstretched arms is a tree, another crouched in a ball is a large rock, another on all fours is a sheep. Do not worry that the children do not do it exactly right, or that they will be so busy playing a part that they miss the story. I have taught 4s-5s, as well as grades 1-3, in small and large settings, and these methods really do work. The children will learn so much more, they will beg to be used, and they will have fun at church.
The larger the class, the more difficult it is to use everyone. From the moment they walk in the door, use the children via a special selection method. Write each person’s name on a ping pong ball, place it in a bucket, and then when you need a volunteer (for snacks, passing out markers, actors for the Bible story, line leader, etc.), draw a name from the bucket. Once the name is drawn, it goes in another bucket, and does not go back to the first bucket until (1) everyone has been used, or (2) class is over. If a name is drawn but the child does not want to fulfill that role, return his name for drawing later. This avoids embarrassment and forced participation. Some children do not like acting in front of others, but they have no problem being line leader or passing out markers.
One more thought—decide what is most important about your class: the children enjoying being in God’s House and learning about Him, or maintaining a schedule and order. Let everything be done in decency and in order, but at the same time be flexible—these are kids, so let them be kids the way God made them, having fun, enjoying life, and loving God.
Long answer, but I hope it’s helpful.
JO
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Buzz Words - Paul and Silas
Class listens closely for the following “Buzz Words”, then act them out while you read the story. This technique can be used when retelling other Bible stories too.
Choose nine children to lead the class, and give each of them one of the words (below). As you read the words in quotations, emphasize them, pausing for a second to give the kids a chance to make the motions. If you have a small class, choosing leaders is not necessary. Just have the kids make the following motions as you say them:
Walking: Walk in place. Pray (prayer or prayed): Fold hands in prayer and bow heads. Run (running or ran): Run in place. Money: Hold hand in the air and rub fingers and thumb together. Shout (shouted or shouting): Shake fists over head. Prison (or prisoners): Hand over hand grasping your wrists. Earthquake: Shake body back and forth and spin around. Loose (or loosed): Grasped hands on wrists are opened with fingers spread apart. Joy (or joyfully): Jump up and down with hands over head.
"One day when Paul and Silas, two "joyful" followers of Jesus, were "walking" to the place of "prayer", they were met by a slave girl who had an [evil] spirit and told fortunes. She earned a lot of "money" for her owners doing this. This girl followed Paul and Silas, continually "shouting" at them day after day. Paul was so troubled by her that he "shouted" to the evil spirit in her, "In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!" At that moment the spirit came "running" out..."
The rest of this story, and other hands-on Bible techniques, can be found in the "Fruit of the Spirit" book from the Bible-4-Life Curriculum series at:
http://www.sundayschoolnetwork.com/curriculum.html
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5) Large Class
Has you Sunday School thought about making another class? At one point we felt that first graders were too young to be in with third graders. Their attention spand just wasn't as long. So we went to three classes, 1&2, 3&4 and 5&6. It also gives you more time with individual kids and they feel like they are more a part of it. Hope this helps, Cindy
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6) Large Class
Years ago I taught preschool/kindergarten level. There were usually 20-30 kids in the worship service classtime (generally one to one and a half hours in length). I needed help. Teens and other parents were such an asset. I would pass out colored ribbons (usually 4 or 5 colors) to each child as they walked into the classroom. Each teen or parent received one also. That teen/parent became responsible for the children with the same color ribbon. As a group I would teach the lesson. Once the basic story and memory verse was told we broke up into the smaller "colored" groups. From that point on to the remainder of class time they stayed in their groups making crafts, doing paperwork, etc. We sang songs as a group but teen/parent helpers were with their group. Potty breaks were done by "color" and so on....I taught the same story and Bible verse for usually 3-4 weeks in a row, each time presented differently, such as puppets one week, skits another week, etc. Crafts were different each week but all went along with the lesson. It worked terrific. Kids loved it and they truely learned the lesson because it was repeated over and over. Hope this helps.....PS I have an URGENT medical PRAYER REQUEST>>>>please pray....God is already aware....thanks. DAR,AL
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7) Large Class
>My Sunday School class of 1st-3rd graders has recently increased in >size from about 9 children to nearly 20. ..way to incorporate movement >instead of >lecture. The problem is that with 20 kids, the logistics of >doing ANYTHING but lecture >becomes complex. By the time we get everyone >ready and instructed, corralled >AGAIN into the right place, all our time
Susan,
We are missionaries in Uruguay and I usually have a large class by myself as well. It calls for the teacher to be prepared and some readjustment to the material being taught.
It's always good to have a small craft that reinforces the lesson taught so they can take it home and let their family see what they are learning. In doing a craft.....keep it simple and go with all material precut....and use tape or stick glue....
Reinforcing the lesson through songs also makes the class interesting. One does not have to be an expert singer. Singing along with a CD is good for those like me who are challanged.
From experience, kids don't retain what they learn in lecture and need a hands on learning style. It gets complicated when the teacher is alone but not impossible.
A group game like can be done...dividing the kids into team and playing old fashioned Bible Baseball....where each answer moves the participant one base. Playing Human tic-tac-toe....where some members are the x's and o's and some members actually answer the questions is another possibility.
May God bless you as you seek to impact your children. Deborah dekay58@yahoo.com
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8) Women of the Bible
Dear Nancy,
Several years ago I did some classes on some of the women in the Bible. There was a series of 11 of them. We talked about Priscilla; Dorcas, Mary, the mother of Jesus; Mary Magnolin; Elizabeth, Ruth, Lydia; Moses' Mother; Deborah; Hannah; and Rahab. We also created a Jeopardy game for review. Unfortunately, I cannot locate all these lessons to share with you. However, I do have Moses' Mother, Deborah, Hannah, Rahab and the Jeopardy Game review questions. I also have a lesson plan for Ruth which is part of a separate set of lesson plans. If you would like any of these, please e-mail me at scioart@yahoo.com.
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