Kids Ministry

Dedicated to helping Kids Ministry leaders in their mission of making disciples

Resources, Special Needs, Training

Help for Kids with Difficulty: Shadowing in the Classroom

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Katie DeCilloHave you ever heard of shadowing in a kidmin classroom?  Shadowing is a great technique used with children who are having difficulty in group settings. It requires an extra volunteer to stay close and assist when the child requires help. The person shadowing becomes the child’s buddy and must remain close enough to intervene when necessary. The volunteer would help, love, support, and encourage the child. And being close to the child will help limit disruptive behavior, help protect other children, and help the child feel guided, loved, and accepted.

164196804Shadowing works well with different ages and stages of development. One of the earliest issues that teachers encounter is biting. The person shadowing stays close to the child that is having difficulty controlling the urge to bite. Because the volunteer is close, they can intervene when the child is getting ready to bite. This person also gets to know the child better and learns to recognize what is causing the child’s frustration which results in biting. This method also works with children who are having difficulty getting along with others. Children sometimes need gentle loving reminders to be nice while playing with friends.

Shadowing is a great way to maintain a positive teaching and learning environment. This technique benefits the child that is experiencing difficulty in group settings too. It will help the child get adjusted to being in a group as well as helping him through any transitional periods. Shadowing will create a happier, more positive teaching and learning environment for both the teacher and child.

Do you practice shadowing in your kids ministry classroom?  Do you think it might improve the classroom experience for kids who need a little extra help? 

Crafts
Crafts

Pinterest Friday: Fall Crafts

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Katie DeCilloCan you believe it’s already time to start thinking about Fall?  The kids are headed back to school and before we know it, temperatures will start falling just like the leaves on the trees here in Tennessee.

Here are a few fun Fall activities to work on with your kiddos as Fall approaches.  You can find more fun activities for all occasions on the Lifeway Kids Pinterest boards.

Fun

Classroom of the Week: Ballardsville Baptist Church

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Katie DeCilloStarting this week, we’ll begin featuring real kids ministry classrooms on Kids Ministry 101.  Send us photos and tell us why you LOVE your classroom and you might get featured on the blog, too!

Today’s post is from Elizabeth Horne, Children’s Minister at Ballardsville Baptist Church in Crestwood, KY.

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“This is our Kid’z Zone Children’s Church room where I do the extended session of The Gospel Project with Kindergarten through 2nd grade. This is my favorite room in all of our children’s ministry because everything is so interactive for the kids and brightly colored. They can see the progression of how much they have learned and where we are in our study of the Bible on the timeline map. We post all of the Big Picture questions, teaching pictures, and verses so they can follow each unit. Our kids enjoy having enough room to play the games and interact with each other so we remove all the chairs from the space. I love working with our children and seeing them light up as they learn more of God’s Word.

The Gospel Project has been a blessing to our ministry as it engages our kids in every learning style from audio visual to hands on! Reaching our children with the gospel is a great privilege, and keeping them engaged means keeping them moving through an interactive space that points everything back to the lesson.”

Love your classroom?  Send a picture and a short description of why to cristy.whitlock@lifeway.com! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Events, Fun

10 Tips for Family Fun Nights

By

Katie DeCillo

The following post was written by Vicki Hulsey, Childhood Education Specialist, Tennessee Baptist Convention.

Churches need to discover ways to reconnect families by helping them grow closer together and closer to God. One way to do that is by offering family-friendly events in which family members learn, worship, serve, and laugh together. Let’s look at some guidelines for fantastic family fun nights.

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  1. Be intentional. Decide on a purpose and stick to it.
  2. Place dates on the church calendar. Choose the same night of the month, i.e. First Friday, Fifth Sunday. Having a consistent time helps families avoid allowing other activities to creep in.
  3. Choose a theme. Choose a theme that allows families to participate together.
  4. Budget wisely. Plan activities that can be done for less than five dollars per family, or better yet, FREE.
  5. Spread the fun. Allow families to lead families by recruiting families to take the lead in planning a Family Fun Night.
  6. Include all families. Make room for all types of families including singles, empty nesters and senior adults.
  7. Be creative. Be creative with your theme and your budget.
  8. Communicate, communicate, communicate. Communicate your purpose, theme, date and time.
  9. Plan a family devotional. Provide learning activities to help family members read and talk about God’s Word together.
  10. Evaluate. Use evaluation tools with families and with those responsible for planning the event.

Does your church plan family fun nights?  Share how you connect with the families in your church in the comments section below! 

Events
Crafts, Fun, Resources, Sunday School
Encouragement, Resources, Special Needs, Sunday School, Training

Tips for Giving Non-Verbal Instruction

By

Katie DeCillo

The following post was written by Mona McDonald, Family Ministries Coordinator at First Southern Baptist Church Scottsdale, Arizona.

Non-verbal instruction is a very effective teaching method. Learning this great skill can rid your classroom of frustration and lost teaching time. Some children “want” your constant attention and look for ways to get it. Some children “need” your attention and don’t know how to get it. Try a few of these ideas during your next class and see what happens.

Little girl learning- non-verbal communication

• Smile, raise your eyebrows and nod at someone who is following directions. This shows approval and encouragement
• Use eye contact with children who need to pay attention as you give instructions. Walk near them if necessary
• Touch your fingers to your mouth to silence; to your ear when asking to listen; to your head to encourage “thinking hard”
• Remind “rule-breakers” of a certain rule by pointing to the posted rule
• Being prepared is a great non-verbal way of instructing children that you are the teacher
• Some children need a little extra help so ask them to touch their knee or shoulder to refocus attention or touch the word they should be reading in the book to bring them back on task
• As you give instructions, make eye contact with the disruptive child and shake your head slowly to show disapproval of their actions
• Model your instructions

Disruptions are often a child’s desire to know that someone sees them and that they are an important member of the class. Children want to be successful and know they are important. Your non-verbal communication speaks louder than words.

Resources, Training

A Tool for Easy Leader Training

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Katie DeCilloYour people are good at what they do. Of course they are—God made them that way. But do they know they are? Often times, the only difference between filling a spot and serving with passion is the empowering knowledge that comes from training. But many times the training they need is not available at the time and place they need it.

Ministry Grid is a web-based training platform that makes developing leaders simpler and more effective than ever before, removing the obstacles most churches face in training leaders and providing the right training at the right time, no matter the ministry role that needs it. Ministry Grid features:

  • More than 1,000 video courses from parking lot ministry to the pulpit
  • A convenient web- and mobile-based platform for training anytime, anywhere
  • Intuitive Learning Management System to easily assign training, monitor progress, and assess giftedness for all your people
  • Customizable content, including the ability to upload your own and turn off unwanted content
  • Affordable subscription rates priced according to your ministry size

You’ll find great leader training resources, like 8 Approaches to How Kids Learn:

If you’re interested in learning more about Ministry Grid, check out ministrygrid.com.  You can even sign up to view exclusive pre-release content.

Leave a comment below about how your church does training and I’ll select five people to receive a 30-day gift card to Ministry Grid.

 

 

 

Resources, Special Needs

A Quick Guide to Choosing Bible Studies for Life: Kids Resources

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Katie DeCilloIf you’re thinking about investing in Bible Studies for Life: Kids, we’ve come up with this handy guide to help you determine what products are right for your group!  If you have any questions about the materials, feel free to leave a comment below and we’ll do our best to help you figure out everything you need to get started.

If you’re new to Bible Studies for Life, you can download three lessons for FREE!

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