Teaching Kids – Page 3

Bible Study, Kids Ministry, Leadership, Sunday School, Teaching Kids

October 11, 2017

Teaching Begins at the Door

As teachers, you are constantly teaching through your words and actions. We want our teaching to have a positive impact on a child. Greeting a child at the classroom door as he arrives has many benefits. Most importantly, the simple action of greeting children and their families at the door communicates you are happy they are at church. A teacher can set the tone of the class for the day when she physically greets a child at the door. A child can sense the teacher is happy he is at church. Additionally, when a teacher greets the child at the classroom door, he helps the child who may be experiencing anxiety feel comfortable .

Consider using the following ideas as you begin teaching at the classroom door.

Designate the same teacher to greet children each week if possible. Seeing the same face each week can be comforting to the child and the parents.
Greet the child by his name. Then, greet his parents. Smile and genuinely communicate you are happy they are at church.
If possible, greet the child at his level. If you are physically able, bend down to the child’s eye level to greet him.
Engage the child’s attention by showing her the teaching picture or another teaching activity for the day.
Share the Bible verse for the day with the child.
Post a sign outside the classroom next to the door sharing the Bible verse and other activities the child will experience during the teaching session. (Make sure to list any items on an allergy alert if necessary.)
Sing a song or sing words to a familiar tune such as, “I am glad you’re here today, here today, here today. I am glad you’re here today. We will learn about Jesus.” (Sung to the tune of Mary Had a Little Lamb”)

Use the opportunity to build connections with the family, welcome the child, and begin teaching. By following the above suggestions, you as a teacher are not only teaching the child, you’re showing parents ways to teach and connect with the child. Which of these ideas could you implement as you teach? What other ideas can you think of to use to teach at the door?

Delanee Williams serves as a Ministry Specialist with Lifeway Kids. She is a graduate of Baylor University and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Delanee has served in kids ministry for over twenty years and is passionate about developing, equipping and encouraging leaders.

Bible Study, Kids Ministry, Leadership, Sunday School, Teaching Kids

October 9, 2017

Is Trustworthy Content a Kidmin Deal Breaker?

By Landry Holmes

If you are a kids ministry leader, then you are a content provider.

“Whoa! Hold on now!” you may be thinking. “I’m not publisher, writer, song-writer, or video producer; so how am I a content provider?” Every preschool and children’s ministry leader and teacher is a content provider. The question is, “What kind of content are you serving to the kids in your church?”

Our ultimate goal is to make disciples of kids. The Bible is clear that making disciples includes teaching them the Bible. Jesus says in Matthew 28:19-20, “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Emphasis mine.)

So, what are we teaching the kids in our churches? I’ve seen a lot of curriculum, some published and some not. A lot of good, trustworthy content is available. However, there is also an abundance of not-so-trustworthy content out there. How do we discern the difference?

Start with asking yourself, “Does the content teach the truth and nothing but the truth?” Paul reminds his young protégé in 2 Timothy 2:15 to, “Be diligent to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who doesn’t need to be ashamed, correctly teaching the word of truth.” (Emphasis mine.) This means that we present Bible content to kids without embellishment, always. If we think we have to add to the Bible content just to make it interesting to kids, what are we saying about our belief in God’s inerrant word?

Another question to ask is, “Does the content point kids to Jesus?” This may come as a surprise to many of us, but kids were around during Bible times. How do you think they learned about God’s plan of redemption? They studied the Scriptures. Again, Paul reminds Timothy, “And you know that from infancy you have known the sacred Scriptures, which are able to give you wisdom for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.” (2 Timothy 3:15)

The kids alive during Bible times either experienced violence and hardship or heard stories about battles and God’s provision. Some of them heard about the Messiah. Others sat in the Messiah’s lap. They also memorized long passages of Scripture that didn’t have any action in them. Do you think their parents and teachers embellished the stories of old to keep kids from being bored? Of course they didn’t, and neither should we.

Before you teach kids this week, evaluate the video, music, scripts, and printed words you plan to present. Does the content teach God’s truth unaltered and point kids to Jesus? If not, what changes will you make to be a provider of trustworthy content?

Landry Holmes is the Manager of Lifeway Kids Ministry Publishing, Nashville, TN. A graduate of Howard Payne University and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Landry served on church staffs before coming to Lifeway. He is a church leader, writer, workshop facilitator, and publisher. Landry also teaches children at his church in Middle Tennessee. He and his wife Janetta are the grandparents of two adorable grandbabies.

Bible Study, Kids Ministry, Sunday School, Teaching Kids

September 25, 2017

4 Signs You Might Teach A Reflective Learner

By Tim Pollard

Scientist have defined around eight distinct approaches to learning. Many of us can identify the kids in our groups that fall into some of those categories. It’s very easy to spot a verbal learner who likes to lead discussion and chatter a bit; a physical learner who can’t quite sit in his chair; or a visual learner who loves to draw and always chooses the brightest crayons in the box. Some other approaches are a bit harder to identify. You might struggle to identify the kid who is a natural learner and enjoys natural environments to learning. You might not be able to peg the logical learner in your group, but after a few well placed puzzle games you will know who they are too. Reflective learners might be easy to spot, though sometimes we mistake their style of learning for apathy or rudeness. Here are four quick ways to possibly identify the reflective learners in your group.

Reflective learners may appear to be disinterested. A lot of times a reflective learner by nature is reflecting on what you are teaching and saying. As leaders it is sometimes very easy for us to dismiss this behavior as disinterest and wonder if the child is even paying attention to any of the words that you are saying. I assure you, if you have a reflective learner, she heard every word you said and is pondering quite well.
Reflective learners may not answer you right away when you ask a question. If you engage a reflective learner in conversation you may need to be patient and wait for an answer. Reflective learners want to make sure the answer they give you is the correct answer so they do an evaluation processes before giving you an answer. If you have a reflective learner include him in discussions but give him time to formulate an answer without pressuring him for an answer.
Reflective learners like to journal. If you have a child in your group that likes to write or journal and usually chooses a writing activity when given choices chances are she might be a reflective learner. Journals are great ways to engage reflective learners and they will thrive in that endeavor. They might even be willing to share their journals with others. If you have a reflective learner make sure you provide choices that include some type of reflective activity to give them time to journal their thoughts.
Reflective learners will ask you questions when you aren’t expecting them. Sometimes these kids will ask you questions weeks after a discussion because they have had time to process. One year the group of sixth grade boys I taught had a young man who would come prepared the next session to ask questions based on what he processed from the week before. If you have a kid who likes to ask question about prior content you’ve taught, you might have a reflective learner. Give time to answer those questions and maybe begin your session each week by asking if anyone had any thoughts from the last time you were together.

If you have reflective learners in your group take some time to identify who they are and give them an opportunity to be who God made them to be.

Tim Pollard teaches 3rd graders at Tulip Grove Baptist Church. He’s passionate about helping kids dig deep into Scripture, which he pursues through his daily work as leader of the Explore the Bible: Kids team. Tim lives with his wife and daughters in Mount Juliet, TN.

Teaching Begins at the Door

Is Trustworthy Content a Kidmin Deal Breaker?

4 Signs You Might Teach A Reflective Learner

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