The lesson itself does not last more than 15-20 minutes, at the greatest maximum, the teaching can continue in other forms through the activities.
Do you know that we remember:
10 of what we hear ► Lesson
50 of what we hear and see
► leçon
+ Visual
70 % what we hear, see, and say ► Lesson
Visuals
Oral activities (prayer, verse,
singing, questions)
90 % what we hear, see, say and do Lesson
Visuals
Oral activities (prayer, verse,
singing, questions)
+ hands-on activities
We see that activities can increase the impact of our work by 40! Even if they require preparation, imagination or research, they are important!
The activities also help to check whether the children have understood. We can then re-explain, complete, specify if necessary.
Activities finally allow for a variation in teaching. Children need a framework, of course. But they can get tired of the routine sessions. A good teacher knows how to stimulate interest, arouse curiosity. So, watch
as much as you can, create surprise, innovate!
© Monitor Workshop
“Chouquette discovers God”
Author: Andrée LOAS
Publisher: League for Bible Reading
(On sale in Christian bookstores)
This manual presents a thoughtful, tested program to help
parents and teachers to bring to the very young 2-year-old
a biblical teaching measured for him, adapted to his development,
presenting God as he can appreciate him, love him, and learn to trust him.
Il can be used both in church as part of daycare and in the House.
It
includes 11 very detailed lessons divided into three themes:
Series 1: Jesus loves children
- Lesson 1: Jesus receives children (4 sessions)
- Lesson 2: Jesus heals a little boy (4 sessions)
Series 2: God did everything
- Lesson 1: God made water, plants and animals (7 sessions)
- Lesson 2: God made me me (6 sessions)
Series 3: God Takes Care of Me
- Lesson 1: God Protects Me (3 sessions)
- Lesson 2: God gives me food (3 sessions)
- Lesson 3: God gives me a family (4 sessions)
Typical lesson from this manual:
Heat 1, Lesson 1
Jesus receives children
For the first session, if the children are only two years old and not yet going to school, they will be very intimidated. Some people may cry.
Nor will they understand that they are being asked to sit for a few minutes.
This should not disturb you. Your little students will gradually know what you expect from them. Week after week, they will be able to stay more attentive to the program.
If one or two children are worried, or if they don’t sit for a minute, your assistant take them on her lap.
|
What the Child Will Learn
|
Biblical
History
|
Song
|
Material
|
– Jesus is
kind. – Jesus loves
children. – Jesus loves me.
|
Mark 10: 13,14,16
|
Jesus
loves little children
|
A picture of every child in the
classThe image
of Jesus with children (page 64)
|
The lesson
First contact
Children see their photos displayed on the wall or placed on the ground.
They look at them (it can last a long time), they recognize each other.
Every child is appointed.
This exercise will give them confidence: they are known!
The Bible
You direct their attention to the rag doll that sits in front of them. Her name is Chouquette. She reads the Bible.
You take the Bible: It’s the Bible. Children repeat “the Bible.”
The Bible speaks of Jesus.
You open the Bible and say: Listen to the beautiful story of Jesus that I read in the Bible.
Biblical history
The kids are very happy. They’re going to see Jesus. In the street, the little girl smiles, the little boy jumps for joy.
Finally, they come close to Jesus, but they don’t see him. There are a lot of great people. They listen to Jesus.
The children try to get close to Jesus, but a man says to them, “Go away, children. Jesus speaks to the great people. There is no time for you. Go away.”
The children are sad. They don’t smile anymore. They want to cry. They won’t see Jesus!
But Jesus sees them. They call them: “Come, children! Come! I love you. I want to see you.”
The children run to Jesus. How happy they are! How nice Jesus is! He takes them in his arms, he talks to them. Yes, Jesus loves children.
And me?
Show the image of Jesus with the children.
Jesus loves children. Jesus loves Marine, Jesus loves Thomas, Jesus loves Camille… (name each child). Jesus loves little children like Marine, like Thomas…
Sing “Jesus loves little children” several times while showing the image of Jesus among the children.
The kids aren’t going to go with you. They’ll just listen to you and watch you, for many more weeks if they’re only two years old! But they will gradually withhold, and soon will repeat a word here, a word there. Keep singing alone without being discouraged: the children record everything.
For the first session with two-year-olds, that’s all. You don’t have to want to do more.
Finally,
While the children are playing, sing for them: Jesus loves small children (several times).
Take the children one by one on your lap and sing “Jesus loves children like you.”
Other sessions
Do this basic lesson in a whole four weeks in a row. Don’t be afraid: children won’t get tired. They need this rehearsal to learn. To relive what they have already experienced will produce a sense of security, which they need very much.
For the next three sessions, gradually add these activities:
Bible
You ask a child to go and take the Bible and give it to you. Children of this age are not used to obeying instructions. But once they understand what you expect from them, they will do so with pleasure.
When you present the Bible, children can say with you: This is the Bible. She’s talking about Jesus. Just hear them repeat “Bible” and “Jesus.” It is possible that only one or two children will know how to do so. But every week, the children will become a little more confident and will soon dare to talk.
And me?
After biblical history, tell each child individually: Jesus loves you.
Finally,
Make a little round to sing. But don’t be too demanding. Holding hands to turn is something new for the little ones. It will take several weeks until they know how to do it, and even longer until they can do it by singing!
Jesus loves little children
like me (bis)
Little ones like me
Jesus receives them
Jesus loves little children
Like me
© copyright – all rights reserved. Author: Andrée Loas – Publisher: League for Reading the Bible
www.laLigue.net
“The toddlers discover God”
by Andrée LOAS
published by the League
for the Reading of the Bible
(On sale in Christian bookstores)
This manual is for 3-year-olds.
Children will learn that God loves them, and that he also loves other children in the family and their parents. They are no longer the center of the world! We want to help them see those around them and begin to become aware of their needs.
They will learn that God created all the natural world: not only the one they can touch, but also the mountains, the sea and the stars. They will discover that God is very great and powerful, and that they can trust Him.
We will also make them participate in the joy of the Christmas and Easter holidays by explaining what these holidays represent.
But what is really important is that they will learn to respond to God’s gifts and love. They will respond to God’s gifts by learning to thank him. These will be their first prayers outside the family.
They will learn to show love for the Lord by obeying him, by doing what is pleasing to him. To do this, we will address four points: obeying parents, giving to the church, sharing what they have and helping those around them. Sharing and helping will be a long and painful learning process, but it is not too early to teach God’s will to love one’s neighbor.
By teaching children what is pleasing to God, we prepare them for salvation. What do you mean by that? By learning what is good according to the Bible, they will find quite easily that they are not able to accomplish it. Little by little, they will learn what sin is. and they will become aware of their sinful nature. This will prepare them to listen to the gospel in Sunday school classes.
In this series of lessons, we do not present the path to salvation. Speaking of God’s goodness and what is good to him, we are just laying the groundwork for later jesus to be announced.
20 lessons (to be done 2 or 3 times depending on children’s absenteeism)
Jesus loves the whole family
- Lesson 1: Jesus loves children
- Lesson 2: Jesus loves
dads
- Lesson
3: Jesus loves moms
Let’s share the joy of Christmas
- Lesson 4: Baby Jesus Is Born
- Lesson 5: Visiting the shepherds
- Lesson 6: Gifts from the Magi
Let’s rejoice in the creation
- Lesson 7: God made the sea and the mountains
- Lesson 8: God made the sun, moon and stars
- Lesson 9: God made the plants
- Lesson 10: God made animals
- Lesson 11: God made me (the head)
- Lesson 12: God made me me (members)
God forbid
- Lesson 13: Noah’s Big Boat
- Lesson 14: Jesus stops the storm
We love Jesus
- Lesson 15: Jesus obeys his parents
- Lesson 16: Mary’s Gift
- Lesson 17: Jesus helps fishermen
- Lesson 18: The Little Boy’s Meal
It’s Easter
- Lesson 19: Children sing for Jesus
- Lesson 20: Jesus is alive
Typical lesson from this manual:
Series: God keeps me
Lesson 13
Noah’s big boat
A small child is naturally fearful. Because his knowledge of the world is still very limited, everything that is new frightens him. He does not like to be separated from his loved ones and his return to kindergarten was surely painful.
The two lessons in this series will teach him that Jesus is always close to him, and that he is there to help him when he is afraid.
No more than an adult, a child cannot understand the invisible presence of the Lord. But that’s not going to be a problem for him.
|
What the Child Will Learn
|
Biblical
History
|
Song
|
Material
|
God is always with me. I am very happy about that.
|
Genesis 6:14-22; 7:7-12; 8:1,14-18
|
God before me (page 67)
|
– Drawing of the ark under the rainbow (page 59)
– A small plastic boat
– A bowl of water to float the boat
– The CD with the sound of rain
– A small arch and plastic animals
– Drawing a large arch with a walkway and cut animals to paste
– Glue
– Small-format photocopying of the drawing of the ark under the rainbow
|
The lesson
The subject
You’re showing a nice toy boat.
The children talk about the boats, about what they know about them. You float the boat in a bowl, then you announce a Bible story about a big boat.
Biblical history
Noah loves God. Noah listens to God. God said to Noah, “Build a very, very big boat.”
Noah listens to God: he builds a very, very large boat. Tap! Tap! Tap! makes the hammer. Zzz… Zzz… saw it.
Noah works a long time but one day, finally, the big boat is finished.
God said to Noah, “Come into the boat with your family and the animals I send you.”
Here are two dogs, two mice… They all enter Noah’s big boat.
God closes the door of the boat. And it’s raining (listen to the rain on the CD).
It’s raining, it’s raining, it’s raining. On the floor, everything’s wet. In the boat, Noah and the animals are not wet: God keeps them.
It’s raining, it’s raining, it’s raining. The water rises and the boat floats. But in the boat, Noah and the animals are not wet: God keeps them.
It no longer rains (stop the rain CD). Noah and the animals are getting off the boat. They’re happy. Noah said, “Thank God for you have kept us.”
Show the drawing of the ark under the rainbow.
And me?
When you’re at home, God is close to you, he keeps you. When you walk down the street, God is near you, he keeps you. When you’re at school, God is close to you, he keeps you. God is always close to you.
Sing, “God before me.”
Possible activities
1. You tell the biblical story again concisely (without the CD or the drawing) and the children imitate your gestures.
You gather a few chairs to make the outlines of the ark where the children will enter.
God said to Noah, “Build a great boat.”
Tap! Tap! Tap! makes the hammer. (Make the gesture)
Zzz… Zzz… saw it. (Make the gesture)
The boat is finished. The animals arrive and they enter the boat. (Children get up and enter the boat.)
It’s raining, it’s raining, it’s raining. But in the boat, Noah and the animals are not wet. (You place your arms in the roof above your head.)
It’s not raining anymore. Noah and the animals are getting off the boat. They’re happy. they run everywhere. (Children get off the boat and run into the room.)
The children return to their place.
Noah said, “Thank God for you have kept me.”
2. If you have a small arch and plastic animals, let the kids tell the story while playing.
3. Collective drawing (first session)
You can see on the wall the drawing of a large arch with a footbridge. Each child must choose an animal design and stick it on the catwalk or queuing to climb.
4. Coloring (second session)
A small-format photocopy of the drawing of the ark under the rainbow.
© copyright – all rights reserved. Author: Andrée Loas – Publisher: League for Bible Reading
www.laLigue.net
