Things You'll Need:
- Patience
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Step 1
I am involved in teaching 3 year olds at our church. We normally have from 12-18 toddlers every Sunday, and we are often amazed at what they can learn and retain from week to week! When I was first asked to work with this class, I was a little skeptical. I thought we'd probably be able to teach them the same lesson every week and they'd never know the difference! Well, luckily, I was wrong! Through trial and error, I have found that there are ways to teach them a Bible lesson so that it stays with them. All three year olds are different, and each child will have a greater or lesser attention span and retention capacity, but they can all learn something if given the chance! So the first thing I found that it takes, is the belief that they can learn and that your efforts won't be wasted!
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Step 2
Next, use simple, age-appropriate, teaching materials. There are many resources available at your local Christian Book Store or online at websites such as www.zondervan.com, www.lifewaystores.com, or www.familychristian.com. There are many resources out there, but what you are looking for is something that presents a very basic storyline with very few words. Most of the time, we use a Children's Picture Bible to teach them the lesson from. It works great because it has large, full color illustrations that present the key points of the lesson, such as showing David and Goliath facing off, or Jonah and the whale. We bought several of these bibles for the kids to use in class, and even though they may not always stay on the right page, the kids love to hold them and look at them. It also gets them used to thinking about the Bible as being something special that tells them about God.
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Step 3
To teach the lesson, keep it short! Three to five minutes is a long time to expect a toddler to sit and listen, so make it fast! Be animated when you are telling the story and use colorful or interesting visual aids. Puppets or toys are great to use in the story to keep their interest. Make sounds when appropriate. When there is a lion in the story, roar! Act out the lesson. If soldiers are marching, stomp around like you are one of them! Get the children involved in doing the actions or making the sounds, too, instead of just having them sit there. If they usually sit in chairs, change things up sometimes and have them sit on the floor. They love doing anything new and different! You will hold their interest longer if you keep your lesson fast paced with a few surprises thrown in!
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Step 4
Have some time for music. Little children can learn simple bible songs and they love to sing them. Sing two or three each Sunday, and if they don't already know them, they will quickly learn.
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Step 5
Have a craft time. This can be as simple as coloring a picture. Find a picture that supports your lesson, as this will reinforce what they have just heard. It will also be a conversation starter when they go home with their parent/guardian, further reinforcing what they have been taught that day. Have plenty of crayons available so that there won't be any sharing problems that can cause disruptions. Most children can't color very well at this age, but they love to do it, and that's what matters, so compliment their efforts. Color with them and talk to them about the story that is represented in their picture, as this is another opportunity to teach the lesson. Have some stickers available for them to put on their pictures. They love stickers, so letting them use these will help keep them interested for a little while longer. They can do some simple crafts that involve using a glue stick, but they will still need supervision or they will have everything in sight glued down! If your group can't handle the glue sticks, put the glue on for them and let them put the glued piece down on their paper. Keep the craft/coloring time fairly short too, somewhere around ten minutes being sufficient. Craft time is also a good time to get them to join you in singing songs while they work.
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Step 6
Even though they are young, it's still possible to have a prayer time with them! They love being prayed for because of a cut or scratch they got that week, and they will usually be just as interested in the other kid's bumps and bruises. Keep this time short because they will quickly get tired of sitting still, but it can have a big impression on them!
Comments
stumpyjim said
on 7/17/2009 Such a wonderful article. What a great way to bring children to the Lord. 5* and a recommend.
itut said
on 4/22/2009 Great article! especially the point about childrens picture bible, they definitely love those.
brandy1123 said
on 4/16/2009 great article, i teach toddlers at church also
walker7 said
on 4/5/2009 Great article! Those little minds can comprehend more than we think. Blessings on your ministry!
bonbonmom said
on 3/31/2009 Oh! I love this article...keep it short and let them do their thing if they lose interest. Great advise! I am really looking forward to your ehow article projects. I'm new and still learning. Thank you so much for the feedback. 5* rec