Inside the heart of children
is a battery waiting for the opportunity to propel the child into some sort of action. The
battery is made for action not observation. Children have an internal urge to do
something, not watch something. You can offer the most compelling puppet skit on earth,
but if the option exists to participate in something that looks like fun rather than watch
something that looks like fun, children will opt to participate every time. That’s
why children would rather ride the attractions at a theme part as opposed to watching the
shows.
If you’re still unconvinced, a simple experiment will persuade
you. Walk to the front of a group of elementary aged children, raise your hand and
proclaim, "I need a volunteer!" Hands will fly upward. Most will volunteer
before they have concept of what it is they are volunteering to do. They will take a risk
rather than chance missing out on something fun to do. Try this with adults and
you’ll be standing there looking pretty silly.
Studies have shown that children retain only about ten percent of
the information they hear, but up to ninety percent of what they hear, see and DO.
That’s the good news. What children enjoy most is also your best teaching tool:
interaction.
Effective teaching asks this question, "How can I involve the
kids in learning this truth?" Or put another way, "What can I give them to do
that will help them learn this lesson?" Answer either of those questions creatively
and you are a world-class teacher.
Here are some of the best methods of incorporating interaction into
your teaching style.
One, use games that illustrate a point. The game will involve some
or all of the children while the friendly competition will compel their attention.
Two, use games to review material already covered. Review games are
fun, they reinforce what was taught earlier and they provide motivation for learning. The
motivation arises from the kids as they anticipate using the lesson information for
competitive results later. It is simply hard to overstate the value of effective review
games.
Three, involve kids in handling anything you use for object lessons.
Don’t wave a broom around and preach about how the Holy Spirit sweeps the dirt out of
our lives. Select a kid to come up and sweep while you are describing how the Holy Spirit
sweeps the mess out of God’s people. Let the kid hold up the broom.
Four, select kids to help serve. If your only challenge to children
is to "sit up straight and be still" then don’t be shocked when they grow
up to resist serving in church. We have multitudes of adults who just sit there in church.
They don’t do anything and part of the blame is ours. We trained them that way. We
told them for years to sit up straight and be still and that’s what they do. Let kids
take up the offering, pray out loud, read scripture, etc. Encourage them to serve the Lord
during the week. Let them share how they prayed for mom and dad, shared their faith or
cleaned their room.
Help kids define their faith in terms that transcend passive belief.
Help them to think in terms of action. They won’t mind at all.
The Heart
Beat