Maximum Focus blends sight, sound and action with learning. It meshes
them together in a unique way that builds a bridge to kids and then
turns on a light. It goes beyond teaching a lesson. It creates a
learning experience!
Kidz Blitz developed Maximum Focus for its curriculum to enhance the
learning experience. Here are some of the key elements.
set up a clear front and center
The way you start the program is critical. A weak start will reduce
your effectiveness. A strong start will increase your effectiveness.
Capture children’s attention the moment they walk into your room and you
will minimize discipline problems and establish a functional learning
environment. Here are some ways to achieve Maximum Focus.
Make the front and center (or stage area) of your children’s church
room engaging. Use color, large shapes, bright lights, and curious
objects to ensure that kids will want to look to the front of the room.
Make the front of the room look more compelling than the kid beside him
or the escape route in the back.
chairs? use 'em
Set up chairs in rows facing the front. Do not allow kids to sit on
the floor unless you have a small group. Children without defined space
tend to irritate and distract each other. The chairs send a message to
kids that your children’s church expects them to focus on what is
happening up front.
use duplexing
Duplexing is the art of dividing a group in half to promote healthy
competition and mutual motivation. Set up the chairs with a center
aisle. If your chairs are fastened to the ground then run a rope down
the middle of the center section. You now have a green team and a blue
team (or whatever color or name you choose). This creates two sections
allowing you to move from one section to the other engaging each section
separately.
Set up a "scoreboard" in the front of the room. A scoreboard can be
anything that helps display the score. You can purchase a Kidz Blitz
Scalometer or design your own scoreboard. Your designated scorekeeper is
responsible for making sure the teams get points at the appropriate
time. Here are some scoreboard ideas:
- Display the score on a white board.
- Run a wire on each side of the stage. Fasten bent paper clips to
thirty or forty balloons. Hang a balloon on the corresponding wire for
each point scored.
- Place plastic balls (like balls used in ball pits) in big buckets
when a team wins a point. Since you cannot readily see who is winning,
instruct the scorekeeper to periodically count the balls out loud and
announce the score.
Give points for Bible memorization, games, review questions, etc. If
you don’t make too big of a deal over the winner then the competiton
should stay healthy. Don’t give a prize to the winning team. And don’t
even use the terms "winner" or "loser". At the end of the program you
should say something like, "Everyone did a great job but it looks like
this one belongs to the ____ team!"
connect early and from the front
Assign someone to stand up front (or from the stage if you have one)
and talk to kids once they are seated. Never leave kids to entertain
themselves. That only leaves you the challenging task of trying to
capture their attention when you are ready to begin. Kids can still be
allowed to talk with each other during this time, but it keeps the
environment under control.
echo key phrases
Instruct kids to repeat short phrases back to you when you walk to
the front of their team and point to them. Walk back and forth stating
fragments of the phrases you want the kids to learn until that phrase is
complete. Instruct the scorekeeper to point to the loudest team or the
team with the most participation. Award a point to the winning team.
Once the kids catch on to how "echoing" works, you will not need to
instruct them on it again.
The Bible has a lot to say about the power of our words. This helps
train kids to use their words to build up instead of tearing down.
Use this often. It is not only an effective teaching tool that keeps
the kids focused on what you are communicating, it also helps keep
order. It doesn’t matter if kids talk loud as long as they are saying
what you want them to say and when you want them to say it. This is
amazingly effective and a simple teaching method.
use stuff that kids already know
Hold up a familiar object that kids can relate to. Then talk about
your lesson. Start with what kids already know before you move them to
what they don’t know. If you are teaching about the fall of Jericho,
start by holding up a big rock. Relate how rocks tend to be heavy and
hard to move. Explain that the walls of Jericho were made of rocks like
that. Then tell the story. The story connects better when you establish
that the walls were made of real rocks. Try to find an
let the fireworks begin
Now is the time to make your ministry compelling. Normally, the best
way is an exciting game. Make sure that whatever you do every boy and
girl will want to watch and listen. This is your chance to grab their
attention. If the first part of the program is exciting, kids will
assume the rest of the program will be also.
teach a messy Bible story
Pull kids from the group to stand up front an act out the Bible story
as you tell it. Yes, it will be messy. Yes, you will have to start over
several times. Yes, they will make mistakes that you will have to
correct. Yes, it will seem like you have butchered the story. Yes, it
will wear you out. But when it's over, the children will remember it for
a long time. Why? Because they saw it. They heard it. They helped fix
it. They experienced the story.
praise God like you mean it
Lead a praise and worship time as though God were present. Isn't He?
Don't sing goofy songs. Sing to God.
give God space to do something cool
Allow God space to do something cool. Offer an invitation to
receive the Lord personally. Pray about needs like you believe God will
answer. Make God the special guest.
mix it up
Now you can use skits, memory joggers, play back review games, etc.
to reinforce what you taught. The order is not too important. You can
mix it up any way you desire. If you did everything else as prescribed,
by now the kids are with you and will follow your lead almost anywhere.
promote next week
Let kids know that next week will be just as exciting as today. Tell
them something that will happen next week. Give them a reason to come
back.
exit with action
Let parents see you in action. Conduct a review game while workers
help parents pick up their children. Let parents know you don’t baby sit
their kids. Let them see how much they learned. It will go a long way
toward helping you recruit new workers. Let them see you in action. You
can slow down but don't fizzle out.
