Our teachers and shepherds met and compiled a list of creative ways to review the Bible story after Week #1 of the rotation.

We tried some of them out in March -- and it went fairly well. It's going to take some time for our teachers to adjust to this.

We also decided to give a SPECIFIC suggestion in each rotation lesson of how to modify it. That means a little extra work for me to edit all the lessons to include these suggestions and to go ahead and do the preparation or get someone to do it. But, I think it will be worth it. Time will tell!

Jaymie

Ideas for retelling the Bible story 

• Use visuals – 85% of people are visual learners (story cards, story strips, props, etc.)
• Ask them to tell you the story – then fill in details or ask others to fill in the missing information.
• Ask questions – start with basic, move toward complex, deeper level. Use background information to guide discussion.
• Socratic method – kids do more of the talking and discovery. Ask questions to get them to think.
• Partner readers with non-readers in K-2.
• Have K-2’s describe what is in the first picture – next, next and so on.
• Pictionary style activity. Ask kids to draw the first thing that happens in the story on the white board/flip chart. Check Bibles for accuracy.
• “Around the World Game” – ask two kids a question, first to answer correctly, chooses the next two kids to answer a question.
• Encourage kids with own Bibles to highlight memory verse, key passages, title of story, etc.
• Purchase small sticky notes and encourage kids to use these to mark passages, even draw a reminder on them.
• Use “Final Words” before leaving classroom… “What is one word or concept you learned today?”
• Discussion: Ask for more than one answer.
• Remember K-2’s need to MOVE. Have them move or add motions during the story, during memory verse review, etc.
• Tell the story with inaccuracies (pausing after a sentence or two). Have kids tell what is wrong – maybe use a bell to note when it’s wrong. (don’t do this until late in the rotation)
• Let kids do as much as possible with all activities. When a few kids are doing something with the teacher, shepherd could discuss – using story cards, strips or question ball or review memory verse.
• At beginning of class tell them what they will learn – can also write it down in the room.
• Tell them a word to listen for – maybe assign a word to each child. They raise hand when they hear it.
• Randomly assign readers rather than going around the circle. Kids can always pass.