|
|
|
Hands On Curriculum - FAQs
- What are the main advantages of Hands-On Bible Curriculum?
Most importantly, kids stay connected and engaged during Bible lessons and therefore remember their “message” for months and years to come. They have so much fun learning, they actively participate and keep coming back. Preparation is easy for teachers, and the Teacher Guide and Learning Lab® make every lesson captivating and creative. The flexible content and materials allow you to readily customize lessons and economically accommodate attendance variations.
- What is “One Point Learning”?
Group has found that cramming a number of points into a brief lesson usually results in limited retention and impact on kids’ hearts and lives. Hands-On Bible Curriculum lessons each focus on one specific Bible Point, and use a variety of activities to reinforce that message. The goal is to send children home with one life-applicable piece of Bible truth each week. Weeks and months later, they’ll still remember what they’ve learned and be able to use it in their daily lives.
- Does it take long to prepare lessons?
We know that volunteers can’t spend hours on lesson preparation. That’s
why we’ve streamlined the Teacher Guide and designed it to help teachers
adequately prepare with minimal time. And Learning Lab has most of the
materials that aren’t already in the classroom. Preparation is a cinch so you can spend time building relationships with your kids!
- What does R.E.A.L. Learning stand for?
Hands-On Bible Curriculum is Relational, Experiential, Applicable, and Learner-based. Every activity is purposefully designed to involve the child and communicate the biblical point of that day’s lesson. Children don’t just memorize a lesson in their head, they embrace the biblical truth with their heart. R.E.A.L. Learning ensures Group resources produce lasting, life-changing results.
- What’s it like to teach Group’s R.E.A.L. approach?
It’s actually easier, because the spotlight isn’t on the teacher, but on both the teacher and students. Rather than being a lecturer doling out information to passive young minds, the teacher becomes a guide or facilitator, helping children discover God’s truth through classroom activities and personal sharing. While this may be an adjustment for some lecture-oriented teachers, once they try it and see the results for themselves, they’re likely to commit to the R.E.A.L. approach for life.
- How are the Learning Lab gizmos used?
The Learning Lab objects serve an important function in attaching a visual and tactile reminder of the point of the lesson. This isn’t a new idea. Jesus often used everyday objects (sheep, stones, fish) to teach about God and His kingdom. In the same way, Hands-On Bible Curriculum uses captivating objects to capture children’s attention, engage their senses, clarify the lesson’s point and lock it into their long-term memories. And new Bible Discovery Paks help kids dig in to Bible exploration in fun, memorable ways.
- Hands-On Bible Curriculum sounds like fun, but are kids REALLY learning?
For years we've heard “Okay, we’ve had enough fun. Now let’s look at a Bible story…” when all along Sunday School should have been “Okay, let’s keep the fun going. Let’s act out a Bible story…” Hands-On Bible Curriculum makes Bible learning as fun as it was meant to be for children. The multi-sensory experiences and activities make lessons unforgettable. Bible truths go deep into the hearts and minds of kids, causing long-term learning and life change.
- How can Hands-On Bible Curriculum help teachers maintain control in the class?
The lessons are active, so your classroom is full of happy kids having fun. (Remember, they’re still learning in this process, but they have less reason to act up.) Students pay closer attention to a teacher that’s having fun with them. Our Teacher Guide also directs you to develop an attention-getting device (such as a hand-clap rhythm) to refocus attention and lead the children into the next activity.
- Why are there no student books?
With Hands-On Bible Curriculum, the Bible is the student book! You can also make as many copies of the reproducible handouts in the Teacher Guide as you need for your class, making it easy and convenient to accommodate visitors and new class members, and fluctuating class size. Need a Bible? Check out the new Hands-On Bible™.
- Why was Group’s Hands-On Bible Curriculum developed?
Hands-On Bible Curriculum was developed to meet a big need. The research and word from the churches was alarming—children simply weren’t learning as well from traditional classroom approaches that involve lectures, reading exercises, fill-in-the-blank pages, word puzzles, and the like. Education experts have proven that today’s students learn more, retain more and use their knowledge more when they’re actively involved in the learning process—using all of their senses.
|
|