So, as some of you might be aware, I'm supposed to help teach the beginning faith classes at my parish next year. When I say help, I mean teach, along with another woman from my RCIA class who's never taught before either. *cough* Anyway...
Um...our religious ed director has still not gotten around to showing us books or even giving us a hint of what we're to be expected to cover. And, this is driving me slightly mad. I like to be prepared! My contingency plans have contingency plans!
So. In an effort to feel slightly more prepared...
What are some things that you think should be covered in a basic/beginning faith class for kids who are (from what I've been told) around 6 years old?
I think the important part is to foster a love for God (and I guess for Jesus) in creative ways that young children respond to. But yeah, with no guidelines, that's difficult! I hope they get back to you soon!
ReplyDeleteDaniel in the lion's den was always a hot hot favourite with mine... you could always ask them why the lions didn't eat Daniel...
ReplyDeletemy daughter suggested that an angel visited during the night and used sellotape to wrap around their jaws - thus preventing them opening their mouths wide enough to get Daniel in...
:0D
I love the story of the Prodigal Son but I think they're a little young to fully understand it.
ReplyDeleteI second the Daniel in the Lion's Den motion. That is a good one as isany with animals kids recognize. Jonah and the Whale is wonderful, reliance on God, obeying God, hardship, it has the whole package....and it's easy for kids to understand.
The Mustard Seed....How about that? The kingdom of heaven is like a tiny mustard seed that grows in a tree for shelter. Simple, would get them thinking of heaven.
Oh I have loads of ideas :) Love you sweetie and best of luck.
Candice,
ReplyDeleteIt's irritating. I'm trying to find some of my old worksheets and stuff from when I was that age in VBS (my mother saves *everything*) to see what would be age appropriate.
Ahavah,
ReplyDeleteOoohhh...that's a good one.
I like your daughter's solution! :)
I'm trying to remember what I liked at that age, but it's hard, and I wasn't a 'normal' kid.
Lisa,
ReplyDeleteGood ideas!
I even think the Prodigal Son would be appropriate, on some level. They certainly wouldn't understand all of it, but then, neither do many adults...
Ahh smalls these days are so grown up it is frightening - plus many of them are subjected to 'soaps', Home and Away, Coronation Street etc etc...
ReplyDeleteStudy over here in the UK (including ones done by our Police) has linked things like running away from home / experimenting with drugs/sex et al to whatever 'story-line' is happening in their favourite soap...
so I guess the world is your stage... the thing about the stories in the bible is that they were relevant then and can be adapted so that are still relevant today....
The Good Samaritan is a good one. It teaches us to reach out to people "we" generally despise and loving them as neighbors. (Jesus said the way people would know if we belonged to Him is how we loved one another.)
ReplyDeleteKids usually like David and Goliath, the three Hebrew boys thrown into the fire because they wouldn't bow down to the King (this shows that they should stand up for their beliefs instead of going with the crowd), Elijah on Mt. Carmel vs. the prophets of Baal, Naaman being healed of leprosy, Jesus feeding the crowds with a few fish and loaves of bread, Joseph and how he came to be powerful in Egypt and forgave his brothers... there are a few for starters. :)
And I LOVE the prodigal son story!
I shall mold them in my image! *makes evil cackling sounds*
ReplyDeleteI'm actually supposed to take a SafePlace class on Thursday for this, and I'm hoping rel.ed.dir. will be there so I can ask her if there's a direction that she has in mind.
Oh! Thanks for the new suggestions Ahavah and Susanne. *makes notes*