How-to Sunday School Guide: Curriculum Workshop for Preschool Leaders

How-to Sunday School
Guide: Curriculum
Workshop for
Preschool Leaders
Foundations for Preschool
Teaching
 In
Deuteronomy 4:14
God commanded Moses to
teach the Hebrews His
commandments.
Foundations for Preschool
Teaching
 In Joshua 4:20-24
The 12 stones were taken out of the Jordan
River at the time the Israelites crossed over on
dry land. Joshua said, “When your children ask
their fathers in the future, ‘What is the meaning
of these stones?’ you should tell your children,
‘Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.’ For
the Lord your God dried up the waters of the
Jordan before you until you had crossed over.”
(HCSB )
®
Curriculum

Bible Teaching for
Babies (Three Bible Teaching for
Babies Leader Guides are found inside the
Leader Pack.)

Bible Teaching for
1s & 2s
Curriculum

Bible Teaching for
3s–Pre-K

Bible Teaching for
Kindergarten
Common Designs

Common designs & headings found in the Preschool
Family Bible Study series
Overview Pages
Leadership Meetings
Bonus Activities
Preparation
Personal Bible Study
Quick Plan
Applying Bible Truths
Discovering Bible Truths Through Learning Center Activities
Learning Approaches
Extended Teaching Care
EXTRA!
Additional Choices

Preschool Bible
Foundations
. . . Is a versatile curriculum for Sunday
School, ongoing discipleship
training, special studies, and
anytime preschoolers are at church.

E-Anytime Anywhere
Preschoolers
. . . Is available online for you to download
session by session, so that you can pick
and choose from 52 sessions. Cost is
$4.95 per session. You will be able to
make as many copies as you need to use
in your church.
What is expected of a preschool
leader?

Spiritual preparation and reliance on the
Holy Spirit’s presence

Knowledge of the Bible content for the
session

Knowledge of the children

Love for the children
Who might be a potential
preschool leader?

Adults who are active in Sunday School

Parents (who teach in a room other than
where their child attends)

Grandparents (who teach in a room other
than where their grandchild attends)

Single adults

VBS teachers
Spiritual Development of Babies

Respond to loving care at church

Learn to trust

Begin to associate the names
of God and Jesus and the
Bible with good feelings
Enjoy hearing simple songs
about God and Jesus
Begin to experience affection and love for other
people besides family members
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Spiritual Development of 1s

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Develop attitudes toward church
Show strong attachments to teacher
Show interest in simple Bible truths
in songs, stories, and pictures
Can recognize the Bible as a
special book
Can respond with pleasure to the
names of God and Jesus
Enjoy holding the Bible, turning
pages, and looking at pictures in the Bible
Spiritual Development of 2s

Enjoy holding the Bible, turning
pages, and looking at pictures in
the Bible

Recognize the Bible as a special book

Like to hear songs about God and Jesus

Respond to love and patience shown by adults

Experience delight in the interesting things they
see in the natural world
Spiritual Development of 3s

Listen with interest to Bible stories;
can identify some Bible people
and stories

Recognize the Bible as a special book;
enjoy handling and using the Bible

Understand that Jesus is special
and helped people

Recognize church as a special place

Try to do what pleases adults by
showing love and cooperation
Spiritual Development of
Pre-Kindergartners

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Listen to Bible stories and like to retell
stories in their own words
Enjoy games that allow them to find
Bible verses and identify Bible people
Remember songs and make up their
own songs
Recognize that God and Jesus love people and help
people in special ways
Know that Jesus is special and grew from a baby to a
man
Know that God wants family members to love and to
help one another
Spiritual Development of
Kindergartners

Remember and like to tell stories

Sing songs about God, Jesus, and
church when alone and in a group

Use the Bible and like to find Bible
phrases located with Bible markers

Love God and Jesus

Recognize church as a special place where
people learn about God and Jesus

Like to take care of things in God’s world
Preparing to Teach
1. Gather your Bible and the
leader guide. Prepare
spiritually by using Personal
Bible Study.
2. Read the remaining Bible
content for the session,
the Bible Phrases, the Bible
Story, the Unit Song, and
Applying
Bible Truths.
Preparing for the Session

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Read and become familiar with the Bible Truth,
Bible Story/Passage, the Key Bible Phrase, and the
Life Application.
Look at Getting Ready to Teach.
Become familiar with the activities. (Note differences in the
1s & 2s.)
Make a list of the items you need to purchase or bring from
home.
Determine where you will place these materials in the room.
Prepare the learning environment.
Include ETC teachers in your planning and communicate
with teachers about available resources and materials.
Preparing for the Session
(Continued)

Additional preparation for 3s–Kindergarten:
Print items from the Music for 3s–Pre-K
CD and Music for Kindergarten CD.
Prepare group-time resources and plans.

Identify ways the activity and materials may be used
as you make your choice of learning centers.
Approaches to Learning–Logical
A child may . . .
 Enjoy problem-solving
 See patterns in the world and be able to
can reason through difficult situations
 Enjoy games and puzzles
 Understand concepts of “less-than”
and “same as”
Approaches to Learning–Music
A child may . . .
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Enjoy musical experiences
Be sensitive to rhythm and pitch
Be a good listener
Enjoy singing and moving to a variety of music
Learn new songs quickly
Make up his own songs
Enjoy playing musical instruments and
performing for others
Approaches to Learning–Natural
A child may . . .

Enjoy the beauty of God’s creation

Easily identify the elements of the natural world

Enjoy stories that allude to elements of nature

Like to explore and investigate God’s world

Enjoy taking care of God’s world
Approaches to Learning–Physical
A child may . . .

Be very active and coordinated

Enjoy playing out a story

Learn through hands-on activities

Like to use skills in games and dramatic play

Enjoy using her entire body
Approaches to Learning–Reflective
A child may . . .

Understand who he is and how he feels

Want to work alone at times

Choose activities that allow for self-expression

Internalize concepts by personalizing them
Approaches to Learning–Verbal
A child may . . .

Enjoy being read to, dictating, or writing

Like to speak and listen

Like the sounds of words

Have a large vocabulary

Enjoy stories, poems, and jokes
Approaches to Learning–Visual
A child may . . .

Enjoy creating her own pictures and visual
representations of her own learning

Like to interact with teaching pictures

Enjoy picture reading books

Hear stories and visualize the events through
word pictures
Approaches to Learning–Relational
A child may . . .

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Be highly social
Make friends easily
Be a very good talker
Recognize how others feel and be able to
respond accordingly
Be drawn to activities that allow her to
cooperate and to interact with others.
Teaching the Bible Truth

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When and where will you use Bible phrases, songs,
and conversation about the biblical content?
Where will the leader pack items be used?
Are teachers assigned to a particular Bible-learning
center(s)?
Are teachers prepared and ready to teach when the first
child arrives?
Teaching Tips

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Use the child’s name frequently when you sing
or talk to him.
Be consistent as you model behavior.
Provide a child opportunities to make choices.
Incorporate Bible conversation, verses, and
songs throughout the session.
Display and use the Bible.
Reassure a child when he is anxious.
Teaching Tips

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Encourage the child who is trying something for the
first time.
Give praise to a child when he does something to help
another child.
Sing frequently and include the child’s name
in the song.
Use prayer when appropriate.
Share the Bible story in the learning centers.
Teaching Tips

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Relate Bible truths in each activity.
Plan for success and satisfaction.
Encourage boys and girls to work together.
Use Bible conversation often to reinforce
Bible learning.
Transitioning to ETC

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Prepare the room for ETC teachers.
Make available take-home pages for new children who
are arriving.
Greet parents who are picking up their children.
Greet children who are arriving with their parents.
Reflect on the session. Were you able to impact the life
of a child?
Teaching Continues

Distribute the parent portion of learner guides
to parents at the beginning of the quarter.

Send a card to the child.

Make a phone call during the week.

Remind a child of the Bible story or a Bible
phrase in a positive way.
I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the
glorious Father, would give you a spirit of
wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of
Him. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be
enlightened so you may know what is the hope
of His calling, what are the glorious riches of
His inheritance among the saints.
Ephesians 1: 17-18 (HCSB )
®