Monday, June 28, 2010

How Twos and Threes Learn

I hear, and I forget;
            I see and I remember;
I do, and I understand.
            —Chinese Proverb

Twos and threes remember best when all their senses—touch, smell, sight, hearing, and even taste—are involved in learning. The more senses a child uses in learning about something, the more he will remember the experience.

It is also important which senses are used in teaching. Studies have shown that children learn 1 percent by taste, 1.5 percent by touch, 3.5 percent by smell, 11 percent by sounds, and 83 percent by sight. The more senses involved, the more likely the child is to remember that event. Therefore, visuals, room environment, and classroom decorations become very important when teaching children.

Twos and threes’ curiosity and creativity can be further stimulated by other opportunities to explore and experience. In Basic Preschool Work, Jerry Terrell lists several avenues, including the following, through which preschoolers learn:

•    Imitation: The child learns by what he sees and hears others do.

•    Curiosity: The child is motivated to discover people and the world around him.

•    Repetition: By repeating an activity, the child develops and refines skills.

•    Doing: The child learns independence by actually doing things for himself.

•    Playing: This is how kids sort out feelings about themselves, others, and the world around them.

•    Being successful: Twos and threes learn a great deal when they are successful at and get satisfaction from the activity they undertake. The activity may be a simple as putting their napkins and cups in the trash after snack time. A child may take so much pride in his accomplishment that he will want to repeat the activity again and again.

•     Relating to others: children need a personal, warm, happy environment in which to learn, and they need caring teachers and leaders who teach, guide, and support them in their learning.

Monday, June 21, 2010

VBS Coloring Pages

Here are some coloring pages we’ve created for the 2010 VBS programs.

For each program, there is a coloring page for every day of VBS—a total of five pages. Each coloring page has the daily memory verse and the Bible theme. You can feel free to shorten the verse by whiting out the final phrase before copying the coloring page. Each coloring page shows a picture to complement the Bible memory verse for that day. The coloring pages come in sets of five pages for just $4.99 per set. The best part is, you can make as many copies as you need!

For Egypt, there is a set of coloring pages for the New Living Translation and a separate set for the New International Version. (The NLT is the version used on the Bible memory makers.) On most pages, we included the entire NIV verse. 
 

(Click on the images above to go to the download pages—NLT is on the left and NIV is on the right.)

For your sea-themed VBS, there is a set of coloring pages for the New Living Translation and a separate set for the  New International Version. (The NLT is the version used on the Bible memory posters.) 

(Click on the images above to download the pages—
NLT is on the left and NIV is on the right)

For the Heroes VBS, every coloring page has a portion of the daily memory verse, I Timothy 4:12. Each day we've added a few more words to the verse so by Day 5 the entire verse is shown. There is a set of coloring pages for the New International Version and a separate set for the King James Version. (These are the versions used on the Bible memory posters.) 
 
(Click the images above to download the pages—
KJV is on the left and the NIV is on the right)

For the Rainforest VBS, each coloring page has the daily memory verse (in the New International Version). Some of the verses are shortened for easier memorizing. 

(Click image above to download the Rainforest NIV coloring pages)

For your safari VBS, there is a set of coloring pages for the New International Version and a separate set for the King James Version. (The King James Version is used on the teaching visuals, bookmarks, and other Kingdom of the Son printed materials.) In addition, Gospel Light has a Coloring Poster you can print and copy for your students. It has a place for them to put their name and age and it features the Kingdom of the Son logo. You may want to make a coloring booklet for each child with the Coloring Poster on top, followed by the coloring pages for each day. 

(Click on the images above to download the
safari-themed pages—
 KJV is on the left and NIV is on the right)


For your Kids Camp VBS, there is a set of coloring pages for the New International Version and a separate set for the King James Version. Each coloring page has the daily memory verse and the lesson focus. In addition, Gospel Light has a Coloring Poster you can print and copy for your students. It has a place for them to put their name and age and it features the SonRock logo. You may want to make a coloring booklet for each child with the Coloring Poster on top, followed by the coloring pages for each day. At the end of your VBS week, your students will have a booklet with all five of the memory verses—a fun keepsake reminder of their week at vacation Bible school.

 

(Click on the images above to download the pages—
KJV is on the left and NIV is on the right)

If you’d like to take a look at any of these VBS Starter Kits, visit Shop VBS for more information and to order your starter kits.

Monday, June 14, 2010

2011 VBS Themes Just Announced!

Believe it or not, the themes for VBS 2011 are starting to come in. So when you're ready to begin choosing your VBS for next summer, we’re here to help! Take a look at the information and highlights from some of the 2011 programs…keep checking back for the latest information or visit  Shop VBS.

Next summer, bring your kids to Gospel Light's SonSurf Beach Bash VBS. Based on 5 key Scriptures about Jesus that will change a child’s life—including John 4:6—SonSurf VBS transports young minds to a lively beach scene filled with surf, sun and sand, where they’ll dig into the Bible and answer key questions kids ask about Jesus. Available December 2010.

Take a look at the SonSurf VBS course overview. Click on the image below for a larger version.


From Group, PandaMania VBS helps kids get wild about Jesus. What happens when a pack of fun-loving panda bears invades your church? PandaMania VBS — a wild celebration of God's unconditional love! 


At PandaMania, kids will discover that God has a purpose and a plan for everyone and that He crafted each of us with His own loving hands.



Take a look at the PandaMania VBS course overviewClick on the image below for a larger version.




For lots more information on Vacation Bible School 2011 check out Shop VBS and visit our VBS Tips Blog.

Monday, June 7, 2010

NEW! Joseph in Egypt Preschool VBS

Use this new Joseph in Egypt Preschool VBS from Christian Ed. Publishers to supplement your elementary VBS program from Group, Egypt: Joseph's Journey this summer. Written especially for 2- to 5-year-olds, this five-day preschool VBS program includes Bible stories, snacks, crafts, and games with reproducible student sheets and colorful visuals on CD-ROM. Your little ones can travel to the Marketplace before the older children but can also enjoy the stories of Joseph (from prison to palace) written at their own level. Crafts and games in the Preschool Leader’s Guide are preschool-friendly.

The preschool VBS program from Christian Ed. Publishers is completely flexible. So if you want to have your preschoolers play some of the “Pyramid Playground” games planned for the elementary children, they can! (The Pyramid Playground Leader Manual and the Shopkeeper Leader Manual for the Marketplace are sold separately.) Joseph in Egypt Preschool VBS from Christian Ed. Publishers is a great way to include your younger children with activities written just for them.


The new Preschool VBS Leader’s Guide includes decorating ideas, tips for working with preschoolers, a suggested rotation schedule, and a reproducible preschool sign-in sheet. The CD-ROM contains separate job descriptions for your Snack Leader, Bible Story Leader, Games Leader, and Crafts Leader. You can print instructions for the leaders each day of your VBS so they can collect any needed supplies and decide which options to use. The CD-ROM also includes registration cards, safety tips, a course overview, coloring pages with NLT and NIV memory verses, “How to Lead a Child to Christ,” storytelling tips, recruiting ideas, and lots more.

Preview samples and take a look at the contents of this VBS written especially for preschoolers. Joseph in Egypt Preschool VBS includes a Preschool Leader’s Guide plus CD-ROM. Or, if you need it tomorrow, order the download version. Bring the feel of ancient Egypt to your preschool VBS this summer, and help your little ones understand that God loves and cares for them. May God bless you as you begin your VBS adventure and teach children (and families) about God's constant care!

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Bible Teaching—What's the Point?

Why teach children Bible stories? Can young children really understand stories about God and His Son, Jesus?

Bible Stories help children learn to develop a personal relationship with Jesus. 

The first five years of a child’s life are the most important developmentally. We can help children develop into worshipful people who love God and Jesus. During the preschool years, a child can easily be taught foundational attitudes about God, Jesus, the Bible, and the church that will stay with him for the rest of his life. Psalm 139:1-16 reminds us that God knew us before we were even born and “all the days ordained for [us] were written in [God’s] book before one of them came to be.” Even the smallest child can begin to understand that God is love by interacting with a Christian teacher or friend who communicates a love for God and His Word through words, actions, and attitude.

Bible Learning activities teach children God’s Word, the Bible.

A child’s learning abilities are greatest during her first five years of life.  In fact, a child’s learning and remembering abilities are far greater during her first five years of life than they will ever be again. This is an ideal time to begin saying memory verses with children. Even very young twos who aren’t talking much can begin to absorb God’s Word as you and the other children say simple Bible Words together.

Creative Bible activities help children grow in their faith.

We can easily communicate important spiritual concepts to children—even toddlers and preschoolers. They are open and ready to worship God. Little children have an inborn desire to worship. We can give them lots of opportunities to sing, pray, and praise God during our time with them. So in our children’s Bible programs, we want every activity we do to focus the child’s attention on God, Jesus, or the Bible.

Our Bible programs can help meet children’s physical, emotional, and spiritual needs.

Children need Christian role models in addition to their parents. We are those role models. As the children watch us pray, worship, read the Bible, use kind words, and show love to them, they learn important Christian concepts.

Our programs should lay a foundation for faith in Jesus Christ. This does not mean that every child will make a personal decision to follow Jesus before the age of five or six. Some will. But even preschoolers and toddlers can understand that Jesus is God’s Son; Jesus was born, grew up, and told people of God’s love; and Jesus loves us. We need to begin planting God’s Word in the hearts of children, so that they are able to make a personal decision for Christ in the future. We can teach the Bible as God’s Word, including saying and understanding Bible verses; teaching children to respect, obey, and love God’s Word; and helping them understand what is appropriate behavior. Preschoolers can understand that the Bible is God’s special book, the Bible contains stories about God and Jesus, and the Bible tells us that God loves us.

The continual aim of our programs should be to help children develop a relationship with Jesus.

We also need to help them learn responsibility to God, parents, and others. Many older children and even some adults today do not accept responsibility for their actions. We can teach our students that God planned for families, and children should love and obey their parents. We can also help them understand that wrong behavior is sin, and good behavior pleases Jesus. This is an important concept for even the youngest child to understand. If a child understands this, he can understand that God sent Jesus to forgive him. This provides the foundation for the child to accept Jesus as Savior.

Even young children can learn to worship and serve our awesome God!