Keeping Preschoolers attention

[harroun]

I currently use Gospel Light preschool curriculum for a class of about 15 children, ages 18 months through 3 1/2 years old. We teach the lesson at snack time as it is really the only way to get them all in one place at one time. It usually goes pretty well actually, with the help of the Lord. But sometimes some of the kids just get up and start playing in the middle of the lesson. I expect this in the age range of 18 months to 2 1/2 years old. But should I expect and ask the older kids to stay seated until the story is finished? Or is that too much to ask for this age range? I must say it is a little disconcerting to be teaching a lesson, and have the kids start disappearing as I'm teaching it. And when one or two, go, the rest of them seems to want to. Again, I realize it's a difficult age range, but I know some of those older 2 and 3 year olds have the ability to listen, but they just choose to play instead.

Any suggestions?

Thank you and God bless!

 

[Aceybee]

Where do you teach it? Only thing I've seen kids respond best to, is lots of colour, sound (music?) and overdramatizing it, so it stays new and exciting. Umm.. having several different ways of teaching (activity/ puzzles/ quiz/ stories/ music/etc) and alternate every few minutes.. umm.. actively involving them somehow.. I saw one lesson on moses where each kid had a little doll and a laundry basket that they were acting the story out with as it was told.. every couple of minutes, the teacher asked them a question about what was happening.
Ultimately though, I guess it is not in kids natures to sit still and listen. Good luck..

 

[epy]

I don't think our church even has a lesson for the nursery age kids. I think the most I have seen is reading stories to anyone who was interested, which at the time was one child who had collected a stack of books she wanted read to her. It will vary based on the child. You might consider not only snack but coloring pages or edible dough of some kind. Maybe that will hold their attention longer. It might also help tactile learners...

 

[wendy41899]

It can be hard to keep their attention at that age, and especially that size of a group, which I think may have some to do with it. You will always have some that wonder off and I guess what has always worked for me is to encourage the others to stay, and still trying to involve the ones that wonder. It is a challenge no doubt!

Is it at all possible to split into 2 groups maybe?? I tought 2-3's for VBS and one thing I learned this year was to be flexible, short and to the point, and keep them involved. I had all my lessons, days planned, ect. needless to say, it didn't go at all as I had planned but once I became flexible and just worked it in, all went well.

It truley amazed me my first year doing VBS to realize though that they can truly learn at that age.

 

[Wisteria]

I've been involved with children's ministry for awhile now, but am used to working with slightly older children. I just started volunteering at my church with the primary class -- ages one and a half to five. This morning, we had 3 two year olds and 2 four years olds.

My church used to just play with the children during the service, but have recently started implementing telling a Bible story. That definitely was an interesting experience this morning! A little four year old told me and the other teacher, "I hate Bible stories! They're so boring. I don't want to sit still." I think that's the key phrase right there -- at such a young age, kids don't like to sit still. That's why I think it's important to make it fun for the kids -- turn it into a skit or use a craft to illustrate the story rather than simply reading to them.

As for us, we plan to break the kids into two groups -- ages 1-2, and 3-5. Hopefully we'll be able to teach the children better then.

 

[Amilala]

Children learn through play
If you try and make them sit down and learn for a long period of time they will probably take very little in and dread coming back next week.

The reason for this is they are not at that developmental stage
A bible story of no more than five to eight minutes is appropriate for a children of pre school age

This then could be followed up by crafts, Themed toys and such because its physical play with a purpose