Beyond the ABC's - Thursday's Tip

Sometimes, succeeding at school isn’t about the child at all … it’s about the parents’ approach to it.  Here are a few tips to help your child do their best!

Expect THEIR best … not THE best

Know what your individual child is capable of – it might not be what their big sis or brother is capable of.  Study your child – learn their learning style, talk to their teachers, and understand child development for their age group.  Then expect THEIR best, if it’s an “A” – then expect an “A”, but if it’s a “C” – then expect a “C”.

Words DO Matter

“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me” – yea right!  We’re hurt by words constantly … and so are our kids.  We’re also motivated by words – saying: “I love you” “You’re doing a great job” “Your grades are improving”, etc will help your child try harder and do better.  Sometimes it’s easy to get caught up in the frustration and forget the words that matter!

It’s about THEM

Keeping up with the Jones’ has gone from the bigger, better boat to the bigger, better kindergarten derby car.  Keep in mind that it’s YOUR CHILD’S work. Your child needs to do the work so that they can LEARN – that’s really what its all about.  Don’t step in and do the work for your child – instead, provide “scaffolding” (a support structure) – if needed. By supporting your child you teach them that you think they’re doing a good job.  When you do their work for them, you send the message that their work is never good enough.

Ultimately, CELEBRATE your child’s accomplishments … even when it means getting a “D” on the weekly spelling test instead of the “F” they’ve been receiving.

Thursday's Tip

Tweens ::: 9-11 Year Olds

Found in the Stadium and Arena, they're often called the "tweens" - they're in transition from being a child to a teenager and are caught in the midst of a changing world. Coming to the realization of the world around them, tweens are no longer egocentric; they now understand that there is a world that exists outside their own. Friendships are very important at this age. The "tween" thinks about the future, is goal oriented, has great ideas, but struggles to follow through, and enjoys games with more complex rules. The girls in this age group are also typically two years ahead of the boys in maturity.

At this stage, the tween has begun to realize that adults make mistakes too and may defy or belittle authority. They would rather be with their friends than their parents and can at times be cruel to their peers through the use of “put downs”. The tween also sees things as either right or wrong and does not allow for a difference of opinion.

The family is still the central influence in the child’s life, but it is important to them that they belong to a group of friends, often of the same gender. At this age, they realize that actions have consequences and are beginning to take responsibility for their actions.

What does this mean for me as a volunteer?

As a volunteer in this age group it is important to connect with both the child and their family, since the family still has a great amount of influence into the life of the child. Providing opportunities for them to lead in times of reading, discussion, and prayer is also important. Share your story, this age group has realized that adults mess up too and make mistakes, so incorporate your own stories and lessons into your discussions with this age group. Be open and willing to talk with the child about issues that concern them, they are likely to share their thoughts and opinions. Watch for children who may be excluded from groups or “put down” by other children. Encourage groups to incorporate “outsiders” into their group and to only use encouraging words with their peers. Finally, encourage the child and their family to take part in service projects. Studio 6.7 offers Family Service Projects quarterly and the Good Neighbor website is always available for families to find projects that interest them.

Thursday's Tip

Use Technology. That is my tip this week. After learning a HUGE lesson earlier this week.

We have this amazing database program called FellowshipOne ... it can do everything and somehow I forgot about that when setting up our RSVP's for a volunteer dinner. As RSVP's began pouring into my email inbox over the weekend and up until the deadline on Tuesday I began regretting not using the weblink registration feature.

Sometimes it takes messing up something to realize how good you have it and well that's what I did this week. I messed up and didn't use the software we have ... its a lesson I learned in a hard way as I am continuing to dig out of emails.

So, a word to the wise ... use the technology you have - don't do it the hard way :-)

Social Media

Thursday's Tip

I find that Small Group Labels is one of the biggest hits on my website ... which means apparently a lot of people are looking for info! So, I'm going to spend this Thursday giving some basic info on how our Preschool Ministry is structured.

Beginning around 2.5 years old children move into a ministry structure that is based off of the Small Group/Large Group Model. However, instead of a traditional small group that you or I would sit in (believe it or not - preschoolers DO NOT sit!) the kids go through 4 activity centers in place of their small groups.

No, the small groups aren't consistent - but preschoolers make friends based on who is in close vicinity to them and tend to be open and honest, no matter who is around!

In order to divide the children into small groups they receive a sticker at their classroom with a color box on it. Since the kids can't read, there are no words on the sticker - just simply a color block and a number. The number coordinates with the bin that they put all their things in and the color block tells them which center to start at. The stickers are printed on Avery Labels (1 sheet per service)

Centers last about 10 minutes each - taking a total of 40 minutes during the service. In addition to the centers there is also a 15-20 minute large group teaching and worship time!

Thursday's Tip

I came across this great article from Waumba Land @ Northpoint Community Church! Take a few minutes to read it, there are some great ideas and tips on children and behavior!

Kids and Behavior Issues - Part 1

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Think Orange

The Church - Yellow - God's light to the world

The Family - Red - Unconditional love

Together red+yellow = orange ... BUT its so much more! The family AND the church is the hope of tomorrow, not just the church or just the family. Together anything is better than when its alone.

I just finished reading Think Orange by Reggie Joiner. It is a candid, easy read about a very deep journey of moving towards a family ministry model where both the church and the family see one another as partners ... not experts. In the book there are many great ideas and thought provoking concepts. You won't find "the answer", but you will find thoughts that will get you thinking and evaluating yourself, your ministry, and the partnership between the family and the church.

It's a great read for anyone in any type of ministry ... staff or volunteer or any parent!

It's Free!

I LOVE free stuff and I LOVE museums ... so nothing could be better than Free Museum Day!

The Smithsonian is hosting the event that takes place across the country!  Learn more by clicking here.  The link will take you to the Smithsonian Magazine website, where you'll be able to download the admission coupon and find museums in your area that are participating!  Have fun tomorrow ... go explore something new!

Creativity

I've been looking for a chalk/dry erase/message ... basically anything to post notes on ... for awhile now.  But, finding something that was inexpensive, yet would hold up, and looked nice has been quite difficult.  Until, a few weeks ago I saw an idea at a friend's house.  They had taken a piece of canvas and painted it with chalkboard paint ... thus creating their own message board!

I decided to it for for myself this weekend and am quite excited with how it turned out!

Here's what I did if you want to create your own...

1.  Selected a piece of canvas (check out the craft stores for 50% off sales on this stuff!)

2. I painted it with chalkboard paint and allowed to dry overnight

3. Hot glue cork on, if you want - to create a place to tack things on the board

4. Add ribbon for decoration

5. The wood sunshines are available in many different styles at craft stores.  I glued paper clips on the back of them to create a place where I could hang photos, cards, etc on the board without having to use a tack!

Overall, the board cost about a third of the price that the message boards do in stores!  Have fun creating your own!

Thursday's Tip

Here's a great video on helping preschoolers apply Bible Stories to their daily lives...

Thursday's Tip

I've spent the majority of the past week getting ready for our summer camp in July.  Here's an idea I came across several years ago and have used ever since!

Pocket Schedules.  Using an excel document I place each small groups specific schedule on a luggage tag sized rectangle, then laminate it and attach it to a lanyard.  These become very helpful to the leaders throughout the event as they are easily able to take the schedules with them wherever they go!

Thursday's Tip

FellowshipOne is a great check-in and database program.  It has a secure check-in system, changing the parent pick-up number every 24 hours.  They provide awesome support 7 days a week and are constantly advancing and listening to the needs of churches around the country.  Learn more by visiting fellowshiptech.com

Homemade Play-doh

Play-doh is simple and easy to make!

Here's the recipe (I usually double it)...

1 cup flour

1 cup warm water

1/4 cup salt

2 tsp cream of tartar

1 tsp vegetable oil

Food Coloring

Place all of the ingredients into a pot and cook on low heat ... stir often ... you will notice the dough beginning to form. 

Once the dough has formed (there may be a small amount of the original liquid left), remove the dough from the pot and knead on a floured surface - this will finish the dough and create a great consistency!  While kneading you can add the food coloring for color if you want.

This dough does not crumble and is safe if kids eat it :-)

Thursday's Tip

Use pictures instead of words!  Most preschoolers aren't reading yet, but they are capable of understanding where to place things, what to put in a certain bin, etc.  Through the use of pictures children can better understand what's expected of them and what they need to do.

Here are some examples of things you can use pictures for in the Preschool setting...

-Schedules

-Routines

-Toy bins

Boardmaker is a wonderful program that is often found in the Special Needs setting - but its perfect for Preschoolers.  Find a Special Needs Teacher in your ministry and ask if they would help you prepare pictures using the software.  They can "print" the pictures (often called boards) into a PDF document and email it to you - you can then print, laminate, etc!

Preschool Centers - Labels

How do we divide the kids into their small groups each week?

Truly ... it's a simple process and after several weeks of trial and error I couldn't think of an easier way to do it ... it was just finding that way to do it that took a little bit of time! But it works!

First of all, remember that preschoolers can't read! They do know their colors and most of them recognize or can at least match numbers. So this limits your options :-)

At first I tried allowing the computer assignment system to divide the kids. Randomly I divided each room into four colors - but, it never failed when it was time to split up there would be 10 kids in the Blue group and 0 in the Red group ... which just left everyone confused.

So...here's my solution...

A sheet of mailing labels and a Publisher document.

I take the four centers and create a document with four color boxes - one color per label. The colors repeat every four labels, which evenly distributes the children into small groups. The labels also have a number printed on them. The number corresponds to the child's bin in the classroom where they keep all of their things while they're in the classroom. When it's time to break up into centers the children look at the color box on their label and go to that same mat color. The kids are able to match their colors and know exactly where to go when they start...and trust me - they know where to begin because in the rare case that you have to start a kid at a different color than what's on their label ... there are a million questions to answer and some very stressed preschoolers :-)

The Format - Small Group Activity Centers

The preschool ministry is using an activity center format for small groups. During each service hour preschoolers experience a 20 minute large group teaching and worship time, as well as a 40 minute small group activity center time.

Each leader in the room is assigned to an activity center, during the 40 minute small group time the children rotate through each of the centers, spending about 10 minutes at each. From week to week the center activities change to correspond with that week's lesson. However, the Blue Group is used to teach the verse and dive deeper into the Bible Lesson each week! Children have the opportunity to experience many different types of learning activities in the centers, from games to crafts to hands-on exploration, children never know what awaits them in the next learning center!

During large group time the large group leader creatively teaches the Bible Story, Verse and leads the children in Worship!