Learning Styles

SIX LEARNING STYLES

Learning styles are based on how a person/child naturally processes information through his/her senses.  The way you prefer to receive incoming information for memory or understanding is a clue to your learning style:

LEARNING STYLE	IDEAS HOW TO TEACH THE DIFFERENT LEARNING STYLE:
1.  VISUAL: Prefer seeing things like information or illustrations. Like to read. Like environment to be ordered and tidy Like pictures, charts and graphs. Can remember well enough by reading or watching only.	FOR THE VISUAL LEARNER: Let the child read for himself from the Bible. Use pictures, maps, charts, timelines, slides and transparencies. Show films and videos. Use books, workbooks and worksheets. Use hand signs effectively.
2. AUDITORY: Prefer listening to information. Like when someone reads to them. Like to work with background sound like music or voices. Not bothered by disorder in environment. Remember well enough by listening only	FOR THE AUDITORY LEARNER: Read the Bible to them. Let them listen to tapes and music. Show videos and films. Tell stories. Use puppets.
3. VERBAL: Like to talk. Like to read things out loud. Ask a lot of questions in order to understand better. Like to take part in debates, storytelling and discussions. Remember best when they can talk about it.	FOR THE VERBAL LEARNER: Ask questions. Have discussions and debates. Use storytelling and drama. Have a costume box. Let them use puppets.
4.  WRITING/DRAWING: Like to write down or draw things. Remember best when they can write things out or draw pictures, charts, graphs, etc.	FOR THE WRITING/DRAWING LEARNER: Give them opportunities to fill in worksheets. Let them write and draw things relating to the lesson.
5.  TACTILE: They  want to touch and hold objects. Like to fiddle with things. Like taking things apart to see how they work. Like manipulating (using) objects. Remember best by doing things like building, baking, making, fixing, etc.	FOR THE TACTILE LEARNER: Let them touch objects. Make arts and crafts with them. Let him use objects like puzzles, blocks, puppets, etc. Let him hold or make visual aids. Bring instruments for him to play. Teach him hand signs.
6. KINESTHETIC: Part of body (body, hands, feet, legs, jaws) is always moving. Like changes in environment. Find it difficult to sit still for a long time. Get bored when they have to look or listen for a long time. Remember best when they can do something with their bodies	FOR THE KINESTHETIC LEARNER: Encourage the child to dramatize (act out) the lesson. Use movements like jumping, swaying, marching Let him handle visual aids. Change surroundings and seats. Play games like a treasure hunt. Let him use puppets. Use music and rhythm in the class.

(Summary of notes that Beth Kabamba uses at CEF Children’s Ministry Institute)

THE BEST NEWS IN THE WORLD – object lesson

TRUTH: God has got good news for every boy and girl.

VISUALS: A newspaper, a radio, and a Bible.

LESSON: Have you every seen a weather vane? Do you know what it is? You can sometimes see it on the top of high buildings like a church steeple or a tower.

Often it has four letters on it - N for North, E for East, S for South, and W for West. And on top of the letters there is usually an arrow with some object like the figure of a man or a bird like a rooster on it. As the wind blows the arrow and figure rotate and show you the direction of the wind.

But these four letters also make up a short but very interesting word if you rearrange the letters. Can you think of what that word is? (Give an opportunity to respond). N E W S. News. We often use this word.

“Do you have any news?”

 “What’s the news?”

“I’m listening to the news.”

The news tells us what is happening in the world, or in our own city or area.

The news tells us what is important – and the things which we need to hear.

How do we hear the news?

Sometimes in Africa they pass on the news by beating drums.

Years ago the Indians in North America passed on the news by using

smoke signals.

Today we can read the news in the newspaper (Show one).

We can listen to the news on the radio (Show one) or read it in letters. We can see the news on television or the Internet.

And there are many other ways to read or hear the news.

But the greatest, the best, and the most important, news of all is contained in this book which I am holding. It is called the Bible. God chose a number of men whom He guided to write down for us the news that Jesus Christ died for our sins, that He rose again and that He will save and forgive the sins of every boy or girl who puts their trust in Him. That is good news for everyone.

One morning a missionary in Africa saw someone walking towards his house.

It was a man dressed in skins and leading some kind of animal by a rope. As he got nearer the missionary saw that the animal was a goat. When he got closer to the missionary he asked him, “Have you got the book?”

“What book?” asked the missionary.

The stranger replied, “The book that gives the good news.”

The missionary went into his house and brought out a Bible written in an

African language.

The man dressed in skins said, “Where does it give the news about God’s love.”

The missionary turned to John 3 v16 and read, “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son.”

“That’s it”, he said, “Give me the book and I’ll give you the goat.”

And away he went on his journey home with joy on his face. He had got the good news!

Have you got the good news? Have you read the good news? Have you trusted the Saviour Whom God sent into the world to die for your sin?

(“Bible talks for children” – Dr. Sam Doherty

Teach children to pray prayers of confession:

Only the Holy Spirit can teach people how to pray.  We can only show children that we are sinners and far from God.  When the Holy Spirit shows us how sinful we are and that we need a Saviour, we will know how to pray with the wisdom that the Holy Spirit gives us.                                                  

Here is a prayer of confession that we prayed in our church a few Sundays ago:

“Our gracious Father, you sent your Son to die and rise to new life in order that death might be brought to an end and that we too might live a new life.

Yet foolishly, however, we have chosen death over life.  In our thoughts, words and deeds we have rebelled against You and Your intentions for us.  In so doing, we have broken our fellowship with You whose love is better than life and whom to know is life itself.  In so doing, we have hurt others, sometimes unintentionally and sometimes deliberately, and have diminished their lives.

In so doing, we have damaged ourselves who had been created to reflect your beauty.  Father, forgive us our sin for Jesus’ sake.  And grant that Your resurrection power might course through our entire being so that we walk in the ways of love and justice to the glory of your holy name. Amen”

Bible lesson hour

Jesus Christ died on the cross to save you and me:                   

Welcome children

Singing:  Sing songs about the love of Jesus (e.g. The Love of Jesus is so Wonderful, Love, Love L-O-V-E, John 3:16 (The tune of Silent Night)

Prayer:  Thank God for sending his Son to cleanse us from our sins.

Bible verse to memorize: 1 Cor. 15:3  - “Christ died for our sins according to the Scripture”

Bible lesson: THREE HOURS WHICH CHANGED THE WORLD (Dr. Sam Doherty)

TRUTH: Jesus Christ died on the cross to save us.

VISUALS: A large clock (or an imitation clock face with movable hands).

Or make three cardboard clock faces with each showing one of the three times indicated below.

Did you know that the three greatest and most wonderful hours in all the

history of this world were nine o’clock, twelve o’clock and three o’clock.

Would you like to know why?

1.    At nine o’clock (Show this time) on a day almost 2000 years ago the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God was nailed to a cross and died on a hill outside Jerusalem. “And it was the third hour (nine o’clock) and they crucified Him” (Mark 15 v 25). If He was the Son of God why did He allow this to happen to Him? Because He wanted to forgive our sins and to bring us to Heaven when we die – and He died on the Cross so that He could do that. For three hours He suffered the awful pain of nails through His hands and feet, the pain of being laughed at and made fun of by so many people, and the pain of listening to the nasty things people said about Him. But that was nothing compared to what happened at 12 o’clock.

2.     At twelve o’clock (Show this time) something very strange happened. Even though it was the middle of the day there came a deep darkness and it lasted for the three hours which followed. “And when the sixth hour (twelve o’clock) was come there was darkness over all the earth with the ninth hour” (Mark 15 v 33). During those next three hours the Lord Jesus suffered much much more than the three hours before, because during these three hours God the Father punished His Son for our sins. He took the punishment for our sin so that we would not need to take it. And God the Father covered the whole land with darkness so that no one would see the awful suffering of His Son.

3.    But at three o’clock (Show this time) in the afternoon two great cries were heard from the Lord Jesus. First of all He cried out “My God, my God why have You forsaken me?” (Mark 15 v 34). It was a cry of suffering because of the awful previous three hours. But this was followed by a cry of triumph and victory “It is finished” (John 19 v 30). He had finished the work He had come to do. He had paid the price for our sins. Salvation was now possible for those who would trust Him as Lord and Savior.

Application:  Have you trusted Him? Why not do so today?  You can talk to me about that or you can just now ask the Lord to help you to trust Him completely and invite Him into your life.

If you have trusted Him, thank Him for all that He did during those six hours on the cross, to make it possible for you to be saved.

Revision:  Give children cardboard crosses. Let them write the 5 Bible verses (Mark 15:25, Mark 15:33, Mark 15:34, John 19:30 and 1 Cor. 15:3) on the crosses and on the other side of the cross write: "Thank you Jesus for the 3 hours that you experienced to change my life."  Let them put it in their Bibles.

Closing prayer:  Thank God for His love and for our salvation because  of what His Son Jesus Christ  did on the cross.

Closing song:  "You and me" (Tune:  "Deep and wide")

You and me, you and me, Jesus died on the cross for you and me! (2x)