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Two Things

Students open their notebooks and write two things: one question they had about the reading and one thing they learned anew or that they had forgotten. We spent probably 40 minutes covering the things they wrote. Great discussion and opportunity for sharing. Great for: Reviewing a scripture story, Giving every person a turn, Eliciting thoughtful responses, Reading a serious passage, Helping students find meaning in the scriptures Class size: Any class size…
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Hey there, Delilah

This is the easiest way to engage kids in scripture reading in my opinion. You’ll need something soft like a beanbag or small stuffed animal. A wadded up piece of paper could even be used in a pinch. You may need to lay out some ground rules like : – do not aim above the shoulders – no overhand tosses – no repeats After you make your reading assignment and…
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What did you underline?

Write a list of passages or references on the board that have something important in them — something “worth underlining.” Explain to the class that there is something important in each verse and that you will give each student a chance to read their passage and explain to the class what they thought the most important thing was in the verse(s). Give them a few minutes to look over their…
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Cold-calling

Teachers can randomly assign students to read randomly by calling them by name. The key is the order of the direction and the assignment. Here’s how: “Turn in your Bible to Isaiah chapter 1. [pause] Everyone look at your scriptures. We’ll be reading verses 1-15 aloud one at a time and discussing each individually. Verse one …[pause]… John?” The important thing is to direct everyone to the verse, pause, and…
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Hey, did everybody hear that?

I encourage discussion in my classroom, and there are times when everybody is talking at once. Instead of scolding kids, focus in on one comment, and in a louder than usual voice say, “Hey! That was awesome! Did everybody hear that?” When I do this, I’m generally leaning toward the student to hear what they say. Then I straighten up and point toward the student when I say “hey” to…
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Unique Set of Questions

I used a unique set of questions to teach three parables: the parable of the of the ten virgins, the talents, and the sheep and goats. Before class I taped a set of three questions under each person’s chair. Each set of questions included one question from each of the three parables and was unique. I made the unique sets so that as we answered each question I wouldn’t get…
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Newscaster

Students pretend to be newscasters who tell a familiar gospel story. EXAMPLE: I told my students that we were going to pretend to be newscasters describing the events of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Each zone received a section of Matthew 21 to give a news cast on. The parables were difficult, but the kids were able to cover them by doing those interview-style, like “You were present when Jesus…
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Exciting Ways to Read Scriptures Aloud

One of the most boring things we do in class is go around the circle or down the row — in order — with every person reading a single verse of scripture aloud. Here are some very simple ideas you can use to keep students engaged while reading scripture passages aloud. Randomized Scripture Reading The following methods are ways to engage students by making assigned passages randomized. Hey there, Delilah!…
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