Yesterday was the second Sunday in Advent and my third grade class and I were learning Mary's story from Luke Chapter 1 verses 26-38. First we read the story in their Bibles, and I asked them what stood out to them, what shimmered, what questions did this passage bring up? One child said, "The angel Gabriel, I wondered what he looked like and how Mary felt seeing an angel.." Another child said, "the power of the Most High will overshadow you. That sounded scary." Another asked, Who is David and why is he in the story twice?" I thought these were excellent questions for third graders...way to go kids! Then I told them the story by heart. The whole morning was geared around getting them to learn the story (or at least bits of it - those bits that touched them) by heart. So next I had them repeat after me a few times doing the first two verses. Having them repeat after me, lets them get the feel of the words on their tongues, and hearing the words and how they sound coming out of their mouths. Then I asked if any of them wanted to try and re-tell it back to me, in their own words. I had a few brave souls who tried. My hearts swells when I hear a child try to re-tell a story back to me. I did record this class, so you can see the steps I did with them, giving them a taste of the story. Next week I hope to do this again and have the kids try a little more of the story and maybe we will even act it out with costumes. So often I have a whole new set of children each week and only a few who have been there the week before (my regular attenders). So this is a pretty slow process, like watching paint dry. "Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You." Psalm 119:11
2 Comments
12/12/2019 11:29:21 am
Wonderful Kathy. You never cease to amaze me with your skills, not only as a storyteller, but now with a blog.
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kathy smedley
12/13/2019 09:28:03 am
Thanks Nancy, I really appreciate your support!
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AuthorHi, thanks for joining me on this blog journey. I am Kathy Smedley, not a professional at anything, but I am passionate about 2 things: God's Word and God's children. I hope to connect you to the world of biblical storytelling and how using it in ministry with kids is formative and is the best way that I know how to teach the Bible. Archives
August 2022
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