Trying to engage a room of preschoolers is like herding cats.
Every little one has his own idea of what fun looks like and it is usually
different from yours! Try these quick tips for preschool classroom
management and share own
ideas.
2. Use
a consistent attention-getting cue. Train your class that we you use a
certain cue, they are to prepare to listen. It may be counting to three
or clapping in a pattern or repeating words after you. Preschoolers are
pretty easily trained, you just have to be consistent. Do the same thing
every time. Kids this age like routine and establishing cues like this
can help your lesson run much more smoothly.
5. Keep
it short and use variety. Preschoolers have extremely short attention
spans. Basically they can focus for one minute per year of their
age. Expecting a four-year old to sit patiently for a fifteen minute
lecture on the Old Testament. Less is more for little ones. Give
them one short, amazing story with one simple point to remember.
1. Be
extremely prepared. In preschool world, downtime is
the enemy. While you pause to look for crayons your three-year olds
may try to take over the world. Before class begins make sure that you
have all of your materials ready and know your lesson inside and out.
Whatever you do, don’t sit and read a lesson to a group of preschooler and
expect to engage them. Those kids will be under the tables and eating the
soap.
2. Use
a consistent attention-getting cue. Train your class that we you use a
certain cue, they are to prepare to listen. It may be counting to three
or clapping in a pattern or repeating words after you. Preschoolers are
pretty easily trained, you just have to be consistent. Do the same thing
every time. Kids this age like routine and establishing cues like this
can help your lesson run much more smoothly.
3. Teach
with enthusiasm. If you watch a popular preschool show there are no
monotone voices or bland personalities. You don’t have to be the
Imagination Movers, but you have the opportunity to make the Bible come
alive. You are telling the greatest story of all time. Take every
op portunity to make the Word come alive
as best as you can.
4. Involve
the children. Kids will remember the story better if they are involved
in your teaching. Have them make appropriate sound effects, repeat key
phrases, or act out related motions. The more repetition you can include
the better! The more kids are involved the less trouble they can cause,
but more importantly the more the truth will stick in their heart.
5. Keep
it short and use variety. Preschoolers have extremely short attention
spans. Basically they can focus for one minute per year of their
age. Expecting a four-year old to sit patiently for a fifteen minute
lecture on the Old Testament. Less is more for little ones. Give
them one short, amazing story with one simple point to remember.