Children learn so much through repetition! Perhaps you have children of your own and know firsthand how children love to watch the same TV program or read the same book over and over again! Do they learn? Yes, they do! The same is true with Bible lessons or Bible material. If the students are subjected to the same questions and answers, books of the Bible, a list of Egyptian plagues, the names of the apostles, the cities of refuge, the plan of salvation, or whatever is important at that moment over and over again, they will learn.
Ideas for repetition in Bible lessons - Here are a few simple ideas to incorporate repetition in your Bible lessons:
- Question/Answer Boards. In any lesson that you choose, write down nine or ten main points that you want your students to learn well. Then, form the points into a "question/answer" format, meaning asking a question to receive the answer that you want.
- Example: Adam and Eve is the lesson (Genesis 2:1-25; 3:20). Questions might be: Who was the first man? Adam. Who was the first woman? Eve. Where did Adam and Eve live in the beginning? The Garden of Eden. What was Adam's two jobs in the garden? Take care of the garden and name the animals. What was Eve's job? To be Adam's helper.
- Cut 22" x 28" poster board into 4" x 28" strips. (No poster board? Cut 12" x 18" construction paper in half.)
- On one side of the poster board, write a question.
- Flip the board over, and write the answer.
- For a few weeks, as a review, present these same questions to the students before your lesson begins. They will soon know these answers to these questions whenever you present them.
- Note of encouragement: By leaving the questions/answer boards out on the tables or desks before class begins, you will find that this type of review encourages the students to ask each other the questions. Praise them for their efforts to let them know how smart they are becoming!
- If basic questions are used in this manner for a few lessons, the boards may be saved for a huge review.
- Another idea? Matching Phrases. On sentence strips, write matching words or phrases about the lesson. (To be different, use sentence strips which are found in school supply stores. If you don't have any sentence strips, simply use construction paper.)
- Example: The Whole Armor Of God (Ephesians 6:10-18). Matching words might be - "Whole Armor" and "Of God," "Loins Girt About" and "With Truth," "Breastplate" and "Of Righteousness," "Feet Shod With" and "The Preparation Of The Gospel Of Peace," "Shield" and "Of Faith," "Helmet" and "Of Salvation," Sword" and "Of The Spirit," "Praying" and "Always."
- Write each phrase on a sentence strip.
- Cut each phrase in half.
- Staple the first part of the phrases in a column on a bulletin board.
- Randomly staple the second part of the phrases in a column next to the first words.
- Cut yarn and pin yarn or ribbon to the first words.
- After the lesson, the student is assigned a phrase and attaches the end of the yarn to the correct second word or words.
- Let other students take turns, pinning the yarn from one word or words to the matching word or words in the second column.
- Do this a few times, then mix the second words up again and repeat.
- Definitely not difficult! Students will definitely remember and learn the phrases!
- Another idea? Asking The Same Questions. Simply ask questions from the lesson and encourage the students to answer. Ask the same questions enough times, and the students will respond with the correct answers...over and over again! Simple, yet effective!