Part 3: 11 Tips to Maintain Preschoolers’ Attention

(Part three of a three-part series… Read the two previous posts for more tips!)

There are 20 wiggly little people on a rug, and it’s your turn to share with them a lesson from the Bible … are you ready?

Despite the wiggles you may observe, preschoolers love a story! For some, listening to a lesson will be their most memorable part of their time with you. When you stand up in front of them, you have the chance to engage them in a special way!

However, for the adult volunteer teaching the lesson, it can be an intimidating experience. Some may feel like they don’t have enough training to pull it off the way they wish they could, and from an outside perspective, preschoolers can seem to be a tough crowd to keep engaged during a lesson.

How can we get a game plan together for keeping their attention? Join us in our series of the 11 tips to coach you through to the victory of a successful Bible lesson!

Previously we covered how to be prepared, use structure to your advantage, bring your love and excitement with you, to trust God with your opportunity, to expect the unexpected, be proactive and monitor your group, and to have a few redirects ready.

This week we will cover the last four tips…

Utilize other helpers

Though you might be the only person up front teaching your group of kids you are (hopefully) not the only leader in your classroom. Before your lesson starts, share some specific requests with your other leader(s), including any student helpers you may have. Have them be on the lookout for any children who are getting distracted, and a plan in place for what they can do. Sometimes having a leader sit next to a distracted child or pair or children is enough to get them to refocus. If not, the leader can ask them to move where they are sitting, or whatever plan you have put in place. If a particular child is singled out, don’t allow it to be a shaming experience, but more just a moment to solve a challenge they are facing. For example, you could say “I see you’re having trouble listening to the lesson where you are sitting, so let’s move you to a new spot to help you and the rest of the class be able to listen.”

Repeat the main point again and again

What’s the one thing that you want the kids to remember? You can reinforce this by creating hand motions or having them repeat it after you. For example, if you’re doing a lesson on Jesus blessing the little children, maybe you want the kids to remember “Jesus loves children,” so you might have them repeat that phrase and have a motion to go with each word. After you have done your main bit of the lesson, check to see if the children remember the one thing you were aiming for… see the next tip for more about this!

Check for comprehension

Remember the one thing that you want the kids to remember? As you near the end of your lesson, see if they can say it for you. There are different levels to which the children will be able to interact with what you wanted them to learn. Some may only be able to repeat it back, and that’s a great first step. If they can repeat it back, see if you can get them to apply it to a new situation. I recently heard a Cubbies director teaching a lesson on how God kept Noah safe on the ark (Bear Hug #12 of Appleseed). She wanted the kids to know, “God keeps us safe,” and had them repeat this phrase. Once they knew it and could say it back to her, she asked them about what they could remember if they got scared of the dark. Some of the kids piped in: “God keeps us safe!” They were able to not only remember the main point of the lesson, but also apply it to their own lives!

End on a positive note

You want your preschoolers to remember what a great time they had during the lesson. Thank them for listening, and encourage them that God loves it when they learn more about Him! Your preschoolers will remember how you end your lesson, and it may determine how they think about what they learned, so end with enthusiasm!

Final thoughts…

When Jesus said “Let the little children come to me” in Matthew 19:14, He didn’t expect them to stop acting like children, but He did expect them to walk away from an encounter with Him impacted by the time they spent with Him.

As we teach preschoolers we are also inviting them to an encounter with God through His word, and hopefully, these tips will help you do just that!

Interested to know the other tips we shared? Read the other posts in this series!