Lesson 1: I am a Child of God

Please see my post on Teaching Sunbeams for an overview of my teaching system.

Activity Selection - Being the first lesson for the new Sunbeams, I wanted to introduce the concept of the activity selection I use with most of my lessons, but in a very structured way.  I wanted to use the activity selection for everything (not just lesson activities), to emphasize that class consists of a set of activities, not just one long lesson, and to help children understand and anticipate some of the activities that would be a consistent part of each lesson (e.g., prayer, snack, coloring, etc.).   Also, using the activity selection process would allow me to involve the children in the process, to increase engagement and attention.  But, I also wanted to introduce most of the activities in a specific order.  So, instead of having the selection random (letting the children select any card), I labeled each card with a number on the back and had the children select the cards in order from 1 to 11.  (Of course, some of the younger ones still cannot read their numbers, so needed some help.)

I included the prayers, snack, and book reading in the selection, though I don't usually do that.  The activities were in the following order, starting at the top left.  (Last year I inserted the snack and book later in the lesson, but soon learned that due to the timing of our meetings, the children were "starving" by the time they got to class.  So I soon changed it so that snack was done as soon as the opening prayer had been said.  It's important to schedule snack at a time that it makes the most sense for the children in your class.)

1.  Prayer- We briefly reviewed how to pray, then a child was called on to say the opening prayer.  Modelling and discussing expectations is important, even with something like prayer.  Not all children get the exposure at home, and we cannot assume, even if they get the exposure at home, that they are explicitly being taught how and why they should do certain things.

2.  (There were two of them, because we always do these two things together.) Snack & Book - The book I chose for this week was "Are You My Mother" by P.D. Eastman.  I chose this book because it provides a nice segue into the part of the lesson about how we will grow up to be like our parents, though I would like to find and use a similar book about a father instead of a mother.  (If anyone knows such a book, please tell me in a comment!)  Periodically during the reading, I would ask the children how the baby bird knew that _____ wasn't its mother.  By the end, all of the children knew that the baby bird knew its mother because she looked like him.

3.  Song - We then began to follow the manual.  We began by singing "I Am a Child of God" as shown in the first part of the attention activity.  I use the LDS Music app on my iPad to provide the music.  Although some children know this song and may be able to sing along, not all children do - particularly the youngest or newest members.  Singing is not the most engaging activity for those who do not know a song, so you need to have more than just singing to keep them engaged.

This year, my new little Sunbeam was struggling with her transition into Primary.  The Nursery teacher had told me that she absolutely loves Playdough.  So I brought mats and Playdough, and let them play with the Playdough while we listened and sang.  It's so important to get the lesson started off in a positive way.  Use what the children are interested in to engage them.  After a very rough time in Singing and Sharing Time, this beginning of the lesson was what she needed.  She had a positive experience for her first class, was well behaved and attentive.  She participated in the entire lesson.

4.  Rules - We began by discussing the meaning of the symbol (something you shouldn't do), and used that to discuss why we need rules.  I then placed the following pictures (cut into individual pictures) in front of the children.  I went through the rules (in order, but cut into individual rules), and had the children identify which picture matched each rule.  Once the appropriate picture was chosen, it was attached (by tape) to the rule, and placed on the board for a reminder throughout the lesson.

After all the rules were on the board, I brought out our class "mascot" - a stuffed animal, a monkey with long arms and legs.  I had the monkey do various things (e.g., flail its arms and legs around, or fold its arms) and had the children identify whether the monkey was following the rules or breaking the rules and why.  

This was an important part of the discussion.  Rules are something that children seeking independence may struggle with, unless they have ownership and understanding of those rules.  Having the children discuss the rule breaking done by the monkey, we were able to think about why these rules are important (e.g., someone could get hurt, everyone wants a turn to be heard, you shouldn't be rude to others, etc.).  

Also, anytime the children begin to get restless or rowdy now, I can bring the monkey out and have him model appropriate and reverent behavior.  Last year the children all loved the monkey and following his example.

5.  Ball -  The last part of the attention activity followed, using a soft squishy ball.

6.  World - See manual (We are spirit children of Heavenly Father).  We did not sing the song again as I was afraid we would run out of time.  Also, repeating something, unless the children are really excited about doing it, is inviting boredom and resulting behaviors.

7.  Like - See manual (Heavenly Father knows us and loves us).  I asked each child what he/she likes.  Then I told the child that "Heavenly Father knows you like _____, because you are His child.  He is your Father, and He knows you!"  We didn't do the verse activity, mostly for time reasons.

8.  Matching Game - Picking up on the discussion that babies and mamas look like each other (when reading the book), we played a matching game of babies and mamas.  I made cards showing various babies and mamas.  I placed the cards upside down in two groups - one group being the mamas, the other group being the babies.  The children took turns each turning over one card from each group.  Because there were so many cards, I had the children leave the cards facing up that they had turned over.  When they turned over a new card, they had to decide if it matched any of the cards that were visible. 

Another option would be to reduce the number of cards.  After matching all the cards, we discussed that we can grow up to be like our Father in Heaven (see manual: We can be like Heavenly Father).

If I am able to find a book that addresses fathers instead of mothers, I will modify the game to show pictures of fathers instead of mothers.  I may do that anyway, as I realized that it would tie in with the lesson better.

9.  Story of Moses - See manual (Heavenly Father has important work for us to do).  I used visuals by Phillip Martin to tell the story of Moses.  I then explained that, just as Heavenly Father had a special purpose for Moses, He has a special purpose for each of us.  I called each child by name and said, "Heavenly Father has a special purpose for you!"

10.  Prayer - We concluded the lesson with a closing prayer.

11.  Coloring - After the prayer, the children were given a coloring sheet to color until their parents came to get them.  I often use the black and white poster from Sunday Savers, but this time I opted for an activity page (I am a Child of God) by Betsy @ LDS Notebooking Pages found on Teachers Pay Teachers.  Many of the activities on that site cost money, but this one was free.  I used the first page in the book, showing a boy and a girl, and the letters to trace saying "I am a child of God".  If you have a class that really enjoys coloring, you could print out more, such as the first verse and the chorus.  They could then take them home to color.

Resources

There are lots of resources that are available to help you with your lesson planning.  Some are specifically LDS, others are not.  Some of the resources I use, for ideas or materials include:

LDS-based resources:

• Sugardoodle.net - although not an official LDS resource, this online LDS resource provides a lot of ideas and materials for every primary lesson (as well as many other LDS organizations).

• GospelGrabBag.com - again, this one is not an official LDS resource, but again provides a lot of LDS resources for primary and other LDS organizations.  But most of these are not free.  I have purchased the CD (Sunday Savers) for the Sunbeam class, and use it frequently (though not every week). 

• Finch Family Games and Hatch Patch Creations - these are two additional LDS resources that I enjoy and have sometimes used in my lessons.  Again, these are not free.

Many different blogs, also.  My favorites so far:

• Chicken Scratch n Sniff - a blog by an LDS member with teaching helps.

• Sunbeam Printables.blogspot.com

• And so many more... I will add to this list!

General sites (not necessarily LDS) - these sites have a lot of resources.  Most are not free, but some are.  Most are not LDS, but some are.  My favorite vendors on each site are listed:

• Teachers Pay Teachers - Keeping Life Creative, Melonheadz, Bonnie Kathryn, the Barefoot Teacher

• Etsy - Kimberly Bourne Design, Latterday Chatter, Green Jello with Carrot, the Red Headed Hostess, Time Savors, Book of Mormon for Kids

Teaching Sunbeams

I'm still trying to figure out how to publish other pages on a blog.  I've created the pages, but don't know how to get them "published".  It's not the same as a "post".  So, having realized that nobody can actually see what I've written on my other pages, I've decided to add these posts until I figure it out...


I first started this blog last year, shortly after being called to teach Sunbeams.  It was my first time really teaching the Sunbeams. I have helped others teach it before, but I had never been called as the Sunbeam teacher before. But I love it! It gives me the opportunity to try out all of the things I've learned about teaching young children. It challenges my spiritual understanding to be able to break things down into the simplest terms. It allows me to use my creative talents.

By no means is everything I use of my own making or creative thought, though. So many other blogs and websites have provided inspiration and materials. I greatly appreciate the time and effort that others have put into their teaching and creations, and for the opportunity to learn from and use their talents. There are so many amazing talents out there! I know that I have my own talents. One of my talents is recognizing the talents of others, and seeing how their ideas enhance my own, inspire my own, and so often surpass my own. The benefit that I receive from the talents of others is one of the main reasons I have finally decided to make a blog of my own. I have benefitted so much from others, I now want to give back.  But it's my first time creating a blog, so please bear with me as I have a lot to learn!

Regarding other sources I have found and used, I try to reference them as correctly as I am able, as I firmly believe that credit should be given.  For me, this is as much a matter of principle as it is of legality.  Sometimes, though, I find materials and do not know their original source.

But, I don't want to just be another blog.  I want to offer something unique.  I want to not just help others teach a lesson, I want to help others learn more about teaching.  So, my blog is not just about posting resources, it's about informing the reader of why I made my choices, so that they can begin to understand my process of planning and teaching.  The process is what's most important.  Hopefully you've heard the saying... "give a man a fish, feed him for a day.  Teach a man to fish, feed him for a lifetime."  That's what I want to do.  I don't want to just share how I've taught a lesson, I want to help others (who want to teach as I do) be able to plan and teach without necessarily copying what I do.

But let me start with how I teach.  So... how do I teach the Sunbeams?  When I first started teaching the Sunbeams, it took me some time (several months, to be exact) to figure out a system that worked for me.  With the start of the New Year (last year), I began applying that system to each lesson, and trying to capture it here on this blog.  There were times I was completely overwhelmed with life, though, and fell behind on the blog.  So this year, I'm going to again attempt to do so.  The nice thing is, I will get to update what I learned from last year.  So, some posts will include notes from previous years.  

Also, as our ward is very small, we have had to combine classes.  My class this year only includes one actual Sunbeam.  The others are all CTR age.  So although I will be following the Sunbeam manual, I will utilize the CTR manual to supplement and help guide my lessons, to provide for the needs of my older children. 
 
I have combined everything I know about good teaching practices and how to teach young children (in particular) based on their development, to come up with a general "template" that I use each week to design my lessons.  My template is designed on the following principles.

1. Instead of thinking of the lesson as one long lesson, think about it as a bunch of different parts or activities, each with its own specific purpose or goal, and each giving the children a different opportunity to think, interact, and participate.  By creating a series of individual activities, you encourage more engagement, and minimize boredom (which always leads to trouble).  Young children have short attention spans.  By switching from activity to activity, you reduce the length of time they must attend to any given activity, restarting the "clock" each time you begin a new activity, or activating a new span for attention.  By switching from activity to activity, they're much less likely to reach the limits of their attention span.
2. Provide a consistent structure to the class, and help the children become familiar with that structure.  Structure helps them know what to expect and provides comfort.  You will minimize many behaviors by providing structure, particularly if you have any children with special needs, as structure reduces anxiety around unknown and unexpected transitions.  However, realize that structure does not mean rigidity, and it certainly doesn't displace compassion.  Be gentle in your transitions, be patient as they learn the structure.  And always be flexible to the needs of your children.
3. Provide very clear expectations.  Have a set of class rules, but not too many!  (As a general rule, have no more than 5 rules.)  Review the expectations at the beginning of each class (at least in the beginning), and whenever necessary.  It can help to provide a visual reminder of those expectations for the children to look at, and to reference when needed.  Make sure the class rules you select are important in helping the children learn appropriate and respectful behavior.  It should not just be about control.  Our goal should be to empower and  teach, not to control and subdue.  Depending upon the children, your rules may be different from those of another teacher, and you may need to modify your rules over time.  Try not to hold the children responsible for any behaviors not covered by your class rules.  That can be confusing for some, as they are not clear expectations.
4. Use visuals as much as possible.  Visuals give the children something to focus attention on, as well as make meaningful connections with.  There are a lot of sources for visuals.  Use the visuals that came with the lesson manual  (there should be a packet of pictures, as well as cutouts).  You can also Google free clip art online.  But keep the visuals simple.  You do not want to provide extraneous visual stimulation, as this can overstimulate some young children and make it difficult for them to focus.  In using the visuals, try not to require one visual to hold the children's attention for more than about 20-30 seconds.  Just as switching activities will help activate a new attention span, switching visuals will do the same.
5. Make the lesson as interactive as possible.  Ask questions, give the children tasks, include hands-on activities, provide games.  Involve the children in any way that you can.  The more involved they are, the more attention is utilized, and the more focus is maintained.  When listening is the only requirement, it is much easier to lose their focus and attention. 
6. Provide choices!  These young children want their independence.  They want to show you how smart they are, how grown-up they are.  By giving choices (in activity selection, in games, holding visuals, etc.), we are encouraging independence and boosting their confidence.  A confident, happy child should be our primary goal, and increasing independence plays an important part in developing confidence and happiness, not to mention self reliance.

If you provide clear expectations, and keep the children engaged and maintain a patient and loving atmosphere, you will minimize disruptions due to bad behaviors, and have an enjoyable and satisfying experience for all involved.

General Lesson Template

I try to stay as true to the manual as I can, but modify based upon the above principles.  Most modifications are simply about providing hands-on activities around the ideas provided in the manual.  Before I stray from the manual, though, I first ask myself what the goal of a particular activity is, as I respect the inspiration of those called to develop these lessons.  Sometimes activities I find or develop seem to meet those goals better than those listed in the manual, at least for my children, or more often, meet the same goal, but in a more interactive way.  Those are the times that I modify what is listed in the manual.

Coming to Class: 

• On the way to the classroom, we stop at the drinking fountain and bathrooms to minimize in-class disruptions.
• Once we are all in the classroom, we go over the class rules, then select two children to say the opening and closing prayers.  (We maintain a prayer chart so they all can see whose turn it is.)  We review how to prepare for the prayer, and the opening prayer is said.

Lesson:

• All of the lessons provide a number of different learning activities, as well as enrichment and additional activities (for younger children).  Each learning/enrichment activity is used as a separate activity, and sometimes is broken into more than one activity.  In many cases, the learning activities do not need to be done in the order given.  In those cases, one way to engage the children is to have a set of cards/items  for the lesson, one card/item for each of the intended activities.  Let the children take turns selecting a card/item to involve them in the transition from one activity to the next.  As most children want to be able to choose the card/item, you will capture the attention of any child whose attention is wandering, and bring it back to the lesson.  You can also use your selection of a child as an opportunity to review the class rules.  For example, "I'm looking for someone who is folding their arms..."
• Last year I had five children in my class, so in general, I aimed to have five activities to select from, to give all of the children an opportunity to choose one.  If you have more children, you could divide some of the activities into smaller chunks to give more children the opportunity to select.
• If the attention activity that is listed needs to truly be an attention activity, it can be done before the card selection of other activities is begun.
• In addition to the activities provided by the manual, I also try to include the following:
• I try to find an appropriate book that I can read while the children have a snack/treat.  If I cannot find an appropriate book for that week's lesson, I may select one from a previous lesson for review, or I may play an appropriate song on my iPad using the LDS Music app.
• Some kind of a game (many of the learning activities listed can be turned into some type of game - matching, bingo, etc.).
• Crafts can also be developed for many of the learning activities listed.  Involving the children in basic gluing, stringing, or coloring activities is very engaging, and provides appropriate opportunities for developing fine motor skills, having social time, and encouraging creativity.

About Me

I was born in Utah, and have always been LDS.  But my family moved around when I was growing up, so during my younger childhood I lived in Utah, Idaho, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.  My later childhood was all in Utah.  All of the traveling, though, gave me a desire to travel and experience different parts of the world.

Upon graduating high school, I left home and went to New York to go to college.  This started a whole new adventure in my life... a long story for another time... that took me to many corners of the globe.  I met many different people, and got to try many new things.

On one of my many adventures, though, I met the man that would later become my husband.  Together we shared many adventures, both before and after getting married.

Some time after getting married, I decided to go back to school.  I got my Masters in Elementary Education, then went on to get my Doctorate in Cognition at Columbia University, Teachers College.  My focus for my Doctoral work ended up being in math education in early childhood (another long story).

I am now a professor of education, teaching courses in math education, science education, and early childhood development.  Needless to say, I love education and teaching, and hope to help others develop the skills and understanding necessary to be good teachers.

My husband and I have two beautiful boys... and both have Autism.  Learning to parent children with Autism has been one of the greatest challenges and blessings of my life.  But one of the greatest blessings that has come out of it, is that it has made me a better teacher, with a greater understanding of how to meet the needs of all children.

My career passion is to help future teachers better understand how to be good teachers, particularly those in the precious years of early childhood.  This passion also applies to my callings at Church.  I have held various teaching callings... Gospel Doctrine, Valiants, Relief Society... but now I have been given a calling that allows me to not just utilize my understanding of teaching, but my understanding of teaching precious little children.