This is the third post about using flannelgraph to teach the Bible. Read the 1st post here.
I have talked before about my unusual childhood. Another element of that was my Pastor and his amazing wife. I will call her “Susan.” To say that Susan was near sainthood would be an understatement. She taught me the Bible in ways that most kids could only dream of. One of her methods was by use of a simple cardboard piece covered with a plain piece of flannel. (This is where my desire to add a Flannelgraph set to the ABCJLM curriculum stems from.)
Flannelgraph boards are rarely used in this techno age. When they are used, they are rarely used well. But just like any props used during storytelling, the goal is for the child after time to be able to use the props and tell the story themselves.
In using a flannelgraph board or props, follow the same three steps that you would for teaching a child a new concept.
On the first day, tell the child the story using the flannelgraph or props yourself. The next time allow the child to assist with the props as you tell the story. By the last time, the child should be able to tell the basic plot of the story by themselves.
So…in a week, introduce the story on Monday. Leave the props out in an area where the child can play with them. On Tuesday, allow the child to assist you with the props as you tell the story. On Wednesday, let the child interject main points into the story – maybe peoples’ names or places. Continue until on Friday the child can tell the story on their own to someone else or put on a play for their stuffed animals or dolls.
What suggestions do you have to share in using flannelgraph and props to teach the Bible?
