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Get Visual
It is so important that our children discover the truths
conveyed in simple Bible stories. But if we bore them to tears, they won't hear
us or the message our stories carry. We must grab their attention and convey the
message effectively if we want them to grasp the truth we love.
Get a visual of your class listening and learning and in
that visual, you’ll be using good visuals. But hold everything. I know how busy
just living life can be these days. Maybe you’ve asked, “With so many balls to
juggle everyday, is adding visuals to my class really necessary? I would have
to answer with a resounding, “Yes. Visuals are necessary. Visuals play a vital
role in impacting your audience.” If you want to make Bible stories come alive,
then you need to use visuals.
- God
used visuals throughout the Bible. So many of the Bible stories use
visuals as illustrations. I would call Ezekiel the object
lesson book of the Bible. The tabernacle is a visual aid on a grand and
glorious scale. Jesus used visuals when he spoke to farmers about seeds or
the lost coin or when He asked the woman at the well for a drink of water. I
believe Jesus was the ultimate master teacher and He established a pattern
for modern teachers to use when He used visuals.
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Visuals unlock understanding. In the parable of the sower, Jesus used
four types of soil to explain the kingdom of God to His disciples. In all of
the soil types the seed sprang up and grew except one. The seeds only lay on
the hard ground and the birds gobbled the seeds. Do you remember what the
meaning of the hard ground was? Jesus explained, “The hearer did not
understand.” Brain research has proven that your brain dumps 90% of
everything you do not understand. When people leave our classrooms without
understanding the message or truth we have presented, then their brain dumps
90% of that information. That makes teaching for understanding essential.
Visuals help you teach for understanding. The old adage, “A picture is worth
a thousand words,” really is true.
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Visuals aid memory retention by using another of the five senses.
Learning is a multi-sensory process. Kinetic learners need to touch and feel
in the learning process, while visual learners need to see it to understand.
Involve as many of the senses as you can in the learning process. When
studying about the Promise Land of the Old Testament bring in a pomegranate
for the class to taste. Or fish crackers for snack if the lesson is one of
Peter’s many fishing adventures. Or you might want to bring a small rowboat
or canoe into the class and have the class sit in the boat to hear the
story. Add sound effects from commercial sources or have the children make
them live. Think outside the box, “What can you class hear, taste, feel or
see that will enhance the learning experience and unlock their
understanding?
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Visuals add variety to your class. Wouldn’t mealtime be boring if the
only food you had was corn. Even if you like corn, it wouldn’t take long to
run out of ways to creatively prepare corn. Variety is the spice of life.
Add some variety and spice to your class with good visuals. Use Bible Story
flannel graphs. Use story bags. Use the unexpected for humor. Use the
gigantic for effect. Anything and everything, please use good taste here,
can be used as a visual for your class.
Start preparing for your class
early. As soon as you complete one lesson look at the next lesson. Begin to pray
and think… “What can I use to help them understand this truth?” You’ll find
visuals in the yard, in the kitchen cabinet and in the garage. You might need to
get started with a good object lesson book to jumpstart your creativity. You
have a creative God living inside you and He wants to help you teach creatively.
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using any visual ask yourself these questions.
Is the visual large enough to be seen? If it is too small,
can you make a transparency of it? Drag out your video camera and do a close-up
of the object? Is the object something that can be passed around the room? Is it
attractive? Is it interesting? Does it really reinforce the message or is it
just a cool visual that you want to use? Does the visual take away from the
message? Is it appropriate for this particular audience??
6. Jump start your creativity. Order our Visuals
Galore video to jump start your own creativity. Or order our “Hear the Ocean
Roar” object lesson book. Go to the library and check out object lesson books
that will help your creativity get going.
Visuals really work. So before your next class get a good
visual and then your visualization of the look of understanding on their faces
will be more than a dream.
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