"There will be a TEST next Sunday. Everyone be sure and come!"
The boys and girls in your class would not jump for joy upon hearing such an
announcement, yet the basic goal of teaching is learning! Acquiring knowledge
comes through reinforcement, and reinforcement comes as a result of continual
review.
A
Calvin and Hobbes cartoon pictures Calvin sitting in class, eyes
half closed, about ready to drift off to sleep. Suddenly he sits upright and
screams, "
BORING!" "
UNINTERESTING!" "
HO-
HUM!"
I've seen it often. The child who sits in class like a zombie, showing no
interest, will become almost automatically drawn into a Bible game. Or Joe Cool
who wouldn't be caught dead singing or participating in any way, can't resist
participating in a game.
"
A little bit of sugar makes the medicine go down," sang Walt Disney's
Mary Poppins. Her point, of course, was that even things which are distasteful
can be made pleasant - in fact, downright fun.
This same principle applies to Christian Education. The primary purpose of
Bible games is to review Bible facts, verses, and concepts. Educational experts
tell us that one-third of our teaching time should be spent in review!
Application of knowledge is important for utilization. Reviewing helps
learning become a meaningful part of a child's life. One way to accomplish this
goal, is to teach with Bible games. The components of games are the same as for
tests: questions and answers, with the added ingredient of fun!