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What to do with the students in your CCD classroom depends upon their age. Coming up with activities that excite your students and invites them to learn about our faith can sometimes be overwhelming. Keeping students involved and engaged in activities that have them moving, working in groups, and discovering information for themselves allows students to become excited about their learning and they are motivated to come to class. Having engaging and fun activities for your students to do each week can also keep absenteeism down to a minimum. The students will know they will do something fun in the class and want to be there.
The key to being a good catechist is to have your students anticipate activities that are fun and challenging so they will want to come to CCD each and every week. A good way to accomplish this is before you dismiss your students give them a little teaser of what they will do in class next week. Make it sound fun and exciting.
Example: “Why do problems come into our lives? People face problems each and every day. Some are harder than others. There are many choices that the person can have to solve his/her problem, but which one is the best? Next week we will play a game to see if you can choose the right thing to do.”
So what do students like to do in CCD?
Pre K – K students like singing and doing finger plays, coloring, making simple crafts, and playing games. The more movement the better so that the catechist can burn up some of their never ending pent up energy. Changing activities about every 15 minutes is also a good idea since their attention spans are extremely short. Interest Centers are important for any Preschool or Kindergarten classroom. These center activities: Art, Block, Book, Creation, Home Living, Manipulative, etc. gives the students a chance to “Learn by Doing”.
Having a God’s Helping Hands Chart encourages teamwork and self-esteem as students take responsibility for their classroom. This also builds community and dependability and it could also get the children to help more around the house as well. By assigning students various tasks to do will keep them busy and they will not get bored. It will also cut down on behavior problems because they will be moving and not sitting so much.
You just completed a chapter with your class and you need to review it to make sure your students understand it and/or get them ready for a test. What should you do? How can you make it interesting and fun and the students will learn? Try to incorporate a game to review the material in your classroom. Reading Comprehension & Assessment Activities and How To Review Material.
Play a game that reviews previously learned material. These activities make the Bible stories and aspects of the Catholic Church more concrete and easier for the students to understand and also a lot of fun. (There are several games posted here that can be used for younger students.)
Pre K – K lesson plans- with: Objectives, Word Wall, Bible Story with questions, Songs and/or Finger Plays, Activities, Crafts, Games, Snacks, Coloring/Puzzles
hubbardscupboard.org- lessons for ages 2 - 6
dltk-bible.com- Old and New Testament lesson for preschool posted. Lessons include memory verse, teacher's guide, puzzles, take home sheet, coloring pages, crafts and activities, etc.
clclutheran.org- lessons for preschool (click on Old or New Testament Lessons)
missionarlington.org- Sort by Scripture. Each lesson has a preschool lesson
sermons4kids.com- Index of Coloring Pages
The Catholic Toolbox- FREE Religious Coloring Pages
walzingm.com- Coloring Pages.
paperdali.blogspot.com- Paper Dali has tons of free printables for your nonprofit, personal use.
Bible Story Mini Books- Bible Story Mini Books are a great way to review a Bible story or concept with young students. Here are some online for free to print out for the students to take home. Students can read these to their parents or the parents can read them to their child.
FREE One Page Printable Bible Stories- Short on paper and need some printable Bible stories? You can print these out in color or black and white, whichever you prefer. Great for review and for your children to read.
Interactive Crafts for Bible Stories- Children love to make interactive crafts for Bible stories. It makes the Bible story come alive and they can reenact the story over and over again.
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Click here to see some of the book then click on Excerpt.
Elementary age students enjoy crafts, games, and creative puzzles such as hidden pictures, word shape, word jumble decoder, spiral, etc. Usually boys at this age absolutely despise coloring and as soon as you whip out a coloring sheet for them to do, discipline problems immediately erupt. Students at this age like object lessons and activities that involve movement and learning. Nothing is more fun than doing activities that use all the students’ senses and challenges them.
Play a game that reviews previously learned material. These activities make the Bible stories and aspects of the Catholic Church more concrete and easier for the students to understand and also a lot of fun. Reading Comprehension & Assessment Activities and How To Review Material.
Lesson Plans for 1st Grade On Up- with: Objectives, Review, Vocabulary Words, Bible Story with questions, Activities, Crafts, Games, Snacks, Puzzles/Mazes/Worksheets
dltk-bible.com- Old and New Testament lesson for preschool through 3rd grade. Lessons include memory verse, teacher's guide, puzzles, take home sheet, coloring pages, crafts and activities, etc.
clclutheran.org- lessons for 1st through 8th grade on Old or New Testament Lessons (scroll down for grade level)
missionarlington.org- Sort lessons by Scripture
sermons4kids.com- find various kinds of puzzles for your students to do that are posted in alphabetical order
sermons4kids.com- Click on Sermons to find the subject or sermon you want. Tons of object lessons for you to choose from.
Bible Story Mini Books- Bible Story Mini Books are a great way to review a Bible story or concept with young students. Here are some online for free to print out for the students to take home. Give these to your students every week so they can read these to their parents.
FREE One Page Printable Bible Stories- Short on paper and need some printable Bible stories? You can print these out in color or black and white, whichever you prefer. Great for review and for your children to read.
catholicicing.com- Embrace your amazing Catholic Culture by "icing" your Catholic Cake with all of these yummy "extras"! This is a place to find Catholic Arts and Crafts, Fun Food, Feast Day Celebration ideas, and much, much more!
thereligionteacher.com- Scroll down for: Feast of the Epiphany in the Modern Day- Lesson Plan Activities, Catholic Thanksgiving Day Lesson Plans on the Eucharist as “Thanksgiving”, Teaching the Mysteries of the Rosary to Elementary Students, etc.
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Click here to see some of the book then click on Sample.
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Limited preview- To see some of the book.
Older students enjoy discussions and a variety of activities that lets them manipulate the information physically and mentally. They like breaking off into small groups to work together for a common goal and present it later to the class. Group projects are a hit as well as field trips to places they have previously studied about. They also like playing games that involves the whole class reviewing previously learned material that is fun and educational too.
thereligionteacher.com- How To Get Students To Participate In Class Discussions
Catholic Lesson Plans For Teens- FREE Catholic lesson plans for small group study or classroom covering a variety of issues for today's teens.
Play a game show that quizzes your students about the subject. Make it fun and exciting by using a game that is created on PowerPoint. Download the template and modify the game to fit your curriculum needs.
Play a game that reviews previously learned material. These activities make the Bible stories and aspects of the Catholic Church more concrete and easier for the students to understand and also a lot of fun. Reading Comprehension & Assessment Activities and How To Review Material.
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What do your students like to do in CCD class?
10 comments:
This is an excellent compilation of resources. Thank you for collecting all these and for the links!
Thanks Jared! Coming from you that means a lot! :)
Hi there,
This is a really nice list of helps for us Cats. Thank you so much. We appreciate all the support that you give us over here at Thatresourcesite.com!! We will be adding quite a few more resources to our blog for religious education over the next few weeks including more F3 pieces and more fun class activities. Should start around mid-month.
Blessings,
Kalei
I think that your website in general is phenomenal...and this overview is so worthwhile. All I can say is that you invest your time wisely...and you are a blessing to people in the field of Religious Ed. Thanks so much.
Jane K
Thanks Jane! I try to share stuff I make and things I find. I hope some find it useful and the kids enjoy the activities as well. :)
How would you balance activities in a 4th grade class since girls love to color and boys don't even like it?
Patricia- My boys in first grade do not like to color either. I would play a game or have them do a puzzle. :)
Elementary age students enjoy crafts, games, and creative puzzles such as hidden pictures, word shape, word jumble decoder, spiral, etc. Usually boys at this age absolutely despise coloring and as soon as you whip out a coloring sheet for them to do, discipline problems immediately erupt. Students at this age like object lessons and activities that involve movement and learning. Nothing is more fun than doing activities that use all the students’ senses and challenges them.
My daughter is beginning CCD on 9-08-13 and I am trying to find a study bible to help her. I am currently taking RCIA and purchased the New Catholic Answer Bible for myself and I love it. However, I am unable to find a childs edition. Any suggestions?
Marlena- Have you seen The Catholic Children's Bible?
http://catholicblogger1.blogspot.com/2013/04/book-review-catholic-childrens-bible-by.html
These are wonderful ideas. I find the challenge is to take these great ideas of making class enjoyable while at the same time faithfully proclaiming the truths of our faith. ~ www.relevantcatechesis.com
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