Mennonite Weekly Review

How can we make Sunday school more exciting for children and teachers? What more can we do to enhance the way our children learn and retain Scripture? These and similar questions by the children’s nurture department resulted in a change in the children’s Sunday school curriculum — one created by members of JSMC that utilizes the Workshop Rotation Model of learning. Carole Giagnocavo, children’s nurture director, presented the concept to the superintendents and teachers of children’s Sunday school, who eagerly embraced the idea. The curriculum concept was then presented to the congregation. After months of planning and praying, on Dec 7, JAM (Jesus and Me) @ JSMC was inaugurated for children in kindergarten to grade six.

This curriculum utilizes a multi-intelligence (creative methods) approach to teaching. Major Bible stories and concepts are taught through workshops that include storytelling, drama, art, music, games, puppets, science, cooking, kinesthetic activities or whatever other creative learning approaches that the curriculum designers imagine will stimulate learning. The workshops teach the same Bible story for four to five weeks, rotating the children to a different workshop each Sunday. Adults, assigned as shepherds to a particular class for the entire year, help children find that week’s workshop and provide continuity of relationship.

We transformed classrooms to kid-oriented designs to enhance the lessons. For example, our children experience storytelling in a tent with cushions on the floor. Drama involves the use of a stage with puppets or costumes.

Already we can see the benefits. Children are eager to be in Sunday school, some telling their parents to make sure they don’t miss next Sunday’s rotation. Their retention of the material is increasing. Teachers are energized.

This curriculum is a wonderful opportunity for intergenerational participation, as members of all ages can teach a workshop for one unit or more.