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Involving Parents – Easy ways to create a richer parent-child connection.

Dream A World parents and kids at event

Getting parents involved in the Young Masters Little Wisdom curriculum will allow the children to thoroughly process what they are learning at home. That’s where the rubber meets the road.

“I see you, I hear you, what you say matters to me.” Oprah Winfrey

I was struck by the quote above, which I heard on Oprah Winfrey’s last show. The one thing that every human being longs for is acceptance – to be heard and to know they matter. Our children long to know they are loved and valued despite the often necessary, “no you can’ts and don’t do thats” and the ongoing lessons in discipline they receive on a regular basis. Ultimately they need to know they make a difference in the world. Perhaps you’re using the curriculum for home schooling and you’re already living the principles this curriculum teaches with your children. Bravo! Maybe you’re even spearheading a home schooling group in your area and sharing your materials.

For those who are teachers and have classrooms and groups, getting parents involved in this program will make magic memories and help them create an unbreakable bond. These may well be the most important principles they will ever learn. The Young Masters Little Wisdom Curriculum is teaching them they were born endowed with powerful gifts. It teaches them what some of those gifts are and how they can use them.

They will learn to practice using their gifts – at home, at school – and in their immediate world. They will look to their parents and other adults around them to see if they too are using their gifts. How are they doing it? Kids are smart and after all we’re never too old or too young to be reminded we have gifts to share. Here are some ways you can encourage the parents of your students to get involved with this program and make a really meaningful difference to this process. This is something you’ll want to set up at the beginning of of the program.

The Young Masters Little Wisdom Curriculum can be used once a week over a six week span, or you can review and discuss one book, once a week for a month, extending the curriculum over a six month period. We recommend this. The curriculum is rich with activities. There’s more than enough to really dig into each principle, allowing the children to experience each deeply and completely.

Here are some tips for getting parents involved in your program:

1.) Host a little orientation for the parents and children the week before your program begins. Tell them about the program and show them the books. Play some of the music. Let them know they can buy these books from your bookstore, or order them online if they wish to read them to their children at night before bedtime during the program. Repetition is the mother of invention.

2) Seat everyone in a circle. Go around the circle, start with yourself and have each person – adult and child – introduce themselves, say where they were born and something they love to do.

3) Teach parents and children the Young Masters Pledge, suggest they say it together in the morning to start their day.

4) You might have the children and parents create a “Secrets Of The Heart” vision board. Bring some materials that day and begin the process. How do they see themselves using their gifts. Suggest they take it home and work on it together, have them bring it back when the program ends and create a gallery to display their work and inspire others at your school, church or center. Be sure you and your helpers participate in this activity too!

5) Send the affirmation of day home each day or each week and ask that the children can say them at home every day with their parents.

6) Hand out the Young Masters Checklist to the parents and have them bring it back at the end of the program to see how they all did.

7) Ask your parents to commit to five minutes a day to do these things:

  • Say this weeks affirmation together

  • Talk about how they each demonstrated this week/months “Secret of the Heart” and once a week check off something on the YM Checklist.

  • Ask their child what they did in school that day, what they’re most proud of and if there’s anything they want to talk about that happened.

8) Create a calendar for your program. Make sure parents, administrators and volunteers are all on the same page so they know what’s coming up and when.

Young Masters Little Wisdom Culmination

9) When the program completes, have a culmination performance for your school or for your congregation. Have the children say the Young Masters Pledge and perform one or more of the songs. Ask a parent or two to tell everyone what their child learned or how they changed during the duration of the program.

10) Talk with your parents. Create interaction. Have a Young Masters picnic. Or a Young Masters talent show. Have a creativity contest to see what your Young Masters can invent. Improvise! Have at it. Let us know what you come up with so you can be an inspiration to others. Take pictures, write a short article and send them to us so we can post them on the website!

If you’re unable to host an orientation, be sure to send the letter that’s included in the curriculum (or create your own letter) home to parents and talk with them about the program. It works best however, when you can have a real connection with the parents, can talk with them and engage them more deeply in what their children are about to learn.

Written by Bunny Hull
© Dream A World 2011

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Curriculum Tips and Goodies

Dream A World teacher presentation

Here are 10 curriculum tips and some downloadable goodies that will help you make the Young Masters Little Wisdom Curriculum your own. When you have fun…they have fun!

 

TEN TEACHING TIPS

1.) If you are working with a group of children, put them in a circle and sit in the circle with them. It will create a focal point for the lesson and direct their energy toward each other, encouraging them to make eye contact with you and each other.

2) If you are a youth director who works with children beyond the 4-8 age range, utilize the older children to help with a younger group. Have them read the book to the little ones, operate the CD if you’re using the audio story or let them assist with activities. Create a way for them to mentor the younger children. Everyone will learn something. It creates a sense of purpose for them and lets them know that they’re needed.

3) Honor each child by highlighting them in some way. For example, bring them up one at a time to hand them their power badges. Call them up by name and have them repeat the affirmation on their power badge after you.

4) Create some props you can use for your lessons. Make it visually exciting for the children. When it’s fun for you it’s fun for them. Here are a few ideas:

  • Write each “Secret of the Heart” on a piece of paper and put them in a container, but the affirmation of the day on the back. Each week pull the “Secret of the Heart” for the week out of a container you’ve brought. Teach them to say, spell or even sign it! (Some of the ASL signs are shown on the kids programming portion of this site) Have them repeat the affirmation of the day, and give them a copy to take home to say with their parents each day during the week.

  • Bring a small treasure chest for The Hidden Treasure.

  • Use a small globe or another small object as a sort of “talking stick.” Have the children pass it to the next person when it’s their turn to talk.

  • Bring some special “heart shaped” glasses for the children to wear when they stand up to share.

5) Let children take turns leading the Young Masters Pledge.

6) The curriculum is designed for seasoned teachers and beginner teaching volunteers. You can modify or customize lessons to suit your style and group.

7) This curriculum has been used with children as young as three years old with great results. So don’t be afraid to include a few younger children to see how it goes.

8) If you’re short on time, try a group art project. Let kids create a big piece of art that focuses on the “secret of the heart” for the day. They can draw, paint, cut and paste, put stickers, their hand prints or plant color kisses on it. Great for teaching sharing, taking turns and cooperation.

9) Play music in the background while you’re doing arts and crafts projects.

10) If you’re using your curriculum for the first time look at it a good week ahead. Let it sink in. As you think about it you’ll come up with some great ideas how to make it your own and it will give you time to prepare your props. And if you’ve never worked with kids know that no two groups of children will ever respond the same. Expect the unexpected!

Things to have on hand:

1) A CD player

2) Some art supplies: Kid proof scissors, markers, crayons, pencils, paper, construction paper, magazines, stickers, glue, play dough, food coloring, butcher paper (to cover tables or floors while you’re working on art projects.

3) A hula hoop

4) A colorful rug to sit on.

DOWNLOAD GOODIES FOR YOU! Click on the links below to download.

Young Masters Little Wisdom Curriculum Graduation Certificate

Have a graduation ceremony for the children. Once they’ve completed the program present them with this certificate to celebrate what they’re learned! Have them wear their Young Masters Headdress.

Power Badges

Here are some pre-designed stickers for you for the lesson on courage. You can print these on Avery Labels #5164. Or feel free to create your own with the templates from the curriculum.

Young Masters Checklist

This is a checklist of activities your Young Masters to use with their parents. Yes parents play a part in the program too! This is a helpful tool to track the process and progress of each child. How are they using their gifts? Teachers, hand this to parents at the beginning of the program when you have your orientation/workshop. If you’re using your curriculum by reading and processing each book over a four week period, there’s an activity for each week. Ask children each week what they did and discuss the details. They can put it up on the refrigerator where it can be seen everyday. Check something off each week!