Learning Strategies: an Overview
Good teaching does not just happen. Good teaching is not something that a church either has or does not have. If a church lacks the skills that good teaching requires, something can be done to acquire them.
See also... Learning Strategies for Adults Learning Strategies for Early Childhood (Birth—Age 6) |
Good teaching in the life of a church is the result of an intentional, coordinated plan. It grows out of a common awareness among leaders and the congregation that an effective church must be a teaching church.
While the basic principles of learning apply to people of all ages, some differences occur in the ways those principles are implemented. Learning at any age is the process not just of acquisition but also of application. When have I learned Ephesians 4:32: "Be kind to one another"? Have I learned it when I have heard it or repeated it? Have I learned it when I have memorized it or given examples that show that I understand it? Not until I have shown kindness in my attitudes and actions can I claim to have learned those five words. When dealing with the truths of God’s Word, learning must always lead to growth, to changes in understanding, attitudes, and actions.
Learning by Doing
"People learn by doing" is an oft-repeated truism in education. The statement recognizes that we are more likely to understand and remember the things we have actually done rather than the things we have merely heard about. Just because students are busy doing things does not necessarily mean they are learning what the teacher intended. In many cases, the real teaming that results from a student’s activity is almost totally unrelated to the desired outcome.
During a lecture, adults may or may not be learning what the lecturer is saying, but they are learning to sit quietly and took interested
Teenagers answering questions may or may not be learning the subject on which they are being quizzed, but they are learning to give answers acceptable to the teacher and/or group.
Children drawing pictures of a Bible story may or may not be learning about the story, but they are learning to express their ideas visually.
The challenge for the teacher is to find ways to involve learners in some form of doing—mental, verbal, social, physical—so that what students do is closely related to what the teacher wants them to learn. While all people learn by doing, the kinds of doing are not the same for 2-year-olds as for 12-year-olds, or 20-year-olds, or 82-year-olds. However, it would be a mistake, as well, to assume that a 2-year-old learns in exactly the same manner as all other 2-year-olds, or that all 82-year olds are identical in their approaches to learning. Within any group of children, teens, or adults, a wide diversity will exist in learning approaches. Some researchers have focused on distinct learning styles, noting that some people learn better through one means, while others learn better through another. In addition, in any group differences exist in intelligence, background, previous knowledge, life needs, attention spans, reading ability, and interests.
Learning Activities
How might this activity contribute to:
- Bible learning?
- Life application?
- Relationship building?
- In what type of lesson might this activity be most useful?
- What preparation/explanation/procedures would be needed to make this activity a successful learning experience?
T= Teacher
L= Learner
Learning Activities |
Ages |
Grades |
Grades |
Grades |
Adults |
Art |
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Advertisement (magazine/newspaper) |
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Badges |
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Banners |
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Billboard |
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Block/Gadget Printing |
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Bulletin Board |
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Bumper Sticker |
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Cartooning |
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Chalk Drawing |
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Chart/Graph |
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Clay |
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Collage (gluing objects, paper, pictures, etc.) |
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Crayon Drawing |
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Crayon Etchings (scratch design in crayon) |
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Crayon Melting |
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Crayon Rubbing |
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Crayon/Paint Resist |
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Diorama (scene) |
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Doodles |
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Dough (salt/flour) |
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Felt Marker Drawing |
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Frieze (series of scenes) |
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Mobiles |
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Montage (collage of words/pictures) |
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Mosaic (tile/paper) |
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Mural |
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Painting, Blow (straw) |
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Painting, Brush/Tempera |
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Painting, Finger |
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Painting, Sand |
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Painting, Sawdust |
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Painting, String |
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Painting, Water colors |
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Paper Cutting |
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Paper Sculpture |
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Paper Tearing |
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Papier-maché |
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Posters |
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Rebus (pictures replace words/sounds) |
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Silhouettes |
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Sides (writing, drawing) |
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Stained Glass (paper/cellophane) |
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Tissue and Starch |
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Transparencies |
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TV Box |
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Drama |
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Audio Recording |
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Block Building/Toys |
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Dramatic Reading |
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Family Living (dolls) |
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Monolog |
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Pantomime |
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Puppets |
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Radio Drama (play reading) |
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Role Play/Situations |
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Story, Act-it-Out |
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Tableau (picture posing/photography) |
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Talk Show |
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Video Recording |
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Discussion/Question and Answer |
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Agree/Disagree Statements |
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Brainstorming |
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Case Study |
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Circle Response |
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Debate |
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Dialog |
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Idea Sharing |
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Interview Survey |
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Listening Teams |
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Picture Response |
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Question/Answer |
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Small Group Interaction |
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Timed Response |
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Word Association |
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Music /Rhythm |
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Choral Reading |
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Echo Song |
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Fit Bible Verse to Music |
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Hymn Study |
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Instruments |
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Listening |
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Litany |
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Match Song with Bible Verse/Passage |
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Poetry Reading |
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Rap |
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Rhythm Patterns for Verse |
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Sign Language for Song |
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Singing |
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Write/Say New Words |
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RESEARCH |
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Bible Atlas/Maps |
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Bible Dictionary |
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Bible Locating/Reading |
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Bible Study (inductive) |
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Books |
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Computer |
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Field Trip |
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Films |
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Filmstrips/Slides |
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Listening Center (audio cassette/CD) |
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Overhead Transparency |
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Pictures/Photographs |
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Service Project |
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Survey/Census |
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Video |
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Verbal Communication |
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Bible Reading (oral) |
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Chalk Talk |
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Conversation |
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Demonstration |
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Illustrated Lecture |
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Memory/Recitation |
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Object Lesson |
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One-Minute Message |
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Oral Report |
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Panel Presentation |
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Sermon |
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Storytelling |
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Writing |
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Acrostic |
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Bumper Sticker |
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Captions (for pictures) |
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Commercial/Slogan |
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Condensed Version |
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Crossword Puzzle |
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Diary/Journal |
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Dictation (adult writes) |
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Graffiti |
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Letter/Memo/Note |
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List/Ranking |
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News Report |
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Parable |
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Paraphrase |
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Script |
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The challenge, therefore, is not to find one method that every teacher should use, but to develop balanced approaches that accommodate the fascinating diversity of people.
