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Lds Primary Help!

Yep! it happened! After 16 years in the Church I got my first calling in Primary. I will be teaching the class for kids from 4 to 7. I have a couple of questions for you all:

1. My son is 3 and a half years old, he will be 4 in April. He goes to the class I teach but he's way too young and immature to understand what's going on, I always thought there must be a class for kids younger than that and Tena mentioned a class called 'Sunbeams'. Can anyone tell me from what age to what age is the 'sunbeam' class? because I don't recall any primary class in the Church here with that name.


2. Any suggestions on teaching small children who are also very hyperactive?.


3. Any suggestions in how to cope with frustration while doing it and keep my sanity? :--> I know it may sound weird but dealing with a hyperactive kid all day, Church was my 'get-a way' somehow and now with this calling, oh my goodness....i

Help Primary Lds

Congratulations on your calling in Primary! I have been a Primary 1st Councilor for nearly 3 years now. Filipe should be in Sunbeams. If you don't have enough 3-4 years olds to make up a Sunbeam class, then he could go into either the next class up, or he may stay in Nursery, depending on how the Primary Presidency feels.

Your Primary Presidency should have given you your Sunday School Manual, and Teaching, No Greater Call & The How Book For Teaching Children

Are you using Basic Curriculum Materials or General Curriculum Materials? For Basic your Manual is; Primary 4: Book of Mormon (34594). For General the Manual is; Primary 2: Choose The Right A (34484)

I do Sharing Time every third month, and I substitute when one of our two teachers is unable to make it to Church. We have a small primary. It fluctuates from 4 to 20 children on any given Sunday. We get a lot of visitors except for the dead of winter. We have 21 children who should be in Primary and Nursery. Many are from inactive families. Last Sunday we had three children graduate from Nursery to Primary. Our first Sunbeam class in 4 years! And we don't have a Sunbeam Teacher. We don't have a Primary Secretary, Activity Days Leader, Nursery Helper, and our Nursery Leader is screaming to be released or she will switch and go to the Ward in the next town. Her arthritis is so bad she can hardly stand it.

What I have observed Sister King ~ our 4-7 teacher ~ do is use lots of visual aids. She also keeps a list of the childrens names and puts a star after their name when they give the opening prayer, help her pass out crayons or paper, or be a buddy to a fussy child. She also found Reverent stickers and she is most generous with them. If they are reverent for 5 minutes they get a sticker after their name. Each month they start with a fresh page, and fill it with stars & stickers.

Check out a tape recorder and play tapes and sing. Not on every Sunday, but you could pick one Sunday a month and split the time with 1/2 lesson and 1/4 singing and 1/4 coloring. With each manual there is an envelope of pictures, and a audio tape. Also your library has cut outs and more pictures. If you don't subscribe to the Friend, do so. It is an invaluable aid, not only for Primary but also for you at home with Family Home Evening. Find out from your Primary Music Leader what songs are to be sung at the Primary Sacrament Presentation and copy them on a CD or audio tape and learn the songs with the children.

I burn a CD for each child in Primary, so that they can listen and thus learn the songs at home. I have been doing this for two years now, and it really works! I also include all the songs that are used in Sharing Time. The first 10 are Sacrament Presentation and the second 10 are Sharing Time. Go to the official LDS site, click on Gospel Library, then on the right select the Sharing time and click on it. The music list is there. I have the Children's Songbook on CD's. It is inexpensive when you get it from the Distribution Center.

Lets see, I think I have probably covered the basics here, if not give me a couple of hours and I can think of lots more . Remember to pray before you start on your lessons, and keep in mind that you are teaching 4 -7 years olds. At times they will come up with some very adult observations and answers, and Questions. Be honest at all times with them. If you don't know the answer to one of their questions, admit it. If you are uncomfortable about giving an answer ~ Pass the buck, and refer it to a Suit ( a member of the Bishopric). Love them. They will know when you are honest with them and will respond in kind. They will also know if you love them or not, and will respond in kind. Have fun.

Lds Primary Help! Studies Doctrine Mormon

LDS, I know we have spoken of your calling sort of in another thread, but congrats! Like Agene says, love the kids and it will be a great experience for both you and them. I was a primary teacher many years ago when I was a new member. I was not a good teacher then. I feel sorry for my students. I didn't make it fun, I didn't understand what primary was all about and so I was all "sit down and pay attention!" I think it is most important that the kids enjoy themselves while in Primary. Their primary experience sets the tone for their entire Church experience throughout their lives. Yes, they need to learn to behave and pay attention, but a 4 year old has limited ability to do this. A 7 year old has more, but even they are limited.

Make it fun for them and you will have fun too! I found this to be true while I was a nursery leader.

My friend who teaches Sunbeams tells how the kids like to play some game where they hide under the chairs. I don't have the specifics, but the point is, it sounds silly, but so what, they are just kids.

Edited: tenaheff on 5th Jan, 2004 - 10:21pm

Help Primary Lds

Agene wow, thanks for all that information!!!! I really appreciate it, let me ask you a couple more questions.

Okay, then the Sunbeam class is for kids 3 and 4 years old. Because the class I teach is from 4 to 7 then where the 4 years old really go to?. Other question, Felipe is a way more immature for a kid of his age, do we have to take this into consideration when he has to switch classes?.

I haven't got any manuals as yet.

I have no idea.

That sound like great ideas! what I did in my first class so far was take out the kids outside the Church since here is summer time all year long, we have two huge trees that give a beautiful shadow. I taught them a class about nature and the creations of Heavenly Father. Then we sing and play musical instruments that I made, I use bubbles, play a 'who it is' animal game, etc. They love it, but I got really tired . I have like 12 of them and they're very very active.

I am praying for patience (I'm not very good on that, I suppose that's why God thought about me for this calling ).

Tena wrote:

Most Primary teachers in my branch are like that, Trinidad come from a british system of education (very strict with children), I'm trying to make a difference, let's see how it works.

Thanks for all the good wishes and suggestions everyone!!! keep posting! I'm all ears!

Help Primary Lds

AGene may know more than I, but my understanding is anyone 3 as of January 1, goes to Sunbeams. If they turn 4 during the year they are still Sunbeams which is why the class will be made up of 3 and 4 year olds. If they are already 4 by January 1, then they would move up to CTR.

I would enjoy it if Agene or someone else could give the names of the classes for all ages.

For example on January 1 you are 3 = Sunbeam
on January 1 you are 4 = CTR
on January 1 you are 5 = CTR
on January 1 you are 6 =
on January 1 you are 7 =
on January 1 you are 8 =
on January 1 you are 9 =
on January 1 you are 11 =

Thanks.

Lds Primary Help!

Tena, cool! thanks for that information. This means Felipe is a Sunbeam and he will be one until January 2005 (his 4th birthday is on April 4th 2004). I am glad by one hand because like I said before he's too immature for the CTR class, I know we have some 4 years old in our branch, I'm not sure about their birthdays, so I will find out and see what the Primary President says about creating a Sunbeam class. Now, what happened if there is only one child who is a Sunbeam? do they are suppose to have a class for him anyway?.
Thanks again Tena I'm pretty ignorant concerning Primary

Lds Primary Help!

I don't know if they are supposed to or not, but my Ward certainly would. AGene seemed to indicate that he would either stay in Nursery or move up to CTR though. She is in the Primary Presidency so she knows more about all of this than I do. I attend a very large Ward. We are the largest in the Stake so we have enough people to call a teacher even if it was only for just one child. I don't know what it would be like for the kid though. I teach home study seminary for just 2 students. The rest go in the morning. So, a 2 student class is definately not unreasonable. In fact, the primary classes in my ward are generally only 4 or 5 kids each to keep things manageable.

Lds Primary Help! Mormon Doctrine Studies

Okay here it is straight from my Church Handbook of Instructions Book 2 Priesthood and Auxiliary Leaders Section 5 Primary long title for thin book

pg. 235
Children Ages 4 through 7, Children ages 4 through 7 on 1 January attend CTR (Choose The Right) classes as follows:
4-year-olds CTR 5
5-year-olds CTR 6
6-year-olds CTR 7
7-year-olds CTR 8
These children are all taught from the same manual. Classes may be combined if there are few children.

Children 8 through 11., Children 8 through 11 on 1 January attend Valiant classes as follows:
8-year-olds Valiant 9
9-year-olds Valiant 10
10-year-olds Valiant 11
11-year-olds Valiant 12.
These children are all taught from t he same manual. Classes may be combined if there are few children.

Children Age 12, Children advance from Primary when they turn 12. Immediately after their birthday, they begin attending their Aaronic Priesthood quorum meeting or Young Women class during Primary Sharing time. However, during Sunday School they continue to attend the Primary Valiant 12 class until the end of the year.

LDS, the manuals you must have are: Primary 2: Choose the Right A (34484). Your Meetinghouse Library should have one of these, along with the packet of pictures that comes with it. AND Teaching No Greater Call ( 36123) If they don't insist that they order it for you. The cost is to be paid by the Branch/Ward out of their Curriculum Materials. [I am also the Branch Librarian, so I know what is to be in the library as standard fare!] I got this information from: Information for Priesthood and Auxiliary Leaders on Curriculum, 2001 through 2004 (36363)

I will look up the internet site that has the Choose The Right A manual on it. I found it last night and forgot to bookmark it.

Speaking now as I wear my Primary 1st Councilor Hat ~ Your Valiant class should be split into two classes. 12 children is 6 children too many per teacher. Until they get you another Valiant teacher, enlist the older children to help with the younger children. Encourage them ALL to bring their scriptures EVERY Sunday. If some don't have scriptures then have the Primary purchase them for them. When we approached the Branch Presidency about this, they purchased them out of the General Fund instead. We insisted they get the cheapest Trips, and we also bought red pencils and gave each child 1/2 of a pencil to underline scriptures with.

By having their own scriptures and bringing them each Sunday they seemed to be a bit more reverent. Especially when we praised them and encouraged them to treat the book with reverence. Such as: Let's put our Scriptures under our chairs as we stand to sing our Wiggle Song. - Let's hold our Scriptures in our laps as we listen to the Story Sister Nygaard is giving, etc.

If Felipe was in my Primary we would try to have him in a Sunbeam class. If he didn't settle in within a month then we would have him in Nursery for the first hour then in Sharing time. It is important to integrate him into Primary Class and Sharing Time. If we can do it, we try to separate children from their parents if the parent is a teacher in Primary.

The way we figure when to advance the child is: If their birthday is in January then they go up a grade. If their birthday is in the other months they don't go forward until the following Jan. Felipe turned 3 in April of 2003 ~ thus he goes into Sunbeams in Jan 2004.

LDS, if your Meetinghouse Library doesn't have these manuals, you can order them through the Church Distribution Center. The order numbers are in the () brackets. After you pay for them save your receipts and get reimbursed by the Ward.

I don't know about all Branches or Wards, but in mine we have the teachers keep the manuals until they are released from their callings in Primary. So any one teacher can have nearly all of the manuals. Quite often they will use from several manuals on a lesson and by having the manual already it saves them time.

That's how I got called to the Primary! , it is working too!

Aha! I found the link for you that has the entire CTR 2 manual: https://library.lds.org/nxt/gateway.dll/Cur...20right%20a.htm



Edited: AGene on 6th Jan, 2004 - 5:50pm