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Preschool Curriculum

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Story Time

Watch the small groups in the room separate to participate in Story Time with their individual leaders. Learn door skills you’ll need when parents come to pick-up and check-out their kids.
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It’s almost time for the kids to go, but the most important part of the hour is yet to come: Story Time!

Lead small.

It’s worth saying again: Story Time is the most important part of the hour! Here’s why.
Kids feel known. Make sure your kids know your name, and they know yours. Knowing names is a sign of a deeper friendship with a kid. It means a lot to them, and to their parents, when they can refer to you by name instead of calling you by a title like “Ms. Teacher” or “Mr. Leader.”
Kids can talk. It may take the whole hour for a kid to be comfortable enough to say things like, “My Gi-Gi broke her leg, and I’m sad she can’t go on walks with me now,” or, “My Mommy and Daddy don’t live together anymore,” or, “My doggy ran away and we can’t find her anywhere!” Don’t shut it down. Encourage discussion. Kids want to talk with you because they trust you.
Lesson review is secondary. Story Time is a fantastic time to follow the Small Group Leader Guide and review what kids have learned, but more importantly it’s a chance to reinforce the friendships you’re building with each kid. A kid with good, loving relationships at church is more likely to trust they can have a good, loving relationship with God.

Pick-Up time.

Not every leader is at the door for Pick-Up, but every leader can help it run well!
Door skills:
Greet each parent who comes to your door with a genuine smile and positive attitude.
Keep it more personal by memorizing which parents match each kid so you don’t have to ask who they need to check-out.
Call gently for each kid, walking to their small group to retrieve them if necessary. Avoid yelling out or barking names severely.
Say something positive and specific about each child to their parents, and tell them their kid’s small group leader’s name. Example: “Tyler and I had a great chat about how he’s going to clean up his Legos this week! He did a great job in Mr. Jay’s small group today!”
If a kid had a rough day, don’t use Pick-Up to hash it out. Ask your LifeKids staff member for the best strategy to partner with parents to resolve difficult behaviors.
Always double and triple-check each kid’s name tag with their parent’s check-out code.
Small group support:
Send kids to the door as quickly as possible when you hear their name.
Keep an eye on the door leader’s small group so they don’t have to leave pick-up duty.

A final note: Use every second of Story Time to get to know the kids in your small group, then reinforce what you’ve learned together. You can train student leaders to be fantastic at leading a small group every week. They can become a precious mentor to the children in your room, too!
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