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 Posted 2/23/2009 4:16:22 PM |
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You can use Group and not mix the age groups. I used Group for the first time last year and did the groups by grade as we do every year. While I see the benefits of it, my VBS is smaller and is attended mostly by the same children each year. They and their parents would have such a fit if they weren't with their friends that I left it as it always has been. Just choosing my battles...
HeatherReligious Education Director from Washington
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| Posted 3/3/2009 3:08:47 PM |
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| (1) How do you deal with an influx of new kids that show up each of the five days and for kids that only show up a couple of days of the week? Example: Monday: small groups broken out evenly; Tuesday: new kids appear; Wednesday: more new kids with a few not there from Tuesday, etc. (1a) Do you try to keep the groups the same each day throughout the week or create new groups each day? (2) In comparison to pre-small groups, are you finding you need more adult volunteers versus using youth to support the "large" groups?
John 20:31
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| Posted 3/3/2009 4:46:10 PM |
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I have taught and/or directed vbs for over 20 years. For the first 15 years, we separated by age (and in some cases, gender). When I came to our current church, I didn't see how the mixed age groups that they had could work. (Which I admit was really short-sighted, considering the fact that I homeschooled my kids and some of their cl were combined.)
Now that I've been in our current Church for 5 years, I would NEVER want to go back to age-separated groups!!
Our vbs serves approximately 250 children. We did put them in two groups, simply to accomodate 3 year olds. We have 3 year olds through kindergarten in one group, and 1st through 5th in the other group. Each group has multiple crews that are mixed age and gender. The groups stay the same all week. It works great. You don't create cliques, and the older kids truly help with the younger ones. We use (responsible and approved) teens, and adults as crew leaders, hand-picked for the crew they will be leading. For instance, we had parents ask if their 2 boys could be in the same crew (we try to allow kids to choose one friend, but if it messes up the mix, we simply explain that we cannot). The boys were known to be troublesome at school, so we assigned my 17 year old son as their leader. John has helped with vbs since Junior High, and he's been a crew leader since 7th grade. When they acted up the first day, he told them that they would be separated the next day if they couldn't behave. That was the end of the problem.
We also have a couple of adults in each rotation of kids, so if the teenage crew leaders have any problems, they can go to an adult. That has helped immensely.
Blessings,
Connie
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| Posted 3/3/2009 5:08:18 PM |
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asiasoon (3/3/2009)
(1) How do you deal with an influx of new kids that show up each of the five days and for kids that only show up a couple of days of the week? Example: Monday: small groups broken out evenly; Tuesday: new kids appear; Wednesday: more new kids with a few not there from Tuesday, etc. (1a) Do you try to keep the groups the same each day throughout the week or create new groups each day? (2) In comparison to pre-small groups, are you finding you need more adult volunteers versus using youth to support the "large" groups? 1. (and 1a) We keep the same crews but only start with about 4 kids per crew. Our crews do sometimes grow larger and some days they shrink a bit. There's really no controlling this completely. The idea is to build a lasting, loving relationship with one another and their crew leader. So you definitely don't want to mix up the kids every day. I usually begin by guessing (with lots of prayer and looking at history!) how many crews I will need. If I have 16 crews of elementary (remember preschoolers are their own world) then I will take any preregistered kids and divide them evenly between those 16 crews. So I might end up with 3/4 kids in each crew. Then walk-ins and friends can be assigned to keep things even. Because crews travel in groups, friends can easily be placed in separate crews but in the same group so they will travel, have snack together, etc. I have moved a kid or two after the first day. Sometimes personalities don't gel, etc. It happens. 2. It really just depends. If your cl run in the 15 child range and have one teacher and two helpers, that's the same number you would need to do the crews. And remember that teens make great crew leaders and lots of folks will help if they know they don't have to teach. It's really amazing how many folks are more willing to be a crew leader, even though I personally think it is a MUCH harder job than station leader! LOL
Pictures taken on vacation at Lake Junaluska, NC.
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| Posted 3/12/2009 9:50:14 AM |
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| My name is Richard Flesher and I am the President of Schools Count Corp. a federal non-profit that aids schools, in different parts of the country, that have been hit by various disasters. Over the past four years we have aided 12,000 students in nearly 35 New Orleans schools. Much remains to be done. I am interested in contacting any church running the 'Crocodile Dock' VBS program in the summer of 2009 to see if you might have an interest in aiding our work in New Orleans during the upcoming school year. I think it would be a great way to tie into your VBS program and give the children hands on work in the bayou area. Hope to hear from you!!
Dick Flesher
Schools Count Corp., NFP
www.schoolscountcorp.org
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| Posted 4/24/2009 12:41:59 PM |
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The first year we used the Group Curriculum, we tried the multi age groups, but it didn't work so well for us. We have a lot of students who come with unchurched friends, and to split them up just didn't seem right. We do have multi-age groups; pre-school, pre-k and K are mixed together, first-third, and fourth-sixth. That fit our needs better, as it enabled more friends to stay together.
Jeni, Palatine, IL
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| Posted 4/30/2009 6:27:56 PM |
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| We don't mix ages at our bible schools... it is better to teach if they are all the same age and on the same level. As a teacher I can not imagine teaching a 6 year old with a 12 year old.
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| Posted 5/24/2009 8:49:07 PM |
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| What do you do if there are not many older kids? It seems like it would be ideal to have one child from each age in a group. But we have always had more 1-3 graders than 4-6. How can we tell a 2nd grade child that her friend can be with her in a crew, but tell the only 4th grader that he is going to be stuck in a group of 1st graders without his friend. We've always tried the mixed age crews, but they always end up lopsided and with too many kids in a group. How can we resolve this? Thanks for your help! Rachel
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| Posted 5/27/2009 7:35:15 AM |
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When we started using group (SCUBA) we followed the mixed age suggestion. It worked and we haven't gone back. To a lot of adult women volunteers there is nothing more scary than a group of 5th grade boys! So now we try to have one of each age in a group of 6 and also try to rotate girl/boy girl/boy. It works so well for us and we really have minimal or no discipline problems. Try it and see how it works for you.
Coleen
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| Posted 6/9/2009 9:28:20 PM |
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I am using the mixed age groups for the first time ever. I have ALWAYS been against it. I thought I would try it this year. Tonight was our 2nd night and so far, so good. I really shouldn't have wondered about it, because I actually use mixed ages in my children's church and it works fine. Last year in Power Lab, we had an overflowing group of 5-6 year olds and only a few 8-9 year olds. I decided then I would try it. I can't believe it is working. There is a large group of volunteers that I work with that have the mentality that new things will not work. They see no reason to change something if it has been working for 40-50 years. I think they are pleasantly surprised, but not sure if they'll admit or not..... 
Sherri in Indiana 
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