Sunday School...the Charlotte Mason Way

I love spending an afternoon with friends. It just lifts my spirits, encourages me, and usually ends up sparking an idea. This past week, my friend and I got together and (among many things) discussed how to do Sunday School...the Charlotte Mason way. I can not take credit for this, my friend had read a blog where this was already discussed.

A quick sidebar: My husband and I are truly blessed to be able to teach some wonderful 3rd and 4th graders. Among their many wonderful qualities, they also posess a strong background in His Word! As we would teach, the children were reciting Scripture references before we could finish our sentences. This told me that our class needed to go deeper than just an introduction to His Word and my husband and I needed to be able to switch gears a little and go deeper.

This week our lesson was on Jesus being the final authority and God's chosen one. The scripture reference was in Luke when Jesus speaks in the synagogue. So, thanks to Google Image search, I found a beautiful portrait of this scene.

We started our lesson with a picture study. The kids got up out of their chairs, and began leaning over each other anxious to get a good look. It was so exciting! The picture study set the stage. I read through the Scriptures and asked the children to narrate small portions. They were so engaged. It was a wonderful beginning to a new way of thinking.

As we progressed through the lesson, I was reminded of a story, King Canute on the Seashore, from Fifty Famous Stories Retold. This would have been a wonderul way to have started the lesson...maybe next time!!