WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT? Jesus is our example. He used a variety of teaching methods on purpose. Message and context make a lot of difference.
The same is true today. Group members learn in a variety of ways. When we use teaching methods that address their preferred learning styles, their attention and retention increase. Both are essential for us to be effective in “teaching them to obey” (Matthew 28:20). In addition, some methods just naturally communicate the truth of God’s Word best.
WHAT DO I DO? Allow me to share some practical steps out of my experience:
- Discover your own learning styles by taking an inventory. Here are three samples: Learning Style Inventory, Got Style, and Learning Style Inventory.
- Allow class time for your group to take an inventory. (Print one.)
- After class, look through the results. Identify the top 2 learning style preferences for each person. Expect a lot of variety. Compare their styles with yours.
- Prepare to add one new method (which address their learning styles) to your normal routine.
- To choose wisely, consider which method best communicates the truth of God’s Word to learners with their preferred learning styles. (Good curriculum will offer many choices of methods.)
- Plan to use the “new” method in small doses (maybe 5 minutes) each week for a month to watch for response and build acceptance.
- Then try a “new” method the next month and two new methods in the third month. Increase amount of time for methods receiving the most positive response.
