Using Card Materials - A Tutorial!

Last Sunday, I asked two sisters to help me demonstrate how to use the three part card materials I've made for children to explore during worship at Christ Church. Summer time is great time to discover them, nestled in a basket in the children's resources area of the Narthex. There are three packets of cards - The Altar, The Church, and People in Worship. We want to be sure to keep the packets separate so only use one pack at a time.

These card packets are similar to others we do in atrium, but I made them using photos of our Church so that they would help the children to be more aware of the space around us and tune in to our worship. Children who can read can use these card packs independently, with a little instruction from a parent. Children who are not yet reading can work with the photos and labels with a minimal amount of help from an adult or an older sibling.

Each pack includes three types of cards - photo cards, label cards, and definition cards. Start by having  the child separate the three types of cards into piles. Next ask the child to lay the photo cards out into a line across the pew.

If the child is a reader, he or she can then pick up the label cards and begin to match them one at a time to the photos. For non readers, hold the pile of labels and hand them one at a time to the child to match. As you give the label to the child quietly whisper the word in his or her ear. Don't worry if the child doesn't make a correct match. Continue through all of the label cards until they are all matched.

If the child is a reader, he or she might like to read each definition card and match it to it's photo as well. After all the matches have been made, encourage the child to turn the cards over and look at the numbers on each card. For a correct set, the photo, label and definition card will all be marked with the same number.

If there are any errors the child can examine the cards again and make corrections. At some point in the process, encourage your child to look around the Church to find the object or leader pictured in the photo card.

Be sure to have your child return all of the cards to the packet and place the packet back in the basket in the Narthex so that they are ready for the next child who would like to use them.

The children can repeat this process as often as they like, and we know that young children often enjoy repetition! Older children might like to copy or draw cards for themselves.

I hope you've enjoyed this little tutorial and will give the three part cards a try when you are next in worship with your child! Thank you so much to the intelligent,lovely girls who helped me introduce this work to you!