Selecting Resources

We have discussed this a bit, but it is an important enough topic to go into further. Perhaps the greatest factor in what you choose for curriculum (for the small church school) is how easily it can be converted into lessons which can be used by your teachers for the children you have- where you may have three or four (or more) grades in one class. Don’t be fooled, however, it will still be work on someone's part, preferably the church school director, who sees the bigger picture.

Secondly, how does the curriculum fit into your 3 or 5 year plan. If it doesn’t, think again. While studying comparative religions may be interesting and fun, we shouldn’t do this instead of using material that will actually cover the basics of Bible, church history, sacraments, the Saints, etc. Another factor is whether it is something that can be converted into two or more levels, so that the whole church school is dealing with the same general topic at once, making it easier to do projects and programs.

Also, look at the time you estimate it would take to present the lessons of the curriculum. There is a big difference if you only have a half hour, as compared to an hour-and-a-half (personally, I feel 45 minutes is an absolute minimum). Be sure what you select will actually fill up your scheduled time- if it doesn’t, and you still want to use it, be prepared to spend a lot of time creating worksheets and study questions. You may not wish to, or be able to do this. Likewise, be sure you will have enough time to complete the lessons, given your schedule. Lessons often give an indication of how long they will normally take to teach.

Lastly, obviously, a big factor is what is available. Can you get other copies, or must you spend a fortune in zeroxing. Are the books still being printed so that you can order more, if needed. What is available for free, and what must be paid for. Keep in mind also, that if you get curriculum which is not consumable, it can be used year after year, thereby saving money down the road. All of these factors are something to consider seriously when selecting what your teachers will use. Above all however, make what you choose user-friendly- both for the teacher and the student!