December 28–January 3

Heavenly Father Wants Me to Learn and Progress

Preparing to Teach in Primary

Begin your preparation to teach by reading 2 Nephi 25:26; 28:30; Alma 5:45–46; and 3 Nephi 14:7–8 before studying any supplemental material. Prepare your teaching plan, and record your thoughts and impressions. You might also use some of the ideas on the next page or in Come, Follow Me for individuals and families.

Encourage Sharing

• How can you encourage the children to share the feelings and experiences they had as they studied these scriptures individually and with their families? How can you also involve children who may not have read in advance?

Teach the Doctrine

• As you teach the doctrine found in this week’s scriptures, what verses, quotations, experiences, questions, and other resources might you share with the children? How might you use these resources to help children learn gospel principles? How can you encourage children to act on the truths they learn in class?

Encourage Sharing and Learning at Home

• What can the children share at home with their families? How can you encourage them to continue to learn about the Book of Mormon at home?

My Teaching Plan

Improving Our Teaching

Seek your own inspiration.

Don’t view these outlines as instructions that you must follow as you teach. Rather, use them as a source of ideas and to spark your own inspiration as you ponder the needs of the children you teach.

Additional Ideas

Use one or more of the activities below to help children recognize how to learn for themselves. You may also use your own activities to teach other truths that you find in the scriptures.

2 Nephi 25:26. The scriptures help me learn about Jesus Christ.

• As you prepare to teach, read 2 Nephi 25:26, and consider ways you can help the children learn more about Jesus’s love for them. How can you inspire them to learn about Him from the scriptures? Perhaps you could share a story (see Neil L. Andersen, “Tell Me the Stories of Jesus,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2010, 108–12), sing a song (see the topics index in Children’s Songbook), or show a video (see biblevideos.lds.org). As you do these things, what does the Spirit inspire you and the children to do to learn more about Jesus Christ?

Alma 5:45–46. I need to learn for myself.

• Most children are already having experiences learning. What can they share about the things they are learning in school or at home? What did the children have to do to understand or become good at the things their teachers and parents taught them? Did they ever have to spend time on their own to study or practice these things?

Just as there are things they need to do in order to learn at school or home, there are also things they need to do in order to gain knowledge about the gospel and a strong testimony. What do children learn about how Alma gained his own testimony as they read Alma 5:45–46? (for younger children, explain these verses in your own words). What goals can children set to learn about the gospel for themselves this week?

3 Nephi 14:7–8. I can learn as I ask, seek, and knock.

• Because children are dependent on parents to meet many of their needs, they have a unique perspective on 3 Nephi 14:7–11—they often have to ask for things and trust that they will receive. How can you use their experiences to help them understand what ask, seek, and knock mean in a gospel sense? For example, you could bring objects to class that help us find things we are looking for—perhaps binoculars, a map, eyeglasses, or a GPS device. What tools has Heavenly Father given us to help us find answers we are seeking for? How can the children use these tools in their own search for truth?

Sharing Time

Singing Time

Help the children learn the gospel through music.

• Children could sing “Shine On” or “The Wise Man and the Foolish Man” (Children’s Songbook, 144 and 281).

Sharing by Children

Create opportunities for children to share how they are learning and living the gospel.

• Children could act out things they are doing at home to learn the gospel while others guess. You could also invite them to choose a picture of Jesus and share something they learn about Him from the picture. You could also encourage them to share ways they are trying to be like Jesus.