Using Come, Follow Me—For Primary

Preparing to Teach in Primary

Personal and family study at home should be the center of gospel learning. This is true for you and for the children you teach. As you prepare to teach, start by having your own experiences in the scriptures. Your most important preparation will occur as you search the scriptures and seek the inspiration of the Holy Ghost.

Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families is also an important part of both your personal study and your preparation to teach. It will help you gain a deeper understanding of the doctrinal principles found in the scriptures.

During your preparation, thoughts and impressions will come to you about the children you teach. You will receive insights about how the principles in the scriptures will bless their lives. You will be guided to inspire them to discover those principles as they learn from the scriptures for themselves and with their families.

Teaching Ideas

As you prepare to teach, you might gain additional inspiration by exploring the teaching outlines in this resource. Think of these ideas not as step-by-step instructions but rather as suggestions to spark your own inspiration. You know these children—and you will get to know them even better as you interact with them in class. The Lord knows them too, and He will inspire you with the best ways to teach and bless them.

Many other resources are available for you to use as you prepare, including ideas in Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families and Church magazines. For more information about these and other resources, see “Additional Resources for Teaching Children” in this resource.

Some Things to Keep in Mind

• Each time you meet with the children, consider ways that you can help them feel the love of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and recognize the influence of the Holy Ghost.

• Parents have the main responsibility to teach their children. As a teacher, you have an important responsibility to support, encourage, and build upon gospel learning in the home. Be sensitive to children whose parents do not teach the gospel in their home. Include all children in gospel discussions, regardless of their home circumstances.

• Understanding the teachings in the Old Testament may be easier for children when they know some of the historical context for those teachings. You can find historical context in Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families and Old Testament Stories.

• Repetition is good. Children learn gospel truths more effectively when these truths are taught repeatedly through a variety of activities. If you find that a learning activity is effective for the children, consider repeating it, especially if you are teaching younger children. You might also review an activity from a previous lesson.

• Heavenly Father wants you to succeed as a teacher. He has provided many resources to help you, including teacher council meetings. In these meetings you can counsel with other teachers about challenges you face. You can also discuss and practice principles of Christlike teaching.

• If you are teaching younger children and need additional help, see “Meeting the Needs of Younger Children” in this resource.

• This resource includes outlines for every week of the year. On Sundays when Primary is not held because of general conference, stake conference, or any other reason, families continue reading the Old Testament at home according to the schedule outlined. Don’t worry about the lessons you miss; teach the assigned weekly outline.