Using Come, Follow Me for Primary

The home should be the center of gospel learning. One the of greatest and most lasting gifts you can give the children you teach is to help them learn from the scriptures individually and with their families.

This book is designed to help you create experiences in Primary classes and sharing time that support, build upon, and encourage meaningful gospel learning outside of Primary.

The best way to prepare to teach from the scriptures is to have your own experiences with studying the scriptures—individually and with your family—just as you encourage your class members to learn from the scriptures during the week.

Each lesson outline includes the following three sections:

1. My Teaching Plan

Before exploring the teaching ideas in the lesson outline, you should spend some time seeking inspiration from the Spirit to know which principles to emphasize from the assigned scripture chapters and how to teach those principles. This section invites you to follow this pattern as you make your plan:

• Encourage sharing. For the first few minutes of class, invite children to share any insights and experiences they had as they studied the scriptures that week individually and with their families. You might also review what the children learned last week and ask how it has influenced their lives. Keep in mind the family situation of each child, and take care not to make a child feel embarrassed if his or her family is not reading the scriptures together.

• Teach the doctrine. Focus on doctrinal principles that you find in the assigned scripture chapters. Look for creative ways to help the children understand the events of the scriptures and the principles they teach. How can the scriptures help them understand gospel principles? What additional resources could help them be excited about the truths they are learning? What questions might you ask that will help them live the principles?

• Learn and share at home. One objective of teaching children is to find ways for them to share at home what they are learning in Primary. As children share what they are learning, their testimonies are strengthened and their faith increases.

2. Additional Ideas

After you have made your plan, you might explore the additional ideas, as needed, to supplement your own ideas. Additional ideas include the following:

• Scripture references and doctrinal principles.

• Activities to engage children in learning.

• Ideas for improving teaching.

3. Sharing Time

Singing Time. During singing time, Primary music leaders help children learn the gospel of Jesus Christ through music. As they do so, they teach and testify of the truths found in each song. To engage children, they can share scriptures, quotations, and examples that illustrate the truths they sing about.

Sharing by Children. Rather than presenting a lesson during sharing time, a member of the Primary presidency encourages children to share experiences they have had as they studied the gospel during the week—whether by themselves, in Primary, or with their families. These sharing opportunities may be unstructured, or they may be planned. For example, before sharing time you could invite the children in one class to share a scripture they have read recently at home or at church.