Before I jump into today’s teaching tip, I’d like to wish you a safe and happy July 4 holiday today. I am thankful to the men and women of our armed services who have dedicated their lives to protecting our freedom. I am especially grateful to the families of the men and women who have died in the service of their country. For those of us who are from non-military families, we just cannot fully understand the depth of loss you’ve experienced and the sacrifice you have made on our behalf. Thank you!

Advanced Organizers

An advanced organizer is a tool that teachers often use to help group members connect present learning with things they have learned in the past. It serves to link content and concepts so that people can more easily understand and retain information presented by the teacher. Advanced organizers are often most effective when the teaching is done in an expository manner.

What an advanced organizer isn’t:

• Not a review of the last lesson
• Not a structure for the current lesson

Why use an advanced organizer?

1. To direct group member’s attention to the current Bible study
2. To highlight relationships among the ideas that will be presented
3. To remind group members of the information they previously learned and how it links to the current study

How to use an advanced organizer in your Bible study group

• Introduce the main idea or ideas that you will cover in the current lesson (tell them what you are going to tell them)
• Connect the current lesson to the most recent one the group has completed (tell them what you’ve told them)
• Teach the current lesson, and review the new information group members learned (tell them what you told them)