I am really excited about a new sponsor of samluce.com it’s a product produced by Lifeway called Flyte. It’s a curriculum created specifically to address the needs of kids in 5th and 6th grade.
One of the biggest opportunities for curriculum companies is to produce a quality pre-teen curriculum. Lifeway has done that looking over what they have come up with I am impressed. I remember a while back looking for curriculum that addressed the unique challenges of kids this age. I remember literally finding nothing out there. What we ended up doing was adapting XP3 I wrote about what we did here: How we use XP3 for our 5th and 6th graders. I am so glad we made the change. Our 5th and 6th graders are way more connected to the lesson and get way more out of what is being taught. I could be happier.
If you are looking for something that will really challenge your 5th and 6th graders, and I would encourage you to do so. Look into XP3 or Flyte.
If you want more info about Flyte read all about it and see some sample stuff on Lifeway’s blog.
Here is a promo video the folks over at Flyte made. It’s very well done.
FLYTE Promo from LifeWay Kids on Vimeo.
We have just started using XP3 for our preteens and I thank YOU for your post a while back. It was the catalyst for me to finally make that jump and switch over…….I just got information about FLYTE and am excited about this opportunity as well. It seems like it might be a long-awaited GOOD option for preteen curriculum. Thank you for sharing!
Glad to help. Hope it works for your kiddos. Let me know if I can help in any way.
We have just started using XP3 for our preteens and I thank YOU for your post a while back. It was the catalyst for me to finally make that jump and switch over…….I just got information about FLYTE and am excited about this opportunity as well. It seems like it might be a long-awaited GOOD option for preteen curriculum. Thank you for sharing!
Glad to help. Hope it works for your kiddos. Let me know if I can help in any way.
good stuff my friend! Needing something like this!
good stuff my friend! Needing something like this!
Just wondering if you're still using FLYTE and how it's going. We're thinking of a switch.
Lindsey @ GrowingKidsMinistry.com
Just wondering if you’re still using FLYTE and how it’s going. We’re thinking of a switch.
Lindsey @ GrowingKidsMinistry.com
Hi,
The church I attend adopted this FLYTE curriculum for their 5th grade curriculum this year before really passing it by the parents. Parents are being caught off guard by the tone and titling of units and weekly studies. Some parents are dismayed that this is not Bible intensive. Some are surprised at how dumbed down and silly (and even creepily disturbing) the media is. Some parents are concerned that individual children (age 10) are not even showing signs of being concerned or ready to topple some of these issues. . . seeds of insecurity are being sown as emphasis is placed on various issues that may not plague or ever even plague a child. When our children come to spiritually feast on Sunday mornings, this is what is placed in front of them. . . Can't we do better than this? Why do we expect so little in the way of meat but so much in the way of fluff?
I'm not impressed with the curriculum. I'm also disappointed that it's being presented during Sunday School hour instead of as a parent/child option for a Wednesday night or Sunday night class. Parents could decide (not the church) whether their individual children were ready while offering the parents an chance to be in the classroom ready to answer questions and getting to know the hearts of their children if this were offered any other time as an option. As it stands at our church, they are currently offering no other options for children who aren't participating in the class.
If you do provide this as a curriculum at your church (where, yes, it may work and be exciting for some already immersed in cultural trends, looks, stylings, entertainment, etc.), consult the parents first. Give them options.
Furthermore, I question the pushing of "preteen" on children at the age of 10. "Preteen" as well as "teenager" or "tweenager" are American socio-economic constructs meant more for marketing. I personally don't want my child to self-identify with a "peer group". Pushing a child into identifying with a "peer group" may backfire on parental influence and authority. . . sooner or later, your child may identify way more with his peers than he does with you. It increases that tone of "you don't understand because you aren't my age". This is dangerous culturally influenced labelling that isn't biblical.
While I can tell the creators of the material were well-intentioned, I do not think this is for every congregation or even every 5th grader in a congregation. The material doesn't encourage maturity spiritually or emotionally. Even looking at the FLYTE blog entries written by adults, I get the feeling some of them have attempted to tap their inner juvenile to really connect with "preteens". It comes across creepy, lame and even immature. Again, I'm a tough critic, but having been in Baptist churches my whole life, I can honestly say, church is increasingly adopting the ways of the world and dumbing things down.
Mama,
Thanks for your comments and for sharing your point of view. I would disagree with your last statement how the church is adopting the ways of the world, I think that the church is far to slow in adapting and changing how we communicate the unchangeable truth of God's word. We confuse the message with methods. Methods must always change and must always be cutting edge our message is timeless and should never change. The gospel is the gospel but we get married to our methods and programs that we use to deliver that truth and as a result we make our message irrelevant.
Thanks again for taking the time to comment.
Hi,
The church I attend adopted this FLYTE curriculum for their 5th grade curriculum this year before really passing it by the parents. Parents are being caught off guard by the tone and titling of units and weekly studies. Some parents are dismayed that this is not Bible intensive. Some are surprised at how dumbed down and silly (and even creepily disturbing) the media is. Some parents are concerned that individual children (age 10) are not even showing signs of being concerned or ready to topple some of these issues. . . seeds of insecurity are being sown as emphasis is placed on various issues that may not plague or ever even plague a child. When our children come to spiritually feast on Sunday mornings, this is what is placed in front of them. . . Can’t we do better than this? Why do we expect so little in the way of meat but so much in the way of fluff?
I’m not impressed with the curriculum. I’m also disappointed that it’s being presented during Sunday School hour instead of as a parent/child option for a Wednesday night or Sunday night class. Parents could decide (not the church) whether their individual children were ready while offering the parents an chance to be in the classroom ready to answer questions and getting to know the hearts of their children if this were offered any other time as an option. As it stands at our church, they are currently offering no other options for children who aren’t participating in the class.
If you do provide this as a curriculum at your church (where, yes, it may work and be exciting for some already immersed in cultural trends, looks, stylings, entertainment, etc.), consult the parents first. Give them options.
Furthermore, I question the pushing of “preteen” on children at the age of 10. “Preteen” as well as “teenager” or “tweenager” are American socio-economic constructs meant more for marketing. I personally don’t want my child to self-identify with a “peer group”. Pushing a child into identifying with a “peer group” may backfire on parental influence and authority. . . sooner or later, your child may identify way more with his peers than he does with you. It increases that tone of “you don’t understand because you aren’t my age”. This is dangerous culturally influenced labelling that isn’t biblical.
While I can tell the creators of the material were well-intentioned, I do not think this is for every congregation or even every 5th grader in a congregation. The material doesn’t encourage maturity spiritually or emotionally. Even looking at the FLYTE blog entries written by adults, I get the feeling some of them have attempted to tap their inner juvenile to really connect with “preteens”. It comes across creepy, lame and even immature. Again, I’m a tough critic, but having been in Baptist churches my whole life, I can honestly say, church is increasingly adopting the ways of the world and dumbing things down.
Mama,
Thanks for your comments and for sharing your point of view. I would disagree with your last statement how the church is adopting the ways of the world, I think that the church is far to slow in adapting and changing how we communicate the unchangeable truth of God's word. We confuse the message with methods. Methods must always change and must always be cutting edge our message is timeless and should never change. The gospel is the gospel but we get married to our methods and programs that we use to deliver that truth and as a result we make our message irrelevant.
Thanks again for taking the time to comment.