An Overview
This perpetual 2 years curriculum takes a holistic approach to teaching children and is also suitable for children and adults with an intellectual disability. Each unit has activities designed to enhance spiritual, intellectual and emotional growth. The program explains ways to adopt lessons as the students capabilities progress over time.
Each of the 20 unites centres around a Bible story and has resources for making a class story book, visual aids, games, activity sheets and more. The lesson also provide opportunities for singing, play acting, performance, puppets and other activities to enhance skill development in children without disability as well as those with special needs.
The program consists of 5 teachers books with corresponding activity sheet packs and a CD of songs. These materials can be used to teach hundreds of different lessons.
The program is suitable for pre-schoolers and all children up to 8 years, children and adults with intellectual disabilities, children with English as a second language and also for missionary resources.
Turtledoves Teachers’ Handbook – Book 1
A highly detailed instruction manual for beginner or experienced teachers. Every aspect of starting and implementing a children’s or special needs ministry is covered. The handbook brings together years of personal experience as well as wisdom gleaned from many different sources. Along with each lesson, the author is there to guide you through every step of the journey from Genesis to Revelation. The handbook explains how resources can be hand picked and adapted to your group. This will initially require some preparation as the visual aids are suppled as A4 black and white reproducible sheets. But the ways of adapting the sheets is limitless and the simplicity of the lessons themselves make it easy for everyone to enjoy.
This Turtledoves handbook should be read thoroughly prior to teaching this program. It contains lots of photos and illustration to inspire and instruct as well as an outline for a 45 minute musical that can be staged using the Turtledove material!
Turtledoves Pack – Book 2
Contains detailed lesson plans and a reproducible activity sheet pack to make class story books, student worksheets, visual aids, games and more.
Unit 1 – Creation – God Made The World
Unit 2 – Adam and Eve are Naughty
Unit 3 – Noah Makes a Big Boat
Unit 4 – Jacob Runs Away
unit 5 – The Story of Joseph
These units introduce the student to God as the Creator and the Bible as His Book. Sin, disobedience and forgiveness are explained in a simple and personal way. Intellectual learning includes, counting, colour recognition, matching objects, clothes and understanding opposites. Emotions such as happy, sad and scared are explored.
Turtledoves Pack – Book 3
Contains detailed lesson plans and a reproducible activity sheet pack to make class story books, student worksheets, visual aids, games and more.
Unit 6 – The First Christmas
Unit 7 – Jesus Grow Up
Unit 8 – Easter
Unit 9 – Jesus Said “Follow Me”
Unit 10 – Jesus and The Man Who Could Not Walk
These units introduce Jesus as both God and man come to earth as our Saviour. Intellectual learning includes the concept of families, life in Bible time/now days, the 7 days of the week and friendship. Extra activities for Christmas and Easter are included with ideas for presents and cards to make and give as well as some great performance ideas.
Turtledoves Pack – Book 4
Contains detailed lesson plans and a reproducible activity sheet pack to make class story books, student worksheets, visual aids, games and more.
Unit 11 – Part 1, Baby Moses, Part 2, Moses and The Bad King
Unit 12 – Part 3, Moses and The Red Sea, Part 4, Moses and the People
Unit 13 – Joshua and The Promised Land
Unit 14 – God looks after David
Unit 15 – Jonah Learns to Obey
These units help the student to develop a personal walk with God with a response of obedience and trust. His love and care for each of us is emphasized. Intellectual learning includes recognizing different textures, the meaning of ‘choices’ and ‘promises’ sequences and caring for each other and animals. The concept of empathy is introduced as students begin to identify how other people are feeling.
Turtledoves Pack – Book 5
Contains detailed lesson plans and a reproducible activity sheet pack to make class story books, student worksheets, visual aids, games and more.
Unit 16 – Jesus Stops a Storm
Unit 17 – Jesus Feeds the Hungry People
Unit 18 – Zacchaeus Meets Jesus
Unit 19 – Jesus Tells a Story: ‘The good Helper’
Unit 20 – Jesus Tells a Story: ‘The King’s Party’
These units help the students develop their trust in God and learn how to become a friend and a servant of God. Intellectual learning includes different types of weather, the concept of ‘good manners’ and how to be a ‘good helper’.
The Voice Of The Turtledove CD
A double CD containing 30 songs and a bonus 6 backing tracks.
Enjoy a musical journey through the Bible, from creation to eternity with Jesus. These professionally produced songs of praise, worship and performance are for children up to about 8 years old and people with intellectual disability of all ages.
It is great for teaching and also for just singing or listening. These songs are fresh, lively, instructive and fun! Highlights include the ‘Turtledoves Lord’s Prayer’ and ‘Jesus my Shepherd King’ a simple rendition of Psalm 23. ‘Little Zacchaeus’ and ‘Go Jonah’ are also hugely popular.
These CD’s can be used as a stand lone product without using the Turtledoves program.
The Voice of The Turtledoves – Lord’s Prayer Colouring Book
This soft cover A4 size colouring book is suitable for anyone who loves colouring of any age! Each of the 12 pages features a Bible Story picture and a phrase from the Turtledoves version of the Lord’s Prayer. The colouring books can also be used as an ‘illustrated song book’ when singing the song. Words and melody line are included.
The Turtledoves – Lord’s Prayer Teaching Supplement
Each line of this simple version of the Lord’s Prayer is explored over 2 lessons. It helps students take a closer look at the bible stories and what we are saying to God when we pray this prayer. The teaching supplement contains 6 pages of lesson outlines and 11 additional reproducible activity sheets. As the supplement can be used for 22 weekly lessons (5 months work!), it is very cost effective.
Of course these are suggestions but no in-depth instructions are given on how to present the 11 Bible stories. However they are all well known stories that are also all featured in the main Turtledoves Teaching Program. The additional activity sheets can be enjoyed by students who are pre-literate as well as those that read and write.
Recommended age group: 4 – 12 years (This supplement is not suitable for early pre-schoolers or people with severe intellectual disability.)