As parents and teachers, finding time for learning in the midst of daily routines can feel challenging. However, learning opportunities are all around us!
The goal of the ABCJesusLovesMe Curriculum is to help adults be intentional with the children in their care by incorporating learning into everyday activities. In doing this, you can make learning a natural part of your day. Whether through play, mealtime, chores, or outdoor adventures, there are countless ways to teach character, academic skills, and Biblical truths without adding extra tasks to your schedule.
This page will explore how to make the most of these opportunities, fostering a love for learning while helping to build strong, well-rounded children. Let's dive into the answer to how you can incorporate learning into normal, everyday moments.
"Being intentional" means looking for opportunities throughout the day - during play, daily routines, or reading time -to teach important lessons in character, Biblical truths, and academic skills. It’s not just about completing tasks or checking off learning goals; it's about creating meaningful connections to learning in everyday moments.
Here's an example.
Looking out the window, you see a rainbow in the sky.
Option #1: Say to the child, "Oh look! There is a rainbow. That's pretty."
Option #2: Say so the child, "Henry, God placed a rainbow in the sky." Then talk about the colors in the rainbow, the story of Noah's Ark, the science behind rainbows, or the promises God has made.
By seizing the moment and being intentional, you create a richer learning experience for the child. Instead of letting the moment pass by, you turn it into an opportunity to teach faith, science, and wonder. This approach helps children make meaningful connections between their everyday experiences and deeper truths about the world and God's love.
Each ABCJesusLovesMe Curriculum includes a variety of academic, Bible, and developmental objectives—learning that you want the child to be introduced to and know as their development grows. The Lesson Plans break these objectives into 36 weeks of play-based activities to help the child reach each milestone.
One option for teaching these objectives is through traditional "drill and kill" methods, such as using flashcards. However, play-based learning is the natural way toddlers and preschoolers absorb knowledge. It is essential to pull learning from play to make it more engaging and effective.
When using the Lesson Plan activities, aim to limit seated learning (handwriting, crafts) to 15-30 minutes per day and break up focused activities into small sections throughout the week.
Below are sample objectives from the Lesson Plans, along with real-life situations to help incorporate learning into everyday moments with minimal effort.
Objective |
Incorporate the Learning |
| Color: Red | Wear red, eat red food, look for red items at the grocery store |
| Number: 2 | Count pictures in books, objects around the house, body parts during bath time |
| Book of the Week | Read the book before naptime |
| Song | Sing at a stoplight, during bath time, while waiting for supper to finish |
| Memory Verse | Sing or say while driving or before each meal, discuss verses that apply to everyday life |
| Sorting | Cleaning up toys, sort silverware from the dishwasher |
| Letter Recognition | Talk a walk downtown looking for letters on signs or in the grocery store |
| Spatial Words | Throwing rocks into a pond or creek discussing spatial words |
| Character Traits | Waiting in line at the grocery store or to get a drink |
| Bible Story: Creation | Praise God for the beauty of His creation while playing outside |
Unsure how to teach through play? Read how Rachel wisely divides the learning between morning and afternoon play. Read more...
I am frequently asked, “How do you use multiple ABCJesusLovesMe Curricula at a time?”.
Keeping two or more active children focused for intentional learning can be challenging. But by using daily activities and intentional play-based learning, it isn’t nearly as hard as you might think!
For just 30 minutes a day, Stacy builds a strong foundation of academics, Bible, and development in her toddler and preschooler. Using the 1 and 3 Year Curricula simultaneously, she provides age-appropriate learning for her 1 and 3 year olds in ways that they don’t even realize they are learning.
Discover her daily routine and how Stacy introduced her children to the Week 1 learning objectives from the 1 and 3 Year Curricula. Read more...
A 2nd popular question that I am asked is “How long does it take each day to use an ABCJesusLovesMe Curriculum?”.
If ABCJesusLovesMe Curriculum was a drill-and-kill type method, this would be a valid question. Instead, ABCJesusLovesMe pulls learning from daily activities, hands-on experience, and play with an added dollop of focused, age-appropriate learning. The older the child, the more intentional the learning is.
To give you a glance at what this looks like, I asked a few mommas to share how they are intentional with the various ABCJesusLovesMe Curricula.
Today I invite you to look through the window at how Mary Beth is intentional with Week 1 of the 5 Year Curriculum. Read more...
A 3rd popular question that I am asked is “How do you use ABCJesusLovesMe Curriculum in a preschool?”.
Today I invite you take a peek into Jill’s 3 Year Classroom. Even if you are teaching your child at home, you are going love Jill’s simple ideas for using the 3 Year Curriculum. Read more...
