Melenie Posted June 8, 2009 Share Posted June 8, 2009 From the website it looks great, but please run me through a class. DD will be in K this year and we did CC last year. She loved it, but it is just too expensive and the work is too much when I want to focus on the 3 R's this year. It is important to me that she gets the regular weekly interaction from peers and adults, biblical values and bible memorization, I also want her to have the opportunity to speak in front of people and get comfortable voicing her opinions and thoughts. In your opinion would Awana be a good fit for what I need? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katemary63 Posted June 8, 2009 Share Posted June 8, 2009 Awanas is wonderful. Class is 1 1/2 hours w/ three sections. Book time, game time and devotion time. Devotion is all together with a speaker. Game time is by age group, Cubbies, Sparkies or TNT and Book time is broken up into classes of about 10 or so where the kids say their verses and practice. You memorize a scripture or two each week according to the books which are very self explanatory. My DD does Awanas memorization daily as part of her Bible. It only takes about 3 minutes / day. She likes to pass more then one section each week and has no problem doing so. She loves it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyJoy Posted June 8, 2009 Share Posted June 8, 2009 Depending on the church, devotion time may be separated by age too--the two churches in which I taught AWANA were. As a kindergartener, she would be in the Sparks club with K-2nd grade. There is one main book for each year, but those who are quick memorizers can do the whole book twice, do review sections at the end, and do a separate review workbook after that. There is an extra patch & pin earned for doing more. I always loved leading Sparks and think it is a great program. A typical night might include: 1. Opening ceremonies with all ages (flag/Bible pledges, announcements) 2. Book time (Sparks recite sections they've learned) 3. Game time (most games are played relay-style with 4 teams) 4. Council time (singing, Bible message, jewels given out (for completing sections of the book) It is generally a very fast-paced 90 minutes. Throughout the year there may be opportunities to compete in related outside activities. The two big ones are the AWANA Grand Prix (pine wood derby) and AWANA Games (game time vs. other churches with ribbons for 1st-4th place on each circle) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommyto3 Posted June 8, 2009 Share Posted June 8, 2009 My 3 just completed their first year in Awana. I had 2 Sparks and 1 cubbie. :D They absolutely loved it and so did I. The amount of Bible memorization they do is amazing. I definitely recommend it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fivetails Posted June 8, 2009 Share Posted June 8, 2009 Our dc joined AWANA this Spring and they both loved it :) ...they didn't get to go for that long, because it was near the end of the year plus we had a trip away, missing two classes, but for what they did get to attend, they had lots of fun. Ds10 was with the Sparks and dd12 was one of the only two T&T kids (the older group).. lots of games, songs, scripture memorization, stuff like that. Definitely going back next year! :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G5052 Posted June 8, 2009 Share Posted June 8, 2009 I was an Awana leader for ten years at two different churches, and then a Commander came in that focused on the fun and didn't expect much of the kids at all. And guess what? They didn't do much. My son was the only boy in T-and-T that finished his book, and it was a battle to make sure each week that someone listened to his verses, and it got so bad that the Director finally told me to listen to his verses at home if he came prepared and no one got around to listening. From what I hear, that particular group is still the same way. It's a lovely program though, and I truly miss being a leader and doing it at home with my children. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leighton Academy Posted June 8, 2009 Share Posted June 8, 2009 My sons love AWANA also! We use the book for our memorization at home. The program here is usally 2 hours long but the boys always have a great time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JVA Posted June 8, 2009 Share Posted June 8, 2009 We've done AWANA for 8 years and love it. The advice and experience shared here is very good. Leadership DOES make ALL the difference- I can't imagine a commander making it more about fun than the memorization, though! Wow! Hope she's the only one like that! One point to remember- it is about memorization. There is a bible story told each week, but it is up to the parents to help their child understand what the verses MEAN. The leaders just don't have the time to do that much in the classroom so, it's best if you know that ahead of time. I hope you and your family can participate. Call around or check out the AWANA message boards to ask about the local programs near you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mktkcb Posted June 8, 2009 Share Posted June 8, 2009 Another positive vote here. With the caveat that clubs will vary in level of organization. A well run AWANA club is a wonderful thing to be a part of. My oldest is graduating this year, and recently got her citation award, the highest one you can get, for completing all the books through high school. She loved AWANA, did AWANA games, and bible quizzing, even went to camp a few different years. I would think Sparks club would be a fun thing for your dd. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FriedClams Posted June 8, 2009 Share Posted June 8, 2009 Leadership DOES make ALL the difference :iagree: We LOVE Awana - but only after switching groups. Before it was good - now it's awesome. If your first group isn't great - keep looking. It's awesome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tess in the Burbs Posted June 8, 2009 Share Posted June 8, 2009 We have done it two years now. I swore we wouldn't do the second, lol. And it looks like it will be an activity in the fall :-) They have different levels by age. You have three time frames(book time, devotion time, game time). Although our group this year struggled to get book time done and it was a big deal to a lot of parents. You have to work with your child to memorize scriptures. You do that at home all week. I know every club is different but ours is LOUD and CHAOTIC most weeks. It runs later than I would like. I have issues with the group at times. But my kids love it, they learn lots of scripture, and they are witnessing about Jesus consistently, so we keep coming back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PineFarmMom Posted June 8, 2009 Share Posted June 8, 2009 LOVE IT!! My son's dedication to scripture memory and the Lord have increased incredibly because of this program. The precious church that provides it is part of the mix. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melenie Posted June 8, 2009 Author Share Posted June 8, 2009 Thank you for all the replies, it looks like she would love it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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