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Trix are for kids, but VBS?
Key ingredients of a successful Vacation Bible School include excited children, boundless energy, Bible stories, snacks, crafts, and volunteers. Could one more ounce of significance get squeezed into a week already dedicated to
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Adlin Cotto
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the lofty goal of introducing kids to the gospel of Christ? Yes! Southwayside Baptist Church of Fort Worth invites adult ESL students to join the children. ESL teacher Adlin Cotto came up with the idea four years ago.
"I advertise a whole week of English," she said. "An intensive week of English."
Adlin decorates her classroom according to the VBS theme and uses the VBS curriculum to prepare her week's lessons. She said the LifeWay materials her church uses include ice-breaker videos with little or no dialog but with words to read on the screen. She shows the videos, pausing along the way to let the adults read the text and discuss the action. "I just milk it," Adlin said.
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Combining VBS materials with the adult ESL curriculum she uses throughout the year results in a week of vocabulary and spelling, Bible stories, reading comprehension, grammar, snacks, and crafts for Adlin's students. "It's English-oriented with a very strong Biblical emphasis," she said.
This year, for the first time, Adlin's students participated in each day's opening worship rally with the children. She had hesitated in year's past out of respect for her students' backgrounds and any possible negative perceptions they might have of kids excited and jumping in the sanctuary. But a five-minute debrief in the classroom each day, with questions and discussion about what they had seen and learned, showed it to be a valuable part of the VBS experience.
We're excited about Adlin's concept of ESL VBS and can imagine the impact it makes on her adult students. She'll share some of the dos and don'ts she has learned along the way in the near future.
"It's working really well," Adlin said. "I'm so elated!"
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Training Opportunities . . .
TEX:
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National Literacy Missions Partnership:
On Thursday, July 28, the Tarrant Literacy Coalition will host English 4 Everyone, a full day of training for teachers and volunteers who work with English Language Learners.
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Lester Meriwether, Executive Director
Offices at Henderson Hall - Agape Baptist Church
3954 Southwest Blvd., Fort Worth, TX 76116
Mailing/shipping address:
3020 S. Cherry Lane, #123168
Fort Worth, TX 76121
817-696-9898 www.literacyconnexus.org
 
Pam Moore, Editor
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