How can you help your Sparkies complete his/her handbook? Here are some suggestions.
1. Understand the purpose of Sparks – and of the Sparks handbooks. Awana handbooks provide a systematic, integrated plan for teaching your child God’s Word. The books are age-appropriate with a proven amount of memory work that is challenging, but not unreachable for most children.
2. Understand that the goal is to complete one handbook a year.
3. Talk to the leaders. How do they do things in your church’s specific Sparks club? Is there a limit to how many sections the child can do each week? Do the leaders make sure clubbers can say all the sections they’ve prepared?
4. Ask your leader if there is some way ( a blog, twitter, fliers, newsletter, etc.) to keep track of whether it is crazy hair night or dress-your-dog night.
5. Visit a club night and see what happens. That will better help you understand what’s going on.
6. Read the Bible biographies with your child. (the CDs have complete pdf files of the biographies to download.)
7. Play (or encourage your child to play) the CDs when your she is going to sleep, in the car, while you’re making dinner. Ask your child questions about the biographies to make sure he understands what’s happening.
8. Read through the Parent Tips and choose to follow through on those which will work for your family.
9. Talk to your child about the timelines shown with each biography. Show them how the Old Testament biographies point to Christ. (No, your Sparkies won’t completely understand, but they’ll get some of it, laying the foundation for future study.)
10. Make verse learning enjoyable (though sometimes it’s simply hard work) by working with your child for five minutes a day, at McDonalds over breakfast each Saturday morning, or during a family night. Make it special. Let your child know how much you care.
11. Ask your leaders/pastor any questions you may have about the verses or biographies that you don’t understand or are having difficulty explaining to your children.
12. Do fun things while teaching your child verses. For instance, write out the verse and then cut the verse apart into words. Put the words in different places around your house and challenge your child to find the words in correct order.
13. Learn the verses with your child.
14. Say the verses together before you pray at supper each night.
15. Pray for your child and that you would have the wisdom to continue to encourage him in learning God’s Word.
