Teaching a Class with Varying Levels of Bible Knowledge

Within the same class, we may have some students with a high level of Bible knowledge and others who are rather biblically illiterate. How do we teach those who don’t know as much without losing the interest of those who do?

Steps to Bible Teaching in a Class with Varying Levels of Knowledge

While teaching a class with students at different ends of the knowledge spectrum can be difficult, it’s not impossible.

1) Rely on the Holy Spirit.

Invest lots of prayer into your situation. Pray as you prepare and then as you present the lesson. Pray for each student. God’s Spirit is the One who needs to be at work to help students, at any level of Bible knowledge, to truly grasp the truth of His Word. Read 1 Corinthians 2:9-16.

2) Know your students.

Start by gaining a basic understanding of your students’ knowledge level. Where do each of your students fall on the spectrum of Bible illiterate to highly knowledgeable? It will help you better know how to structure the lesson. Also, remember that head knowledge is not the most important aspect of teaching. Where are your students’ hearts? Do they truly know the Lord? Are they growing, not just in their knowledge but especially in their walk with the Lord?

3) Identify your lesson goals.

In thinking through your lesson goals, get beyond head knowledge to heart knowledge (love and trust for the Author of the Book) as well as application (obedience and alignment with the Lord). Rather than heading in multiple directions with the passage, try to narrow it down to one big idea. Keep bringing the focus back to that so those who know less go home with at least the main idea and those who are more knowledgeable have something to build on.

4) Plan your approach.

If you teach to reach those without much Bible knowledge, others will undoubtedly get bored and lose interest. Teaching to the higher knowledge level will tend to frustrate those who know little but you can build in discussion and activities to increase their understanding while providing opportunities for others to go even deeper. Here are some ways you can do that:

• Use plenty of visuals and examples to help those who don’t know much of the Bible to better understand.
• Present the overall truth or Bible story to the whole group and then break into small groups, that you strategically assign, to discuss the lesson further. You would use more in-depth questions for those who already know the Word. This would require enough teachers/helpers per class to be able to break into smaller groups.
• Use a variety of learning centers. Some should include activities that take those already knowledgeable to a deeper level. Others should accommodate students with less knowledge to help them better grasp the basics.
• If teaching children, assign an adult helper to come alongside of those who need assistance with understanding.
• Also consider assigning the more Bible literate students as helpers or mentors to come alongside of the more illiterate ones in learning activities. Use them as leaders where possible.

If your curriculum doesn’t already do this, it would involve some extra work but it would be worth it if you truly don’t want to lose either group of students.

5) Foster a healthy/accepting environment.

Affirm all students throughout the lesson, making everyone feel wanted and valued no matter how much they know. Call on students by name to answer questions that most appropriately fit their knowledge level so they are challenged but not embarrassed. Foster an environment within the class wherein students also learn to treat one another with mutual respect.

6) Plan a way to follow up with students.

Follow up lessons with those with greater knowledge by taking them even deeper. Plan ways to provide clarification and review with those who have less biblical knowledge.