Learning Strategies for Early Childhood
(Birth—Age 6)
The most obvious characteristic of young children is that, if they are awake, they are probably moving. Effective teachers of young children who respect the Creator’s plan of maturation will provide many opportunities for purposeful movement, keeping "sit still and be quiet" times to a minimum.
The church that sets a goal of teaching God’s Word in such a way that people will apply its truths in daily living finds that a good program for young children provides many opportunities to put learning into practice right on the spot. More than just talking about applying truth, the activity based early childhood classroom is filled with "teachable moments" when children are actually living out what they learn from Bible verses, stories, and songs.
Teaching and Learning Strategies for Early Childhood
Using the following grading system, rate your present and planned teaching efforts for young children by writing the appropriate letter in front of the numeral for each statement. Write additional ideas in the spaces provided.
E= Excellent
S= Satisfactorily Doing Now
I= Improvement Needed
N= Need to Start
Set Meaningful Learning Objectives
- Our curriculum resources effectively aid teachers in planning and leading clearly focused sessions that help children understand biblical truth and apply it in daily living. The content of the sessions is appropriate for young children’s comprehension levels.
- Session objectives are stated so that teachers can evaluate whether or not the children accomplish the desired learning. Thus, objectives describe what children will do or say to demonstrate what they have learned, rather than the objectives describing what teachers will do.
- All components (activities, music, Bible story, verse, etc.) of each session are planned to contribute to the accomplishment of the learning aim.
Make Effective Use of Time
- Teachers involve children productively as soon as they arrive. For example, they provide a choice of two or more active learning experiences in which children may participate.
- Teachers follow a schedule that provides the security of familiar patterns while allowing flexibility and variety. The schedule enables young children to start with first-hand, active learning experiences that prepare them for the presentation of the Bible story. A sample schedule is on the next page.
- Teachers provide a balanced pattern of learning experiences: some quiet and some active, some familiar and some new, some done in large groups, some in small groups, and some done individually.
- All groups for young children follow a similar session plan, providing familiarity and stability for children, allowing teachers in different groups to benefit from sharing common experiences, and aiding leaders in efficiently training and guiding teachers.
Babies/ Toddlers |
Learning Activities offered continuously through the session |
|
2’s & 3’s |
Learning Activities Group Singing/ Worship/ Bible Verse Bible Story/ Activity TOTAL Transition to Next Hour |
45- 50 minutes 10-15 minutes 5-10 minutes 60-75 minutes 10-15 minutes |
4’s and 5’s |
Learning Activities Group Singing/ Worship/ Bible Verse Bible Story/ Activity TOTAL Transition to Next Hour |
35-40 minutes 10-15 minutes 15-20 minutes 60-75 minutes 15 minutes |
Kindergarten |
Learning Activities Group Singing/ Worship/ Bible Verse Bible Story/ Activity TOTAL Transition to Next Hour |
30-35 minutes 15-20 minutes 15-20 minutes 60-75 minutes 15 minutes |
Provide Positive Guidance
- Leaders and teachers of young children are carefully chosen through a clearly defined system of screening in which the safety of each child is the first priority.
_ Background Check: Leaders must request background information and check references on anyone who is allowed to work with young children. Questions must be asked and satisfactorily answered about a person’s fitness to be with children.
_ Personal Knowledge: Leaders must personally know anyone who would work with children. Leaders may personally know an individual prior to his/her time of service with children, or they may spend time getting to know the individual and observing him/her with children.
_ Instruction: The church must provide training for all who interact with children both in effective teaching procedures and in appropriate means of guiding behavior, which includes defining limits on verbal and physical contacts with children.
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- Leaders and teachers demonstrate qualities of positive Christian living so that they may serve as examples to children of the values the church promotes.
_Church attendance: Consistent participation in the life of the congregation is important both for its contribution to the life of the individual as well as for the opportunities it affords for additional positive contacts with children and parents.
_Personal devotion: A regular pattern of personal prayer and Bible study is a positive indicator of a person who desires to grow.
_Family stability: Persons who work with children should have a daily living environment that provides emotional and spiritual support. Persons who are undergoing stress at home and/or at work may find working with children is a positive outlet, but they should be provided with ongoing encouragement and assistance.
_Integrity: The personal and business life of anyone who works with children must be marked by honesty and openness. Young children do not need perfect people as their teachers and leaders, but they do need people who will admit their mistakes and learn from them.
_Acceptance of guidance: A person who expects children to follow his/her leadership must be willing to follow the leadership of those the church has appointed as supervisors.
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- Leaders and teachers are chosen to reflect the diversity of people involved in the life of the church. Young children benefit greatly from interaction with men and women, older and younger adults, teens, couples and singles, and people from varied ethnic backgrounds.
- For the protection of both children and workers, at least two responsible persons should be present with any group at all times. Supervisors should regularly be present for observation and support.
Plan Valid Learning Procedures
1. Appropriate learning activities for young children lend themselves to easy connections to the Bible learning and life application emphasis of the session.
_Art: Young children need opportunities for creative art experiences more than they need patterned craft projects. Art activities should help children relax and share their thoughts and feelings and not put them under pressure to "do it right."
_Blocks/puzzles/manipulative toys: Young children need many different kinds of objects to touch and use. The attraction of using interesting materials is often the teacher’s best means of connecting Bible truth to the child’s firsthand experiences.
_Created wonders: No child can resist the opportunity to explore living things (i.e., plants and occasionally a few animals) and other objects from God’s fascinating world of creation.
_Family living/cooking: A few simple props and the fertile imaginations of young children can turn any comer of an early childhood classroom into the scene of dramatic play as children live out familiar situations in which God’s Word can be applied. Few activities capture interest and involve children in cooperative learning more than preparing food.
_Books/pictures: Positive conversation occurs as children and a teacher look together at books and pictures illustrating lesson related situations.
_Music/rhythm: A wide variety of music and rhythm activities are valuable for building positive feelings, enabling children to participate with others, and aiding in learning and remembering key ideas and Bible verses.
_Bible stories/verses: A child’s attitude and understanding are significantly influenced through learning stories and verses dealing with situations similar to those the child has faced.
_Video/puppets/media: While young children are attracted to presentations on a TV screen, puppet stage, or some other form of media, teachers must be careful to present to children content and examples that support learning goals.
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2. Teachers engage children in conversation about the session’s learning objective before, during, and after they participate in an activity.
_Explanations: Teachers consistently state the point of an activity. When introducing children to a learning activity, a teacher might say, "In out family center, we’re pretending to get ready for bed so that we can learn about some of the ways God cares for us."
_Questions: Teachers frequently ask questions planned to stimulate thought, not just about the activity, but about the intended Bible teaming. For example, "You’ve painted a lot of stars in your sky picture. How big a paper would you need to paint as many stars as God put in the real sky?" Or, "What was something you thought about helping others while you were putting that puzzle together?"
_Songs: Teachers regularly sing lesson-related songs while children are engaged in activities, linking what the child is doing to specific lesson content. For example, as children build with blocks, the teacher sings new words to the tune of "Here We Go ’Round the Mulberry Bush." "This is the way we take turns and share, . . . ’cause sharing shows us God’s love."
_ Bible verse/ story: Teachers look for ways to link the children’s activity to the Bible verse or story. For example, "You were very kind to share the magnifying glass with Felipe. Your kindness reminded me of a Bible verse. Did you know the Bible says, ’Be kind to one another’?"
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3. Teachers express content in ways appropriate to the natural thought patterns of young children, limiting or avoiding vocabulary and ideas that they might misunderstand.
a. Because young children think literally, limit the use of symbolic language. Emphasize concepts that can be communicated simply and concretely.
b. Link new ideas to familiar experiences of the child and/or to first-hand learning experiences provided in the group.
c. Focus on one major concept at a time, not confusing children by presenting a variety of ideas.
d. Seek to engage the child physically and verbally, allowing the child to provide feedback for ideas that have been presented. Limit one-way presentations and, when used, offer time for children to put into practice and to talk about what they have seen and heard.
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4. Teachers provide adequate space and equipment to encourage young children in active learning.
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