When teaching elementary age children, we could be impacting the lives of those in grades one to six. They’re becoming more and more independent and developing a greater sense of self which can be affected by peer and a need to feel competent. This must be taken into consideration in the kind of learning environment we foster in our grade school classes.
An Acrostic to Help with Teaching Elementary Age Children
Here are some suggestions for Bible teachers of grade school children that address some of their age level needs and abilities.
E – Enlist their help.
Giving them responsibilities can help them feel more like this is their class and they are valued.
L – Listen to their concerns.
Being attentive lets them know you care about them and that their opinions matter.
E – Engage in Bible learning activities.
Keeping them active not only helps them learn better but also helps prevent discipline problems.
M – Motivate them by making learning relevant and interesting.
Building a desire to learn won’t happen if they’re bored or frustrated.
E – Encourage them.
Feeling incompetent does little to motivate them to learn so positively affirming them can help to spur them on.
N – Nurture a biblical worldview.
Seeing life from God’s viewpoint will help them navigate a dysfunctional world that wants them to conform.
T – Target the heart not just behavior.
Developing personal convictions is necessary if children are going to rise above peer pressure and live for the Lord.
A – Address issues relevant to their lives.
Dealing with peer pressure, bullying, and other challenges of this age can affect their spiritual fervor so shouldn’t be ignored.
R – Relate to them with unconditional love.
Experiencing God’s love through their teacher will go a long way to helping them better understand God’s heart for them.
Y – Yield them to the Lord.
Praying for them and trusting God to work in their hearts must be an integral part of reaching and teaching them if we want to make a lasting impact in their lives.
Check Out This Resource for More Help: Age Level Characteristics: Grade School Module
Ages of children in the nursery of a church can vary from infancy to age two or three. Depending on how your church structures age levels, you could than have a wide range of developmental traits to accommodate. The key, no matter the age, is that the nursery becomes more than a place for parents to drop off their children for us to babysit while they go to their own class or worship service. This is a time to lay a foundation in these young children’s lives that can affect their attitudes about God for years to come.