Category Archives: Grade School

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

The grade school age division in churches can range from a primary age child (grades 1-2) to a pre-teen (grades 5-6). While there’s a big difference between a primary age child and a pre-teen, one reality holds true for both of them. They all need to be actively engaged in Bible learning.

Importance of Engaging Grade School Children in Accordance with their Age Level Abilities

Here are two reasons we need to constantly engage grade school students:

• If not engaged in the lesson, students will likely be engaged in something else which usually spells trouble.

• If the activity is not in keeping with their age developmental characteristics, students could get frustrated or bored which can lead to discipline problems.

The Age Level Characteristics: Grade School Module, available through the Ministry Tools Resource Center store, includes handouts on age developmental characteristics of grade school children as well as a couple of articles about them. This module, which can be ordered separately, is part of a larger resource that also includes Early Childhood, Youth, and Adults age divisions.

For additional help, go to: Grade School Age Level Teacher Training Resources Resources

Bible teachers of grade school classes need to learn what they can about this particular age level to more effectively reach them. But, they may need to look beyond basic developmental traits and abilities about some challenges they face.

Questions Bible Teachers Teaching a Grade School Class Might Have:

How do we keep the attention of grade school students in such a high tech world?

Because children live in a high tech, low touch world, personal engagement can go a long way. Teachers who build relational connections with them and encourage dialogue among students, will usually find them more willing to set technology aside. To be sure, they may come to class with what appears to be shorter attention spans than prior generations due to all their screen time. That still doesn’t mean we can’t get their attention if we use lots of variety, constantly engage students, and plan short segments before moving on to a new activity. Adding the element of surprise occasionally can help as well.

The Bible Teacher’s Handbook of Frequently Asked Questions further expounds on the above question and gives input on the following questions about grade school classes:

• Do younger grade school students need to be engaged more than older ones?
• How do we reach all students when our grade school class includes a wide age span?

The handbook also looks at 48 other issues related to Bible teaching with a total of 153 questions.