Some questions teachers of early childhood classes have relate directly to developmental abilities like the one looked at in the previous post:
Here we want to look at a question about the role of the Bible in early childhood teaching.
Frequently Asked Questions about Teaching the Bible in Early Childhood Classes
How important is teaching the Bible to this age when it’s content is so far beyond them?
If we’re going to lay a solid foundation at this age, it needs to be the right kind of foundation, one based on the Truth of God’s Word. Remember what the Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy. He said, “But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful …” (2 Tim. 3:14-17) The question isn’t “if” we teach the Bible to this age group but “how” which ties into their developmental abilities. For more about this, take some time to read:
Other Questions:
Check out the Bible Teacher’s Handbook of Frequently Asked Questions for responses to a few other questions about early childhood classes.
- Is it okay to change parts of the Bible story to better suit this age?
- How do we deal with the short attention spans of young children?
- Will children in early childhood classes really retain what they learn?
The handbook also looks at 48 other issues related to Bible teaching, answering a total of 153 questions.