Reaching Infants
When first coming to our church I was surprised to learn of the Sunday school teachers’ dedication to infants and toddlers in the way of teaching. Some might be wondering how an infant can be taught about Jesus. While I was working in the nursery as a helper at my last church, I took the advice of my wise aunt to talk to the babies while holding them or playing on the floor with them. My aunt would say to a baby, “See those trees? God made those trees for you.” I began mimic her ways as well. I would tell the babies how special they are to Jesus and how He has great plans for their life. I believe doing this helps to plant those seeds in their little spirits.
Reaching Toddlers
Seed planting shouldn’t cease for any age and toddlerhood is a particularly great time to plant away. Though most toddlers I’ve spent time with are very “me, me, me” centered, they also seem to be creative beings with loads of faith. Because their attention span is shorter than that of the preschool aged children, lessons that are quick, simple and contain the teacher’s enthusiasm tend to receive more child involvement.
Reaching Preschoolers
By the time children are of preschool age they are likely to sit a bit longer than the younger ones and retain more of what’s being shared. The preschool ages of 3-5 years old are where many Sunday school teachers begin teaching memory verses (scriptural verses the children can memorize). As with many toddler Sunday school programs, preschoolers may work on art projects to help them retain the Bible lesson they’ve learned.
As a parent what I’ve found helpful are handouts that go home with my children that talk about what they’ve learned in their class. This helps me know what to ask my boys and how to better reinforce the messages they’ve learned.
Please visit these related blogs:
Reaching Our Youth: Middle Schoolers
Reaching Our Youth: High Schoolers