Reaching Our Infants, Toddlers, and Preschoolersby Melissa J | More from this Blogger 25 Apr 2007 12:33 PM 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 Relevantchristian tags User Comments  Valorie Delp (49340) 25 Apr 2007 06:32 PMThey say that most missionaries made their decision to become a missionary by age 8. When you look at it like that, it is easy to see how tender an infant's heart really is!  Melissa J (13710) 26 Apr 2007 11:03 AMWow, that is incredible! Really does put things into perspective.  QueenAngie Central Illinois, USA (60086) 27 Apr 2007 05:50 PMBoth my sons started in Sunday School at age 2 in the fall as school started and each Sunday School class advanced. They were both potty trained. The same couple taught both of my sons in a lovely room with a door handle that a 2 yo could not escape. Each Sunday had the same routine each Sunday, so the children knew what to expect. The Bible story of the day was the same one as in Sunday School and in the church service Bible verses. Hands-on with little toys until everyone was in class, Bible story time, Craft time to coincide w/ the Bible story, A little snack, A song, and prayers. Amazing how much those little ones can learn. They are like sponges. When my boys missed a Sunday, the teacher would mail on Mondays the Sunday School lesson and papers. They were very dedicated. I really appreciated how much they cared. Great topic! Community Tags church, ministry, Sunday school Discuss this article
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