There are more options than ever for children’s ministry curriculum! There are digital options, old-school hard copy options, topical, chronological, and of every theological tradition! Join us as we share a handful of considerations to keep in mind when evaluating and choosing curriculum:
What is your goal for the curriculum?
How does it fit into the broader vision/goals/plans for your ministry?
Where does this curriculum provider fall on the theological spectrum?
What is the scope and sequence?
It’s important to understand how the curriculum cycles through scripture or topics.
What is the teaching style of the curriculum and what supplemental materials are included?
Some curriculum will be technology heavy, others will be more craft or activity based, and some will focus on a lecture teaching style. It’s important to get a feel for the style and resources that are included in the materials.
Listen here for a great discussion of these considerations and others for choosing curriculum!
Ideas and considerations for choosing materials for your children’s ministry!
A volunteer approached the welcome desk and said, “A child just said they’re getting a brother.”
I start to think, “Oh here we go again, we’re finding out about a pregnancy that’s not public yet!”
The volunteer goes on to explain that the child declared that their sister was becoming a boy, and they would soon have a brother.
I knew I loved Breaker Rock Beach from the moment that I read each day’s theme; how we are tackling the lies of the world with God’s truth in VBS this year. Each day of VBS we start with what the world says, and address it with scriptural truth. I did not anticipate that I would shortly get a poignant reminder of why this year’s VBS is so timely and so valuable.
Kids today are being inundated with half-truths and lies that tickle the ears, but they need the eternal truth of God’s Word to sink deeply and take root in their hearts. One look at Breaker Rock Beach, and it’s evident that this isn’t the VBS I grew up with – and I praise God for that! It is the VBS that kids need for today!
The preteen and teen years are often stormy and difficult for both kids and adults to navigate. At this age, children are faced with rapid physical changes, big questions, and decisions about the person they will become. To help teens navigate this season well, a basic understanding of child development can help adults know what to expect, the behaviors and thought processes which are developmentally appropriate, and how to come alongside teens as they mature.
Preteens
The preteen years include ages 10 – 12. These years often herald the start of adolescence with the onset of puberty, as well as many other social and emotional changes. In addition to a myriad of physical changes, puberty also begins a second major season of synaptic pruning in the life of a child, the first being in the toddler/preschool years.
In the process of synaptic pruning, the brain hones and refines itself for adulthood. Neural connections that are used most often are strengthened with a myelin sheath to make them faster and more efficient. Neural connections which are weaker or infrequently used are pruned away to conserve energy and resources.
The rapid physical growth and enormous amount of brain development happening in the preteen and teen years result in children needing 8 – 10 hours of sleep a night. In the same way that babies and toddlers need a great deal of sleep due to rapid physical growth and explosive brain development, pubescent preteens and teens need a great deal of sleep. Sleep deprivation can negatively affect focus, attention, and mood during these already turbulent years.
Around puberty preteens and teens also become very self-conscious. They may feel as if there is a “spotlight” on their actions and appearance. This is a developmentally normal resurgence of egocentrism, much like egocentrism in the preschool years when children have a difficult time taking the perspective of another person. Preteens have a difficult time taking the perspective of other preteens and understanding that other children are also self-conscious and self-focused. The “spotlight” is primarily in their perception of themselves, but feels very real to preteens and teens.
Socially, preteens face the jarring experience of going from the top rung of the elementary social ladder – as the oldest and coolest in the children’s ministry – back to the bottom rung of the social ladder as the youngest and greenest kids in the student ministry. The transition from children’s to student ministry can be awkward or uncomfortable, but there are a number of ways children’s and student ministries can partner together to encourage a smooth transition for preteens.
One way to help preteens transition into the student ministry is to help familiarize them with volunteers in the student ministry, the spaces of student ministry, and the routines of student ministry. One example is for the oldest elementary age group to have VBS take place in the student ministry spaces, with volunteers who typically serve in the student ministry. Preteens become familiar with the classrooms and begin building relationships with the adults who will be leading them once they move up to the student ministry. The student ministry can also host an orientation or open house to create familiarity. Creating intentional opportunities for crossover into the student ministry world, and building relationships in advance can go a long way in alleviating fears of the unknown and helping preteens transition into the student ministry.
Teens
The process of synaptic pruning continues through the teen years, and is guided by the habits and environment of the child. This is one reason that addiction in the teenage years is especially pernicious, whether it be drug use, pornography, or anything else. These habits and environmental input shape the brain during an especially sensitive and moldable period. The good news is that our brains remain “plastic” throughout our lives. We are able to “rewire” our neural connections through the formation of new habits. Practicing spiritual disciplines and cultivating a renewed mind actually rewires our brains!
The brain also matures back to front and bottom to top. The cerebellum in the back, lower portion of the brain controls movement, balance, and motor functions. In the midbrain, the limbic system processes emotions. The very front of the brain, right behind the forehead and eyes, is the prefrontal cortex. This is the part of the brain that controls reasoning, decision making, and complex thought. The prefrontal cortex isn’t mature until the mid-twenties.
This is why a teen can be a phenomenal athlete, who also makes poor choices that cost him an athletic scholarship. A teen can have highly developed motor skills, making him a great athlete, while also lacking a mature prefrontal cortex to assist with rational decision making. Teens can also seem moody and irrationally ruled by their emotions. Their limbic system processes complex emotions without the help of a mature prefrontal cortex to temper those emotions with rational thought and evaluation.
Teens, though, experience a natural desire for increased independence, and can often be challenged with increased responsibility as a result. Teens who are engaged and invested in the life of the church can be brought on as assistant leaders and helpers in many areas. They can serve alongside adults and be entrusted with responsibility while also being mentored and trained by seasoned leaders. Recruiting teens to serve with children, play in a praise band, serve with the technology team, or other opportunities not only helps mature and develop teens, but also strengthens and edifies the church.
The teen years are also a time when young people begin to question their beliefs, who they will become, and whether they will “own” or abandon their faith. Teens need support in grappling with hard questions of what is true; scripture or other religious or secular alternatives? What is good; is following a biblical life really what’s best for me? And what the future holds for them personally; faith in Jesus or some other path?
The greatest gift we can give teens is to come alongside them in this season, walk with them as they grapple with big questions, and invest in them to enter into adulthood with a firm understanding of not only what they believe but why they believe it. We have the awesome opportunity to develop teens into leaders and watch them grow into all that God created them to be. The teen years can be challenging, but they can also be fruitful for the Kingdom!
“I’m just pulling your leg,” I told a six year old girl after joking with her one night at church. She looked down at her leg, looked up at me, and exclaimed, “No you’re not!?”
This funny little moment coincided with one of my first classes on child development, and I’ll never forget this real life illustration of the thinking of small children. It’s easy as adults to forget how we thought as children, and the ways our thought processes have changed over time. Children view the world and process information very differently than adults, and a basic knowledge of child development can assist ministry leaders in effectively teaching and ministering to children.
Elementary Ages 5 – 10
Young children are very concrete and literal in their thinking – as the above example of the six year old little girl illustrates. Early elementary children often are unable to fully understand abstract concepts such as sarcasm, metaphors, and hypothetical scenarios. Abstract thinking is often limited to actions or characteristics. For example, “honesty” means telling the truth, even if I’ll get in trouble. “Love” is how Jesus died for me, even though I disobey Him. “Kindness” is letting someone else use a toy first, even though I want to play with it too.
During childhood, children also develop the cognitive trait of reversibility – the ability to “think back” and remember past events sequentially. A child can retrace his steps in an attempt to locate a lost toy, but he cannot yet think “forward” through hypothetical scenarios or draw conclusions about the outcomes of future events.
Oftentimes it can be easy to think a child should “know better,” because the outcomes of certain actions or decisions seem obvious to us as adults. However, we may need to take a step back and remember that kids are still learning many different social, cognitive, and life skills. While we provide consistent and caring correction, we also must remember that sometimes kids really don’t know better yet. Part of our job is to teach them!
Elementary age children are also developing the cognitive ability of decentration, the ability to consider more than one attribute of an object or person at time. For example, a child begins to understand that her aunt is also her mother’s sister, or understand that God is both a loving Father and a perfect Judge. God cannot overlook disobedience, but He also loves us, and Jesus died willingly for our sins.
Children are also developing the cognitive skill of seriation, which is the ability to put things in a logical order or sequence. For example, putting a series of events in sequential order or lining up similar objects smallest to largest. The Gospel itself can be understood as a logical order or sequence. God created everything and made good rules; humans disobey God; sin separates us from God; Jesus came to earth as fully God and fully human to be our Savior; and we can turn to Him for forgiveness of our sins and begin a relationship with God. Is it any surprise that in the elementary years we see the Gospel beginning to “click” with kids, as they ask insightful questions and express a desire to follow Jesus as their Lord and Savior?
Elementary age children also have a natural desire to set and achieve goals. Every kid wants a way to shine and feel a sense of accomplishment. Recognizing achievement, hard work, and intrinsic traits can help kids feel valued and seen. It is important to acknowledge both a child’s natural giftings and her efforts, even if the outcomes of her efforts aren’t always as smooth or immediate as she would like. Recognizing dedication and determination in the face of difficulties helps kids build resilience as they work toward goals.
Children’s attention spans can be calculated at one minute per year of life. As we teach elementary age children, we need to structure lessons in 5 – 10 minute increments. Keeping lessons engaging through active and interactive learning techniques, teaching to a variety of learning styles, and providing hands-on learning opportunities are vital to teaching elementary age children well. We also need to clarify our classroom expectations and repeat them often, if not weekly. Children need clear, simple guidelines for behavior, which are repeated often, and consistently followed.
During the elementary years children develop and grow in many wonderful ways. Adults have the opportunity to lay a foundation of faith that stands the test of time in the life of a child. Understanding how children think, grow, and develop can help children’s ministry leaders more effectively reach and minister to children at all stages of development.
KidMin with Dr. Val and Dr. Virginia 