Early Childhood
"Little ones are
children of God."
BETH SCHULTZ
The youngest children feel loved and cared for
by watching a parent's face and actions and by
hearing her voice. They gain understanding of
what care looks like, even though they do not have
words for it. Around age two or three, children
start to gain confidence that they will be okay,
even if they can't see Mom and Dad. They can
learn and explore.
As this confidence begins to develop, life becomes
rich with teachable moments! The three-year-old
will test the boundaries of his or her independence
but also begin participating in genuine
relationships with family. The four-year-old will
explore in interactive play with peers to practice
skills seen at home. The five-year-old begins to
internalize understanding more and starts to ask
more complex questions. A preschooler's mind
is connecting areas of learning at an incredible
rate. In all of these ages, children need visual and
tangible examples to gain meaning.
Emmie can fully trust God to
care for her family. However, it is
difficult for Emmie to understand
that God doesn't do things exactly
as she wants Him to. Teachers
can help Emmie's faith grow by
pointing her back to trusting God
in these moments. She loves
to sing and praise God through
music. Oftentimes, she may not
fully understand the meaning of
all the words, but she is putting to
memory God's promises for times
when life is challenging as she
grows. Emmie is learning how to
love others and think selflessly.
She knows that taking turns and
sharing is good but hard, especially
during fun activities. She knows
that Jesus loves her and has
little fear sharing that news with
people she knows. Emmie needs
to hear about God's grace and
forgiveness, as her understanding
is often limited to "good" and "bad."
A Day in the Life
Early Childhood • 1 • cph.org • Copyright © 2019 Concordia Publishing House
