What a challenge! You have first-, second-, and third-graders all in the same room! Even if you teach only one grade, you know the challenge of reaching ALL your students.
What’s a teacher to do?
The first step in having an effective ministry to all the children in your class is to pray for wisdom in planning and managing. Our human resources are limited, but God’s resources are not. He “is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us” (Eph. 3:20).
The next step is to become familiar with the age characteristics of six-, seven-, and eight-year-olds. By observing your students in class and reading about their developmental traits, you will gain insight into why children act and react the way they do.
A third suggestion is to focus on the similarities. While it is true that each of the three primary years has its own distinct characteristics, it is also true that they have much in common. Ask God to help you plan group activities in which all ages can participate and learn. As you become familiar with these characteristics, keep the following guidelines in mind:
- These are general descriptors intended to give you a sketch of what you might encounter. Not all children go through these exact stages.
- Children do not automatically assume these characteristics at a given age. Children differ in the rate and in the extent to which they acquire them.
- Growth does not always occur in a straight upward path—children may temporarily go backward as they are gathering resources and energy to go to the next stage of development.
- Girls develop more quickly than boys (six months sooner in some areas!).
- We are born with a sin nature. We cannot dismiss sinful acts with the excuse “It’s just their age!”
First Grade
It’s hard to keep up with first graders! They explore and ask questions. Their learning increases in leaps and bounds. Woe to their friends! First graders want to be king and queen of the mountain. Their goal is to be first, to win, to have the most. The difficulty arises when you have several kings and queens in the same class!
A six-year-old
- loves new places, ideas, and bits of information
- is eager to learn
- has a longer attention span
- enjoys communicating and creating
- thinks in concrete terms
- believes things are different if they look different
- has little understanding of spatial differences or chronology
- is the center of his or her own universe
- wants to win; can be argumentative
- plays in groups of two; tattles; exaggerates
- has wide mood swings
- thinks adults are generally right
- wants to please the teacher; finds joy in Sunday School
- likes Bible stories that contain action and dialogue
- may be ready to accept Christ as Savior
Second Grade
Second graders make great strides intellectually. As concrete problem solvers, they observe, reflect, touch, and explore. They have a considerable concern about goodness and badness—especially in other people!
A seven-year-old
- increases in desire to make friends and gain peer approval
- develops listening, speaking, and reading skills
- wants to do things right; tends toward perfectionism
- shows improvement in self-control, which results in fatigue (energy is exerted in order to practice control)
- plays alone more often; withdraws when disputes arise in play groups
- is increasingly more reasonable; is less selfish
- idolizes the teacher but may resist correction
- enjoys the security of repeated stories and activities
- may ask questions about death, Heaven, and God
- may be ready to accept Christ as Savior
- begins to relate Biblical truth to his or her own life
Third Grade
Ready, set, go! A third grader’s entire body is ready for action. Third graders work fast, play fast, talk fast, eat fast. They shift rapidly from one activity to the next and seldom look back. Their minds distinguish between fantasy and reality, likenesses and differences. They are beginning to think abstractly. Boys play with boys, and girls stick together. Third graders enjoy forming clubs.
An eight-year-old
- has a high energy level; is willing to tackle almost anything
- explores new territory; sees beyond the boundaries of his or her neighborhood
- reaches out to others; is more concerned for other people
- is more responsible and accepts consequences
- makes comparisons; categorizes how things are alike or different
- is able to work diligently for increased periods of time
- expects much from him- or herself and from others
- relates to other people more easily; is outgoing
- enjoys same-sex friendships; enters readily into neighborhood group play
- likes school for social reasons more than academic challenges
- is often ready to accept Christ as Savior; may be ready for baptism if saved
- is beginning to sense the need for God’s continuous help and guidance
If you teach all three grades in one class, you may be particularly aware of the academic differences between a first grader and a third grader. But children can learn together when they participate in enjoyable classroom activities. It is amazing how much we can accomplish in an hour or so on Sunday morning! While it is important to know defining characteristics of each age group, it is just as important to focus on achieving group spirit and cooperation. If you promote these things, the diversities won’t seem as overwhelming.
Think about Your Students
- Look up the birth dates of the children in your class. Who are the younger ones and older ones in each grade? Look at the age characteristics listed in this article. Are your expectations for each child reasonable?
- Listen to yourself. Do you use any terms, phrases, or clichés that literalminded children could misunderstand? (For instance, how do we “give our money to Jesus”? Does someone in the church take it to Him?) How could you rephrase or explain terms or phrases so children will understand more clearly?
- Look at several lessons in your teacher’s guide. How do the enrichment centers help you teach primaries effectively? In what ways can older students help younger students with some activities?
