RBP Children’s Ministries

Would you like to get inside the minds of your pre-primaries? You can’t literally do that, but you can learn the characteristics of this age group (generally children who are four and five years old). The better you know the traits of pre-primaries, the better you can plan your lessons, because you will have realistic expectations of the children’s abilities.

For example, when you know that four-year-olds tend to go out of bounds with their behavior, you can plan to teach kindness and obedience and to explain classroom rules. Likewise, by knowing that five-year-olds enjoy familiar activities and are less daring than they were at four, you can build routines into your Sunday School session that help fives feel secure.

Contrasts
An interesting challenge in teaching pre-primaries is that the interests of each age group are often different. Fours love excitement; fives crave quiet times. Fours like to change activities rapidly; fives enjoy activities for longer lengths of time. Teachers can help bridge these differences by having optional activities ready, by giving five-year-olds opportunities to pursue their own interests (away from the four-year-olds, if possible), and by providing flexibility in the timing of activities.

Stages of growth
Though God uniquely designs each individual’s features and characteristics, children generally experience similar stages of mental, social, and physical growth. We often use the ages of children to mark these stages of growth.
However, each child develops at his or her own pace. When considering the following traits, remember that these are general guidelines, subject to each child’s rate of development.

Frisky fours
Four-year-olds believe they can do anything! They are bold and daring—ready to take on the world. They love to learn new things, play with new toys, and enjoy new experiences. Four-year-olds love many things, but they also dislike many things—and they will be quick to tell you their preferences!

Friendly fives
At five years old students move into a period of calm and well-being. They love life and the adults in their lives. They highly value their friends. Though five-year-olds are not as daring as fours, they enjoy using their bodies to accomplish physical feats. Learning is fun and exciting!

Taking your cue
All children benefit from structure and routines, so keep the same basic order to your session segments, remain consistent in your transitions from one activity to another, and keep the same set of rules.

But beyond that, be flexible! Realize that children go through periods of discontent when their bodies are growing. Their personalities may change from Sunday to Sunday. Give them space to develop. Have optional activities in mind if younger children become restless. Allow older students to work on projects a little longer if they are focused. Look for interesting picture books that relate to the lesson’s theme. Choose songs that both age groups enjoy. Include activities in which children can use their newly acquired physical coordination. Enjoy your class!

Think about Your Class

1. Look at the following charts of four and five-year-olds’ character traits. What adjustments do you need to make in your teaching? What will you do differently next Sunday?
2. Teachers benefit by having a “bag of tricks” to use when students get restless. Gather extra songs, games, and picture books to have on hand whenever needed. Check the RBP Complete Product Catalog and your preprimary teacher’s guide for products available from Regular Baptist Press.

Improve Your Teaching
Note how you might shape your teaching according to four-year-olds’ characteristics.

Improve Your Teaching
Note how you might shape your teaching according to five-year-olds’ characteristics.