Understanding Children Beginners Birth to 2 Years

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Understanding ChildrenBeginners Birth to 2
Years

• Presented by
• Donna J. Habenicht, Ed.D.

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Babies are the Beginning
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First Spiritual Lessons
Bring your children in prayer to Jesus, for He
has made it possible for them to learn religion
as they learn to frame the words of the
language. Ellen G. White The Adventist
Home, p. 321
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Earliest Moments
If we live in communion with God, we too may
expect the divine Spirit to mold our little
ones, even from their earliest moments. Ellen
G. White The Desire of Ages, p. 512
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First Three Years
During the first three years of the life of
Samuel the prophet his mother carefully taught
him to distinguish between good and evil. By
every familiar object surrounding him, she sought
to lead his thoughts up to the Creator. Ellen
G. White Child Guidance, p. 197
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First Spiritual Lessons
As the mother teaches her children to obey her
because they love her, she is teaching them the
first lessons in the Christian life. The
mothers love represents to the child the love
of Christ, and the little ones who trust and obey
their mother are learning to trust and obey the
Savior. Ellen G. White The Desire of
Ages, p. 515
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Growing Physically

• Growing very fast
• Learning to use body
• Limited coordination
• Like to practice body skills
• Very active
• Limited singing
• Immature vision

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Growing Mentally - 1

• Sensorimotor
• Short attention span
• Repetition, routine, imitation
• Dos donts
• Learning speech
• Learning to make mental pictures

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Growing Mentally - 2

• Understand familiar pictures and objects
• Do not understand numbers or time
• Love rhythm and rhyme
• Understand more words than they use
• Do not understand general principles
• Tend to concentrate on one thing at a time

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Growing Socially

• Learning to trust and love people
• Shy and timid
• Eager to please
• Self-centered
• Usually play alone
• Want independence
• NO favorite word

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Growing Emotionally

• Learning love trust
• Feel everything
• Easily frightened
• Need routine
• Need lovingly firm discipline
• Dislike hurrying
• Easily overstimulated

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Planning Sabbath Schoolfor Beginners

• Include lots of large motor activities
• Include many manipulatives
• Alternate active and quieter activities
• Maintain routines
• Plan lots of repetition
• Use familiar ideas home, family, nature
• Use rhythm, rhyme, and music

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Doing Sabbath School for Beginners

• Keep a loving, calm, happy atmosphere.
• Use words and ideas babies understand.
• Allow plenty of time for an activity.
• Do one thing at a time.
• Talk relatively slowly.
• Give everyone a turn dont force.
• Avoid frightening noises and activities.

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Doing Sabbath School for Beginners - 2

• Welcome parents and grandparents.
• Clean objects babies have handled.
• Be sure manipulatives are safe.
• Be sure the entire room is safe.
• Use chairs with arms.
• Print words to songs on large cards.
• Be organized no gaps. Have lots of help.