CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PRE-SCHOOL CHILD
(4 & 5 Year Olds)
PHYSICALLY
- A player, doer, constantly active
- Interest span five to ten minutes
- Needs personal attention
- Imitator and a wriggler
- Needs short clear directions
MENTALLY
- A questioner who needs his questions answered in an honest manner
- Has no conception of time or space. May say yesterday for an event several weeks ago
- Has plenty of curiosity
- Imagination runs high
- Growing in concept of sharing. Still lives largely in the world if I, my, we and mine
- World becoming a more and more interesting place to live.
EMOTIONALLY
- Fear – such remarks as “God will see you” or “God will get you if you do this”, creates attitude of fear towards God. Healthy fear is good – fire, streets, but not darkness, authority, etc
- Shyness – Praise aimed at something child has done rather than at his peers accomplishments
- Jealousy and anger quickly emerge
- Needs to be aided by teacher to help create a desire in the child to want to come to Church and Bible School.
- Needs to extend his love beyond self, family and friends.
- Needs to understand what respect for God is and also the Bible.
