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The first step in preparing for a new Sunday School year is to evaluate the organization of the preschool ministry and to determine what new departments or classes might be needed. Some departments may need to move to another room because of anticipated increases in enrollment and attendance.
Grouping Preschoolers
Preschoolers are grouped according to age and developmental state. Whether a church is large or small, three factors need to be considered when deciding how to group the children in the Preschool Division.
These factors are:
The number of preschoolers enrolled and listed as prospects will determine whether preschoolers are grouped within broad or narrow age ranges. That is, will each room include preschoolers with more than a year's age span, or will the age span be one year or less?
Consider the following models to determine the grouping that best meets the needs of your preschool ministry.
Model 1 - One Room
Model 2 - Two Rooms/departments
Model 3 - Four rooms/departments
Model 4 - Six rooms/departments
Churches with a large enrollment of preschoolers would need to provide multiple rooms or departments for the age groupings listed below.
Teacher-Child Ratios
When determining the needs of preschool departments, proper teacher-child ratios are important considerations. Proper ratios allow teachers to meet the needs of preschoolers and to develop relationships with their families. Teacher-child ratios are determined by the ages of preschoolers.
The available space in a room helps determine the number of children for a class or department. Adequate space enhances the opportunities for preschoolers to encounter biblical truths. If preschool rooms are at or below the ideal enrollment, then the rooms are the right size for the number of preschoolers and teachers you have.
To maximize the space available, remove furnishings such as pianos, coat racks, or climbing toys. Minimize the number of tables and chairs in a room. Lack of space, equipment, or teachers sometimes will cause a class or department to exceed recommended enrollments. Proper ratios should be maintained even if the enrollment exceeds the recommended maximum.
Organizational Charts
Grouping preschoolers by age sometimes causes confusion. Questions arise such as "When my child has his third birthday, does he move to the three-year-old class?" When grouping and organizing preschoolers, determine each age group by the same criteria used by your local school system.
Preschoolers (with the exception of babies and ones) should remain in the same class until the next Sunday School year. If your preschool ministry is growing, however, you may need to start new departments and move some children during the year. If space is available you may consider beginning new departments as babies are born and prospects are enrolled. Rooms for babies can be adapted to meet their needs as they grow. For example, when babies begin to crawl, rocking chairs and cribs can be removed from the room.
Preparing an organizational chart with the months and years of preschoolers birth dates often alleviates some confusion of what ages belong in preschool rooms. Parents and teachers can look at the chart, find the child's month and year of birth, and determine the room where a child would go.
Special Considerations
The first year of life is critical in the spiritual development of children. Recent research in the area of infant brain development spotlights the words of David in Psalm 139:14 and provides clear evidence that only the mighty Creator could have made something as intricate as a tiny baby. This information has spiritual implications for churches as they determine the quality of care and teaching that will be given to babies. Babies can learn, and they can learn about God when exposed to biblical truths at church. Babies learn biblical truths in the context of relationships with teachers at church.
The emotional and social development of an infant during the early months of life is a major building block upon which the child constructs his outlook of the world. The child begins to develop his view of the world from a biblical perspective when he encounters loving, caring, consistent teachers at church.
Even the way babies are held impacts their sense of trust and security. When possible, providing separate rooms or departments for babies helps ensure that they will be taught biblical truths and given loving and caring attention.
Kindergarten is a year of transition for young children. Therefore, kindergarten children need special considerations in determining where they fit in the preschool organization. Kindergartners should stay within the Preschool Division rather than be grouped with the Children's Division. Kindergartners need hands-on learning experiences that are provided through Bible learning centers. If at all possible, kindergartners need to be grouped in a department(s) of kindergartners only.
Keep these characteristics of kindergartners in mind as leaders consider where to place them in the organization. Kindergartners-
One of the most important events in the life of a kindergartner is when he or she begins going to school. He is excited about learning to recognize letters, numbers, and words. Taking advantage of this excitement and curiosity to teach biblical truths is done best when kindergartners are grouped in a room together. How exciting when some of the first words a kindergartner learns to read are God, Jesus, Bible, and church.
Enlisting Teachers
Once departments have been determined, enlisting and training leaders are easier. A preschool leader or teacher should be a growing Christian who is loving, encouraging, accepting, and dependable. A teacher should be willing to make a commitment to teach weekly for a full year.
Due to a lack of leadership, some churches have developed a rotation system for preschool leaders, allowing some teachers to teach every other week or month. This system makes it difficult for teachers to develop relationships with the children and parents because of the lack of consistency.
Often teachers feel overwhelmed or discouraged because of a lack of understanding of the age group they are teaching and inadequate knowledge of how to use curriculum. Provide training in these areas by using Teaching Preschoolers: First Steps Toward Faith.
Organization. Who needs it? Churches that are serious about teaching preschoolers biblical truths need appropriate preschool organization.
© 2001-2008
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