Group Study Guide

Session: Emotional Growth in Children

Preparation

• Make one photocopy of the following four parts. Cut out the following small-group assignments.
1. Review the paragraphs on temperament. Select one temperament type. Write a case study describing how a child with this temperament might act.
2. Review the paragraphs on typology. Choose one of the  personality resources—actions, thought processes, or relationships. Write a case study describing one way a teacher could encourage a child to gain confidence or stretch beyond his personality type.
3. Review the paragraphs on disposition. Identify a skill you could use to teach children at church or home that might discourage their disposition. Write a case study describing the incident. Be ready to lead the group to develop a better approach to teaching that encourages children to use their skills and knowledge.
4. Review the paragraphs on resilience. What are ways a teacher helped you be resilient during your childhood? Be ready to share one or two of your stories with the total group.
   
   
• Gather paper and pencils for your participants.

Reflect and Practice

1. Begin the session with fellowship and prayer.
   
   
2. Organize your participants in to four small groups. Give each group an assignment sheet and a piece of paper and pencil for the recorder. Ask them to complete their assignment for the total group.
   
   
3. At the appropriate time, call the group together and ask Group One to share their case study without identifying their selected temperament. Ask the rest of the participants to guess which temperament they have just described in the case study. Facilitate a brief discussion about the implications regarding the various temperaments on teaching children in your church or home.
   
   
4. Ask Group Two to share their case study without identifying the resource. After the participants identify the resource, discuss ways to use the awareness of these resources at church and at home.
   
   
5. Ask Group Three to read their case study to the participants and lead a discussion in developing a better way of teaching children. Let the participants reflect on the implications of the dispositions of the children they teach at church and at home.
   
   
6. Ask Group Four to share one or two stories about resiliency. Identify ways the teachers can work together to support resiliency in the children in your church and homes.
   
   
7. Conclude this session by asking participants to look at the picture of the child they selected during the first session. Ask, "Based on what we have discussed during this session and your experience, how can you help that child in the picture grow emotionally?"
   
   
8. Close with a time of prayer for the emotional needs of your participants. Remind your participants to read the article(s) for the next session