I was talking with my son who is well into his thirties about his old Sunday School teacher. He admitted that he can remember very little about what he did in her class. There was one session, though, that stuck in his mind. On Remembrance Sunday when he was five years old, they turned on the radio to listen to two minutes silence. He thought this was exceedingly strange. His very logical mind could not compute why they needed to turn on the radio to listen to silence. He had no idea why they were doing it. It seemed bizarre.
We often know what we want to teach children, but real learning only comes from understanding what is being taught. Cognitive constructivist theory of learning states that new learning needs to be built on existing skills and knowledge.
Many years ago I remember going to a training session about using a new computer system. At the time, I knew so little about computers that I did not understand the training at all. None of it made sense, as I had insufficient knowledge on which to construct new knowledge. It is the same for everyone. We all need at least some experience, knowledge or skills in order for new learning to take place.
Jesus knew his audience. He started with what they already knew and then built his teaching on that knowledge. One day He talked about a farmer sowing seed. His audience understood about scattering seed, so Jesus talked about the seed falling on rocky ground, the seed being eaten by birds, the seed being choked by weeds and then the seed falling on good ground. The audience understood what He was saying. They knew what good ground was like. Jesus got their attention and then moved on to teaching His disciples about different responses to the word of God (Luke 8:4-15).
When Jesus called Peter, Andrew, James and John, He told them that they would become fishers of men. These men were fishermen; they understood what it meant to fish, so Jesus started with their experience. He also demonstrated what He meant by enabling them to catch a huge net of fish. He built on what they knew and related it to what He had planned for them in the future. They understood and immediately followed (Mark 1:14-20, Luke 5:1-11).
Maybe you have responsibility for teaching children in your church. When working with your group, think about what they know and understand. Find out their interests. Discover their strengths. This is particularly vital when working with children with a learning disability. What do they understand? What is their experience? What words do they understand? Find out what is meaningful to them.
We are all very busy people, and having a set teaching program to follow saves a lot of time. This may be extremely helpful and works for many children. However, the child with special needs may miss out. They may not have the language or the skills to access the teaching. My experience suggests that it is always important to start where they are, and build on what they know.
When my son was five, he was probably told why they were joining the rest of the country in remembering those who had died in wars. He may not have been listening; he may not have been interested. But maybe he didn’t have the experience on which to build this new knowledge. He may have switched off because his interest had not been captured by something familiar.
When I went to the talk about a new computer system, the trainer did not find out what we all already understood. He assumed that we all understood technological terms. Lots of people there did and asked intelligent questions, but I had no questions to ask. I did not understand enough to even formulate a question in my head.
Let us be more like Jesus and observe our audience, start where they are, and build on their knowledge, skills, understanding and experience. They are more likely to learn.
I want to add a word of encouragement to all those who work with children, and particularly to thank my son’s Sunday School teacher. She was a lovely caring lady who demonstrated God’s heart to her group. I believe that who she was and how she cared taught more to my son about God’s love than all the lessons and words that she delivered.
It can be very discouraging when children don’t remember what you have diligently prepared for the lesson but we must always remember that how we demonstrate God’s love in action remains with them. Their experience of being loved helps them to understand and grasp the love of God. My son may not have listened or remembered what he was taught, but he is now a Christian youth leader with a heart for sharing his personal knowledge and experience of God. I believe that this is due in part to his experience of the love of God demonstrated through his Sunday School teachers.
Sue Sutton has nearly 50 years of experience working with people with learning disabilities. She has developed training programs for people working with a variety of learning disabilities and mental health issues. Sue is the author of “Living Fulfilled Lives: Empowering People With Learning Disabilities.” Connect with her on Facebook.
