Back to: FDLC Liturgical Catechesis Project
Back to: Children in the Liturgy

Developmental Stages of the Child

Scripture shows that a child thinks, talks and reasons differently from an adult. They are not mini-adults! Understanding the developmental stages children pass through is helpful in relating to, and leading, them in worship.

In general a child's intellectual development progresses from the self- centred, magical thinking of a preschooler, to concrete reasoning during elementary school years and finally to the abstract reasoning of adolescence.

Jean Piaget, the Swiss psychologist, identified four developmental stages that correspond to a child's chronological age:

A. THE SENSORI-MOTOR PERIOD (birth - two years)
At this early stage children act and think through their five senses. Cognitive learning is impossible. Worship must be an emotional and enjoyable experience.

B. PRE-OPERATIONAL THOUGHT (two - seven years)
During this stage a child is unable to perform operations in thought. They can remember what they are taught, but not think about its meaning. They are also unable to distinguish fantasy from reality. For these children believing in God is as easy as believing in Dad, Mom and an Easter Bunny. They need a sense of belonging in worship, provided through active involvement, which will produce a sense of emotional fulfilment.

C. CONCRETE OPERATIONS (seven - twelve years)
At about age seven the child begins to differentiate fantasy from reality and can perform operations of thought on what they can see. The child now thinks in concrete terms but does not deal well with abstract concepts. When a child in this stage is told that Jesus is knocking at the door of their heart, they view Jesus as a literal man who is knocking on a physical door inside their chest. The worship leader should find ways to present abstract ideas in concrete forms.

D. FORMAL OPERATIONS (beyond twelve years)
Only at this stage can children perform operations in abstract thought. Only now will they be able to understand that the picture of Christ knocking on the door of our heart is a picture that speaks of God's Spirit calling to Man's spirit. The inability of a child to relate to abstract ideas is of particular interest and importance when trying to lead children into an abstract experience, such as the worship of an invisible yet omnipresent God. Once we are aware of these limitations we can develop strategies for communicating abstract spiritual truths in concrete terminology. Jesus used the approach, "The kingdom of heaven is like..." to make the transition from the abstract to the concrete. By comparing abstract ideas to tangible things the child has experienced, they are able to grasp many spiritual truths.

Extracted from Chapter 8, A MANUAL FOR CHILDREN'S MINISTRY by Mark Tittley