Early Childhood Education: September 2011

The Importance of Words: Words for a Spiritual Life

By Anne Neuberger

Last month, we looked at using vocabulary development to create a peaceful and considerate classroom atmosphere. Let's take that a further step.

Before a baby is able to talk, he will respond when his name is called.

Someday, he may hear the Scripture, "I have called you by name." (Is 43:1) Very likely, he will understand that God loves him because, long ago, a loving adult called him by name.

We never know what we say to a child that is contributing to that little person becoming aware of God's presence.

Words are essential to our spiritual life. However, words that help develop a child¹s spirituality are much broader than those we teach through prayers or scripture stories. These are important, but just a portion of the words that contribute.

A child with a rich vocabulary is able to have a significant awareness of the world around her. Words she knows help her observe things whose names she recognizes and helps her form questions about things she cannot name.

Whole worlds open up to those who wonder!

These kinds of observations and questions lead to abstract thinking. A large vocabulary helps a child begin to understand concepts as diverse as symbolism, differences and similarities, irony, negotiation and humor. As he matures, these thought processes will enable him to read Scripture more fully and distill the subtle meanings. He will be able to see parallels in his own life to that in a Scripture story.

Emotion plays a part in spirituality. Preschool teachers often teach emotion words. A child who can recognize his own emotions can learn empathy. From there, friendship skills develop and even the ability to contribute to a community. All of these lead directly to many of Christ's teachings — loving your neighbor, feeding the hungry, comforting the afflicted, etc.

Both the capacities to empathize and to think abstractly lead to the capability to make moral choices. We all must make them. Who has the best "tools" to make healthy decisions? A person who can consider consequences to others as well as to herself, who is able to evaluate information on several levels, and has learned to incorporate Christ¹s teaching into her life.

And then there is beauty. Children can become aware of God¹s presence in their lives and in their world if we give them words that lead to an appreciation for beauty. Even a 1 year-old will be affected by examining a flower with an adult who says, "This flower is yellow. It is so tiny! God made flowers for us!" By age 3, a child can observe the patterns on a butterfly¹s wings or the way a flower petal is dark red toward the center of the flower and a lighter shade on the outside of the petals. That is the time for an adult to say, "Isn't God¹s work amazing? And it is a gift to us from God! Let¹s say, "Thank you, God our Creator, for these wonderful things!" A 4-year-old can observe trees— differences in bark textures, the variety of seed pods, the many shapes of leaves. She can make a book about how many different ways God made trees. She can be encouraged to sit under a tree and talk to God, who made the tree and is there, too. This may lead to her becoming a botanist or a mystic— or both!

A child whose vocabulary allows him to imagine can use that to feel the presence of God through other forms of beauty, such as the arts. For example, give him a few moments to listen to inspiring music (such as Bach's "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring") and suggest that he imagine that Jesus is listening to it with him.

As your school year unfolds and you plan your class times, know that the words you give to your little ones can result in the gift of children coming to know the presence of God.

Check out Anne's website at www.anneneuberger.com and see her latest book, "A Circle of Saints".