Selected Articles :
Consciousness in Child Psychology
CHILD PSYCHOLOGY
I. EARLY CHILDHOOD
( Preschool period)
TAKE CONTROL EARLY OR LOOSE CONTROL FOREVER
How to begin???
Begin with a smile
Do not rush to hold a child or talk to him
Start talking with a kind & calm voice
Give him time to build confidence in you.
Go down to his level
You have to become a child to win a child
What does the child like???
Animals and birds
Stories like Noah’s arc, Jonah in the fish belly, Balaam’s donkey and the lost cheep are suitable for this age.
Kids believe and enjoy these stories easier at this age than when they get older.
Everything before the child in this age is alive in his imagination including pictures, statues and toys.
Short and Focused Stories
Kids at this age have a short attention span.
Do not give many details in a story.
Use simple and short answers when responding to their questions.
Respect all their questions and attempt to answer them all.
Audiovisual aids
Preschool children like pictures more than information.
They like colors.
They also like imitation of sounds during the story.
Make sure that the pictures do not contradict the story.
Playing and laughter
Provide the games that they like not what you like.
Provide safe and spacious area for playing.
Occupy their time with productive play.
Do not make his obedience to you a restriction to his freedom.
Children in this age delight in the person that make them laugh.
Continuous Motion
The child has a great deal of energy that he uses in movement.
Instead of struggling with the child to stay still, use his motion to participate in the class. How…???
Teach them hymns and stories using motion, actions and body language.
Let them participate in distributing and collecting things in class.
Repetition and tunes:
They like songs and tunes.
They also like to hear them over and over again.
Finally, they memorize them.
Sunday school teacher can use tuned expressions to help the child memorize things like the bible books, the Coptic months, memory verses…. etc.
Imitation:
Children at this age are fond of imitating movements and voices.
They absorb the characteristics of their teachers and parents.
Sunday school teachers have to be careful about their actions, dress, movements and words.
Whatever you do they will do and whatever you say they will say.
Praise and encouragement:
Praise raises their self-esteem and motivates them to be better.
Praise is the mean to teach him what is good and desired.
Be fair in praising all the kids in your class.
Can be used for discipline e.g. when we say " God loves the kids who sit quietly in church"
What does the child not like???
Intimidation:
The famous phrase "God will get angry with you"
Don’t make the image of God fearful to the child.
Don’t make him think that he will loose the love of God for any reason.
Don’t give him the impression that bad things are happening to him because God wants so.
Ignoring what concerns them:
Sometime their mind will be occupied with a new toy or cloth…. etc. As a teacher share his thoughts and talk to him about it to make him your friend.
After sharing the child’s concern he will be able to share with you your heavenly concerns ,… "Our father …etc."
Lying:
Don’t try to trick him or deceive him to reach your aim e.g. "Don’t talk so you would become an angel".
Don’t give him promises that you cannot keep because he will not trust you, listen to you or obey you again.
Don’t misinform him e.g. what you take during communion is bread and grape juice instead of the blood and body of Jesus.
Loud and angry voices:
Children in this age fear loud and angry voices even if they do not understand the words.
On the other hand, he does not know how to whisper in church. Instead of rebuking him we teach him or take him to the crying room until he learns.
What do they need to learn during early childhood?
Prayer:
Repeated prayer to be memorized e.g. Agpyia, psalms.
Need to learn the correct body postures and behavior during prayer.
Has to see adults pray so they would learn to pray "See one, Do one, Teach one"
Giving
As they rejoice in our gifts to them, we must teach them to give.
This may be hard at the beginning because at this age they believe that every thing belongs to them and they usually like to hold unto their belongings.
We can start by giving them something with the aim of giving it back or to someone else.
Always make sure to praise him when he gives
Rituals:
Children who are ordained deacons when they are young rejoice in wearing a tunia, enters the sanctuary or holds a candle.
It is much easier for the child to receive the rituals at this age of submission before he enters the mind stage.
Children live what they learn
If a child lives with criticism, He learns to condemn
If a child lives with hostility, He learns violence
If a child lives with ridicule, He learns to be shy
IF a child lives with shame, He learns to feel guilty
If a child lives with encouragement, He learns confidence
If a child lives with praise, He learns to appreciate
If a child lives with fairness, He learns justice
If a child lives with approval, He learns to like himself
If a child lives with acceptance and friendship, He learns to love
