A Heart for Missions View of Children "My Lord knows that the children are frail...I will lead on slowly,...according to the pace of the children." Genesis 33:13-14 Children are fragile although sometimes they appear tough. This toughness is often a defense children develop when they are consistently treated roughly or unkindly. We need to "lead on slowly according to the pace of children." We must be knowledgeable about children's development and seek to teach according to their ability. Age Profiles A valuable tool when working with children is an age level profile. Children within the same society are often developmentally close to other children of the same age. Many six-year-old children are alike. Likewise, many eleven-year-old children are alike. However, all children vary from one another in some ways. Do not be alarmed if children who are eight behave in ways that are expected of a seven or nine-year-old. These age-level profiles are approximate and vary according to environment and personality. The following age-level descriptions are included as descriptive (what children are thought to be like) not prescriptive (how children ought to be) for children of that age. Six Years Old Active, excitable/enthusiastic, impulsive, dogmatic, sensitive, works in spurts, wants and deserves praise Seven Years Old Silly, practices, good listener, worries, more quiet as compared with six year old, sensitive to evaluation, likes to complete projects Eight Years Old Very curious, likes new experiences, lots of teasing, likes to finish things FAST, likes to collect things and bargain and barter with other people Nine Years Old Calm, responsible, steadfast, considerate, chumship and friendship are important, likes team sports Ten Years Old Peaceful, steady, likes clubs and codes and passwords, chumship and friendship are very important Eleven Years Old Increased activity level, unpredictable, may be emotional, teasing and joking, talk-talk-talk, often goes to church to see friends. Back to the top

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