1. Teaching Faith to Children: a preschool guide
to sharing Christian faith with young learners
Course Description:
This staff development course will equip early educators to confidently share
God’s design for His children to know Him through faith in His creation, His
word, His goodness, His answer to prayer and His love.
Students will be equipped with the following teaching skills:
1. To share obedience to God’s teaching in His word.
2. To guide early education students in an understanding of sin.
3. To model God’s forgiveness.
4. To give early education students a foundation for a lifetime of faith building.
Students in this course will be challenged in grasping the concepts of Christian
philosophy and the importance of Christian education for their early education
students.
Prerequisite: None

2. Course Instructor: Barbara Ferguson Ogilvie
Welcome to class! My name is Barbara Ogilvie. I am
excited that you have chosen this class and I pray
that as we walk through the stages of faith
development in young learners that you will be
inspired to deepen your faith experience.
In addition to teaching this course, I am the
Preschool Director at Step By Step Children’s
Enrichment Center at Gonzalez Baptist Church in
Pensacola, FL.
I taught my 8 children at home for 20+ years
before receiving my B.A. in Christian School
Education from Nazarene Bible College in Colorado
Springs, CO.
I enjoy gardening, painting murals, and playing
board games with the five children still at home.
Please feel free to contact me at any time
throughout this course.
Instructor Contact Information:
email: pansey0021@aol.com
Surrounded by family. Extremely grateful.

3. Purpose of Building an Online Community:
Establishes a sense of shared purpose, establishes a place of belonging, establishes
personal boundaries, establishes a level of trust and mutual respect among the
community members.
It is important that we get to know each other as a class. Please
post an introduction to the DB. Include:
• Your name
• Current job
• Some past job-related experiences.
• Highlight some personal interests or hobbies
• Tell the class what has motivated you to take this class and what you hope to
be the outcome.

4. Teaching Faith to Children is available for all
teachers and support staff in faith-based
early education programs.
• Preschool Teachers
• Sunday School Teachers
• Parents
• Early Childhood
Training Programs
• Babysitters

5. Teaching Faith to Children: Goals
Effectually Inspiring Teachers of
Faith to Impart Their Faith
Give Teachers the Tools They Need
to Teach Faith in Early Education

6. What Does Christian Education Look Like?
Modeling an attitude of Christ-like actions such as prayer, teaching from God’s Holy Word,
reverence for God’s house, loving each other and worshipping with each other bring the
character of God alive for young learners. The facts of God are too abstract for young
children therefore our actions as teachers are paramount for the development of faith in a
child.
Modeling an attitude of
Modeling an attitude of
reverence for God’s house.
celebration in God’s house.

7. Childhood development through the first five years is critical and rapid. In Fowler’s
Stages of Faith Chart, the Intuitive/Projective stage states, “This is the stage of
preschool children in which fantasy and reality often get mixed together. However,
during this stage, our most basic ideas about God are usually picked up from our
parents and/or society” (Baker, 2013).
Students of this class will develop methods of using teachable moments, music, hands-on,
artistic or other media to introduce God to their young learners. Methods will be
based on research and probable application in real-life situations. Various learning
styles will be addressed through projects.
KEY THOUGHT Teachable Moment:
1. “Recognize that children often learn moral lessons unconsciously, in casual moments.
2. Be aware of situations that represent moral choices.
3. Talk with children about the ethical challenges represented in everyday situations, the media and popular culture.
4. Praise children for their ethical choices.
5. Point out ethical behavior in others.
6. Let children see your own thought processes regarding ethical decisions”
(Carr, 1997).

8. Using Teachable Moments
with K4
Prayer is a Building Block
to Faith in God.

9. Teaching children to
celebrate gifts and be
thankful is a building
block to faith.
Celebrating worship to
God in a meaningful way
demonstrates that faith is
an outward expression of
our inward change.
Teaching tools, such as
modern stories of belief,
are used to connect
concepts.

10. Web Link to support Teaching Faith to Children
• Teaching the Gospel to Kids :: Gospel Centered Teaching - Trevin
Wax. http://vimeo.com/78571813
• This video speaks into the hearts of faith building parents and
teachers on then importance of building faith early, consistently,
repetitively, lovingly and expectantly.
• (I tried for hours to get a video to post… I have tried several sources, used the embedded codes as
directed and tried cutting and pasting URL. Nothing has worked).

11. Teaching Faith to Children Scoring Rubric.
Student must score a minimum of 10 with at least a 1 for each category.
Excellent_3 Competent_2 Needs work_1
Needs Assessment Specific to the audience; intentional needs
assessment on specific material; evidence of
research or review on the importance of
teaching faith to children.
Research is thorough and goes beyond what was
presented in class or in the assigned texts.
Specific to the audience; intentional needs
assessment on specific material
Research is adequate but does not go much
beyond what was presented in class or in the
assigned text.
Generalized, not specific to the audience
Little or no research is apparent.
Learning Objectives Includes at least 3 measurable learning objectives.
Helps to expand and apply knowledge using:
interpret, apply, practice, demonstrate,
compare, contrast, etc.; reflects opportunity to
expand and apply knowledge to everyday
practice.
Includes at least 3 measurable learning
objectives. Helps to expand and apply
knowledge using: interpret, apply, practice,
demonstrate, compare, contrast, etc.
Includes at least 3 measurable learning
objectives.
Content Provides opportunity to expand and apply
knowledge to everyday practice; consistent with
reliable child development theory & principles,
professional competencies, best practices, quality
standards and licensing regulations; extremely
comprehensive; provides opportunity to refine
skills and put concepts and behaviors into
context.
Provides opportunity to expand and apply
knowledge to everyday practice; consistent
with reliable child development theory &
principles, professional competencies, best
practices, quality standards and licensing
regulations
Minimal content, provides opportunity
to expand and apply knowledge to
everyday practice
Training Methods Includes a minimum of 2 basic instructional
methods; provides evidence how methods are
used to reinforce ability to focus learning on the
application of concepts; includes a time and
sequence that supports and reinforces learning;
appropriate to learning objectives and content
Includes a minimum of 2 basic instructional
methods; provides evidence how methods
are used to reinforce ability to focus
learning on the application of concepts;
includes a time and sequence; appropriate
to learning objectives and content
Includes a minimum of 2 basic
instructional methods; includes time
and sequence
Appendices Materials list is included and referenced;
materials are used to enhance and reinforce
learning objectives; includes a minimum of 2
recent references and 2 resources; all references
and resources are relevant to the content. Use
APA citations.
Materials list is included and referenced;
includes a minimum of 2 recent references
and 2 resources. Use APA citations.
Materials list is included but not
referenced; includes a minimum of 2
references and 2 resources. Use APA
citations.

12. References
Baker, Matt. (2013) James Fowler's Stages of Faith Chart. Retrieved
from: http://www.usefulcharts.com/psychology/james-fowler-stages-of-faith.
html
Carr, S. Ph.D. (1997) Children of Character: Making the Most of Teachable Moments.
Johns Hopkins School of Education. Retrieved from:
http://education.jhu.edu/PD/newhorizons/lifelonglearning/early-childhood/
teachable-moments/
Wax, T. (2014). Teaching the Gospel to Children. Lifeway: Gospel Centered Teaching.
Retrieved from: http://vimeo.com/78571813