Godly Play (Montessori Style) Sunday School
Sunday School helps children discover the love of God while bringing them the stories of the Bible with a hands-on ‘Montessori’ experience. Church of Our Saviour Sunday School encourages a child’s curiosity and imagination and gently helps him or her to connect their own spirituality with a deeper understanding of Jesus’s loving message to the world.
All children are welcome to attend. Sunday School starts at 9:30 am on Sunday Mornings. (Call 530-626-8020 if you’d like more information.) ‘Open House’ for parents and children is available every Sunday or during the week by appointment.
A Montessori education starts with the notion that all children are naturally curious and capable of learning. Besides teaching the bible stories, this teaching style fosters independent focus and learning. This curiosity to learn often carries over to other areas of a child’s life.
Learning to work and play with others in a peaceful caring community with acceptance and encouragement are embodied within all activities. Children develop and identify a clear sense that they are valued. Every child is treated with dignity and respect.
The teacher’s role is often to act as a facilitator, bringing the child’s understanding of Biblical themes to a level of practical life learning. (When the ten commandments are taught, for example, a teacher might ask “What do you think loving your neighbor as yourself means to you or… to your neighbor?)
As the child wonders about this question, he or she explores the meaning of the commandment.
Learning from peers also fosters a child’s growth and re-enforces the notion that every child learns at their own pace.
The children develop sensorial learning activities. And they are provided choices. Choosing for themselves is important for a child. Would they like to draw pictures of the people in the Bible story or would they like to ‘play’ with the biblical figures reenacting the story like a play in a sand box. In other instances, the children may be encouraged to wonder what the desert is like; what it would be like to cross the desert with camels and other people in a caravan. Older children might be encouraged to find Bible passages that speak to them or relate to that day’s Bible Story or parable. This style of ‘discovering’ allows children to explore their feelings about the events described in the Bible and bring their Christianity to a deeper level.
