BY SUE CLARK Have you noticed how heartwarming it is to see a child pray? I recall one occasion that really stands out to me, when the bell rang for the end of the K-2 lesson. The children were asked by the catechist “now stay where you are and pray in your hearts to Jesus.” The children literally stopped what they were doing and I watched one particular child join hands and talk to Jesus. Mission accomplished! It reminded me that, as catechists, we have a unique opportunity to introduce the children to Jesus and nurture within them a personal relationship with him. Let us not underestimate the power of spontaneous prayer from the heart that leads all ages of children to their Lord. Children love to pray and how wonderful it is that our Curriculum, Christ our Light and Life aims to provide an environment in which young children may fall ‘in love’ with Jesus the Good Shepherd and slowly come to know that they are members of the Church that he established for us. If we are to help the children foster a personal relationship with God, it makes sense that we give them opportunities to talk to God and for God to talk to them. As part of this process let us also model ourselves at prayer time and prepare ourselves by asking, am I recollected? Do I have a desire for these children to have an interaction with God? Our task is simple and sacred — to help children recognise that God desires to meet them in prayer. Here are some suggestions to help you manage prayer time with young children, using a variety of methods which focus on their current stage of life and their developmental needs. Kindergarten and Stage 1 (Years K,1,2) - Keep it Simple! Using these simple techniques, you will have the children praying in no time! Children who are starting school will need to learn to make the Sign of the Cross and pray the words “In the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” This may take some practice. Before you make the sign of the cross, say something like “Let’s be quiet, join our hands and speak to Jesus in our hearts.” Each lesson has an age-appropriate prayer suggestion for the start and the finish of the lesson. As the children move into Years 1 and 2 they will be able to articulate their own prayers of thanks and blessing to God for example, for the gift of creation. Alternatively, you can use one of your own favourites. I heard this one used recently “Hello dear Lord, I hope that you will be with me the whole day through, and help me love you even more, than I did the day before. Amen” Gather the children on the floor and affirm good behaviour, such as “I really like the way (child’s name) is sitting so quietly while we prepare to pray.” Unpack the Prayer Place reverently to give the children a focus. Draw attention to the liturgical season, especially if it has changed from the previous week. Use one prayer only and introduce a new one each term. Say the prayer and the actions together as this will also help to settle the children. Initially, you say one line and the students repeat it after you. Be a mirror for the children. If you can make the sign of the cross with your left hand it may help the children copy you. In composite classes be mindful of children who already know how to make the Sign of the Cross and invite them to lead the others. Say something like “We are going to start by making the sign of the cross and we are all going to do it together. Those children who already know how to make the sign of the cross, I’d like you to set a good example for the others.” Eventually they will read from the books or say the prayers by heart if you repeat them often. Repetition activates the memory and creates routine. Stage 2 (Years 3 &4) Let them Share! Children in Years 3 and 4 will be able to read the prayers from their activity book lesson or from the back of the book which provides a number of different choices. They may also be eager to share their prayer intentions with the rest of the class. In year 4, you could pray a decade of the Rosary (Yr 4, Lesson 22: Mary, our Guide to Jesus). This would be a fitting way to combine the main prayers of the Church–Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be. Age Appropriate Prayer 20 | CONFRATERNITY OF CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE • CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF WOLLONGONG
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