Scenarios

Scenario 12

A child in your Year 5 class says 'My Dad says God doesn't exist'. What's your reply?

Remember that you do not have to prove immediately and definitively to all these 9 year olds that God exists... This will buy you time.

Clues

  • Do you know who the child is? Or who her/his father is? If they are in your congregation, you may have a clue as to why the child is saying this. Is it to gain attention, or expressing an anxiety? Is it a misunderstanding?
  • Be careful about the way you answer the pupil, that s/he does not get the message that you are saying the father must be wrong.
  • What a Year 5 child means by saying 'God does not exist' is not necessarily the same as if an adult says it. So you can explore further by asking questions such as 'Why do you think he says that?' or 'What do you believe?' 'What do other children here believe?' 'Why?'. You could also say why you believe in God. But keep the whole tone light...
  • The most important thing is to encourage pupils to explore their own ideas - see the pupils as 'emerging theologians'! They are likely to have ideas of their own and will, at this stage in their development, be increasingly aware that others may well hold views different from their own. Encourage the pupils to try to critically evaluate their views and the views of others.
  • It is appropriate to be honest about the variety of opinions there are about the existence of God (within the faith communities as well as outside them!).
  • And only get distracted if it's appropriate to the lesson.

Hide clues...

Resources

An exploration of ways in which we can support young people by 'accompanying' them on their faith journey.

Godly Play: An Imaginative Approach to RE

Berryman, J W
1991, Augsburg Fortress, Minneapolis ISBN 0 806 62785 9

Berryman is probably the name heard more than any other in the field of faith development and Christian education. An inspiring educator.

Sacred Gardens

Palmer, M & Manning, D
2000, Piatkus ISBN 0 749 91830 6

Have you considered creating a 'sacred space' in the school grounds. Some would argue the most powerful experience of God's presence in the world is in nature. Gardens are said to stimulate and heal as well as provide a landscape for the imagination. Lots of ideas are to be found in this book.

The International Journal of Children's Spirituality
(Carfax Publishing ISSN 1364-436X) provides an international and multi-cultural forum for those involved in research and development of children's and young people's spirituality.

Resources for the classroom

Looking for God

Kirkwood, R
1987, Longman ISBN 0 582 20255 8

Looking for Proof of God

1990, Longman ISBN 0 582 20309 0

These are books designed for use with Key Stage 3 pupils, but the ideas could be adapted and used with younger pupils to begin to explore beliefs about God.