Over the last two decades, new research methods have enabled child development experts to reconsider their assumptions about how children grow and learn. They’ve discovered that many of the universal stage theories we’ve taken for granted underestimate the capabilities of children and devalue their ways of exploring and interpreting the world. This means simple linear charts outlining ages and stages according to Piaget, Erikson, Kohlberg, Fowler, and others are no longer reliable accounts of children’s engagement in faith formation. Come explore the world of new developmental theories and their implications for nurturing children’s spirituality. Learn to recalibrate your thinking about developmental tasks and milestones so that you can better support children’s faith journeys. Imagine new approaches to teaching religious stories, ideas, and practices that lean into children’s unexpected abilities. Together, we’ll create new developmental frameworks to guide religious education in congregational settings and at home.
