Starting off...
Just like in the first principle "Relating to kids!" I stressed the importance of using words that are on a kid's level, the same applies to other areas! So, in order to design games, memory verses, puppet shows, etc. to reach your kids, then you had better know just what they are able to learn and retain!
An example...
Is that you'd better not expect a 5 year old kid to understand an abstract concept, because one of the age level characteristics for that age, is that they only understand concrete concepts! So don't just talk about the love of God, for instance. Because love is an abstract concept! Take that concept and put it in concrete terms. Terms that a kid that age can understand. So talk about the love that their parents have for them. Or if they don't have two parents, their grandparents, etc.,
See?
What you've just done is take an abstract concept, and put it into terms that five year olds can understand. And you wouldn't have known that that was a problem without the age level characteristics of kids that age!
I want to say thank you to a few of the places that I can remember where I got the learning characteristics. (Mind you, when you get as old as me, you are bound to forget somebody!) The ones that I remember are Margaret M. Self, The Kidologist Karl Bastian, Childhood Education in the Church by Roy B Zuck and Robert E. Clark, The Children's Ministry Resource Bible, and Willie George Ministries.
