Outtakes 98

A Little Child

By Cait Collins

Vacation Bible School 2013 ended this evening. Tomorrow the children will be treated to a waterslide and dinner before midweek services. I had only one student in my cradle roll class. Brooklyn is about 19 months old and beautiful. Her eyes are huge, dark curls bounce when she walks, and her smile lights up a room. I love teaching this age group. Babies (0-24 months) keep you on your toes. Everything is new and exciting. They are so curious. These precious little ones are sponges absorbing everything they see and hear.

When I handed her a lion and roared, she grinned and roared back. I watched Brooklyn mimic my movements to make a stuffed tree frog “talk”. Her little fingers pressed on the left front toe but no trill came forth. She continued to focus as my finger make the frog speak. Then she tried again. Finally she found the button and the frog trilled. Her eyes widened and she smiled. Baby chatter erupted as she proceeded to explain to me how she made the frog talk. Those moments of discovery never cease to amaze me.

Studies indicate early instruction enhances the normal discovery process and can increase the child’s learning potential by as much as 15%. This should not surprise us. Think of all a child learns in the first two years of life. He recognizes mom and dad, discovers his fingers and toes, learns to say a few words, begins to walk, and strings words to make sentences. Why not encourage the learning process by reading to a child or listening as he or she, extols the virtues of an ant. You can build a tower with blocks or dig in the dirt together. It doesn’t need to be elaborate or extremely time consuming. A few minutes each day can mean so much to a little one.

Writers can play a role in educating our children. I write little songs. One of my sisters told her Bible stories in poetry form. We need to at least attempt to write something for very young children.  It’s not as easy as you might think. Children’s books are more than a series of pictures decorating pages. Like adult novels, children’s literature requires characters and a plot. Who is up to the challenge? Wouldn’t you enjoy reading your story to a jury of kids and parents? I know I would.