NORTH

ZIMBABWE CONFERENCE
MASTER GUIDE
CHILD DEVELOPMENT LECTURE SERIES
(Six Hours)

ü When does a child become a human being?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

ü When does a child begin to need good nutrition?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

ü When does a child begin to need good training?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

There are various responses that you get to these questions. Perspectives differ and
they all give you different answers to the above questions.

Social/Cultural Perspective
- later in life.

Biological Perspective
- conception.

Legal Perspective
- at birth.

Spiritual Perspective
- before conception.

“Before I formed thee in the belly, I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of
the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.”
Jeremiah 1:5

DOMAINS OF DEVELOPMENT
a) Physical
b) Mental
c) Social
d) Emotional
e) Spiritual

What is the relationship between the above ‘domains of development’ and the
following verse? “And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God
and man.” Luke 2:52

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

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Spiritual Development
The terms “spiritual development”, “faith development” and “development of religious
understanding” have different meanings, but are often used interchangeably.

Thompson and Randall say that spiritual development “concerns the broad search
for transcendental meaning that may be as simple as a young child’s inquiries into
how the world came into being or as complex as a theologian’s metaphysical
analysis.”

“Faith development” is the development of a belief in a divinity.

The development of religious understanding “involves an individual’s

progressive adherence to a propositional network of values, creeds, and practices of
organized religion.”

Spiritual development may be associated with or incorporated with faith

development and religious understanding.

“Spiritual development invites reflections on the transcendental and the

metaphysical, on values that arise from fundamental propositions concerning
human character and existence, as well as on specific religious practices and
symbols.”

There is no necessary or inevitable process of spiritual growth as is found in the

maturational phases of physical, emotional, or cognitive development.

Spiritual growth is tied to reflective thought and concerns about questions such as:

• What is the meaning of and purpose of my life?

• Who am I? Why am I here?

• What is my future?

What defines the differences between right and wrong? Why should I act rightly?
Why is there so much wrong in the world?

“Spiritual development is connected to children’s efforts to understand the
meaning and causes of life experience.”

“True education means more than the pursual of a certain course of study. It means
more than a preparation for the life that now is. It has to do with the whole being,
and with the whole period of existence possible to man. It is the harmonious
development of the physical, the mental, and the spiritual powers.” Education page
13.1

Deuteronomy 6:6-9 “And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in
thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of
them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when
thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon
thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write
them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.”

STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT
AGE CLASSIFICATION
Birth-24 months Infancy and Toddler
2 and 3 Preschool
4 and 5 Early Childhood
6, 7, 8 Middle Childhood
9, 10, 11 Later Childhood
12, 13, 14 Early Adolescence
15, 16, 17 Middle Childhood
18-34 Later Adolescence or Young Adulthood

INFANCY (Birth to 24 Months)
PHYSICALLY- A Rapid Grower
v Grows rapidly in the first few months
v Progresses steadily during the first year
v Turns about in bed and pulls himself up in the crib.
v Begins to creep and crawl
v When legs grow stronger he begins toddling place to place
v Soon walks
v Continually active
v Stretches, kicks, waves arms and legs, moves eyes, blinks, cries, grasps.
v Activity leads to growth.
v Activity leads to development.

Growth means simply to increase in size. Development implies change in the
character of the body which makes for maturity and strength. The natural God-
intended development comes through physical activity. The body should also
develop the senses and the intellect. The child gradually perceives and understands
through impressions gained by touching, tasting, smelling, seeing, and hearing.

MENTALLY- A Discoverer
v Deep longing to probe and discover is God-given.
v The little child begins a long search truth in both temporal and eternal
matters.
v Because of verbal limitations, the infant is largely a self-instructor.

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SOCIALLY- Limited to Immediate Surroundings
v Lives in a small world.
v Likes the familiar and enjoys the immediate surroundings
v Learns how to gain attention through sounds, gestures, and actions.
v Plays individually but enjoys being entertained by others.
v Child depends almost entirely upon members of the family and caregivers.

EMOTIONALLY- Sensitive
v Sensitive to surroundings
v May be afraid of strangers or unfamiliar surroundings
v If frightened they retreat to mother’s arms.
v Expresses displeasure through temper tantrums.
v Can learn acceptable and unacceptable types of behaviors.

SPIRITUALLY- Dependent Upon Parents
v Acquires patterns of behavior through imitations.
v Actions of others have spiritual implications.
v Imitate what they see even if they don’t understand the implications of the
behavior.
v They pattern their life for good or evil that way.
v Their concept of God is largely determined by the parent’s concepts and
attitudes toward God.

PRESCHOOL (2 and 3 Years)
PHYSICALLY- Active
v Engages in many physical or motor activities essential for normal growth and
development.
v Meaning at this stage activity should be promoted and not blocked.
v Tires easily cause of so much activity,
v Needs balance between active and quiet programs.
v Needs room for action and to roam.
v Needs to be able to move about freely.
v Lacks coordination cause muscles are still developing.
v Can’t sit for a long time without moving.
v Needs activities to stretch his growing body rather than repress his
movement.

MENTALLY- A Discoverer
v Discovers his world through his senses.
v Learning experiences provided by color and texture, tone and volume,
fragrance and flavor, warmth and coldness.
v Needs to touch an object to understand it.
v Senses and feels keenly things that adults rarely notice.
v “Attention span” and interest span are different.
v These children’s attention span is limited and not necessarily short.
v When their maximum interest span has been reached, he will move on to
 another activity- planned or unplanned.
v All activities must be somewhat flexible.
v When a child wants to return to an activity, they should be allowed to do so.
v Their vocabulary is limited.
v Most common words seem to be “me” and “mine”.
v Learns new words and meanings from older people in his life.
v May ask a question and forget it then return few minutes later to ask again.
v Child may have 300 words in his active vocabulary- at three about 900
words- depending on exposure to books, tapes, television etc.
v The child learns more through non-verbal communication- gestures, facial
expressions, attitudes, emotional reactions- than he does through spoken
words.
v Has limited concept understanding of time, space, and numbers.
v “Long long ago” and “far far away” are much more appropriate and
meaningful to him than “1000 years ago” or “2000 miles away.”
v Parents, teachers and caregivers must learn to speak to their level with
words that are specific, concrete, and literal.

SOCIALLY- Self-Centered
v The child’s world revolves around him, his home, and other familiar
surroundings.
v In a wider world, he is still self-centered and fears the unfamiliar.
v Now is the time to stress the love and care of God as related to his everyday
experiences.
v May revert to infant behavior or conversely want to be independent even
though unable to perform some task.
v Would rather play alone than with others.
v Claims everything he sees or touches when with other children.
v Not eager to share things with others.
v May drop what he claims his and immediately picks up something else which
becomes his.
v The two or three year old may say ‘no’ though not necessarily meaning it.
v His ‘no’ may mean ‘I don’t understand you’ or ‘I cant do it’ or even ‘why’ or
really ‘no’.

EMOTIONALLY- Fearful
v Does not like crowds of people with the accompanying noise and confusion.
v Like the familiar, church, home, or nursery.
v Home visits can help the church class teacher familiarize with the child
before they meet at church.
v Greeting the children as they arrive will work to lower the tension cause by
fear of strangers.
v Therefore, the leaders should arrive early.
v A nursery child who begins to cry can be diverted by engaging them in a new
activity.
v Because of his active five senses, the child can react favorably or unfavorably
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 to atmosphere, color, and beauty.
v Rooms should be bright and colorful, warm and pleasant.
v The atmosphere should be one of efficiency and minimal confusion.
v Even the leader’s clothes should say a lot about the nursery department
being a wonderful place.
v Men and husband-wife teams are most favorable and accepted in this
department.
v IMPORTANT: Identification with the male image, as well as the female, is
needed for the child to develop wholesome attitudes.

SPIRITUALLY- An Imitator
v The nursery child imitates parents, teachers and siblings.
v May not understand the significance of the actions but he imitates what he
sees and eventually patterns his life after those he imitates.
v This often includes the young child’s feelings toward God.
v No teaching is as powerful and life changing as the parents’ quality of life.
v The child is quick to sense the adult attitudes before he understands the
meaning of words.
v How can the Christian parent teach this child? When they lovingly care for
him, help one another, share with others, read the Bible, and pray to their
Heavenly Father. All these actions show the child how to live a life after God’s
will.
v Wrong actions are also imitated early enough in life. Parents whose
pressures, problems, and immature emotions are constantly reflected in
their attitudes and actions will find their counterpart in the restless and
unhappy child.
v This child can understand that the Bible is an important and special Book
from God, Jesus is God’s Son, the church is God’s house, and God loves and
cares for him.
v Because of his undependable memory and limited vocabulary, concepts,
stories and teachings must be repeated over and over in a variety of ways.
The nursery child enjoys this repetition.
v This child needs help to distinguish between right or wrong and fact or fancy.
v Bible stories should always be labeled as true and taught from an open Bible.
v This child wants to be loved. This they communicate by seeking attention.
v This is good time to emphasize God’s love for each child.

EARLY CHILDHOOD (4 and 5 Years)
PHYSICALLY- A Player
v The four- and five- year old is a player and all is world is a playground.
v This playtime is more than the physical but is mental, social, and spiritual as
well.
v Arms and legs are developing enlarging to provide a kindergarten child the
need to run constantly.
v Rate of development is fast at four and slower at five.
v A month difference in age may be significant at this time, for smaller muscles
 are beginning to develop causing him to tire easily of intricate projects.
v Play activities can help the large and small muscles to develop.
v Leaders should utilize the kindergarten’s stored-up energy and encourage
muscular development through carefully chosen activities.
v They should alternate active and quiet activities.
v Can contract communicable diseases easily.
v The growing body needs sufficient rest and a proper diet.
v Imitative play stimulates the child’s mind.
v He remembers best what he learns in this way.
v He can be anything he wants to be, a father, mother, cat and can be annoying.
v These imitations are vital to his personally development.

MENTALLY- A Questioner
v Is the child questioner.
v Discovery of the enlarged world leads to asking never-ending questions.
v Questioning is their best method of learning.
v Suppression of these questions by parents and teachers leads to suppression
of their quest for both knowledge and expression.
v “Over-answering” can confuse the small child and is unnecessary for
learning.
v This is normally done by a frustrated adult trying to answer questions he is
anticipating.
v Questions manifest self-realization and self-seeking.
v Vocabulary growing and will be around 500 to 1500 words.
v Need to teach and converse with them knowing their limitation in
vocabulary.
v His limitation in concepts of time, space, and numbers and may cause him to
ask more questions.
v Distances seem very far to him.
v This child talks freely. Can tell friends and teachers home life things that can
be shocking to parents.
v Uses questions to initiate conversations.
v Is curious and has keen imagination that are outstanding.
v Thinks in mental pictures.

SOCIALLY- A Conformist
v Conforms to others.
v Adds many outsiders to his circle.
v More familiar with surroundings and communicates better.
v Enjoys being with children his own age but is still quite self-centered.
v May cause him to be timid and afraid of children who are new to him.
v Learns team work the hard way.
v Discovers that stubbornness and self-centeredness may mean separation
from the group therefore he learns to cooperate.
v This child may want to be first, the biggest, or the winner.
v Should be taught to abide by the rules and restrictions of others.
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 v Later on learns to overcome some of his self-centeredness.
v Can be taught to lead others in a group effectively.

EMOTIONALLY- A Responder
v Emotionally intense.
v Has unpredictable reactions.
v May express himself in colorful ways so as to gain the attention he craves.
v Can control his emotions better than the nursery child.
v Still learning to live with others but needs guidance.
v Needs to be taught to avoid unacceptable behavior like biting, hitting,
pinching, and shoving.
v Such actions are done to get attention!
v The child is afraid of the unknown, the new, the dark, thunder and lightning,
barking dogs, and strange people.
v NB: a child’s fears should not be used to frighten him.
v This child may be very jealousy.
v This can be caused by the parents by lack of attention to the child especially
when there is a new baby in the home.

SPIRITUALLY- A Believer
v A teacher can easily influence the kindergarten child.
v Believes everything he is told.
v It is critical to be absolutely truthful in answering a child’s questions and not
take advantage of his trusting spirit.
v Needs to be taught that parents also are limited in knowledge even though
they are older.
v Has undependable memory that may cause him to confuse details in reality
with the make-believe world.
v Often unaware he has told an untruth.
v Untruthfulness may result from an exaggeration or inaccuracy as well as a lie.
v May tell stories about himself to make an impression.
v Inaccurate replies may be partly due to inattention or forgetfulness. Unable
to answer accurately, he gives the easiest answer that occurs to him.
v NB: a child may not deliberately and willfully lie unless he finds it profitable.
He may begin lying regularly when he finds that his act is not discovered or
that he is overly punished if he confesses.
v A lie should be pointed out or confessed and the child encouraged to conceal
nothing from father and mother.

MIDDLE CHILDHOOD (6-8 Years)
PHYSICALLY- A Hustler
v Longer attention span of ten to fifteen minutes.
v Restless nature leads to ceaseless activity.
v Activity furthers growth and development.
v Greater perception and accuracy of movement achieved by increased
awareness of the senses and control of muscular action.
 v Walking, running, throwing, and climbing movement now automatic.
v No longer gives attention to these actions.
v Programs with much activity are needed to develop muscular control and
coordination.
v Seeks strenuous activity but tires easily.
v Heart doesn’t grow proportionate to the rest of the body.
v Needs periods of activity and rest alternated.
v Exposed to disease as the friends world expands.
v He will begin to lose teeth and should be assured that this is natural and God
will provide stronger and better replacements.

MENTALLY- An Observer
v Observes more closely noticing things many adults may not.
v Has a keen interest and search for information.
v Thinks literally.
v Generalizations, abstractions, and symbols are easily misunderstood.
v He doesn’t think of Jesus as the spiritual light of the world.
v Teaching with questions for clarification and understanding help this age
child.
v Limited in time, space, and number concepts.
v May learn to repeat facts without understanding the material.
v Understands new concepts by relating each new experience to previous
knowledge.
v Easily memorizes Scripture verses and references.
v Likes to learn songs, poems, and other materials.
v Right attitudes towards the Bible can only be learnt through attitudes of
others- attitudes are not taught but caught.

SOCIALLY- Friendly
v Makes friends and converses easily, especially with those interested in him.
v Good time to encourage the child in establishing good interpersonal
relationships.
v Wants the group to accept and treat him as an equal.
v If guided in good behavior, he can easily be accepted in a group.
v Group participation helps the child overcome frustrations that are caused by
unperfected skills which are revealed when he alone is participating.
v 12a primary often dislikes competition and would rather work with other
children at his level of development.
v Boys and girls play together although sex antagonism may develop during
this period.
v When both men and women, or couples, teach this age group, they provide
the wholesome image of both men and women being interested in spiritual
matters.

EMOTIONALLY- Insecure
v Easily stimulated and quickly express themselves emotionally.
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 v Often emotionally insecure, therefore express themselves in childish
behavior.
v Insecurity may cause the child to burst emotionally therefore, patience and
understanding by adults are critical.
v Sometimes referred to as “the pleasing primary.”
v Will do whatever he can to secure approval from adults and is willing to be
the teacher’s helper.
v Thrives on honest praise and accomplishments and is quick to recognize
when what he does is truly appreciated.
v Especially interested in those his own age, but he shows sympathy and
concern for all ages.

SPIRITUALLY- A Discerner
v The primary child is God-inclined, with a tender conscience, a strong impulse
to obey, and implicit faith.
v Still believes what he is told, but already beginning to seek proof and
certainty.
v Still eager for a story but follows them with a “is is really true?” question in
mind.
v If Bible stories are presented with untrue embellishments, these, too, will be
cast aside.
v Now discovers there are good and bad associations likely to affect his own
character.
v A lie at eight is more serious to him than a falsehood was at four.
v A adult’s ability to attract children is a dynamic tool, for the child imitates the
doer rather than the deed.
v Winning a child to God is often achieved by a person with a winning
personality.
v Parents’ and teachers’ values become his standard of values, the measure of
his conduct, the scope of his conscience.
v Distinguishes what is taught by precept and what is taught by practice.
v Parents and teachers may sin by what they neglect as well as by what they
do.
v The primary’s readiness for spiritual decision depends upon previous home
experiences, attendance at church, meaningful teaching, and personal
application of the Word of God.
v Primaries, in their desire for acceptance, may falsely indicate a decision, so
should not be pushed to premature decision.
v A worship service can mean more to the primary child than a tedious
experience.
v If the primary child is to have a right attitude in spiritual matters, good first
impressions are important.
v The importance of the church and its related ministries is certain to suffer in
a child’s eyes if he detects indifference on the part of adults toward his
attendance and punctuality.

LATER CHILDHOOD (9-11 Years)
PHYSICALLY- Active
v Ready to go to the limit in any activity.
v Delights in challenges and craves excitement and physical exploits.
v Seems never to tire but overflows with energy.
v He follows enthusiastic leaders who enjoy life to its fullest.
v Increased strength enables the junior to be relatively free from disease.
v The junior needs varied activities and experiences, especially out-of -doors.
v Grows steadier and improves his physical coordination.
v The junior’s abounding energy and excellent health can be channeled into
worthwhile activities.

MENTALLY- Investigative
v Observes more accurately and reasons more logically than the primary.
v Is more self-reliant and an inquisitive explorer.
v Is alert and eager to learn anything new.
v He enjoys contests but he is not dependent upon this kind of motivation to
learn.
v May investigate by taking apart mechanical toys and then rebuilding them.
v Reads more easily and enters a new, larger world of books.
v Provision of good books through a church library can bring much thought to
spiritual growth to the junior.
v The junior questions how things and events fir together, and why.
v This older child is curious about the Bible geography and history and ready
to consider the why of people’s actions and God’s dealings.
v This is the golden age of memory and thus child is a good memorizer.
v The junior may be able to repeat a concept and not be able to fully
understand it.
v Symbolic ideas must be clarified.

SOCIALLY- Adjusting
v Begins to seek independence from adult leadership. S
v The junior is a joiner- he is peer-conscious.
v Wants to join a group, gang, or club.
v Likes secret codes and passwords.
v Identifies with people he likes and admires.
v Sexes often separate themselves.
v Male leadership should be provided especially for the sake of the boys.
v Husband-wife teams are ideal and the best in coeducational classes.
v Does not want favoritism but wants justice.
v Eagerly enters into competitive activities, such as Bible drills, contests, games
and social activities.

EMOTIONALLY- Expressive
v Freely releases his emotions.
v He needs to learn when to be serious and quiet, and when to be lighthearted
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 and jovial.
v Easily excited and on the defensive at the slightest accusation.
v Quick to argue, but soon cools off.
v Needs patience and respect for the rights and feelings of others and the
example of the leaders who respect his own rights and feelings.
v May arrive at unfounded conclusions, generalize, and condemn others
without thinking.
v Needs help to make sound judgments based on factual information.
v The junior would convince others that he is fearless though he has fear of the
dark, loneliness or to engage in a fight.
v This can be addressed through letting him know that others have the same
fears too and that the Lord can help him when he needs courage.
v May not understand the implications of the jokes that he tells.

SPIRITUALLY- Relating
v Is a hero worshiper, so he should be exposed to worthy heroes.
v Hero lessons should point the child to Christ as his ideal hero.
v Great Bible characters, missionaries of history, and individual church and
denominational missionaries can be presented- always pointing to their
relationship to Christ.
v Should identify with Christ and be firmly established in God’s Word before
the years of adolescence.
v A junior can understand spiritual concepts, doctrine, Bible chronology, and
Christian living.
v He needs systematic teaching with personal application.
v The junior is a doer and interested in living the truth, but he needs good
examples.
v He understands the ministry of the Holy Spirit, and should be taught to allow
Him to control His life.
v Can differentiate between right and wrong, truth and error, fact and fiction.
v May be difficult for him to obey the truth even though he has knowledge of
the biblical concepts.
v Needs the truth taught to him clearly and plainly.

EARLY ADOLESCENCE (12-14 Years)
PHYSICALLY- Change
v Many physical changes happen during this stage.
v Grows rapidly but unevenly.
v The girl grows faster in early adolescence and is generally taller and heavier
than boys during this time.
v Have an enormous appetite.
v His muscles seek strenuous activity.
v Often self-conscious about excessive features.
v Puberty produces development of the sex glands and is probably the most
important single change during these years.
v The girl develops sexually about two or three years ahead of the boy.
 v Because of these changes, the young teen needs proper sex education.
v Vital organs are growing rapidly.
v Vocal cords almost double in length, making it hard for the young to control
his voice.
v Spurts of energy alternate with fatigue.
v This protects the body against too much strain and is not mere laziness.

MENTALLY- Criticism
v Often more critical than during the rest of his life.
v Insists that all things pass the test of his reasoning power and judgment
which are growing but still limited by experience.
v Criticism in adolescence leads to conviction in adult life.
v Criticism is also the basis for individual thought for it is the experience of
every growing mind to want proof.
v Are capable of serious thinking.
v His knowledge grows faster than his experience so the teacher must present
problems for him to think through.
v Has a new ability to deal with the abstract.
v He handles more symbolic ideas along with the concrete.
v He can memorize well, but must have a reason for it.
v Should study a variety of subjects.
v The wider the mental horizon, the more life will have to offer in later years.

SOCIALLY- Companionship
v Strong desire for companionship in the peer group.
v Wants to be grown up and shuns or feels superior to younger brothers and
sisters.
v His independence also makes him rebel and pull away from parents.
v Parents must recognize a natural growing independence.
v If parents repress independence, they invite lasting weakness or constant
friction, and ultimate lack of control.
v Often feels parents expect too much from him.
v School contacts are vital.
v Popularity is of supreme importance and the social pressure of his own age
group is foremost.
v There is a naïve desire for attention and prestige in the eyes of his peers, and
a growing hunger for security.
v He wants to have fun and do things with others and will be loyal to the group.
v Usually the young adolescent girl is more interested in the opposite sex than
boys her age are in her.
v The girl is usually interested in older boys.
v Some boys are beginning to find girls attractive.
v The early teen especially needs close friends and confidants of his or her own
sex.

EMOTIONALLY- Fluctuation
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 v Emotional development parallels physical development.
v The young teen’s emotions are quantitative more than qualitative, with
quick, undefined shifts in emotional expression.
v Bounces from joy and enjoyment to moodiness and sulkiness with little
reason.
v At times it appears that he lacks emotional control.
v May want to be with some people but avoid others.
v The whisperings, the secretiveness, the silence, the moodiness, and many
other reflections of the inner life are difficult for adults to understand and to
handle.

SPIRITUALLY- Challenge and Conversion
v Conversion really is a transformation, and in this particular period when
change is the program of life, a spiritual transformation should be expected
just as much as a physical change.
v The spiritual experience of the adolescent is distinctly personal.
v He doesn’t pray or attend church services simply because it is the custom.
v Needs to realize that habits, even though formed in the preceding years, are a
part of his individuality.
v Moral dependence is decreasing.
v Expresses his own opinions and needs more individual freedom of choice.
v Wants a religion that works- one that will change his life, satisfy his longings,
and change his ideals.
v Often is ready to decide for Christ if challenged to do so by leaders he
respects.
v If not reached for Christ now, he may never be reached.
v Is a time for making converts but also for making criminals.
v He needs assurance based on facts not feelings.
v His energies and enthusiasm find satisfaction in meaningful Christian service.

MIDDLE ADOLESCENCE (15-17 Years)
PHYSICALLY- Strengthened
v Mid-teen realizes personal responsibility and desires to achieve something
for himself.
v His aspirations are not limited to the athletic field but often are reflected
there.
v Although growth is slower, there is increasing physical coordination.
v Boys gain in height and weight and usually catch up with the girls, who grow
less after 16.
v Boys often have excessive appetites.
v Stabilizing and forming both good and bad habits.
v May experiment with tobacco alcohol, and drugs.
v Needs to be reminded of the stewardship of his body.
v Girls are concerned with looks and figure, while boys think of size and
physical prowess.

MENTALLY- Alert
v Early adolescent criticism now develops into more promising judgment.
v His judgment is not yet mature.
v He is capable of thinking through complex problems.
v He asks WHY.
v He wants reasons and rejects easy authoritarian answers.
v Wants to work with vital subject matter and needs to get into the Word and
learn how to search the Scriptures.
v His imagination is more creative and practical.
v Imagination reaches a high level and becomes the basis for idealistic dreams
of great achievement.
v Learning how to live is as important as learning how to make a living.
v Success requires right habits along with knowledge.
v Education is the quest and the conquest of knowledge.
v Until a youth’s training has led to self-conquest of body and mind, his
education in unsuccessful.
v Leaders must respect the mid-teen’s individuality so that intellectual power
may develop.
v Should be encouraged to choose his vocation in line with distinct interests
and abilities.
v Enjoys forming his own opinions.
v Often knows more concerning some subjects than his parents because of the
knowledge explosion, his educational opportunities, and the mass media.
v He may develop a “know-it-all” attitude.
v He wants to see the logic in everything and usually musters orderly
arguments.
v Thinks and plans more logically.
v Vocational guidance needs to be given in Christian setting.
v He is subject to suggestion, with his peer group being the most influential.
v Influence by what he reads and what he sees and hears on TV and radio, as
well as in actual experience.
v His horizons broaden to include a world beyond himself.
v Is idealistic and creative.
v His power to reason needs an outlet for expression.

SOCIALLY- Friendly
v The peer group later breaks up and is replaced by a smaller, more select
group of companions.
v He has a stronger attachment for particular friends, including a member of
the opposite sex who often may develop into a life partner.
v Prefers the company of friends to that of his family.
v Family ties weaken, and parent-teen relationships are strained.
v The greatest human influence in the life of a young person is another young
person.
v Almost always is a lively interest in the opposite sex.
v In many cases the relationships are superficial.
Child Development Lecture Series North Zimbabwe Conference 15

 v Is socially at ease and enjoys himself.
v Wants friends, not just acquaintances, and usually has one or two close
friends.
v Is influenced by successful adults.

EMOTIONALLY- Experienced
v Wants to be with the action- now!
v Wants to take every thrill and new experience while it lasts- an attitude that
can be dangerous, physically, and morally.
v Emotions are more qualitative, but still intense and fluctuating.
v Self-esteem and the desire to be considered adult are high priority factors.
v He hides feelings and may be secretive.

SPIRITUALLY- Real
v Spiritual interests fluctuate during middle adolescence, yet at this time many
young people dedicate their lives to the Lord. Christianity’s personal aspect
must be emphasized.
v Leaders can show their faith by a personal relationship with Christ, rather
than a list of do’s and don’ts or by religious formality.
v Is a crusader and responds to challenge and encouragement.
v He wants active Christianity- an opportunity to be and to do.
v Young people must not become spiritually complacent.
v The actions of the group will have a strong influence if he doesn’t have his
own standards.
v His spiritual growth often comes in big strides.
v Youth needs outstanding leadership.
v This type of leadership does not dominate but allows the young person to
take responsibility for his own spiritual decisions.
v Inconsistent adults trouble the teen- especially if they are parents, teachers
and other Christian leaders.
v Doubts may come because of a lack of spiritual reality.
v When the youth express doubt and questions, this should be utilized as an
opportunity to teach the reality of Christ.





Prepared for North Zimbabwe Conference
Master Guide
By Pastor Innocent Chizhande
(BA Theology; MSc Child & Family Studies Candidate)
pastorinnoechizy@gmail.com

© 2016