ED2618 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Semicircle
Principles of Primary Religious Education
Tutorial Three - Godly Play
Jerome Berryman
- The heart of godly play is the telling of a story to children, from memory, using concrete materials
- Describes an approach to children’s spiritual formation
- Based on
o Creating a sacred place
o Presenting stories of our faith
o Wondering about them
o Open-ended activities to engage children
Story
- Story is a key part of our faith tradition
- Scripture oral tradition then written form
- Stories help children, as well as adults to explore key issues around the meaning and purpose of life and death
Style
- Uses only actions and descriptions essential to the story
- Engages the imagination
- Experience the wonder, mystery, and power of these stories
Silence
- “Be still and know that I am God” (Ps 46:10)
o Essential part of the ‘language of religion’
o Stillness and silence foster reflection and the capacity to listen to God
o Value silence as a means of listening and responding to God
o Trust in the presence of the Holy Spirit
Key Elements
- Telling the story
o Many ways and styles
o Main style is a reflective one
o Uses concrete and visual materials
o Tell only essential actions and descriptions
o Especially suited to young children
- Wondering
o Wonder questions
o Engage children with the story
o Invite reflection and elicit children’s ideas and thoughts
o Wondering teaches the art of dialogue
o Listening to others, accepting and learning from others
o Lays the foundation for relating to others in community
o Wondering together learning that comes from within each person
o Trust the holy spirit in this process
o Children may initiate wondering
o Facilitating Wondering
▪ Silence
▪ Trust the silence
▪ Listen to understand
▪ Do not provide answers
▪ Reflect back what is said
▪ Asks questions only to understand
▪ Encourage the child to develop and articulate ideas
▪ Invite children to wonder
- Exploring
o Play after story
o Time to focus and explore
o Exploring their feelings and ideas
o Children choose to enter the story more deeply
o Children find it easier to express their feelings and idea through the arts
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
The heart of godly play is the telling of a story to children, from memory, using concrete materials. Describes an approach to children"s spiritual formation. Based on: creating a sacred place, presenting stories of our faith, wondering about them, open-ended activities to engage children. Story is a key part of our faith tradition. Stories help children, as well as adults to explore key issues around the meaning and purpose of life and death. Uses only actions and descriptions essential to the story. Experience the wonder, mystery, and power of these stories. Telling the story: many ways and styles, main style is a reflective one, uses concrete and visual materials, tell only essential actions and descriptions, especially suited to young children. Listen to understand: silence, do not provide answers, reflect back what is said, asks questions only to understand. Encourage the child to develop and articulate ideas.
