| Research indicates that the meanings children make of stories are frequently not the interpretations intended or expected by the storytellers. Since Bible stories typically constitute the primary content of children's instruction in church, insight into the sense that children make of Bible stories could helpfully inform Christian education practice. This study explored the question, "What meanings do children make of the Bible stories presented in Sunday school?";This qualitative research consisted of a three-month case study of one elementary Sunday school program in which the curriculum was organized around biblical narratives. Data included observational field notes, audio recordings, photographs of settings and props, interviews with individual children, and artifacts of children's work. Analysis of the data suggested five main categories of children's responses to Bible stories: (a) prompted or prescribed meanings, (b) associative meanings, (c) original and creative meanings, (d) dissenting or contradictory meanings, and (e) imposed but resisted meanings.;The children usually (but not always) generated the type of response that they were invited to make, and the category of response most frequently solicited by the program leaders and teachers was prompted or prescribed meanings. This emphasis contrasted with the way children are often invited to respond to literature in school and other settings, where they are frequently encouraged to interact with stories in personal and experiential ways. Possible explanations for the difference included (a) time constraints, (b) default to familiar modes of Bible instruction, (c) influence of the curriculum, and (d) perceptions about Bible stories, all factors that might be operative in Sunday schools but not in school education.;An alternative model for church education was proposed, in which children and adults could interact together about their immediate experiences with Bible stories. Such an approach would require (a) different use of time, (b) different questions, (c) different learning activities, (d) different preparation by the teachers and leaders, and (e) different groupings of learners. The research closed with a plea for Sunday school teachers, program leaders, and curriculum writers to listen more closely to their own teaching and to the children's responses. |
