Video Transcript: Lesson 2 Section 3

As humans, one thing that sets us apart from animals or computers is our ability to think and  reflect on knowledge. Another term for this is cognition. Cognition is the ability to process  information and use that knowledge to solve problems and determine a belief system. God  made our brains incredibly complex, and how they function is an important thing to study.  Understanding cognitive development will improve how we teach and disciple teenagers. A  leading figure in the field of cognitive theory is Jean Piaget. He studied how people think. He  was curious how we come to understand knowledge and hold beliefs. Piaget discovered that  as children grow, how they think changes as they interact with new ideas. According to his  theory, new information makes a child feel mentally uncomfortable. To interpret the new  meaning the child must grow cognitively. Children are not able to think or act like adults  because their brains have not yet fully formed. The human brain fully develops in late  adolescence, or even early adulthood. Piaget divided childhood into four stages of intellectual  development that correspond to how the brain is growing. Let's take a look at each stage and  then explore the implications of our ministry work with youth. Stage one occurs between birth and two years of age, and Piaget calls it the sensorimotor stage. This is when children are  forming sensory impressions and early motor skills. At this age, children learn through their  sense of touch. This is one reason children put everything into their mouths. Touch is their  primary means of understanding and building knowledge. By ages two through seven children are learning in new ways. Piaget calls this the pre operational stage. Now, children are  beginning to understand that information is organized and connected. They are learning how  to talk and reason. They are discovering that sounds form words that convey ideas. They are  also learning that letters form words and convey ideas too children are starting to read and  count. At this stage, a child has a literal understanding of the world. His or her thinking is self  focused. And learning is personal. The words me and my will often appear in their speech.  Children are also focused on their immediate experience and have limited memory. That's  why they often ask what's next. Stage three occurs between ages seven and 11. And Piaget  calls this concrete operations. children continue to be quite literal, and focus on real objects.  They are learning to think logically, they can understand time and chronology, something  they couldn't before. They can also solve more complex math problems. They can remember  detailed instructions and follow them in order. Children at this stage are able to understand  the Bible and how it fits together, and they can begin to build their faith in God. However,  abstract thinking is difficult for them. A child of this stage will not be able to study chemistry,  psychology, or calculus, for example. And in the same way, it might be difficult for them to  understand things about the character of God, since they cannot see him. By age 12 children  are in Piaget's last stage of cognitive development. He calls it formal operations. Now, teens  are learning to think abstractly, and can imagine concepts that do not exist in the world  around them. Teenagers are finally ready to think deeply about their worldview. As their  brains mature, they will reevaluate what they have learned and choose what they truly  believe. A robust faith requires cognitive maturity. For faith to be lasting and impactful. People must connect their head to their heart. We must own our beliefs before we will act on them.  Ministering to teens is essential because this is the age when they are completing their  cognitive development. Understanding Piaget stages will help us be more effective in our  teaching methods. Here are a few tips for younger children. Keep words and ideas simple and  literal. Focus on one thing at a time. As children get older, teach them Bible stories. They  might not understand them fully, but that's okay. Be prepared to offer deeper insights as  children grow, they may ask challenging questions as they learn to think logically. They're  looking for explanations. Finally, there are two things to remember about teen ministry in  particular. Firstly, younger teens will have a different perspective than older ones. Remember, their brains are still maturing, how they're thinking and learning is also changing. Secondly,  girls tend to understand concepts at earlier ages than boys. Cognitive development for girls is actually quicker than for boys by several years. Now that we have explored how children  learn, you can adjust your expectations and methods based on the age group you're  ministering to.