Wonder, awe and connection to our world are experiences that help define our sense of spirituality. These aspects are evident in Anna Giesenberg's seven developmental areas (domains) that affect spirituality. The seven domains that are important to a child's spirituality are social, cognitive, moral, self awareness, emotional, creative, and faith/belief development (Giesenberg, 2007, p. 315). Each of the domains are equally important and "should be in balance with the individual" (p. 314). I witnessed each of the domains in my community.
''Spirituality is an innate ability to show awareness or consciousness of the surrounding world shown through wonder, a sense of compassion, and love towards this world and everything in it, and for some people a relationship with a transcendent being, who can also be immanent in the individual."(Abstract from Giesenberg, 2007)
SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT
While witnessing and and taking part of a sidewalk chalk art experience with my roommate's four year old nephew, I witnessed many instances of social awareness. Our palette of chalk colors was limited that day - we only had three colors to choose from to create our masterpieces on the stone patio. This meant, at times, both the child I reached for the same color. I took special notice of how the he reacted when this happened. In the beginning of this play time, when we both wanted the same color at the same time, he grabbed the chalk out of my hand. I gently reminded the child that sharing was important so we could both have fun drawing with color. Throughout the course of the experience, it took a few gentle reminders to share before he caught on and we could work together and have fun. At the end of the sidewalk chalk activity, the child was more fully aware of his social role in fostering a fun experience and offered chalk pieces to me, even before I asked. Learning to communicate and interact appropriately with other people enhances one's sense of "awareness of the surrounding world" (p. 323) and can lead to a desire to investigate personal spirituality.
COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT
Summer is almost officially upon us which means nights in my neighborhood are spent mostly outdoors until the sun is completely set. The jolly song of the ice cream truck is now heard on a daily basis. One evening I witnessed my neighbor's daughter (aged 12 or 13) approach the ice cream truck with her Hello Kitty purse. She placed her order, was told what she owed, and fished around in her purse for a few seconds. She confidently handed the driver a bill and he gave her some change and her ice cream treat. This simple exchange involved what Gardner calls "logical-mathematical intelligence," it showed a "sensitivity to logical or numerical patterns" and the ability to handle "chains of reasoning" (p. 333). Reasoning skills and the ability to think abstractly about complex concepts is an important skill that enhances spiritual development.
MORAL DEVELOPMENT
The following encounter so beautifully demonstrated proof of moral and self awareness development that I'll use it to explain both. While at work at the co-op, a small child (aged five or six) approached me with a product (an apple) that he had pulled off of the display shelf. He very politely told me that he did not want the apple that he had selected. His mother whispered to me that he was unable to reach the display to return the apple to the top of the pile. He knew that it would have been wrong to place the unwanted apple on a random, shorter shelf, to dispose of it. His decision to approach me demonstrated that the child had a sense of morality. He intuitively knew (I heard no encouragement from his mother) what was the right and wrong way to deal with the unwanted apple. In this case, he was so aware of what he needed to do that he did not need guidance from his mother. He was able to "regulate his own behavior" and was aware of what was socially appropriate (p. 323). An awareness of what is right and wrong shows an aptitude for compassion and empathy, two important elements of spiritual development (p. 327).
SELF AWARENESS DEVELOPMENT
This encounter also excellently demonstrated that the child had a keen awareness of self, in his body and also his sense of responsibility. His awareness of his physical limitations caused him to approached me, a knowledgeable staff member who was almost double his height. I genuinely thanked him for giving me the apple and assured him that I would return it to its rightful place. He smiled broadly at me and his mother; I could see he felt a sense of pride that he had done the right thing. A sense of goodness, justice and truth are important aspects of "self" that also show concern for others (p. 318). Understanding one's relationship to others is important to spiritual development because it helps one realize that we all have an unique place in society (and in a spiritual universe).
EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT
While standing in line at the post office, I observed a father and his son (aged 7 or 8) talking to each other. I was not able to hear the details of their conversation, but I could see that the son was recounting a fun adventure. The father stood in rapt attention, his face awash with anticipation and excitement. I could tell by the father's response to his son's gesticulations and animated voice that the son was a great storyteller. Within the story, the son expressed a variety of emotions: excitement, sadness, frustration and joy. This was all evident to me through his body language and facial expressions. He was able to display the emotions of his experience with ease through language (p. 329). Emotional development is important to spiritual development because it allows one to process their longings, feelings and hopes using effective communication.
CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT
At the local community park I observed two young friends (both age 7 or 8) playing on the playground. It was clear that they had imagined the main structure of the playground set (a structure that you climbed up and which had a platform that was raised above the ground) to be a castle or a fortress of some sort. From the vantage point of the platform, they ruled their imaginary kingdom. I overheard them talking about threats to their castle (all other children and adults were seen as dangerous people) and they screamed and giggled whenever their castle was approached. I adored witnessing their spontaneous creativity. They had vivid imaginations, showed creative problem solving and displayed "creativity coupled with fantasy" (p. 334) in their play. The ability to imagine a greater sense of self, of new possibilities, places and beings that require creative thought can foster spiritual development.
FAITH/BELIEF DEVELOPMENT
In a different area of the park, I witnessed a small child, likely about five years old, throwing (attempting to throw) a ball to his mother. The child's aim was slightly off and the ball was accidentally pitched to an area with a steep grade leading down to a field. Instead of the ball coming to a halt in the grass where it landed, it rolled down the hill. The mother told her child that she would go retrieve the ball so they could continue their game. In order for the mother to get the ball, she had to walk down the hill, and for a brief moment, bend down to reach the ball (and in doing so was out of the line of sight of her child). As soon as she started to walk away from him and descend the hill, her son started to run after her. She stopped him from approaching, instructed him to remain where he was, and reassured him that she would only briefly be out of his sight. The child was visibly uneasy when he waited in place while his mother temporarily disappeared to grab the ball. He had to trust in his mother's words that she would be back. When she reappeared just a few seconds later, ball in hand, the child's anxiety gave way to relief. He excitedly ran over and hugged his mother. This encounter perfectly demonstrated how the child had faith that his mother would return; he believed that she would again reappear from the bottom of the hill and rejoin him. Having trust in a parent can later translate into a more mature faith and trust of a being greater than oneself. In terms of religion, the ability for faith-reasoning can offer the foundation for profound spiritual development.
REFERENCE
Giesenberg, A. (2007). The Phenomenon of Preschool Children's Spirituality. Queensland: Queensland University of Technology.
While witnessing and and taking part of a sidewalk chalk art experience with my roommate's four year old nephew, I witnessed many instances of social awareness. Our palette of chalk colors was limited that day - we only had three colors to choose from to create our masterpieces on the stone patio. This meant, at times, both the child I reached for the same color. I took special notice of how the he reacted when this happened. In the beginning of this play time, when we both wanted the same color at the same time, he grabbed the chalk out of my hand. I gently reminded the child that sharing was important so we could both have fun drawing with color. Throughout the course of the experience, it took a few gentle reminders to share before he caught on and we could work together and have fun. At the end of the sidewalk chalk activity, the child was more fully aware of his social role in fostering a fun experience and offered chalk pieces to me, even before I asked. Learning to communicate and interact appropriately with other people enhances one's sense of "awareness of the surrounding world" (p. 323) and can lead to a desire to investigate personal spirituality.
COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT
Summer is almost officially upon us which means nights in my neighborhood are spent mostly outdoors until the sun is completely set. The jolly song of the ice cream truck is now heard on a daily basis. One evening I witnessed my neighbor's daughter (aged 12 or 13) approach the ice cream truck with her Hello Kitty purse. She placed her order, was told what she owed, and fished around in her purse for a few seconds. She confidently handed the driver a bill and he gave her some change and her ice cream treat. This simple exchange involved what Gardner calls "logical-mathematical intelligence," it showed a "sensitivity to logical or numerical patterns" and the ability to handle "chains of reasoning" (p. 333). Reasoning skills and the ability to think abstractly about complex concepts is an important skill that enhances spiritual development.
MORAL DEVELOPMENT
The following encounter so beautifully demonstrated proof of moral and self awareness development that I'll use it to explain both. While at work at the co-op, a small child (aged five or six) approached me with a product (an apple) that he had pulled off of the display shelf. He very politely told me that he did not want the apple that he had selected. His mother whispered to me that he was unable to reach the display to return the apple to the top of the pile. He knew that it would have been wrong to place the unwanted apple on a random, shorter shelf, to dispose of it. His decision to approach me demonstrated that the child had a sense of morality. He intuitively knew (I heard no encouragement from his mother) what was the right and wrong way to deal with the unwanted apple. In this case, he was so aware of what he needed to do that he did not need guidance from his mother. He was able to "regulate his own behavior" and was aware of what was socially appropriate (p. 323). An awareness of what is right and wrong shows an aptitude for compassion and empathy, two important elements of spiritual development (p. 327).
SELF AWARENESS DEVELOPMENT
This encounter also excellently demonstrated that the child had a keen awareness of self, in his body and also his sense of responsibility. His awareness of his physical limitations caused him to approached me, a knowledgeable staff member who was almost double his height. I genuinely thanked him for giving me the apple and assured him that I would return it to its rightful place. He smiled broadly at me and his mother; I could see he felt a sense of pride that he had done the right thing. A sense of goodness, justice and truth are important aspects of "self" that also show concern for others (p. 318). Understanding one's relationship to others is important to spiritual development because it helps one realize that we all have an unique place in society (and in a spiritual universe).
EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT
While standing in line at the post office, I observed a father and his son (aged 7 or 8) talking to each other. I was not able to hear the details of their conversation, but I could see that the son was recounting a fun adventure. The father stood in rapt attention, his face awash with anticipation and excitement. I could tell by the father's response to his son's gesticulations and animated voice that the son was a great storyteller. Within the story, the son expressed a variety of emotions: excitement, sadness, frustration and joy. This was all evident to me through his body language and facial expressions. He was able to display the emotions of his experience with ease through language (p. 329). Emotional development is important to spiritual development because it allows one to process their longings, feelings and hopes using effective communication.
CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT
At the local community park I observed two young friends (both age 7 or 8) playing on the playground. It was clear that they had imagined the main structure of the playground set (a structure that you climbed up and which had a platform that was raised above the ground) to be a castle or a fortress of some sort. From the vantage point of the platform, they ruled their imaginary kingdom. I overheard them talking about threats to their castle (all other children and adults were seen as dangerous people) and they screamed and giggled whenever their castle was approached. I adored witnessing their spontaneous creativity. They had vivid imaginations, showed creative problem solving and displayed "creativity coupled with fantasy" (p. 334) in their play. The ability to imagine a greater sense of self, of new possibilities, places and beings that require creative thought can foster spiritual development.
FAITH/BELIEF DEVELOPMENT
In a different area of the park, I witnessed a small child, likely about five years old, throwing (attempting to throw) a ball to his mother. The child's aim was slightly off and the ball was accidentally pitched to an area with a steep grade leading down to a field. Instead of the ball coming to a halt in the grass where it landed, it rolled down the hill. The mother told her child that she would go retrieve the ball so they could continue their game. In order for the mother to get the ball, she had to walk down the hill, and for a brief moment, bend down to reach the ball (and in doing so was out of the line of sight of her child). As soon as she started to walk away from him and descend the hill, her son started to run after her. She stopped him from approaching, instructed him to remain where he was, and reassured him that she would only briefly be out of his sight. The child was visibly uneasy when he waited in place while his mother temporarily disappeared to grab the ball. He had to trust in his mother's words that she would be back. When she reappeared just a few seconds later, ball in hand, the child's anxiety gave way to relief. He excitedly ran over and hugged his mother. This encounter perfectly demonstrated how the child had faith that his mother would return; he believed that she would again reappear from the bottom of the hill and rejoin him. Having trust in a parent can later translate into a more mature faith and trust of a being greater than oneself. In terms of religion, the ability for faith-reasoning can offer the foundation for profound spiritual development.
REFERENCE
Giesenberg, A. (2007). The Phenomenon of Preschool Children's Spirituality. Queensland: Queensland University of Technology.