LIBERTY UNIVERSITY JOHN W. RAWLINGS SCHOOL OF DIVINITY
Building the Foundation: The Benefits of Integrating Faith-Based Routines in Early Childhood
Education
A Paper Submitted to
the Faculty of the School of Divinity
in Candidacy for the Degree of
Doctor of Education in Christian Leadership (Ed. D) Department of Christian Leadership and
Church Ministries
By
Mary Gracias
Lynchburg, Virginia
5/2022
Research has shown that a child’s spiritual foundation and view of the world is developed
within their first six years of life (Gillian, 2007). When children hear consistent messages about
Christianity at home, at church, and at school, it solidifies their understanding of God and they
can practice His teachings in a variety of settings. Early childhood educators help to share these
messages and model behaviors for young children in their care. While engaging in class
discussions at Northwestern College, graduate students who work as early childhood educators
shared their experiences of working in Christian schools. Stories shared included kindergartners
pointing out God’s creations while on a nature walk, preschoolers praying for a classmate who
was at a grandparent’s funeral and creating artwork representing Heaven, and first graders
playing a Bible detective game to better understand the Word of God.
When reflecting on their experiences in the classrooms, these early childhood educators
pointed out a strong positive impact of faith-based education on academics and behaviors. I
decided to investigate this further and had the opportunity to gather input from focus groups of
educators from grades Pre-Kindergarten to Grade 2 on the positive impact that faith-based
education has on both individual students and the overall culture of their environment.
Developing Faith-Based Routines
When we think about our youngest learners, students in preschool or in the primary
grades, they often do things out of routine and habit. There are certain habits that we have as
Christians to help build and strengthen our faith. Praying is modeled for children and becomes a
habit early on. Our youngest learners may not fully understand or comprehend the significance
of Christian values, however, we do not need to wait until they fully understand (Brim, 2016).
The teachers that participated in the focus groups mentioned that they are setting the stage for
the child’s future and helping them to develop those faith-based habits to prepare them for
when they reach an age where they can begin to reflect on and understand the different
aspects of faith.
Teachers include prayer as part of the school day and teach children that through prayer,
we can communicate with God. Children are encouraged to offer a silent prayer to God each
