Grouping Guidelines for Children
Mark the blanks to rate your present grouping for children
E= Excellent
S= Satisfactorily Doing Now
I= Improvement Needed
N= Need to start
A new class or department should be formed whenever an existing department approaches maximum group size and/or room capacity.
The maximum group sizes assume that the rooms are large enough to accommodate that number of children and that enough teachers are involved to maintain the proper teacher-to-child ratios. If the ratio of children to teachers is higher than the number listed, the maximum group size must decrease in proportion.
| Grades |
Maximum |
Teacher: Learner Ratio |
| _____ 1. Grades 1,2 |
20-25 |
1:6 |
| _____ 2. Grades 3-6 |
25-30 |
1:8 |
As Your Children’s Division Grows
| # of Children |
Grouping |
Staff |
|
1-10 |
One Class Grades 1-5 or 6 |
One or Two Teachers |
|
8-20 |
Two Classes Grades 1-2 Grades 3-5 or 6 |
Two to Four Teachers |
|
16-32 |
Two Departments of Two Classes Each Grades 1-2/Grades 3-5 or 6 Grades 1-2/Grades 3-5 or 6 |
Two Department Leaders Two to Four Teachers |
|
30-60 |
Three Departments of Two r Three Classes Each Grades 1-2/Grades 3-4 Grades 1-2/Grades 3-4 Grades 1-2/Grades 3-4 |
Three Department Leaders Five to Eight Teachers |
|
50-100 |
Four or Five Departments of Two to Four Classes Each Grade 1/Grade 2 Grade 1/Grade 2 Grade 3/Grade 4 Grade 3/Grade 4 Grades 5-6/ Grades 5-6 |
Four or Five Department Leaders Six to Twelve Teachers |
Sixth graders should usually be grouped at church as they are in your local schools. If most of your sixth graders attend elementary school, keep them in the children’s division. But if most of them are in middle school, then they should be with the middle schoolers in your church.
©2003 Gospel Publishing House, Springfield, MO. Permission to duplicate for local church use only. Wes Haystead, author of The 21st Century Sunday School, is also co-author, with his wife Sheryl, of How to Have a Great Sunday School, available from Gospel Publishing House.
