In her book “The Spiritual Child,” Lisa Miller of Columbia University highlights the importance of spirituality in child development. She summarizes that children who have a positive relationship to spirituality:

are 40 percent less likely to use and abuse substances;
are 60 percent less likely to be depressed as teenagers; and
have significantly more positive markers for thriving including an increased sense of meaning and purpose, and high levels of academic success (Miller).

As education continues to emphasize the importance of a “whole child” approach, emerging research indicates that spirituality is an important element to consider. If the role of a teacher is to prepare children for successful lives, making room for spiritual development appears to be a crucial piece.