Each set represents a Bible story, and the story sets are arranged on the shelves in the order in which they appear in Scripture. At the beginning of class, the teacher tells a story using one of the sets. The children then get 15 to 20 minutes of free time during which they can play with any set they like, read a book, create artwork or simply sit quietly. The class ends with a snack. As with any good teaching method, there's more here than meets the eye.
Teachers structure the class to reflect their church's worship services.
All of this introduces kids to the stories and structure behind worship. Analysis will come later. You're laying a foundation. Berryman started laying the foundation for Godly Play in 1971. Then a Presbyterian minister, Berryman was in Italy learning the Montessori method of teaching.