Infants do not take communion, neither do any children in the parish who have not received the appropriate instruction about what they are receiving. I support the teacher's optimism about achieving a spiritual awareness of the meaning of the eucharist in my son and her track record of providing appropriate religious education to handicapped kids, including teaching an autistic child under the table for two years before the child was able to be part of the communion service. If I did not, I could take my kids to the Methodist church and let them line up for bread and grape juice with absolutely no awareness of why.
Good luck to you in your own beliefs and church of choice.
"Infants do not take communion, neither do any children in the parish who have not received the appropriate instruction about what they are receiving."
They do in the Eastern Rite Churches in communion with Rome, of course there it isn't lay catechism teachers who decide who does and does not get to receive the sacraments. Frankly, I think what this teacher is doing, apparently with the approval at least of the parish priest and perhaps even of the diocese is at a minimum unfortunate and at a maximum, downright heretical as a denial of the grace of the sacrament. What does intellectual, physical understanding have to do with theosis by the grace of God imparted through the Mystery of the Eucharist, or any other sacrament for that matter?
As for a piece of bread and grape juice at the Methodist Church, well, that simply isn't the Eucharist and so far as I can see, doesn't pretend to be.
"Infants do not take communion..."
Canon 710 - With respect to the participation of infants in the Divine Eucharist after baptism and chrismation with holy myron, the prescriptions of the liturgical books of each Church sui iuris are to be observed with suitable due precautions.
From the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches, promulgated by the authority of Pope John Paul II, 1990.
Since 1910 it has been the practice of the Latin Church to give Communion to children from the age of seven (see decree Quam singulari, Aug 8, 1910). The ancient custom of giving Communion to infants had largely ceased in the West by the 12th century, but it is still maintained in Eastern Churches. The Council of Trent decreed that it is not necessary to give the Eucharist to children before they have reached the age of discretion, but it did not condemn the practice (see Session XXI, Decr de comm., canon 4).
From The Code of Canon Law: A text and commentary, Canon Law Society of America, 1985.
No charge for the clue.