Religious education for children

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My husband and I are the RE teachers for 5-8th graders in our small parish. I’m looking for an engaging Catholic curriculum and I wonder if you might provide suggestions.

Too many workbooks and DVDs I’ve bought are either sophomoric or boring or both. I want to teach about Catholic doctrine, Order of the Mass, saints, scripture. My best results to date are from searching the web, which is OK, but doesn’t provide a coherent curricular approach.

Are there workshops for religious ed teachers? Book fairs where publishers come together to show their works?

Thank you for your ideas.
 
So, first a few questions:

Is this one class or are they divided into 5/6 and 7/8? There is a very big social, emotional, and psychological difference between a 5th grader and an 8th grader. I hope these kids are separated into appropriate age groups.

It seems you are on your own. Do you have a DRE who works or volunteers at your parish? the DRE should be giving you direction and guidance, providing resources, etc.

Have you checked your diocesan office of catechesis for resources? Our diocesan office holds teacher certification courses. All RE teachers in the diocese are required to be certified with 40 hours of approved courses and then 6 hours per year continuing education. Our diocesan director has sample textbooks that can be reviewed by parishes before purchase. They also maintain a robust lending library of DVDs, books, etc. Lastly, the diocese has curriculum standards and a curriculum guide for each grade. They also recommend particular books, bible studies, and DVD series for use in class.

The USCCB a textbook list for approved textbooks that are deemed to conform with the catechism.

I’ve mostly made up my own curriculum based on the Catechism, following my diocesan guidelines for curriculum. (But I am a teacher by training although I no longer teach for living).

In the past, junior high has used Faith First, which I find to be a little too easy. But, I ordered their Church History book to preview, and it actually looks pretty good. Might work that in next year.

I’ve also used the T3: Teen Timeline bible study with Mark Hart, which is awesome. The Great Adventure bible study series has lots of good material.

This year I bought the Understanding the Catechism 4-part series to use with 7/8 (Creed and Prayer) and 9/10 (Morality and Liturgy/Sacraments). It turned out to be a little too much for junior high, but what I did was take the lessons in the book and then bring them down to the kids’ level.

Actually, by the time I taught this new crop of 7/8 graders what they should have learned in 1-6, the year was pretty much over. So, next year I’ll have the 7th graders again as 8th graders and I can move on to new material.

You should first visit your diocesan office website and call them if they don’t have materials online.

If your diocese is lacking guidelines and resources, I suggest you look at my diocesan catechsis office curriculum guides. A lot of it is online as PDF you can download and print.
 
are these children preparing for sacraments, or have they already received basic instruction and have at least first communion and first confession? your choice of resources depends on this.

How many children of each age are in the group, and how many people assist you?

my advice is to keep the workbook assigned by the parish or diocese for busy work, homework, evaluation purposes, and after you have done this for a year and know the situation better, plan your own program.

visit the website of the publisher of the books used in your parish, or the diocesan RE guidelines, so see “what must be taught” at each grade level.

In 5th grade it is usually Mass and Sacraments
6th, Old Testament
7th New Testament
8th Church History and Catholic Identity.

you can combine the middle two by dividing your session, and doing lectionary based catechesis on the Sunday readings for the first half of the class. There is gobs of stuff out there, but you can probably come up with your own discussion questions and activities.

the 1st and 4th topics can usually be combined with a plan, thorough look at Mass, sacraments, grace, devotions and sacramentals. If you tie this in with the liturgical year, it brings the first part of the lesson together.

Goal: get them all going to Mass and frequenting the sacraments, and praying and reading the bible on their own or with their families.

you are never going to find the perfect published resource, use what you have been given and build on it, and keep notes on what works and what doesn’t.
 
puzzleannie said:
visit the website of the publisher of the books used in your parish, or the diocesan RE guidelines, so see “what must be taught” at each grade level.

In 5th grade it is usually Mass and Sacraments
6th, Old Testament
7th New Testament
8th Church History and Catholic Identity.
Click to expand...
This seems to be a Texas thing. In the arch-diocese of Galveston-Houston this is also the sequence. Since moving to another state, I have discovered this is not the case in other places. It seems others follow a spiral based on the 4 pillars of the catechism, going over all topics each year but focusing on different aspects and taking it to a higher level each year.

Frankly, I like the Texas model better.
 
Hi,

I don’t know if this will be much help, but the Bishops just launched a national website to promote vocations and in that website they have some lesson plans for elementary school. I know you are looking for a curriculum, but I just thought to share this with you or anyone else … it may be of help to someone. I’m looking at the lesson plan for grades 1-3 and read this cool activity they have called “Sacramental ‘Seven Up’”, perhaps you could play this with your children to make the lesson more exciting.

Anyhow, here is the website: Lesson Plans
 
Hey,
I dont have anything specific but catholic homeschool sites have great material. Even if it would be for supplemental stuff. Catholic Heritage Curricula, Seton Homeschool are just a couple.
 
Called said:
Hi,

I don’t know if this will be much help, but the Bishops just launched a national website to promote vocations and in that website they have some lesson plans for elementary school. I know you are looking for a curriculum, but I just thought to share this with you or anyone else … it may be of help to someone. I’m looking at the lesson plan for grades 1-3 and read this cool activity they have called “Sacramental ‘Seven Up’”, perhaps you could play this with your children to make the lesson more exciting.

Anyhow, here is the website: Lesson Plans
Click to expand...
That whole website (www.ForYourVocation.org) is excellent; very, very well done. I hadn’t checked out the Lesson Plans section until now and WOW! – the lessons are fantastic! They are definitely getting incorporated into my lesson plans next year.
 
stellagirl said:
My husband and I are the RE teachers for 5-8th graders in our small parish. I’m looking for an engaging Catholic curriculum and I wonder if you might provide suggestions.
Too many workbooks and DVDs I’ve bought are either sophomoric or boring or both. I want to teach about Catholic doctrine, Order of the Mass, saints, scripture. My best results to date are from searching the web, which is OK, but doesn’t provide a coherent curricular approach.
Are there workshops for religious ed teachers? Book fairs where publishers come together to show their works?
Thank you for your ideas.
Click to expand...
Free and online: familycatechism.com/

For the younger ones, the basic questions and answers are simple and clear.
What make this same site really outstanding (and for older audiences) are the integrated cross-references to scripture AND a multitude of church documents (on right side of screen).

Can also be used as a supplement to any other program.

Family friendly too . . .

👍-S
 
Your Pastor or DRE should have a core curriculum they require to be taught. How you teach it is up to you. Learn it follow it. You are there to serve the Parish and the Priest is the head of that Parish.
 
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