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Doing Group Catechism as a Family
Dear Holly,
I am familiar with the Apostolate of Family Consecrated in the Truth and I like the idea of using just one textbook for my children's catechism. Are you using their appropiate grade levels for each child while you use your family textbook? How are you doing it with several children? Usually, someone told me most homeschoolers just take the middle level workbook (ex: 6 yrs old and 8 yr old use level 2 workbook instead of level 1 and level 3) and order how ever many so everyone is on the same page. I just want to have a Religion class together instead of having to read and teach individual classes. I am thinking to about just putting them in the parish Sunday school. But then again I love doing that with them because it teaches ME So much!!! How do you use the Apostolate of Family Consecration program?
Labels: 4th P Parent, Homeschooling
posted by Holly at 11:42 AM
1 Comments:
I have combined the Apostolate for Family Consecration catechism and the St. Joseph's
Baltimore Catechism #2 so that when we hit certain topics my kids have something to look at and read along with, as a couple of my children are auditory-processing deficient. Mostly, we just discuss things as a family before the family rosary. I too wanted to remove my faith teaching from the grade level approach and make it more life/family centered.
I have a set theme for each week of the year - like the marks of the church, or the Ascension, or the gifts of the Holy Spirit, or whatever.
Usually, we discuss as a group, and I let the little ones break off and do an activity sheet or color a related sheet from other resources (or something I draw) which keeps them occupied while I do more discussion with the 3 older ones.
But I also do other things with my kids outside of this.
Throughout the school year, we attend Mass on M/T/Fr mornings, but on W & Th during the Mass time(when there is no Mass at my parish), I have a "Faith Story" time, where I read faith stories, catechism stories, saint stories to them for 30 minutes or more. They love this, and many discussions ensue from the question "What part struck you the most in that story, and why?"
Also, we are not big liturgical-year-craft people at our house, but we do have different things we do at different times of year. We alter our prayers depending on the season, usually having something special for Lent and Advent. We do novenas in preparation for feasts. We do coloring sheets for feast days.
Also, there are other things which the kids do without me, but which I consider catechism. They have access to many good novels about saints and other Catholic topics. They have spiritual reading books available for prayer time. Videos and Christian music also teach. As do discussions from having watched something secular. All these things combine to create a Catholic culture and 'catechetical atmosphere' which is the best educational tool, even outside of formal instruction.
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