A few years ago, we lost our dedicated Sunday School teacher, a woman who loved working with our children, planning crafts, creating games to teach them the Ten Commandments, and other creative approaches.
After she left, we worked out the following way of dealing with our growing number of children from three to 11 or so. (Plus we have nearly 2-year-old twins who will soon join them.) On Sundays, the priest who is giving the homily that day will invite the children for a brief lesson, usually a very simplified explanation of the Gospel reading. Then the children file downstairs where two delegated people — we're on a rotation — will read them a story from a Bible story-book. We return upstairs during the hymn for the collection.
It's a holding pattern and I'm not sure how much the children are getting out of it. One one hand, we adults like it, because the load is spread, and no one person (or team of two, now a kind of legal requirement) has to miss the homily every week. But are we giving our children the best? I do like the fact that by sharing this, many of our adults are developing relationships with the kids, rather than just one or two.
I really enjoy the children when it is my turn to do it and am musing about whether I should volunteer myself to take it on for more intensive effort.
But it would help to have a curriculum of some kind that could help me, as I work full time, am not a teacher by nature and haven't a clue how to do this kind of thing.
Also I have a problem with what I have seen of various prepared curricula for Sunday Schools. I can't stand the schlocky or tacky-looking graphics. Are there programs that teach using great art? Ways to get the kids excited about learning some of the canticles by heart? Ways that are age appropriate without being silly or sentimental?
Does anyone have any suggestions? How are you doing Sunday School in your parishes?
I remember hating having to color in pictures of Jesus or do crafts in my Sunday school days. I remember my sons hated Sunday school lessons that talked down to them, that assumed they needed to play games or other things they found silly.
We have some really bright young kids, though they are quite young. They're also quite well-behaved and really seem to enjoy just having us adults interact with them and ask them questions and connect with them.
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Here's an idea (controversial?): don't separate them from the body of the kirk. Worked before; it can work again…
In my RC parish in Scotland, the situation is pretty much as described here: http://www.rcdow.org.uk/evangelisation/default.asp?library_ref=26&content_ref=1114
The key feature is that the bible reading and any other activities are presented in a liturgical context -ie as an age appropriate Liturgy of the Word rather than as instruction.
The texts used are those by Joan Brown 'Welcome the Word' and there is a rota of laity who take the Liturgy. (And once a month or so, the main Parish Mass becomes a children's Mass with (eg) the children reading the lessons and the Priest's homily being particularly aimed at the children.) It's probably important to remember that almost all the children present will be getting catechesis at another time in the week -either in a Catholic school or in parish Saturday classes.
I'm not sure how well that all works! I came from an Episcopalian parish where usually the children stayed throughout the whole service and were sometimes pretty rowdy or sometimes were taken down the the church hall where they were again pretty rowdy. On the other hand, I'm not sure that child centred liturgies work terribly well, especially when you get to the older end of the age group. I think I'd go with Mark: keeping them in the church if numbers and behaviour allow it, but having a separate Liturgy of the Word if necessary. And then the real question becomes: how do you ensure that they are properly catechized at another time?
Getting the older ones involved as altar servers worked well with mine.
We have around 45 youth in our parish from pre-school age through college. Our morning Sunday School program includes pre-school through 8th grade, and our Sunday evening program includes our youth group with middle and high school aged students. Those students who are in college serve as the youth leaders and do all of the planning and implementation of activities on Sunday evenings. At this time, Fr. Ed and I and few other parents are there for support and covering.
Our Sunday School is divided into three groups. We have pre-k through k in one class, 1st grade through 4th grade in the second class, and 5th grade through 8th grade in the third. We have rotating teachers in each of the two younger groups, and one teacher for the 5th through 8th.
We are currently using the "Faith and Life" series which is published by Ignatius Press. It is filled with sacred art throughout, systematically lays the foundation of the faith, and includes catechism questions in each unit. The reading level is intentionally higher than the grade itself which avoids any condescending tone in the lesson presentation. We use Grade level two for the 1st through 4th grades and Grade level 5 for grades 5 through 8. Our teachers skillfully present these grade levels in such a way as to reach the various ages.
I would also recommend another series, "Image of God" also published by Ignatius Press. We use that curriculum for our pre-k through k since they have books specifically for 3, 4, and 5 year olds. Also we have our own made up curriculum which includes a mini altar set, doll sized vestments made with all of the different colored chasubles for the various church seasons etc. It's a "low" Montessori method of teaching the little ones about the liturgical aspects of church, and the children love it.
The children are dismissed from Mass after the readings with a blessing from the celebrant and they are brought back immediately after the sermon is finished. A text message is sent to the class rooms alerting us when the sermon is over.
This allows for about 20 to 25 minutes of class time which is not too bad considering attention spans for children are rather short. What is missing is the craft time and or other re-enforcement activities for the lesson. We are considering the possibility of a class time outside of Mass either before or after, but that is only a consideration at this time. Hope this helps.
Jan Meeks, Christ the King Church, Towson MD (DEUS, ACA)
Can't go wrong with the excellent FREE resources from Pontifice et Ecclesia http://www.proecclesia.com/page_free%20talks.htm
Daphne McLeod's series is brilliant.
Chris C.
I have done quite a bit of catechism teaching with kids in France. It's got to be planned, and you either need to be very graphical – use maps for Bible stories, go into how they dressed and be entertaining. The story of David and Goliath is a great favourite, and small boys can really imagine what they can do with a sling or a catapault.
Plan the whole course, alternating between Bible stories, the Creed, the 10 Commandments, the Lord's Prayer and the Hail Mary.
Above all, use video and DVD's. For example, there is Zefferelli's Jesus of Nazareth (don't show Mel Gibson's Passion to children – too bloody), and plenty of other things like the lives of the Saints. Children absolutely love watching films, and so much can be taught that way.
Some of the old-fashioned stuff is good in small doses, having them write things down in their exercise books like at school, but avoid being pedantic or boring.
Just a few ideas from my experience.
Stephen: my point was just that. I don't believe Children-specific Liturgies. As an Anglican I too experienced that; I was grateful for not being "sent away"…
Mark: Sorry if I gave the impression I was disagreeing with you -I was trying to agree!
Both my former Episcopalian Church and my current Catholic Church struggled to find ways of including children in worship -age appropriate or otherwise- rather than thinking (primarily) about catechesis during the Mass. I think that's broadly speaking the right perspective from which to view this: how do we get children to join in the community's worship rather than how do we catechize them. I agree with you that it's worth starting from the thought that children stay with the adult worshippers, although I also accept that this won't always work.
What a great idea Deborah! You certainly have learned how this Internet-stuff can be leveraged!!! As always, I can learn lots from you!
BUT back to Sunday School … Have you since — two years later — found a system that allows you to continue raising those wonderful children – Vera & sister, Mark's new twins … ??!? Let us stay in touch!