THE WAY GOD TEACHEs

A CULTURE OF DISTRACTIONS

We live in a culture of Iistractions There is more informashytion relevant or not flying at us today than ever bef reo The

pervasiveness of electronic media ensures that we are never far from a status update someone who wants to say hello a

company that wants to sell us something or a recap of the days news and events

Adults today can remember a t ime when the world was simpler and quieter But todays kids have grown up

in this media-satur ted environment and it affects the

developing brain Researchers such as Dr Clifford Nass at Stanford University have documented how our culture of

multi-tasking vith media bas shortened attention spans and changed the way our brains work especially for children Current reshy

search suggests that a persons attention span is about equal to age in minutes up to the early twenties which is when the prefiontal cortex (the part of the brain where executive functions such as attention processes take place) finishes grOving

We could sit back and vish for a return to a simpler world and life (and theres probably a place for a discussion b ut that is ue too) We could say that its not our job

to entertain the youths of l day and that tb y need to learn to pay attention longer (all true) But meanwhile we are losing OUT children be llse our educational methodoloshygies have not kept pace vith their shortening attention spans And frankly the Gospel

message is too important to let this happen

As catechists and teachers of the Fait h we proclaim the answers to some of the most profound questions of human existence Who am I Why am I bere Vhere did I come from Whats it all for and What will happen in the future Our faith

gives answers to all of these que ti ns - and not just any answers but good answers In our ministry of catechesis e are handing on the meaning oflifemiddot And tragically we are often boring people vith the very message that could bring them lasting happiness As a Church we cannot afford to let this happen Its time to take a fresh look at how to engage our children and youth and hel them hear Gods message for them

Joseph White PhD

2

THE DIVINE PEDAGOGY

We use the term divine pedagogy to describe Gods own way of teaching us The General Directoryfor Catechesis (GDC) the Churchs guidebook for handing on the Faith says the following Catechesis as communication of divine Revelation is radically inspired by the pedagogy ofGod as displayed in Christ and in the Church (143) Our call as teach ers and techists is to hand on the truths of the Faith When we do t11i well we are not only using the best of what we know about how people learn but also echoing God s oWn way of teaching us h is truths We should also respect that even as we teach other God remains active in the heart of the human person bringing growth to the seeds offaith that are planted there

Pedagogy and methodology are not e actiy one and the same Pedagogy refers to the principles that help us de ide both how content is selected and the methods ve use

There are five aspects of the pedagogy of God - that is of the way God teach s We will use these five aspects to frame how Gods own pedagogy can help us engage the attention ofour learners

mag- Shneruock Chfl5T Enr hrmed J Piwl Getty ltMt

3

THE WAY GOD TEACHES -- - - - - ~ =- - shy

Invite the learner The pedagogy of God is invitational and person-centered

God egins by reaching out to us not by waiting fi r us to come to him God also meets US where we are and accommoshydatesfor OUT particular needs Therefore effective catechesis engages the learner and atechists need to be att nt i7e to his

or her needs

Invitational Person-Centered Catechesis Many catechetical programs for children today were

developed based on the principles of adul education from

decades ago The principles were later adapted to the catshy

echetical setting and eventually scaled dOvn to childrens

catechesis Effective adult formation is based on the idea

that reflecting on our own life experiences and sharing our

personal stories with others will bring us closer to God and

help con nect our faith to other aspects of Ollr lives Yet

there are several potential problems with using this apshy

proach with children

First children have limited life eperiences from which

to draw Second children and early teens tend to be very

concrete thinkers Their abiHty to abstract general prinshy

ciples from particular experiences is quite limited Finally

children arent particularly interested in the experiences of

others They are still learning that other people h ve differshy

ent perspectives from their OVTl and in man cases they

still feel very much like the centers of their own universes

By way of example imagine that a catechist asks a classroom of first graders a fairly abstract question such as When

have you experienced God at home vlith your fam il F irst many hands will go up - not because t he children have

processed the question and thought of a response - but because each child wants to be the one to answer the question

The moment one child is called upon several other child ren will immediately tune out rather than waiting to hear hat

that child has to say They lose attention because they dont see the other childs response as directly relevant to th em Th e

child who is called on often doesnt benefit much from a question like this either because such an abstract question is

not d velopmentally appropriate He or she is likely to say something like IVhen we were at Mass or When w prayed

at dinner because the concrete mind of a first-grad l 1S looking for a specific mention of God in the emiddotperience and may

have trouble seeing God in more subtle ways

Using the pedagogy qf God we can craft a better approach to beginning and sustaining a class discu ion - one that

engag s all the children and keeps their interest

INVITE LEARNERS INTO THE PROCESS We dont find G d Godfinds us It is God who initiates t e relation h ip with humanshy

ity and we respond to his invitation God is awar of our needs and makes provisions for them As catechists we have

a responsibility to invite our learners to the process - to engage them and make provisions for their attentional needs

4

Keeping Kids Attention

ACTIVE AnENTION~GETTING

TECHNIQUES

bull USE AITENTION CUB to let stushydents know its time to listen For

younger children catchphrases like 1-2-3 eyes on me are someshy

times appropriate Visual cues

such as a physical gesture can be especially helpful Research tells

us that children with attention problems tend to have more diffishyculty p aying attention to audishytory information compared vith

visual information

bull QUIET THE ROOM Its hard to pay attention in the midst ofchaos and noise ometimes we are tempted to tr talking (or even

yelling) over the group but this can be unpleasant for everyone

catechist included If the room is especially louel quietly say ~If

you can hear my voice raise YOUT

hand At first only the students

closest to you will respond but others near them will wonder

what is happening Say the same thing again and more students

will raise their hands Thi will

eventually get the attention of even the noisiest students who

will wonder why others have their hands raised

bull POSITIVELY REINFORCE ATTENTION When you need a group to quiet

down or to look your way start by saying Let me see who is listening or Let me see who is

ready When you see a child vho is quiet and attentive thank him or her for being ready The other

students will notice and begin to do the same

ACTIVE QUESTIONINGDISCUSSION TECHNIQUES

bull ASK YOUR LEARNERS WHATQUESTIONS THEY HAVE ABOUT THE TOPIC What do they wonder You might want to give a few examples Ques tions guide our learnshy

ing they engage us in the process We are less interested in ans ers if we havent yet asked questions

bull USE A HIDDEN WORD OR PROP TO BEGIN DISCUSSION Have students guess what you have in our mystery bag or put a prop related to the lesson on a table in the front of the room and make sure it is covered with a cloth See if the can guess what it might be from the shape

bull ASSESS LpoundARNING THROUGH CHORALRESPONDING We often tend to ask factual questions about what students have learned and then wait for someone to raise a hand and respond

individually F r reasons already discussed this can diminshyish gTOUp participation Instead when asking a question

with a definite answer invite choral responding In other words ask the class to respond together For example instead of asking one

person to name the three divine persons ofthe Trinity sa The three divine persons ofthe Holy Trinity are God the Father God the (pause here and wait for a class response) and God the (pause here and wait for a class response)

bull PROVIDE AlTERNATIVE MEANSOF RESPONDING TO QUESTIONS For questions with

10 dis rete an weI options - for example truefalse good choicebad choice etc - you may wish to use some sort of gesture such as thumbs up or thumbs down or standing upsitting down (which has the added benefit

of getting out some extra energy) For questions with more possible answer allow kids to write their responses on a piece of paper and t urn the paper over when they are ready

Additional Recommendations bull MOVE FROM ONE ACTIVITY TO THEOTHERPERIODICALLY from gathering to pray to presenting the lesson from art response to discussion from the practical apshy

plication or practice to saying a closing prayer for example

bull HAVE THE CLASS CHANGE POSITION from sitting to standing or from one part of the room to the next This will help to reset the attention span clock

Questions for Reflection What most eas ily engages the attention of my learners

What new techniques can I utilize to sustain attention during class discussions

5

Make it real Gods pedagogy is incarnational

Gods plan of salvation is characterized by his words and 1 eds and tb nnity between the two From speaking the univ se into tiristen e to his pr mise to Noah to his covenants with Abraham and Mo es and to the vVord made Hesh iII Jesus Chri st it is clear that d Word b comes action An effective p dagogy is witn ssed in th 1ife and behavior of the T

cat chist It makes the Faith com to li fi through hands-on acti ities an I applications and multisensory teaching IT lhshyad It PI vide leamers with clear ideas of how to go ant and live the Gospel

AN INCARNATIONAL CATECHESIS We all learn in different ways Some are auditory learners and under tand well from listening to the message Others

arEvisuallearne and benctit from visual aids and demonstrations of the L~ son Still others learn best by m viug and ~doing The) are calhgtd kinesthetic learners

In the 1980 an id a emerged t11at hed new in sight on how p ople learn In his 1983 book Frames ofJv[ind Harvard Uni rer itypsychologist Dr Howard Gardner proposed a n w theory of int lligence called t he Th ory of Multipl Intellishygences Gardn r asserted that there was not just one type of intelligence but many diff rent way in which person could be smart He proposed the following eigh t type of intelligen e

No matter what learning styles are represented in your classroom the most important tool you have is yours If Th e

General Directoryfor Catechesis puts it this way

No methodology no matter how well tested can dispense with the person of the catechist in every phase ofthe

catechetical process The charism given to him by the Spirit a solid spirituality and transparent witness oflife constitutes the soul of every method Only hi own hum an and Christian qualities guarantee a good use oftexts and other work instruments (156)

This means that your witness is cri cally important Y u t acb not only by what you say but also by what you do both in the c1as room and in the commu nilY You help Gods Word become action in the lives of your learners As catechists and teachers each of us has a responsibility to be an incarnation of the Gospel message bull

MULTISENSORY METHODOLOGY Using multiple senses in the way W ommunicate the message is especially important wl1en i comes to teaching the

Faith Gods Word is for everyone no mat ter how t hey Jearn best We make our message more available to everyone shy

indeed more catholic - when e us a variety of In thods The GDC ays the variety of meth d i a sign oflife and richshyness as well as a demonstration of respect for those to whom catechesis is addressed (148) Here are a few acti7e-learning activities that can be adapted to almost any content

bull VlSUAL INTERAcrJVE STORY TIMES In the Judeo-Christian tradition we often hand on tnlths in the form of story Help the sto shyries in your lessons come alive by using interactive storytelling techniques involving visuals and three-dimensional props Try acting out the story with the children

bull MUSIC RHYTHM AND MOVEMENT Music and rhythm is a great ay to memorize material When there are prayers or points to

memorize look for a song to help Most of our traditional Catholic prayers are already set to various melodies and many key points from the lessons are often on the soundtra s that accompany curriculum written by major Cathol i publishshyers Songs with hand motions are even better as they especially appeal t the kinesthetic learners in the T OUp

7

THE WAY GOD TEACHES

bull GAM ES Kids and teens love to play games Ifpossible avoid individual competition because this can create an undesirshyable atmosphere in the class However social psychologists have found that when children compete on teams the atmoshy

sphere is more focused on working together and this can build community and cohesiveness Here are a few examples of games that can be used with almost any content

bull TICK-TACK-TOE - When its time to complete the chapter test or chapter review in yourte ctbook divide the room down the middle and make your two teams the XS and the Os Draw a tick-tack-toe board Have the children t urn to the page with the chapter testreview and give question one to the Xs If they answer correctly they can put an X n the board in the place chosen by the student who answered and then the Os have a turn with question number two If the Xs answer to question number one is incorrect that question goes to the Os and so on

bull GAME SHOW - When you have completed a few weeks oflearning on various topics arrange questions about the content into various categories This works especially well with the unit tests in many of the textbook series used in Catholic parishes and schools For example if you have just completed a unit of chapters on the sacraments you might have had a chapter on the Sacraments of Initiation one on Sacraments of Healing and one on Sacraments at the Service of Holy Communion Write these three categories on the board with point values fo r each question and then allow students to choose a categol) and question value to score points for their team For example they might say Ill take Sacraments ofInitiation for 200 points Continue play until all of the questions have been asked

bull MYSTERY WORD - Vhen you are introducing a new and important word or concept try putting a blank line for each letter on the board and having the students guess the letters You can also vary this vith longer phrases or the key concept learning objective or main point of the chapter Vith sentences and phrases write some ofthe words and leave others blank Ask the students if they can guess the whole word that goes in the blank

bull WHO AM I - This is a game that can be adapted to content that involves distinguishing between characters or categories You could play H oly Family Who Am 1deg or Holy Trinity Who Am I or 7 Sacraments vVho Am I For

older children and teens you might have a game of 12 Disciples Who Am I or Virtues Who Am 1 Make an enveshylope for each answer Put the clues on the front of the envelope and put a piece of paper with the ans er (or a picture ofthe answer) on the inside For example for 7 Sacraments 0 Am 1 you might have an envelope on which is written This is the sacrament in which water is poured on the person or they are immersed in water and they are

forgiven of all original and any personal sin and they become part of the Church and an adopted son or daugh ter of God On the inside of the envelope there would be either the word baptism or a pictme of a baptism (or both) For each question the catechi t or teacher reads the clues from the outside of the envelope The children raise their hands when they think they know the answer After a child guesses the catechistteacher hands the envelope to the child so

he or she may open it and see if the answer given was correct

Questions for Reflection How can I serve as a living example of the things I wish to teach __________ _ _ _ _______ _ _

What learning styles do I see represented in the group oflearners I teach How can I better meet the needs of children ith diverse learning styles _______ ____________ ______ ___________

8

THE DIVINE PEDAGOGY

We use the term divine pedagogy to describe Gods own way of teaching us The General Directoryfor Catechesis (GDC) the Churchs guidebook for handing on the Faith says the following Catechesis as communication of divine Revelation is radically inspired by the pedagogy ofGod as displayed in Christ and in the Church (143) Our call as teach ers and techists is to hand on the truths of the Faith When we do t11i well we are not only using the best of what we know about how people learn but also echoing God s oWn way of teaching us h is truths We should also respect that even as we teach other God remains active in the heart of the human person bringing growth to the seeds offaith that are planted there

Pedagogy and methodology are not e actiy one and the same Pedagogy refers to the principles that help us de ide both how content is selected and the methods ve use

There are five aspects of the pedagogy of God - that is of the way God teach s We will use these five aspects to frame how Gods own pedagogy can help us engage the attention ofour learners

mag- Shneruock Chfl5T Enr hrmed J Piwl Getty ltMt

3

THE WAY GOD TEACHES -- - - - - ~ =- - shy

Invite the learner The pedagogy of God is invitational and person-centered

God egins by reaching out to us not by waiting fi r us to come to him God also meets US where we are and accommoshydatesfor OUT particular needs Therefore effective catechesis engages the learner and atechists need to be att nt i7e to his

or her needs

Invitational Person-Centered Catechesis Many catechetical programs for children today were

developed based on the principles of adul education from

decades ago The principles were later adapted to the catshy

echetical setting and eventually scaled dOvn to childrens

catechesis Effective adult formation is based on the idea

that reflecting on our own life experiences and sharing our

personal stories with others will bring us closer to God and

help con nect our faith to other aspects of Ollr lives Yet

there are several potential problems with using this apshy

proach with children

First children have limited life eperiences from which

to draw Second children and early teens tend to be very

concrete thinkers Their abiHty to abstract general prinshy

ciples from particular experiences is quite limited Finally

children arent particularly interested in the experiences of

others They are still learning that other people h ve differshy

ent perspectives from their OVTl and in man cases they

still feel very much like the centers of their own universes

By way of example imagine that a catechist asks a classroom of first graders a fairly abstract question such as When

have you experienced God at home vlith your fam il F irst many hands will go up - not because t he children have

processed the question and thought of a response - but because each child wants to be the one to answer the question

The moment one child is called upon several other child ren will immediately tune out rather than waiting to hear hat

that child has to say They lose attention because they dont see the other childs response as directly relevant to th em Th e

child who is called on often doesnt benefit much from a question like this either because such an abstract question is

not d velopmentally appropriate He or she is likely to say something like IVhen we were at Mass or When w prayed

at dinner because the concrete mind of a first-grad l 1S looking for a specific mention of God in the emiddotperience and may

have trouble seeing God in more subtle ways

Using the pedagogy qf God we can craft a better approach to beginning and sustaining a class discu ion - one that

engag s all the children and keeps their interest

INVITE LEARNERS INTO THE PROCESS We dont find G d Godfinds us It is God who initiates t e relation h ip with humanshy

ity and we respond to his invitation God is awar of our needs and makes provisions for them As catechists we have

a responsibility to invite our learners to the process - to engage them and make provisions for their attentional needs

4

Keeping Kids Attention

ACTIVE AnENTION~GETTING

TECHNIQUES

bull USE AITENTION CUB to let stushydents know its time to listen For

younger children catchphrases like 1-2-3 eyes on me are someshy

times appropriate Visual cues

such as a physical gesture can be especially helpful Research tells

us that children with attention problems tend to have more diffishyculty p aying attention to audishytory information compared vith

visual information

bull QUIET THE ROOM Its hard to pay attention in the midst ofchaos and noise ometimes we are tempted to tr talking (or even

yelling) over the group but this can be unpleasant for everyone

catechist included If the room is especially louel quietly say ~If

you can hear my voice raise YOUT

hand At first only the students

closest to you will respond but others near them will wonder

what is happening Say the same thing again and more students

will raise their hands Thi will

eventually get the attention of even the noisiest students who

will wonder why others have their hands raised

bull POSITIVELY REINFORCE ATTENTION When you need a group to quiet

down or to look your way start by saying Let me see who is listening or Let me see who is

ready When you see a child vho is quiet and attentive thank him or her for being ready The other

students will notice and begin to do the same

ACTIVE QUESTIONINGDISCUSSION TECHNIQUES

bull ASK YOUR LEARNERS WHATQUESTIONS THEY HAVE ABOUT THE TOPIC What do they wonder You might want to give a few examples Ques tions guide our learnshy

ing they engage us in the process We are less interested in ans ers if we havent yet asked questions

bull USE A HIDDEN WORD OR PROP TO BEGIN DISCUSSION Have students guess what you have in our mystery bag or put a prop related to the lesson on a table in the front of the room and make sure it is covered with a cloth See if the can guess what it might be from the shape

bull ASSESS LpoundARNING THROUGH CHORALRESPONDING We often tend to ask factual questions about what students have learned and then wait for someone to raise a hand and respond

individually F r reasons already discussed this can diminshyish gTOUp participation Instead when asking a question

with a definite answer invite choral responding In other words ask the class to respond together For example instead of asking one

person to name the three divine persons ofthe Trinity sa The three divine persons ofthe Holy Trinity are God the Father God the (pause here and wait for a class response) and God the (pause here and wait for a class response)

bull PROVIDE AlTERNATIVE MEANSOF RESPONDING TO QUESTIONS For questions with

10 dis rete an weI options - for example truefalse good choicebad choice etc - you may wish to use some sort of gesture such as thumbs up or thumbs down or standing upsitting down (which has the added benefit

of getting out some extra energy) For questions with more possible answer allow kids to write their responses on a piece of paper and t urn the paper over when they are ready

Additional Recommendations bull MOVE FROM ONE ACTIVITY TO THEOTHERPERIODICALLY from gathering to pray to presenting the lesson from art response to discussion from the practical apshy

plication or practice to saying a closing prayer for example

bull HAVE THE CLASS CHANGE POSITION from sitting to standing or from one part of the room to the next This will help to reset the attention span clock

Questions for Reflection What most eas ily engages the attention of my learners

What new techniques can I utilize to sustain attention during class discussions

5

Make it real Gods pedagogy is incarnational

Gods plan of salvation is characterized by his words and 1 eds and tb nnity between the two From speaking the univ se into tiristen e to his pr mise to Noah to his covenants with Abraham and Mo es and to the vVord made Hesh iII Jesus Chri st it is clear that d Word b comes action An effective p dagogy is witn ssed in th 1ife and behavior of the T

cat chist It makes the Faith com to li fi through hands-on acti ities an I applications and multisensory teaching IT lhshyad It PI vide leamers with clear ideas of how to go ant and live the Gospel

AN INCARNATIONAL CATECHESIS We all learn in different ways Some are auditory learners and under tand well from listening to the message Others

arEvisuallearne and benctit from visual aids and demonstrations of the L~ son Still others learn best by m viug and ~doing The) are calhgtd kinesthetic learners

In the 1980 an id a emerged t11at hed new in sight on how p ople learn In his 1983 book Frames ofJv[ind Harvard Uni rer itypsychologist Dr Howard Gardner proposed a n w theory of int lligence called t he Th ory of Multipl Intellishygences Gardn r asserted that there was not just one type of intelligence but many diff rent way in which person could be smart He proposed the following eigh t type of intelligen e

No matter what learning styles are represented in your classroom the most important tool you have is yours If Th e

General Directoryfor Catechesis puts it this way

No methodology no matter how well tested can dispense with the person of the catechist in every phase ofthe

catechetical process The charism given to him by the Spirit a solid spirituality and transparent witness oflife constitutes the soul of every method Only hi own hum an and Christian qualities guarantee a good use oftexts and other work instruments (156)

This means that your witness is cri cally important Y u t acb not only by what you say but also by what you do both in the c1as room and in the commu nilY You help Gods Word become action in the lives of your learners As catechists and teachers each of us has a responsibility to be an incarnation of the Gospel message bull

MULTISENSORY METHODOLOGY Using multiple senses in the way W ommunicate the message is especially important wl1en i comes to teaching the

Faith Gods Word is for everyone no mat ter how t hey Jearn best We make our message more available to everyone shy

indeed more catholic - when e us a variety of In thods The GDC ays the variety of meth d i a sign oflife and richshyness as well as a demonstration of respect for those to whom catechesis is addressed (148) Here are a few acti7e-learning activities that can be adapted to almost any content

bull VlSUAL INTERAcrJVE STORY TIMES In the Judeo-Christian tradition we often hand on tnlths in the form of story Help the sto shyries in your lessons come alive by using interactive storytelling techniques involving visuals and three-dimensional props Try acting out the story with the children

bull MUSIC RHYTHM AND MOVEMENT Music and rhythm is a great ay to memorize material When there are prayers or points to

memorize look for a song to help Most of our traditional Catholic prayers are already set to various melodies and many key points from the lessons are often on the soundtra s that accompany curriculum written by major Cathol i publishshyers Songs with hand motions are even better as they especially appeal t the kinesthetic learners in the T OUp

7

THE WAY GOD TEACHES

bull GAM ES Kids and teens love to play games Ifpossible avoid individual competition because this can create an undesirshyable atmosphere in the class However social psychologists have found that when children compete on teams the atmoshy

sphere is more focused on working together and this can build community and cohesiveness Here are a few examples of games that can be used with almost any content

bull TICK-TACK-TOE - When its time to complete the chapter test or chapter review in yourte ctbook divide the room down the middle and make your two teams the XS and the Os Draw a tick-tack-toe board Have the children t urn to the page with the chapter testreview and give question one to the Xs If they answer correctly they can put an X n the board in the place chosen by the student who answered and then the Os have a turn with question number two If the Xs answer to question number one is incorrect that question goes to the Os and so on

bull GAME SHOW - When you have completed a few weeks oflearning on various topics arrange questions about the content into various categories This works especially well with the unit tests in many of the textbook series used in Catholic parishes and schools For example if you have just completed a unit of chapters on the sacraments you might have had a chapter on the Sacraments of Initiation one on Sacraments of Healing and one on Sacraments at the Service of Holy Communion Write these three categories on the board with point values fo r each question and then allow students to choose a categol) and question value to score points for their team For example they might say Ill take Sacraments ofInitiation for 200 points Continue play until all of the questions have been asked

bull MYSTERY WORD - Vhen you are introducing a new and important word or concept try putting a blank line for each letter on the board and having the students guess the letters You can also vary this vith longer phrases or the key concept learning objective or main point of the chapter Vith sentences and phrases write some ofthe words and leave others blank Ask the students if they can guess the whole word that goes in the blank

bull WHO AM I - This is a game that can be adapted to content that involves distinguishing between characters or categories You could play H oly Family Who Am 1deg or Holy Trinity Who Am I or 7 Sacraments vVho Am I For

older children and teens you might have a game of 12 Disciples Who Am I or Virtues Who Am 1 Make an enveshylope for each answer Put the clues on the front of the envelope and put a piece of paper with the ans er (or a picture ofthe answer) on the inside For example for 7 Sacraments 0 Am 1 you might have an envelope on which is written This is the sacrament in which water is poured on the person or they are immersed in water and they are

forgiven of all original and any personal sin and they become part of the Church and an adopted son or daugh ter of God On the inside of the envelope there would be either the word baptism or a pictme of a baptism (or both) For each question the catechi t or teacher reads the clues from the outside of the envelope The children raise their hands when they think they know the answer After a child guesses the catechistteacher hands the envelope to the child so

he or she may open it and see if the answer given was correct

Questions for Reflection How can I serve as a living example of the things I wish to teach __________ _ _ _ _______ _ _

What learning styles do I see represented in the group oflearners I teach How can I better meet the needs of children ith diverse learning styles _______ ____________ ______ ___________

8

THE WAY GOD TEACHES -- - - - - ~ =- - shy

Invite the learner The pedagogy of God is invitational and person-centered

God egins by reaching out to us not by waiting fi r us to come to him God also meets US where we are and accommoshydatesfor OUT particular needs Therefore effective catechesis engages the learner and atechists need to be att nt i7e to his

or her needs

Invitational Person-Centered Catechesis Many catechetical programs for children today were

developed based on the principles of adul education from

decades ago The principles were later adapted to the catshy

echetical setting and eventually scaled dOvn to childrens

catechesis Effective adult formation is based on the idea

that reflecting on our own life experiences and sharing our

personal stories with others will bring us closer to God and

help con nect our faith to other aspects of Ollr lives Yet

there are several potential problems with using this apshy

proach with children

First children have limited life eperiences from which

to draw Second children and early teens tend to be very

concrete thinkers Their abiHty to abstract general prinshy

ciples from particular experiences is quite limited Finally

children arent particularly interested in the experiences of

others They are still learning that other people h ve differshy

ent perspectives from their OVTl and in man cases they

still feel very much like the centers of their own universes

By way of example imagine that a catechist asks a classroom of first graders a fairly abstract question such as When

have you experienced God at home vlith your fam il F irst many hands will go up - not because t he children have

processed the question and thought of a response - but because each child wants to be the one to answer the question

The moment one child is called upon several other child ren will immediately tune out rather than waiting to hear hat

that child has to say They lose attention because they dont see the other childs response as directly relevant to th em Th e

child who is called on often doesnt benefit much from a question like this either because such an abstract question is

not d velopmentally appropriate He or she is likely to say something like IVhen we were at Mass or When w prayed

at dinner because the concrete mind of a first-grad l 1S looking for a specific mention of God in the emiddotperience and may

have trouble seeing God in more subtle ways

Using the pedagogy qf God we can craft a better approach to beginning and sustaining a class discu ion - one that

engag s all the children and keeps their interest

INVITE LEARNERS INTO THE PROCESS We dont find G d Godfinds us It is God who initiates t e relation h ip with humanshy

ity and we respond to his invitation God is awar of our needs and makes provisions for them As catechists we have

a responsibility to invite our learners to the process - to engage them and make provisions for their attentional needs

4

Keeping Kids Attention

ACTIVE AnENTION~GETTING

TECHNIQUES

bull USE AITENTION CUB to let stushydents know its time to listen For

younger children catchphrases like 1-2-3 eyes on me are someshy

times appropriate Visual cues

such as a physical gesture can be especially helpful Research tells

us that children with attention problems tend to have more diffishyculty p aying attention to audishytory information compared vith

visual information

bull QUIET THE ROOM Its hard to pay attention in the midst ofchaos and noise ometimes we are tempted to tr talking (or even

yelling) over the group but this can be unpleasant for everyone

catechist included If the room is especially louel quietly say ~If

you can hear my voice raise YOUT

hand At first only the students

closest to you will respond but others near them will wonder

what is happening Say the same thing again and more students

will raise their hands Thi will

eventually get the attention of even the noisiest students who

will wonder why others have their hands raised

bull POSITIVELY REINFORCE ATTENTION When you need a group to quiet

down or to look your way start by saying Let me see who is listening or Let me see who is

ready When you see a child vho is quiet and attentive thank him or her for being ready The other

students will notice and begin to do the same

ACTIVE QUESTIONINGDISCUSSION TECHNIQUES

bull ASK YOUR LEARNERS WHATQUESTIONS THEY HAVE ABOUT THE TOPIC What do they wonder You might want to give a few examples Ques tions guide our learnshy

ing they engage us in the process We are less interested in ans ers if we havent yet asked questions

bull USE A HIDDEN WORD OR PROP TO BEGIN DISCUSSION Have students guess what you have in our mystery bag or put a prop related to the lesson on a table in the front of the room and make sure it is covered with a cloth See if the can guess what it might be from the shape

bull ASSESS LpoundARNING THROUGH CHORALRESPONDING We often tend to ask factual questions about what students have learned and then wait for someone to raise a hand and respond

individually F r reasons already discussed this can diminshyish gTOUp participation Instead when asking a question

with a definite answer invite choral responding In other words ask the class to respond together For example instead of asking one

person to name the three divine persons ofthe Trinity sa The three divine persons ofthe Holy Trinity are God the Father God the (pause here and wait for a class response) and God the (pause here and wait for a class response)

bull PROVIDE AlTERNATIVE MEANSOF RESPONDING TO QUESTIONS For questions with

10 dis rete an weI options - for example truefalse good choicebad choice etc - you may wish to use some sort of gesture such as thumbs up or thumbs down or standing upsitting down (which has the added benefit

of getting out some extra energy) For questions with more possible answer allow kids to write their responses on a piece of paper and t urn the paper over when they are ready

Additional Recommendations bull MOVE FROM ONE ACTIVITY TO THEOTHERPERIODICALLY from gathering to pray to presenting the lesson from art response to discussion from the practical apshy

plication or practice to saying a closing prayer for example

bull HAVE THE CLASS CHANGE POSITION from sitting to standing or from one part of the room to the next This will help to reset the attention span clock

Questions for Reflection What most eas ily engages the attention of my learners

What new techniques can I utilize to sustain attention during class discussions

5

Make it real Gods pedagogy is incarnational

Gods plan of salvation is characterized by his words and 1 eds and tb nnity between the two From speaking the univ se into tiristen e to his pr mise to Noah to his covenants with Abraham and Mo es and to the vVord made Hesh iII Jesus Chri st it is clear that d Word b comes action An effective p dagogy is witn ssed in th 1ife and behavior of the T

cat chist It makes the Faith com to li fi through hands-on acti ities an I applications and multisensory teaching IT lhshyad It PI vide leamers with clear ideas of how to go ant and live the Gospel

AN INCARNATIONAL CATECHESIS We all learn in different ways Some are auditory learners and under tand well from listening to the message Others

arEvisuallearne and benctit from visual aids and demonstrations of the L~ son Still others learn best by m viug and ~doing The) are calhgtd kinesthetic learners

In the 1980 an id a emerged t11at hed new in sight on how p ople learn In his 1983 book Frames ofJv[ind Harvard Uni rer itypsychologist Dr Howard Gardner proposed a n w theory of int lligence called t he Th ory of Multipl Intellishygences Gardn r asserted that there was not just one type of intelligence but many diff rent way in which person could be smart He proposed the following eigh t type of intelligen e

No matter what learning styles are represented in your classroom the most important tool you have is yours If Th e

General Directoryfor Catechesis puts it this way

No methodology no matter how well tested can dispense with the person of the catechist in every phase ofthe

catechetical process The charism given to him by the Spirit a solid spirituality and transparent witness oflife constitutes the soul of every method Only hi own hum an and Christian qualities guarantee a good use oftexts and other work instruments (156)

This means that your witness is cri cally important Y u t acb not only by what you say but also by what you do both in the c1as room and in the commu nilY You help Gods Word become action in the lives of your learners As catechists and teachers each of us has a responsibility to be an incarnation of the Gospel message bull

MULTISENSORY METHODOLOGY Using multiple senses in the way W ommunicate the message is especially important wl1en i comes to teaching the

Faith Gods Word is for everyone no mat ter how t hey Jearn best We make our message more available to everyone shy

indeed more catholic - when e us a variety of In thods The GDC ays the variety of meth d i a sign oflife and richshyness as well as a demonstration of respect for those to whom catechesis is addressed (148) Here are a few acti7e-learning activities that can be adapted to almost any content

bull VlSUAL INTERAcrJVE STORY TIMES In the Judeo-Christian tradition we often hand on tnlths in the form of story Help the sto shyries in your lessons come alive by using interactive storytelling techniques involving visuals and three-dimensional props Try acting out the story with the children

bull MUSIC RHYTHM AND MOVEMENT Music and rhythm is a great ay to memorize material When there are prayers or points to

memorize look for a song to help Most of our traditional Catholic prayers are already set to various melodies and many key points from the lessons are often on the soundtra s that accompany curriculum written by major Cathol i publishshyers Songs with hand motions are even better as they especially appeal t the kinesthetic learners in the T OUp

7

THE WAY GOD TEACHES

bull GAM ES Kids and teens love to play games Ifpossible avoid individual competition because this can create an undesirshyable atmosphere in the class However social psychologists have found that when children compete on teams the atmoshy

sphere is more focused on working together and this can build community and cohesiveness Here are a few examples of games that can be used with almost any content

bull TICK-TACK-TOE - When its time to complete the chapter test or chapter review in yourte ctbook divide the room down the middle and make your two teams the XS and the Os Draw a tick-tack-toe board Have the children t urn to the page with the chapter testreview and give question one to the Xs If they answer correctly they can put an X n the board in the place chosen by the student who answered and then the Os have a turn with question number two If the Xs answer to question number one is incorrect that question goes to the Os and so on

bull GAME SHOW - When you have completed a few weeks oflearning on various topics arrange questions about the content into various categories This works especially well with the unit tests in many of the textbook series used in Catholic parishes and schools For example if you have just completed a unit of chapters on the sacraments you might have had a chapter on the Sacraments of Initiation one on Sacraments of Healing and one on Sacraments at the Service of Holy Communion Write these three categories on the board with point values fo r each question and then allow students to choose a categol) and question value to score points for their team For example they might say Ill take Sacraments ofInitiation for 200 points Continue play until all of the questions have been asked

bull MYSTERY WORD - Vhen you are introducing a new and important word or concept try putting a blank line for each letter on the board and having the students guess the letters You can also vary this vith longer phrases or the key concept learning objective or main point of the chapter Vith sentences and phrases write some ofthe words and leave others blank Ask the students if they can guess the whole word that goes in the blank

bull WHO AM I - This is a game that can be adapted to content that involves distinguishing between characters or categories You could play H oly Family Who Am 1deg or Holy Trinity Who Am I or 7 Sacraments vVho Am I For

older children and teens you might have a game of 12 Disciples Who Am I or Virtues Who Am 1 Make an enveshylope for each answer Put the clues on the front of the envelope and put a piece of paper with the ans er (or a picture ofthe answer) on the inside For example for 7 Sacraments 0 Am 1 you might have an envelope on which is written This is the sacrament in which water is poured on the person or they are immersed in water and they are

forgiven of all original and any personal sin and they become part of the Church and an adopted son or daugh ter of God On the inside of the envelope there would be either the word baptism or a pictme of a baptism (or both) For each question the catechi t or teacher reads the clues from the outside of the envelope The children raise their hands when they think they know the answer After a child guesses the catechistteacher hands the envelope to the child so

he or she may open it and see if the answer given was correct

Questions for Reflection How can I serve as a living example of the things I wish to teach __________ _ _ _ _______ _ _

What learning styles do I see represented in the group oflearners I teach How can I better meet the needs of children ith diverse learning styles _______ ____________ ______ ___________

8

Keeping Kids Attention

ACTIVE AnENTION~GETTING

TECHNIQUES

bull USE AITENTION CUB to let stushydents know its time to listen For

younger children catchphrases like 1-2-3 eyes on me are someshy

times appropriate Visual cues

such as a physical gesture can be especially helpful Research tells

us that children with attention problems tend to have more diffishyculty p aying attention to audishytory information compared vith

visual information

bull QUIET THE ROOM Its hard to pay attention in the midst ofchaos and noise ometimes we are tempted to tr talking (or even

yelling) over the group but this can be unpleasant for everyone

catechist included If the room is especially louel quietly say ~If

you can hear my voice raise YOUT

hand At first only the students

closest to you will respond but others near them will wonder

what is happening Say the same thing again and more students

will raise their hands Thi will

eventually get the attention of even the noisiest students who

will wonder why others have their hands raised

bull POSITIVELY REINFORCE ATTENTION When you need a group to quiet

down or to look your way start by saying Let me see who is listening or Let me see who is

ready When you see a child vho is quiet and attentive thank him or her for being ready The other

students will notice and begin to do the same

ACTIVE QUESTIONINGDISCUSSION TECHNIQUES

bull ASK YOUR LEARNERS WHATQUESTIONS THEY HAVE ABOUT THE TOPIC What do they wonder You might want to give a few examples Ques tions guide our learnshy

ing they engage us in the process We are less interested in ans ers if we havent yet asked questions

bull USE A HIDDEN WORD OR PROP TO BEGIN DISCUSSION Have students guess what you have in our mystery bag or put a prop related to the lesson on a table in the front of the room and make sure it is covered with a cloth See if the can guess what it might be from the shape

bull ASSESS LpoundARNING THROUGH CHORALRESPONDING We often tend to ask factual questions about what students have learned and then wait for someone to raise a hand and respond

individually F r reasons already discussed this can diminshyish gTOUp participation Instead when asking a question

with a definite answer invite choral responding In other words ask the class to respond together For example instead of asking one

person to name the three divine persons ofthe Trinity sa The three divine persons ofthe Holy Trinity are God the Father God the (pause here and wait for a class response) and God the (pause here and wait for a class response)

bull PROVIDE AlTERNATIVE MEANSOF RESPONDING TO QUESTIONS For questions with

10 dis rete an weI options - for example truefalse good choicebad choice etc - you may wish to use some sort of gesture such as thumbs up or thumbs down or standing upsitting down (which has the added benefit

of getting out some extra energy) For questions with more possible answer allow kids to write their responses on a piece of paper and t urn the paper over when they are ready

Additional Recommendations bull MOVE FROM ONE ACTIVITY TO THEOTHERPERIODICALLY from gathering to pray to presenting the lesson from art response to discussion from the practical apshy

plication or practice to saying a closing prayer for example

bull HAVE THE CLASS CHANGE POSITION from sitting to standing or from one part of the room to the next This will help to reset the attention span clock

Questions for Reflection What most eas ily engages the attention of my learners

What new techniques can I utilize to sustain attention during class discussions

5

Make it real Gods pedagogy is incarnational

Gods plan of salvation is characterized by his words and 1 eds and tb nnity between the two From speaking the univ se into tiristen e to his pr mise to Noah to his covenants with Abraham and Mo es and to the vVord made Hesh iII Jesus Chri st it is clear that d Word b comes action An effective p dagogy is witn ssed in th 1ife and behavior of the T

cat chist It makes the Faith com to li fi through hands-on acti ities an I applications and multisensory teaching IT lhshyad It PI vide leamers with clear ideas of how to go ant and live the Gospel

AN INCARNATIONAL CATECHESIS We all learn in different ways Some are auditory learners and under tand well from listening to the message Others

arEvisuallearne and benctit from visual aids and demonstrations of the L~ son Still others learn best by m viug and ~doing The) are calhgtd kinesthetic learners

In the 1980 an id a emerged t11at hed new in sight on how p ople learn In his 1983 book Frames ofJv[ind Harvard Uni rer itypsychologist Dr Howard Gardner proposed a n w theory of int lligence called t he Th ory of Multipl Intellishygences Gardn r asserted that there was not just one type of intelligence but many diff rent way in which person could be smart He proposed the following eigh t type of intelligen e

No matter what learning styles are represented in your classroom the most important tool you have is yours If Th e

General Directoryfor Catechesis puts it this way

No methodology no matter how well tested can dispense with the person of the catechist in every phase ofthe

catechetical process The charism given to him by the Spirit a solid spirituality and transparent witness oflife constitutes the soul of every method Only hi own hum an and Christian qualities guarantee a good use oftexts and other work instruments (156)

This means that your witness is cri cally important Y u t acb not only by what you say but also by what you do both in the c1as room and in the commu nilY You help Gods Word become action in the lives of your learners As catechists and teachers each of us has a responsibility to be an incarnation of the Gospel message bull

MULTISENSORY METHODOLOGY Using multiple senses in the way W ommunicate the message is especially important wl1en i comes to teaching the

Faith Gods Word is for everyone no mat ter how t hey Jearn best We make our message more available to everyone shy

indeed more catholic - when e us a variety of In thods The GDC ays the variety of meth d i a sign oflife and richshyness as well as a demonstration of respect for those to whom catechesis is addressed (148) Here are a few acti7e-learning activities that can be adapted to almost any content

bull VlSUAL INTERAcrJVE STORY TIMES In the Judeo-Christian tradition we often hand on tnlths in the form of story Help the sto shyries in your lessons come alive by using interactive storytelling techniques involving visuals and three-dimensional props Try acting out the story with the children

bull MUSIC RHYTHM AND MOVEMENT Music and rhythm is a great ay to memorize material When there are prayers or points to

memorize look for a song to help Most of our traditional Catholic prayers are already set to various melodies and many key points from the lessons are often on the soundtra s that accompany curriculum written by major Cathol i publishshyers Songs with hand motions are even better as they especially appeal t the kinesthetic learners in the T OUp

7

THE WAY GOD TEACHES

bull GAM ES Kids and teens love to play games Ifpossible avoid individual competition because this can create an undesirshyable atmosphere in the class However social psychologists have found that when children compete on teams the atmoshy

sphere is more focused on working together and this can build community and cohesiveness Here are a few examples of games that can be used with almost any content

bull TICK-TACK-TOE - When its time to complete the chapter test or chapter review in yourte ctbook divide the room down the middle and make your two teams the XS and the Os Draw a tick-tack-toe board Have the children t urn to the page with the chapter testreview and give question one to the Xs If they answer correctly they can put an X n the board in the place chosen by the student who answered and then the Os have a turn with question number two If the Xs answer to question number one is incorrect that question goes to the Os and so on

bull GAME SHOW - When you have completed a few weeks oflearning on various topics arrange questions about the content into various categories This works especially well with the unit tests in many of the textbook series used in Catholic parishes and schools For example if you have just completed a unit of chapters on the sacraments you might have had a chapter on the Sacraments of Initiation one on Sacraments of Healing and one on Sacraments at the Service of Holy Communion Write these three categories on the board with point values fo r each question and then allow students to choose a categol) and question value to score points for their team For example they might say Ill take Sacraments ofInitiation for 200 points Continue play until all of the questions have been asked

bull MYSTERY WORD - Vhen you are introducing a new and important word or concept try putting a blank line for each letter on the board and having the students guess the letters You can also vary this vith longer phrases or the key concept learning objective or main point of the chapter Vith sentences and phrases write some ofthe words and leave others blank Ask the students if they can guess the whole word that goes in the blank

bull WHO AM I - This is a game that can be adapted to content that involves distinguishing between characters or categories You could play H oly Family Who Am 1deg or Holy Trinity Who Am I or 7 Sacraments vVho Am I For

older children and teens you might have a game of 12 Disciples Who Am I or Virtues Who Am 1 Make an enveshylope for each answer Put the clues on the front of the envelope and put a piece of paper with the ans er (or a picture ofthe answer) on the inside For example for 7 Sacraments 0 Am 1 you might have an envelope on which is written This is the sacrament in which water is poured on the person or they are immersed in water and they are

forgiven of all original and any personal sin and they become part of the Church and an adopted son or daugh ter of God On the inside of the envelope there would be either the word baptism or a pictme of a baptism (or both) For each question the catechi t or teacher reads the clues from the outside of the envelope The children raise their hands when they think they know the answer After a child guesses the catechistteacher hands the envelope to the child so

he or she may open it and see if the answer given was correct

Questions for Reflection How can I serve as a living example of the things I wish to teach __________ _ _ _ _______ _ _

What learning styles do I see represented in the group oflearners I teach How can I better meet the needs of children ith diverse learning styles _______ ____________ ______ ___________

8

Make it real Gods pedagogy is incarnational

Gods plan of salvation is characterized by his words and 1 eds and tb nnity between the two From speaking the univ se into tiristen e to his pr mise to Noah to his covenants with Abraham and Mo es and to the vVord made Hesh iII Jesus Chri st it is clear that d Word b comes action An effective p dagogy is witn ssed in th 1ife and behavior of the T

cat chist It makes the Faith com to li fi through hands-on acti ities an I applications and multisensory teaching IT lhshyad It PI vide leamers with clear ideas of how to go ant and live the Gospel

AN INCARNATIONAL CATECHESIS We all learn in different ways Some are auditory learners and under tand well from listening to the message Others

arEvisuallearne and benctit from visual aids and demonstrations of the L~ son Still others learn best by m viug and ~doing The) are calhgtd kinesthetic learners

In the 1980 an id a emerged t11at hed new in sight on how p ople learn In his 1983 book Frames ofJv[ind Harvard Uni rer itypsychologist Dr Howard Gardner proposed a n w theory of int lligence called t he Th ory of Multipl Intellishygences Gardn r asserted that there was not just one type of intelligence but many diff rent way in which person could be smart He proposed the following eigh t type of intelligen e

No matter what learning styles are represented in your classroom the most important tool you have is yours If Th e

General Directoryfor Catechesis puts it this way

No methodology no matter how well tested can dispense with the person of the catechist in every phase ofthe

catechetical process The charism given to him by the Spirit a solid spirituality and transparent witness oflife constitutes the soul of every method Only hi own hum an and Christian qualities guarantee a good use oftexts and other work instruments (156)

This means that your witness is cri cally important Y u t acb not only by what you say but also by what you do both in the c1as room and in the commu nilY You help Gods Word become action in the lives of your learners As catechists and teachers each of us has a responsibility to be an incarnation of the Gospel message bull

MULTISENSORY METHODOLOGY Using multiple senses in the way W ommunicate the message is especially important wl1en i comes to teaching the

Faith Gods Word is for everyone no mat ter how t hey Jearn best We make our message more available to everyone shy

indeed more catholic - when e us a variety of In thods The GDC ays the variety of meth d i a sign oflife and richshyness as well as a demonstration of respect for those to whom catechesis is addressed (148) Here are a few acti7e-learning activities that can be adapted to almost any content

bull VlSUAL INTERAcrJVE STORY TIMES In the Judeo-Christian tradition we often hand on tnlths in the form of story Help the sto shyries in your lessons come alive by using interactive storytelling techniques involving visuals and three-dimensional props Try acting out the story with the children

bull MUSIC RHYTHM AND MOVEMENT Music and rhythm is a great ay to memorize material When there are prayers or points to

memorize look for a song to help Most of our traditional Catholic prayers are already set to various melodies and many key points from the lessons are often on the soundtra s that accompany curriculum written by major Cathol i publishshyers Songs with hand motions are even better as they especially appeal t the kinesthetic learners in the T OUp

7

THE WAY GOD TEACHES

bull GAM ES Kids and teens love to play games Ifpossible avoid individual competition because this can create an undesirshyable atmosphere in the class However social psychologists have found that when children compete on teams the atmoshy

sphere is more focused on working together and this can build community and cohesiveness Here are a few examples of games that can be used with almost any content

bull TICK-TACK-TOE - When its time to complete the chapter test or chapter review in yourte ctbook divide the room down the middle and make your two teams the XS and the Os Draw a tick-tack-toe board Have the children t urn to the page with the chapter testreview and give question one to the Xs If they answer correctly they can put an X n the board in the place chosen by the student who answered and then the Os have a turn with question number two If the Xs answer to question number one is incorrect that question goes to the Os and so on

bull GAME SHOW - When you have completed a few weeks oflearning on various topics arrange questions about the content into various categories This works especially well with the unit tests in many of the textbook series used in Catholic parishes and schools For example if you have just completed a unit of chapters on the sacraments you might have had a chapter on the Sacraments of Initiation one on Sacraments of Healing and one on Sacraments at the Service of Holy Communion Write these three categories on the board with point values fo r each question and then allow students to choose a categol) and question value to score points for their team For example they might say Ill take Sacraments ofInitiation for 200 points Continue play until all of the questions have been asked

bull MYSTERY WORD - Vhen you are introducing a new and important word or concept try putting a blank line for each letter on the board and having the students guess the letters You can also vary this vith longer phrases or the key concept learning objective or main point of the chapter Vith sentences and phrases write some ofthe words and leave others blank Ask the students if they can guess the whole word that goes in the blank

bull WHO AM I - This is a game that can be adapted to content that involves distinguishing between characters or categories You could play H oly Family Who Am 1deg or Holy Trinity Who Am I or 7 Sacraments vVho Am I For

older children and teens you might have a game of 12 Disciples Who Am I or Virtues Who Am 1 Make an enveshylope for each answer Put the clues on the front of the envelope and put a piece of paper with the ans er (or a picture ofthe answer) on the inside For example for 7 Sacraments 0 Am 1 you might have an envelope on which is written This is the sacrament in which water is poured on the person or they are immersed in water and they are

forgiven of all original and any personal sin and they become part of the Church and an adopted son or daugh ter of God On the inside of the envelope there would be either the word baptism or a pictme of a baptism (or both) For each question the catechi t or teacher reads the clues from the outside of the envelope The children raise their hands when they think they know the answer After a child guesses the catechistteacher hands the envelope to the child so

he or she may open it and see if the answer given was correct

Questions for Reflection How can I serve as a living example of the things I wish to teach __________ _ _ _ _______ _ _

What learning styles do I see represented in the group oflearners I teach How can I better meet the needs of children ith diverse learning styles _______ ____________ ______ ___________

8

No matter what learning styles are represented in your classroom the most important tool you have is yours If Th e

General Directoryfor Catechesis puts it this way

No methodology no matter how well tested can dispense with the person of the catechist in every phase ofthe

catechetical process The charism given to him by the Spirit a solid spirituality and transparent witness oflife constitutes the soul of every method Only hi own hum an and Christian qualities guarantee a good use oftexts and other work instruments (156)

This means that your witness is cri cally important Y u t acb not only by what you say but also by what you do both in the c1as room and in the commu nilY You help Gods Word become action in the lives of your learners As catechists and teachers each of us has a responsibility to be an incarnation of the Gospel message bull

MULTISENSORY METHODOLOGY Using multiple senses in the way W ommunicate the message is especially important wl1en i comes to teaching the

Faith Gods Word is for everyone no mat ter how t hey Jearn best We make our message more available to everyone shy

indeed more catholic - when e us a variety of In thods The GDC ays the variety of meth d i a sign oflife and richshyness as well as a demonstration of respect for those to whom catechesis is addressed (148) Here are a few acti7e-learning activities that can be adapted to almost any content

bull VlSUAL INTERAcrJVE STORY TIMES In the Judeo-Christian tradition we often hand on tnlths in the form of story Help the sto shyries in your lessons come alive by using interactive storytelling techniques involving visuals and three-dimensional props Try acting out the story with the children

bull MUSIC RHYTHM AND MOVEMENT Music and rhythm is a great ay to memorize material When there are prayers or points to

memorize look for a song to help Most of our traditional Catholic prayers are already set to various melodies and many key points from the lessons are often on the soundtra s that accompany curriculum written by major Cathol i publishshyers Songs with hand motions are even better as they especially appeal t the kinesthetic learners in the T OUp

7

THE WAY GOD TEACHES

bull GAM ES Kids and teens love to play games Ifpossible avoid individual competition because this can create an undesirshyable atmosphere in the class However social psychologists have found that when children compete on teams the atmoshy

sphere is more focused on working together and this can build community and cohesiveness Here are a few examples of games that can be used with almost any content

bull TICK-TACK-TOE - When its time to complete the chapter test or chapter review in yourte ctbook divide the room down the middle and make your two teams the XS and the Os Draw a tick-tack-toe board Have the children t urn to the page with the chapter testreview and give question one to the Xs If they answer correctly they can put an X n the board in the place chosen by the student who answered and then the Os have a turn with question number two If the Xs answer to question number one is incorrect that question goes to the Os and so on

bull GAME SHOW - When you have completed a few weeks oflearning on various topics arrange questions about the content into various categories This works especially well with the unit tests in many of the textbook series used in Catholic parishes and schools For example if you have just completed a unit of chapters on the sacraments you might have had a chapter on the Sacraments of Initiation one on Sacraments of Healing and one on Sacraments at the Service of Holy Communion Write these three categories on the board with point values fo r each question and then allow students to choose a categol) and question value to score points for their team For example they might say Ill take Sacraments ofInitiation for 200 points Continue play until all of the questions have been asked

bull MYSTERY WORD - Vhen you are introducing a new and important word or concept try putting a blank line for each letter on the board and having the students guess the letters You can also vary this vith longer phrases or the key concept learning objective or main point of the chapter Vith sentences and phrases write some ofthe words and leave others blank Ask the students if they can guess the whole word that goes in the blank

bull WHO AM I - This is a game that can be adapted to content that involves distinguishing between characters or categories You could play H oly Family Who Am 1deg or Holy Trinity Who Am I or 7 Sacraments vVho Am I For

older children and teens you might have a game of 12 Disciples Who Am I or Virtues Who Am 1 Make an enveshylope for each answer Put the clues on the front of the envelope and put a piece of paper with the ans er (or a picture ofthe answer) on the inside For example for 7 Sacraments 0 Am 1 you might have an envelope on which is written This is the sacrament in which water is poured on the person or they are immersed in water and they are

forgiven of all original and any personal sin and they become part of the Church and an adopted son or daugh ter of God On the inside of the envelope there would be either the word baptism or a pictme of a baptism (or both) For each question the catechi t or teacher reads the clues from the outside of the envelope The children raise their hands when they think they know the answer After a child guesses the catechistteacher hands the envelope to the child so

he or she may open it and see if the answer given was correct

Questions for Reflection How can I serve as a living example of the things I wish to teach __________ _ _ _ _______ _ _

What learning styles do I see represented in the group oflearners I teach How can I better meet the needs of children ith diverse learning styles _______ ____________ ______ ___________

8

THE WAY GOD TEACHES

bull GAM ES Kids and teens love to play games Ifpossible avoid individual competition because this can create an undesirshyable atmosphere in the class However social psychologists have found that when children compete on teams the atmoshy

sphere is more focused on working together and this can build community and cohesiveness Here are a few examples of games that can be used with almost any content

bull TICK-TACK-TOE - When its time to complete the chapter test or chapter review in yourte ctbook divide the room down the middle and make your two teams the XS and the Os Draw a tick-tack-toe board Have the children t urn to the page with the chapter testreview and give question one to the Xs If they answer correctly they can put an X n the board in the place chosen by the student who answered and then the Os have a turn with question number two If the Xs answer to question number one is incorrect that question goes to the Os and so on

bull GAME SHOW - When you have completed a few weeks oflearning on various topics arrange questions about the content into various categories This works especially well with the unit tests in many of the textbook series used in Catholic parishes and schools For example if you have just completed a unit of chapters on the sacraments you might have had a chapter on the Sacraments of Initiation one on Sacraments of Healing and one on Sacraments at the Service of Holy Communion Write these three categories on the board with point values fo r each question and then allow students to choose a categol) and question value to score points for their team For example they might say Ill take Sacraments ofInitiation for 200 points Continue play until all of the questions have been asked

bull MYSTERY WORD - Vhen you are introducing a new and important word or concept try putting a blank line for each letter on the board and having the students guess the letters You can also vary this vith longer phrases or the key concept learning objective or main point of the chapter Vith sentences and phrases write some ofthe words and leave others blank Ask the students if they can guess the whole word that goes in the blank

bull WHO AM I - This is a game that can be adapted to content that involves distinguishing between characters or categories You could play H oly Family Who Am 1deg or Holy Trinity Who Am I or 7 Sacraments vVho Am I For

older children and teens you might have a game of 12 Disciples Who Am I or Virtues Who Am 1 Make an enveshylope for each answer Put the clues on the front of the envelope and put a piece of paper with the ans er (or a picture ofthe answer) on the inside For example for 7 Sacraments 0 Am 1 you might have an envelope on which is written This is the sacrament in which water is poured on the person or they are immersed in water and they are

forgiven of all original and any personal sin and they become part of the Church and an adopted son or daugh ter of God On the inside of the envelope there would be either the word baptism or a pictme of a baptism (or both) For each question the catechi t or teacher reads the clues from the outside of the envelope The children raise their hands when they think they know the answer After a child guesses the catechistteacher hands the envelope to the child so

he or she may open it and see if the answer given was correct

Questions for Reflection How can I serve as a living example of the things I wish to teach __________ _ _ _ _______ _ _

What learning styles do I see represented in the group oflearners I teach How can I better meet the needs of children ith diverse learning styles _______ ____________ ______ ___________

8

Keeping Kids Attention

Con eet The pedagogy of God is relational familial and communal

God reveals himself as a communion of persons - Father Son and Holy Spirit - and creates human beings to be in communion with one another Effect ive catechesis is built upon a good relationship between the catechist and the learner This relationship fosters community in the classroom involves parents and families as primary catechists and connects children to the larger parish community

pound Sf t

--ltUmiddot 8

A RELATIONAL FAMILIAL AND COMMUNAL CATECHESIS Ve are called to consider the importance of relati nship with those we catechize beginning with the way in which

we engage them God begins by reaching out to us not by waiting for us to come to him As God enters into dialogue

wit h us we are called to follow t his example by roviding catechesis that is rooted in interpersonal relations and makes its oltvn the process of dialogu e (GDC 143 )

bull Greet each child by name

bull Get to know each and all learners i terests - what they like doing outside of class their talents and gifts

bull Check in with each and all learners about ho their weeks are going and what is happening in their lives

I t is important also to build a communily oflearners in the classroom Making the journey together is what the Christian life is all about One of the fundamental tasks of catechesis according to the General Directoryfor Cateche is is education for community life (see 86) vVe can form our learners as a community in a number of ways

bull Have some downtime in which learners can t allmiddot with one another and connect Provide an acti ty that vin encourshyage interaction during the time in which they are arriving to class

bull Make use of ritual experiences and class traditions over the course of the year Ritu Is and t raditions help to bring a group of people together They provide shared experiences and a common language

9

THE WAY GOD TEACHES

bull Use class p rayer times to offer opportunities to particishypants to talk about situat ions that need prayer in their own lives or in the lives of friends and family At other times open the discussion to good things that are happening for which your learners wish to thank God

bull Beginning in about third grade offer frequent partner and group activities Learning specialist Sandra Rief recshyommends the following for ensuring that small group and partner work is productive and organized

bull Make sure each task is explained thoroughly bull Assign specific roles to particular partners

8bull Give a time limit (and transition times) for each task --------------~-=~----~~=-------~~~----~ ~

Finally it is important that catechists and teachers respect and facilitate the privileged place of the family in faith formation and the parents role as primar catechist

FOR CONNECTING WITH FAMILIES TRY THEFOLLOWING

bull Try to get to know t he parents and families ofyour learners Make some time during drop-off and pickup times to say hello and connect with parents

bull Inform parents about what is being covered in class Using email or other social media as well as hard-copy handshyouts send home the key concepts or main points of what is being taught in class and provide some questions parents can use to check their child s understanding of the material Be sure to give parents tne answers as vell

bull Provide some information with ontent about how children understand particular topics at their level of development

bull Give parents adult-level content on the same topics so they can form themselves in the faith and be better equipped to share with their hHdren

bull If possible provide some times for parents and children to gather together for family-based learning experiences and connecting with one another

Questions for Reflection H ow are we building a community of learners in the class I am teaching In what ways can 1 help foster closer relationshyshi ps within the group ___________________________________________________________________________

What am I providing to families to help connect parents with th material we are learning and to equip them to share the

m~s~e~ home wiili ili~r ~ild ren --------------------------------------------------------------~

10

Keeping Kids Attention

Provide some structure Gods pedagogy is structured systematic and comprehensive

In salvation history God reveals himself to humanity graduall as people are able to understand One revelation

builds upon t he next until revelati on reaches its fullness in the person of Jesus Christ In the same manner effective

catechesis based on the di ine pedagogy presents key truths of the F aith graduaHy as the learner is able to receive them

These t ruths are centered on the person of Jesus

As such there is a discipline to th Christian life and likewise to catechesis III fact the root ofthe word discipline

is disciple As we embrace the discipline of the Christian life with its goals and its limits we become ever more the

people we were created to be

ASTRUCTURED SYSTEMATICAND COMPREHENSIVE CATECHESIS Certain truths of the Faith serv as a foundation for all 0 her teachings We call this organization the hierarchy of

truths This does not mean that some things are more true than others just that some truths form the basic found tions

upon which we understand other truths about our fai th These foundational truths include the following

bull THE HOLY TRJNITY There is one God in th re D ivine Pershy

sons - Father Son and H oly Spirit

bull JESUS CHRIST The second person of the holy Trinity who is ful ly human and fully divine God sent him fo r the

salvat ion of humankind

bull THE PASCHALMYSTERY Jesus Christ suffered died was raised from the dead and asc nded to the Father

bull THE DIGNITY OF THE HUMAN PERSON Men and women are created in the image and likene s of God By virtue of

their creat ion in Gods image they have an inherent

dignity

bull THECHURCH Th e Church the mystical Body of Christ is

formed animated and gui ed by th H oly Spirit She

c nt inues Christs ministry on earth especially in the

celebrati n of the Seven Sacraments

Our catecllesis should emphasize these basjc trut hs abov all and they should be presented through the lens of the

person of Jesus Christ who is the fu llness of Gods re elat ion to humankind and illuminates our understanding ofall

truths

In the United States the maj or catechetical tex-tbook series are presented for evaluation to a committee of the United

States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) to deter mine whether or not they are in conformity vith the Catechism

Clfthe Catholic Church This process helps to ensure that the textbool series ve use present teaching that is the logically

ac urate and cover all th fundamental teachings of the Faith The correct use ofteltthooks that are found to be in conforshy

mity h elps to enswe that we are teachi ng what is t rue and that we are presenting the fullness of Catholic teaching

11

THE WAYmiddot GOD TEACHES

Good textbooks also help us present the truths ofthe Faith as children and teens are developmental1) ready for them When the text has been written in conjunction with child-development experts and educational specialist s we can be more confident that the lessons are developmentally appropriate and that the vocabulary words and explanations aTe presented in such a way that children can read and understand them

Sometimes catechi ts are tempted to go in their own direction rather than use textbooks They may have the best of intentions For example they might feel the tex1 is dry and does not engage the children However in choosing not to use

a tex1book the catechist risks presenting a message that is inaccurate or incomplete No one catechist no matter how knowledgeable or experienced can replace the work of a whole committee of bishops in determining the appropriat ness of content for the children we teach As an alternative we can find ways to make faithful use ofthe material in the books in ways that truly engage our learners (For more detailed suggestions see the previous section on Multisensory Methodshy

ology) For example

bull Use the Bible stories featured in the te books as a basis from which to write a script to act out the story bull Use the vocabulary words in the book as mystery words bull Play tick-tack-toe while using Chapter Reviews or Chapter Tests

bull Playa category-style Game Show for unit r eviews

For every lesson pay close attention to the key conc pt learning objective or main

point in each chapter Repeat the key concept often throughout the lesson For example in lesson on the Trinity the key concept might be There are three Divine Persons in One God - Father Son and Holy Spirit When introducing the story in the textbook you might say Our Bible story for today is the Baptism of the Lord In this story we

can see the three Divine Persons i One God G d the Son i coming to be baptized We hear the voice ofGod the Father God the Spirit de cends like a dove Perhaps later in

the session you make a craft pr~ject that looks like a shamrock Here you would say middotWe are doing this shamrock project because St Patrick llsed the shamrock to teach that

there are three Divine Persons in One God just like the shamrock has three leaves but is one shamrock When you have pr yer t ime later in the ession you might sing the song Father I Adore You (Jesus I Adore YOll Spirit I Adore You) Here you can say We are singing th is song because it is a prayer to the three Di Tine Pershy

sons in One God - Father Son and Holy Spiri t In this way you are continually relating the activities of the lesson back

to the key concept with the hop that the learner will learn and understand the central presented

~

It is necessary to have some structure to our space an our sessions The learning environment should be

bull INVITING It should say Th is p1a e is designed for you

bull INTERESTING but not cluttered

bull FUNCTIONAL If possible om early and arrange the furniture and other objects to fit what you il1 be ding in the class session that day

bull PROACTIVE Make sure an) objects the h ildren are not supposed to touch are put away Have supplies fo r a tivities prepared and arranged to make the most efficient use oftime during t he session Also be proactive about here ou

situate yourself and children who might need e a attention during the sessions

12

Ieeping Kids Attention

There should be a typical routine so learners know what to expect Young learners also need some guidelines that reflect the st ructure within which we must work

tog ther as a Christian community We sometimes call these guidelines rules Here are some key charact ristics of good classroom guidelines (We might call them rules about rule )

CLEAR Make sure your rules are ones children in your students age group can understand and that you respond to developmentally approshypriate expectations For example for young children Use walking feet

or for older children Please walk

CONCISE State the rules as concisely as possible so children know exactly

what they are expected to do

POS ITIVELY PHRASED Focus on what you want the children to do not the behavior you dont want For example Take turns talking rather than Dont interrupt

VISIBLE Vrile the rules on a poster board or use picture prompts which are especially helpful for children who are not

yet skill d readers

ASSERTIVELY COMMUNICATED Dont shout a rule aclOSS the room When you need to redirect a child go next to that child and speak in a calm but firm oice This ays ou are seriolls

BACKED UP BY ACTION Make Sllre that there are positive consequences for those who are following the classroom

rules Missing out on the positive will be a logical consequence for those who arent following directions

Questions for Reflection How am I making good use of textbooks and other materials in my work as a catechist _____________

In what areas am I being proactive in the physical structure behavior management and schedule of the session Which areas could use more work ___________________________________

13

THE WAY GOD TEACHES

Keep it going The pedagogy of God is perpetual

l aiah 5511 states So shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth It shall nol leturn to me empt)- but han do what pleases me achieving the end tor which I sent it (NABRE) Gods truths are handed on through the gen rations in the form of S ripture and sacred Tradition which is the living memory ofthe Church Gods covenants do not end but come to greater fulfillment and realization A catechesis based on the divine pedagogy prepares the learner to share Ule Gospel with others in word and deed so that Gods Word is handed on to others and to future generations

AN EVANGELIZING CATECHESIS The sixth fundamental task of catechesis mentioned in the General Direct01yfor Catechesis is missionary initiation

(see No 86) B virtue of our baptism each of us is called to be a missionary in the sense that we are sent forth to live and share the Gospel of Jesus Christ How do we ensure that the seeds of faith we share vith our learners grow and bear fruit How do we instill a desire to keep learning and growing in the Faith and to share that faith with others Here are some recommendations

bull CONVEY IN YOUR WORDS AND ACTIONS THAT OUR FAITH IS ABOUTMYSTERY We should never feel that we know an there is to know about such profound truths as the Blessed Trinity or the Paschal Mystery or Christs Real Presence in the Eucharist And yet there are some Catholic adults today vho have a childs understanding of these t ruths because they thought that in learning a few facts they had mastered the concepts We should always continue to dive deeper into the mystmies of the Faith and encourage our learners to do the same Vhen communicating a profound truth call it a mystery acknowledge that it is difficul t to understand and reassure your learners that they will continue to learn more as they grow

bull SPEND QUAUTY TIME ON RIALmiddotUFI APPUCATIONS OF LpoundSSON MATERIAL We need a faith that directs our daily lives Point out those portions of your textbooks that deal with living what h as been learned and brainstorm other applications vith your learners Role-play ways to live out the lesson Research in social psychology tells us that this approach has two positive efshyfects we are more likely to do that which we say we will do and we are more likely to do that which we p ractice

bull HIGHUGHT STORlpoundS OF THE SAINTS AS REAL-UFI EXAMPLES OF DISCIPLESHIP Children and teens need role models and heroes There are so many bad examples tor them in popular culture Provide good examples by h aring information about as many saints as possible Focus especially on young saints such as Sts Lucy Dominic Savio and Therese of Lisieux

bull PRACTICE ARTICULATING TRUTHS OF THE FAITH bl the previous section we discussed repeating the key concept or main point at various times throughout the lesson in rder t tie the lesson activities to the fundamental truths being discussed Ask the students when they ar making craft projects to tell you what they signifY At the end of the session have iliem line up at the door and make the key concept the password to exit A bonns to this is that when mom or dad says What id you learn today their child i less likely to reply 1t h a dread d answer like I dont know 0 1 Nothing Instead he or she may talk about the key con ept learn d an the parent will say My child has such a good teacher this year

Questions for Reflection How do I convey a sense of mystery to my learners _ __________________________

What can I do to help the students in my class more effectively talk about and live their faith

14

Keeping Kids Attention

Checklist for Including Children with ADHD and other Attentional Needs

Most groups include at least one or more children with s ignificant attention problems Many ofthe strategies already discussed will help these children as well Here is a checklist of those strategies along with some additional tips

o Quietly and discreetly speak beforehand with children having attention problems and ask them to work together with you to wat ch their behavior and participate in the days activities Let them know you are

confident they can do it

o Set goals together with children who are struggling and folio up with them after the session for feedback on how t hey are doing

o Agree on a signal or code word you can use with the ch ild vith attention problems to redirect his or her

attention during the session This vill allow you to give reminders without embarrassing the child

o As much as possible seat children with attention problems away from high-distraction areas and near the

teacher or catechist

o Provide instructions in more than one sensory modality - that is offer written checklistmiddot of steps in word or picture form when providing verbal dir etions

Check for understanding after giving di rections For example say Who can tell me what you need to do

first Whats next

o Integrate movement into group activities as much as possible Move from one area of the room to the other as you complete various parts of the session tog ther - that is from the tablesdesks for a

gathering welcome activity to a circle on the floor fo r a story time and then back to the tablesdesks for a craft or written activi ty

o Provide positive reinforcement for on-task behavior Verbal p raise points or coupons for earning pri Ieges or small

tangible items can be efiecti e incentives

o Be enthusiastic and keep moving as you speak to the class Your energy and enthusiasm 11 attract the

attention of the learners

o Pray for each child in your group and say special prayer for those who have problems listening and

paying attention - that God will help them hear what is necessary and gi e you the patience and wisdom to work

effectively with them

15

Ca echistJs Prayer Dear God

Thank you for the privilege of sharing the

Good News with others Please help the

learners 1 teach t hear and understand your

message for them Help me to be aware of

and responsive to their learn ing needs May

we all be attentive to your Word and let it

grow and bear fruit in our lives

Amen

OurSundayVisitor Bringing Your Catholic Faith to Life

1-800-348-2440 wwwosvparishcom Inventory No X 1627

US $295

IS BN 978-1-61278-821-0 50295

9 781612 788210

THE WAY GOD TEACHES

bull Use class p rayer times to offer opportunities to particishypants to talk about situat ions that need prayer in their own lives or in the lives of friends and family At other times open the discussion to good things that are happening for which your learners wish to thank God

bull Beginning in about third grade offer frequent partner and group activities Learning specialist Sandra Rief recshyommends the following for ensuring that small group and partner work is productive and organized

bull Make sure each task is explained thoroughly bull Assign specific roles to particular partners

8bull Give a time limit (and transition times) for each task --------------~-=~----~~=-------~~~----~ ~

Finally it is important that catechists and teachers respect and facilitate the privileged place of the family in faith formation and the parents role as primar catechist

FOR CONNECTING WITH FAMILIES TRY THEFOLLOWING

bull Try to get to know t he parents and families ofyour learners Make some time during drop-off and pickup times to say hello and connect with parents

bull Inform parents about what is being covered in class Using email or other social media as well as hard-copy handshyouts send home the key concepts or main points of what is being taught in class and provide some questions parents can use to check their child s understanding of the material Be sure to give parents tne answers as vell

bull Provide some information with ontent about how children understand particular topics at their level of development

bull Give parents adult-level content on the same topics so they can form themselves in the faith and be better equipped to share with their hHdren

bull If possible provide some times for parents and children to gather together for family-based learning experiences and connecting with one another

Questions for Reflection H ow are we building a community of learners in the class I am teaching In what ways can 1 help foster closer relationshyshi ps within the group ___________________________________________________________________________

What am I providing to families to help connect parents with th material we are learning and to equip them to share the

m~s~e~ home wiili ili~r ~ild ren --------------------------------------------------------------~

10

Keeping Kids Attention

Provide some structure Gods pedagogy is structured systematic and comprehensive

In salvation history God reveals himself to humanity graduall as people are able to understand One revelation

builds upon t he next until revelati on reaches its fullness in the person of Jesus Christ In the same manner effective

catechesis based on the di ine pedagogy presents key truths of the F aith graduaHy as the learner is able to receive them

These t ruths are centered on the person of Jesus

As such there is a discipline to th Christian life and likewise to catechesis III fact the root ofthe word discipline

is disciple As we embrace the discipline of the Christian life with its goals and its limits we become ever more the

people we were created to be

ASTRUCTURED SYSTEMATICAND COMPREHENSIVE CATECHESIS Certain truths of the Faith serv as a foundation for all 0 her teachings We call this organization the hierarchy of

truths This does not mean that some things are more true than others just that some truths form the basic found tions

upon which we understand other truths about our fai th These foundational truths include the following

bull THE HOLY TRJNITY There is one God in th re D ivine Pershy

sons - Father Son and H oly Spirit

bull JESUS CHRIST The second person of the holy Trinity who is ful ly human and fully divine God sent him fo r the

salvat ion of humankind

bull THE PASCHALMYSTERY Jesus Christ suffered died was raised from the dead and asc nded to the Father

bull THE DIGNITY OF THE HUMAN PERSON Men and women are created in the image and likene s of God By virtue of

their creat ion in Gods image they have an inherent

dignity

bull THECHURCH Th e Church the mystical Body of Christ is

formed animated and gui ed by th H oly Spirit She

c nt inues Christs ministry on earth especially in the

celebrati n of the Seven Sacraments

Our catecllesis should emphasize these basjc trut hs abov all and they should be presented through the lens of the

person of Jesus Christ who is the fu llness of Gods re elat ion to humankind and illuminates our understanding ofall

truths

In the United States the maj or catechetical tex-tbook series are presented for evaluation to a committee of the United

States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) to deter mine whether or not they are in conformity vith the Catechism

Clfthe Catholic Church This process helps to ensure that the textbool series ve use present teaching that is the logically

ac urate and cover all th fundamental teachings of the Faith The correct use ofteltthooks that are found to be in conforshy

mity h elps to enswe that we are teachi ng what is t rue and that we are presenting the fullness of Catholic teaching

11

THE WAYmiddot GOD TEACHES

Good textbooks also help us present the truths ofthe Faith as children and teens are developmental1) ready for them When the text has been written in conjunction with child-development experts and educational specialist s we can be more confident that the lessons are developmentally appropriate and that the vocabulary words and explanations aTe presented in such a way that children can read and understand them

Sometimes catechi ts are tempted to go in their own direction rather than use textbooks They may have the best of intentions For example they might feel the tex1 is dry and does not engage the children However in choosing not to use

a tex1book the catechist risks presenting a message that is inaccurate or incomplete No one catechist no matter how knowledgeable or experienced can replace the work of a whole committee of bishops in determining the appropriat ness of content for the children we teach As an alternative we can find ways to make faithful use ofthe material in the books in ways that truly engage our learners (For more detailed suggestions see the previous section on Multisensory Methodshy

ology) For example

bull Use the Bible stories featured in the te books as a basis from which to write a script to act out the story bull Use the vocabulary words in the book as mystery words bull Play tick-tack-toe while using Chapter Reviews or Chapter Tests

bull Playa category-style Game Show for unit r eviews

For every lesson pay close attention to the key conc pt learning objective or main

point in each chapter Repeat the key concept often throughout the lesson For example in lesson on the Trinity the key concept might be There are three Divine Persons in One God - Father Son and Holy Spirit When introducing the story in the textbook you might say Our Bible story for today is the Baptism of the Lord In this story we

can see the three Divine Persons i One God G d the Son i coming to be baptized We hear the voice ofGod the Father God the Spirit de cends like a dove Perhaps later in

the session you make a craft pr~ject that looks like a shamrock Here you would say middotWe are doing this shamrock project because St Patrick llsed the shamrock to teach that

there are three Divine Persons in One God just like the shamrock has three leaves but is one shamrock When you have pr yer t ime later in the ession you might sing the song Father I Adore You (Jesus I Adore YOll Spirit I Adore You) Here you can say We are singing th is song because it is a prayer to the three Di Tine Pershy

sons in One God - Father Son and Holy Spiri t In this way you are continually relating the activities of the lesson back

to the key concept with the hop that the learner will learn and understand the central presented

~

It is necessary to have some structure to our space an our sessions The learning environment should be

bull INVITING It should say Th is p1a e is designed for you

bull INTERESTING but not cluttered

bull FUNCTIONAL If possible om early and arrange the furniture and other objects to fit what you il1 be ding in the class session that day

bull PROACTIVE Make sure an) objects the h ildren are not supposed to touch are put away Have supplies fo r a tivities prepared and arranged to make the most efficient use oftime during t he session Also be proactive about here ou

situate yourself and children who might need e a attention during the sessions

12

Ieeping Kids Attention

There should be a typical routine so learners know what to expect Young learners also need some guidelines that reflect the st ructure within which we must work

tog ther as a Christian community We sometimes call these guidelines rules Here are some key charact ristics of good classroom guidelines (We might call them rules about rule )

CLEAR Make sure your rules are ones children in your students age group can understand and that you respond to developmentally approshypriate expectations For example for young children Use walking feet

or for older children Please walk

CONCISE State the rules as concisely as possible so children know exactly

what they are expected to do

POS ITIVELY PHRASED Focus on what you want the children to do not the behavior you dont want For example Take turns talking rather than Dont interrupt

VISIBLE Vrile the rules on a poster board or use picture prompts which are especially helpful for children who are not

yet skill d readers

ASSERTIVELY COMMUNICATED Dont shout a rule aclOSS the room When you need to redirect a child go next to that child and speak in a calm but firm oice This ays ou are seriolls

BACKED UP BY ACTION Make Sllre that there are positive consequences for those who are following the classroom

rules Missing out on the positive will be a logical consequence for those who arent following directions

Questions for Reflection How am I making good use of textbooks and other materials in my work as a catechist _____________

In what areas am I being proactive in the physical structure behavior management and schedule of the session Which areas could use more work ___________________________________

13

THE WAY GOD TEACHES

Keep it going The pedagogy of God is perpetual

l aiah 5511 states So shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth It shall nol leturn to me empt)- but han do what pleases me achieving the end tor which I sent it (NABRE) Gods truths are handed on through the gen rations in the form of S ripture and sacred Tradition which is the living memory ofthe Church Gods covenants do not end but come to greater fulfillment and realization A catechesis based on the divine pedagogy prepares the learner to share Ule Gospel with others in word and deed so that Gods Word is handed on to others and to future generations

AN EVANGELIZING CATECHESIS The sixth fundamental task of catechesis mentioned in the General Direct01yfor Catechesis is missionary initiation

(see No 86) B virtue of our baptism each of us is called to be a missionary in the sense that we are sent forth to live and share the Gospel of Jesus Christ How do we ensure that the seeds of faith we share vith our learners grow and bear fruit How do we instill a desire to keep learning and growing in the Faith and to share that faith with others Here are some recommendations

bull CONVEY IN YOUR WORDS AND ACTIONS THAT OUR FAITH IS ABOUTMYSTERY We should never feel that we know an there is to know about such profound truths as the Blessed Trinity or the Paschal Mystery or Christs Real Presence in the Eucharist And yet there are some Catholic adults today vho have a childs understanding of these t ruths because they thought that in learning a few facts they had mastered the concepts We should always continue to dive deeper into the mystmies of the Faith and encourage our learners to do the same Vhen communicating a profound truth call it a mystery acknowledge that it is difficul t to understand and reassure your learners that they will continue to learn more as they grow

bull SPEND QUAUTY TIME ON RIALmiddotUFI APPUCATIONS OF LpoundSSON MATERIAL We need a faith that directs our daily lives Point out those portions of your textbooks that deal with living what h as been learned and brainstorm other applications vith your learners Role-play ways to live out the lesson Research in social psychology tells us that this approach has two positive efshyfects we are more likely to do that which we say we will do and we are more likely to do that which we p ractice

bull HIGHUGHT STORlpoundS OF THE SAINTS AS REAL-UFI EXAMPLES OF DISCIPLESHIP Children and teens need role models and heroes There are so many bad examples tor them in popular culture Provide good examples by h aring information about as many saints as possible Focus especially on young saints such as Sts Lucy Dominic Savio and Therese of Lisieux

bull PRACTICE ARTICULATING TRUTHS OF THE FAITH bl the previous section we discussed repeating the key concept or main point at various times throughout the lesson in rder t tie the lesson activities to the fundamental truths being discussed Ask the students when they ar making craft projects to tell you what they signifY At the end of the session have iliem line up at the door and make the key concept the password to exit A bonns to this is that when mom or dad says What id you learn today their child i less likely to reply 1t h a dread d answer like I dont know 0 1 Nothing Instead he or she may talk about the key con ept learn d an the parent will say My child has such a good teacher this year

Questions for Reflection How do I convey a sense of mystery to my learners _ __________________________

What can I do to help the students in my class more effectively talk about and live their faith

14

Keeping Kids Attention

Checklist for Including Children with ADHD and other Attentional Needs

Most groups include at least one or more children with s ignificant attention problems Many ofthe strategies already discussed will help these children as well Here is a checklist of those strategies along with some additional tips

o Quietly and discreetly speak beforehand with children having attention problems and ask them to work together with you to wat ch their behavior and participate in the days activities Let them know you are

confident they can do it

o Set goals together with children who are struggling and folio up with them after the session for feedback on how t hey are doing

o Agree on a signal or code word you can use with the ch ild vith attention problems to redirect his or her

attention during the session This vill allow you to give reminders without embarrassing the child

o As much as possible seat children with attention problems away from high-distraction areas and near the

teacher or catechist

o Provide instructions in more than one sensory modality - that is offer written checklistmiddot of steps in word or picture form when providing verbal dir etions

Check for understanding after giving di rections For example say Who can tell me what you need to do

first Whats next

o Integrate movement into group activities as much as possible Move from one area of the room to the other as you complete various parts of the session tog ther - that is from the tablesdesks for a

gathering welcome activity to a circle on the floor fo r a story time and then back to the tablesdesks for a craft or written activi ty

o Provide positive reinforcement for on-task behavior Verbal p raise points or coupons for earning pri Ieges or small

tangible items can be efiecti e incentives

o Be enthusiastic and keep moving as you speak to the class Your energy and enthusiasm 11 attract the

attention of the learners

o Pray for each child in your group and say special prayer for those who have problems listening and

paying attention - that God will help them hear what is necessary and gi e you the patience and wisdom to work

effectively with them

15

Ca echistJs Prayer Dear God

Thank you for the privilege of sharing the

Good News with others Please help the

learners 1 teach t hear and understand your

message for them Help me to be aware of

and responsive to their learn ing needs May

we all be attentive to your Word and let it

grow and bear fruit in our lives

Amen

OurSundayVisitor Bringing Your Catholic Faith to Life

1-800-348-2440 wwwosvparishcom Inventory No X 1627

US $295

IS BN 978-1-61278-821-0 50295

9 781612 788210

Keeping Kids Attention

Provide some structure Gods pedagogy is structured systematic and comprehensive

In salvation history God reveals himself to humanity graduall as people are able to understand One revelation

builds upon t he next until revelati on reaches its fullness in the person of Jesus Christ In the same manner effective

catechesis based on the di ine pedagogy presents key truths of the F aith graduaHy as the learner is able to receive them

These t ruths are centered on the person of Jesus

As such there is a discipline to th Christian life and likewise to catechesis III fact the root ofthe word discipline

is disciple As we embrace the discipline of the Christian life with its goals and its limits we become ever more the

people we were created to be

ASTRUCTURED SYSTEMATICAND COMPREHENSIVE CATECHESIS Certain truths of the Faith serv as a foundation for all 0 her teachings We call this organization the hierarchy of

truths This does not mean that some things are more true than others just that some truths form the basic found tions

upon which we understand other truths about our fai th These foundational truths include the following

bull THE HOLY TRJNITY There is one God in th re D ivine Pershy

sons - Father Son and H oly Spirit

bull JESUS CHRIST The second person of the holy Trinity who is ful ly human and fully divine God sent him fo r the

salvat ion of humankind

bull THE PASCHALMYSTERY Jesus Christ suffered died was raised from the dead and asc nded to the Father

bull THE DIGNITY OF THE HUMAN PERSON Men and women are created in the image and likene s of God By virtue of

their creat ion in Gods image they have an inherent

dignity

bull THECHURCH Th e Church the mystical Body of Christ is

formed animated and gui ed by th H oly Spirit She

c nt inues Christs ministry on earth especially in the

celebrati n of the Seven Sacraments

Our catecllesis should emphasize these basjc trut hs abov all and they should be presented through the lens of the

person of Jesus Christ who is the fu llness of Gods re elat ion to humankind and illuminates our understanding ofall

truths

In the United States the maj or catechetical tex-tbook series are presented for evaluation to a committee of the United

States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) to deter mine whether or not they are in conformity vith the Catechism

Clfthe Catholic Church This process helps to ensure that the textbool series ve use present teaching that is the logically

ac urate and cover all th fundamental teachings of the Faith The correct use ofteltthooks that are found to be in conforshy

mity h elps to enswe that we are teachi ng what is t rue and that we are presenting the fullness of Catholic teaching

11

THE WAYmiddot GOD TEACHES

Good textbooks also help us present the truths ofthe Faith as children and teens are developmental1) ready for them When the text has been written in conjunction with child-development experts and educational specialist s we can be more confident that the lessons are developmentally appropriate and that the vocabulary words and explanations aTe presented in such a way that children can read and understand them

Sometimes catechi ts are tempted to go in their own direction rather than use textbooks They may have the best of intentions For example they might feel the tex1 is dry and does not engage the children However in choosing not to use

a tex1book the catechist risks presenting a message that is inaccurate or incomplete No one catechist no matter how knowledgeable or experienced can replace the work of a whole committee of bishops in determining the appropriat ness of content for the children we teach As an alternative we can find ways to make faithful use ofthe material in the books in ways that truly engage our learners (For more detailed suggestions see the previous section on Multisensory Methodshy

ology) For example

bull Use the Bible stories featured in the te books as a basis from which to write a script to act out the story bull Use the vocabulary words in the book as mystery words bull Play tick-tack-toe while using Chapter Reviews or Chapter Tests

bull Playa category-style Game Show for unit r eviews

For every lesson pay close attention to the key conc pt learning objective or main

point in each chapter Repeat the key concept often throughout the lesson For example in lesson on the Trinity the key concept might be There are three Divine Persons in One God - Father Son and Holy Spirit When introducing the story in the textbook you might say Our Bible story for today is the Baptism of the Lord In this story we

can see the three Divine Persons i One God G d the Son i coming to be baptized We hear the voice ofGod the Father God the Spirit de cends like a dove Perhaps later in

the session you make a craft pr~ject that looks like a shamrock Here you would say middotWe are doing this shamrock project because St Patrick llsed the shamrock to teach that

there are three Divine Persons in One God just like the shamrock has three leaves but is one shamrock When you have pr yer t ime later in the ession you might sing the song Father I Adore You (Jesus I Adore YOll Spirit I Adore You) Here you can say We are singing th is song because it is a prayer to the three Di Tine Pershy

sons in One God - Father Son and Holy Spiri t In this way you are continually relating the activities of the lesson back

to the key concept with the hop that the learner will learn and understand the central presented

~

It is necessary to have some structure to our space an our sessions The learning environment should be

bull INVITING It should say Th is p1a e is designed for you

bull INTERESTING but not cluttered

bull FUNCTIONAL If possible om early and arrange the furniture and other objects to fit what you il1 be ding in the class session that day

bull PROACTIVE Make sure an) objects the h ildren are not supposed to touch are put away Have supplies fo r a tivities prepared and arranged to make the most efficient use oftime during t he session Also be proactive about here ou

situate yourself and children who might need e a attention during the sessions

12

Ieeping Kids Attention

There should be a typical routine so learners know what to expect Young learners also need some guidelines that reflect the st ructure within which we must work

tog ther as a Christian community We sometimes call these guidelines rules Here are some key charact ristics of good classroom guidelines (We might call them rules about rule )

CLEAR Make sure your rules are ones children in your students age group can understand and that you respond to developmentally approshypriate expectations For example for young children Use walking feet

or for older children Please walk

CONCISE State the rules as concisely as possible so children know exactly

what they are expected to do

POS ITIVELY PHRASED Focus on what you want the children to do not the behavior you dont want For example Take turns talking rather than Dont interrupt

VISIBLE Vrile the rules on a poster board or use picture prompts which are especially helpful for children who are not

yet skill d readers

ASSERTIVELY COMMUNICATED Dont shout a rule aclOSS the room When you need to redirect a child go next to that child and speak in a calm but firm oice This ays ou are seriolls

BACKED UP BY ACTION Make Sllre that there are positive consequences for those who are following the classroom

rules Missing out on the positive will be a logical consequence for those who arent following directions

Questions for Reflection How am I making good use of textbooks and other materials in my work as a catechist _____________

In what areas am I being proactive in the physical structure behavior management and schedule of the session Which areas could use more work ___________________________________

13

THE WAY GOD TEACHES

Keep it going The pedagogy of God is perpetual

l aiah 5511 states So shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth It shall nol leturn to me empt)- but han do what pleases me achieving the end tor which I sent it (NABRE) Gods truths are handed on through the gen rations in the form of S ripture and sacred Tradition which is the living memory ofthe Church Gods covenants do not end but come to greater fulfillment and realization A catechesis based on the divine pedagogy prepares the learner to share Ule Gospel with others in word and deed so that Gods Word is handed on to others and to future generations

AN EVANGELIZING CATECHESIS The sixth fundamental task of catechesis mentioned in the General Direct01yfor Catechesis is missionary initiation

(see No 86) B virtue of our baptism each of us is called to be a missionary in the sense that we are sent forth to live and share the Gospel of Jesus Christ How do we ensure that the seeds of faith we share vith our learners grow and bear fruit How do we instill a desire to keep learning and growing in the Faith and to share that faith with others Here are some recommendations

bull CONVEY IN YOUR WORDS AND ACTIONS THAT OUR FAITH IS ABOUTMYSTERY We should never feel that we know an there is to know about such profound truths as the Blessed Trinity or the Paschal Mystery or Christs Real Presence in the Eucharist And yet there are some Catholic adults today vho have a childs understanding of these t ruths because they thought that in learning a few facts they had mastered the concepts We should always continue to dive deeper into the mystmies of the Faith and encourage our learners to do the same Vhen communicating a profound truth call it a mystery acknowledge that it is difficul t to understand and reassure your learners that they will continue to learn more as they grow

bull SPEND QUAUTY TIME ON RIALmiddotUFI APPUCATIONS OF LpoundSSON MATERIAL We need a faith that directs our daily lives Point out those portions of your textbooks that deal with living what h as been learned and brainstorm other applications vith your learners Role-play ways to live out the lesson Research in social psychology tells us that this approach has two positive efshyfects we are more likely to do that which we say we will do and we are more likely to do that which we p ractice

bull HIGHUGHT STORlpoundS OF THE SAINTS AS REAL-UFI EXAMPLES OF DISCIPLESHIP Children and teens need role models and heroes There are so many bad examples tor them in popular culture Provide good examples by h aring information about as many saints as possible Focus especially on young saints such as Sts Lucy Dominic Savio and Therese of Lisieux

bull PRACTICE ARTICULATING TRUTHS OF THE FAITH bl the previous section we discussed repeating the key concept or main point at various times throughout the lesson in rder t tie the lesson activities to the fundamental truths being discussed Ask the students when they ar making craft projects to tell you what they signifY At the end of the session have iliem line up at the door and make the key concept the password to exit A bonns to this is that when mom or dad says What id you learn today their child i less likely to reply 1t h a dread d answer like I dont know 0 1 Nothing Instead he or she may talk about the key con ept learn d an the parent will say My child has such a good teacher this year

Questions for Reflection How do I convey a sense of mystery to my learners _ __________________________

What can I do to help the students in my class more effectively talk about and live their faith

14

Keeping Kids Attention

Checklist for Including Children with ADHD and other Attentional Needs

Most groups include at least one or more children with s ignificant attention problems Many ofthe strategies already discussed will help these children as well Here is a checklist of those strategies along with some additional tips

o Quietly and discreetly speak beforehand with children having attention problems and ask them to work together with you to wat ch their behavior and participate in the days activities Let them know you are

confident they can do it

o Set goals together with children who are struggling and folio up with them after the session for feedback on how t hey are doing

o Agree on a signal or code word you can use with the ch ild vith attention problems to redirect his or her

attention during the session This vill allow you to give reminders without embarrassing the child

o As much as possible seat children with attention problems away from high-distraction areas and near the

teacher or catechist

o Provide instructions in more than one sensory modality - that is offer written checklistmiddot of steps in word or picture form when providing verbal dir etions

Check for understanding after giving di rections For example say Who can tell me what you need to do

first Whats next

o Integrate movement into group activities as much as possible Move from one area of the room to the other as you complete various parts of the session tog ther - that is from the tablesdesks for a

gathering welcome activity to a circle on the floor fo r a story time and then back to the tablesdesks for a craft or written activi ty

o Provide positive reinforcement for on-task behavior Verbal p raise points or coupons for earning pri Ieges or small

tangible items can be efiecti e incentives

o Be enthusiastic and keep moving as you speak to the class Your energy and enthusiasm 11 attract the

attention of the learners

o Pray for each child in your group and say special prayer for those who have problems listening and

paying attention - that God will help them hear what is necessary and gi e you the patience and wisdom to work

effectively with them

15

Ca echistJs Prayer Dear God

Thank you for the privilege of sharing the

Good News with others Please help the

learners 1 teach t hear and understand your

message for them Help me to be aware of

and responsive to their learn ing needs May

we all be attentive to your Word and let it

grow and bear fruit in our lives

Amen

OurSundayVisitor Bringing Your Catholic Faith to Life

1-800-348-2440 wwwosvparishcom Inventory No X 1627

US $295

IS BN 978-1-61278-821-0 50295

9 781612 788210

THE WAYmiddot GOD TEACHES

Good textbooks also help us present the truths ofthe Faith as children and teens are developmental1) ready for them When the text has been written in conjunction with child-development experts and educational specialist s we can be more confident that the lessons are developmentally appropriate and that the vocabulary words and explanations aTe presented in such a way that children can read and understand them

Sometimes catechi ts are tempted to go in their own direction rather than use textbooks They may have the best of intentions For example they might feel the tex1 is dry and does not engage the children However in choosing not to use

a tex1book the catechist risks presenting a message that is inaccurate or incomplete No one catechist no matter how knowledgeable or experienced can replace the work of a whole committee of bishops in determining the appropriat ness of content for the children we teach As an alternative we can find ways to make faithful use ofthe material in the books in ways that truly engage our learners (For more detailed suggestions see the previous section on Multisensory Methodshy

ology) For example

bull Use the Bible stories featured in the te books as a basis from which to write a script to act out the story bull Use the vocabulary words in the book as mystery words bull Play tick-tack-toe while using Chapter Reviews or Chapter Tests

bull Playa category-style Game Show for unit r eviews

For every lesson pay close attention to the key conc pt learning objective or main

point in each chapter Repeat the key concept often throughout the lesson For example in lesson on the Trinity the key concept might be There are three Divine Persons in One God - Father Son and Holy Spirit When introducing the story in the textbook you might say Our Bible story for today is the Baptism of the Lord In this story we

can see the three Divine Persons i One God G d the Son i coming to be baptized We hear the voice ofGod the Father God the Spirit de cends like a dove Perhaps later in

the session you make a craft pr~ject that looks like a shamrock Here you would say middotWe are doing this shamrock project because St Patrick llsed the shamrock to teach that

there are three Divine Persons in One God just like the shamrock has three leaves but is one shamrock When you have pr yer t ime later in the ession you might sing the song Father I Adore You (Jesus I Adore YOll Spirit I Adore You) Here you can say We are singing th is song because it is a prayer to the three Di Tine Pershy

sons in One God - Father Son and Holy Spiri t In this way you are continually relating the activities of the lesson back

to the key concept with the hop that the learner will learn and understand the central presented

~

It is necessary to have some structure to our space an our sessions The learning environment should be

bull INVITING It should say Th is p1a e is designed for you

bull INTERESTING but not cluttered

bull FUNCTIONAL If possible om early and arrange the furniture and other objects to fit what you il1 be ding in the class session that day

bull PROACTIVE Make sure an) objects the h ildren are not supposed to touch are put away Have supplies fo r a tivities prepared and arranged to make the most efficient use oftime during t he session Also be proactive about here ou

situate yourself and children who might need e a attention during the sessions

12

Ieeping Kids Attention

There should be a typical routine so learners know what to expect Young learners also need some guidelines that reflect the st ructure within which we must work

tog ther as a Christian community We sometimes call these guidelines rules Here are some key charact ristics of good classroom guidelines (We might call them rules about rule )

CLEAR Make sure your rules are ones children in your students age group can understand and that you respond to developmentally approshypriate expectations For example for young children Use walking feet

or for older children Please walk

CONCISE State the rules as concisely as possible so children know exactly

what they are expected to do

POS ITIVELY PHRASED Focus on what you want the children to do not the behavior you dont want For example Take turns talking rather than Dont interrupt

VISIBLE Vrile the rules on a poster board or use picture prompts which are especially helpful for children who are not

yet skill d readers

ASSERTIVELY COMMUNICATED Dont shout a rule aclOSS the room When you need to redirect a child go next to that child and speak in a calm but firm oice This ays ou are seriolls

BACKED UP BY ACTION Make Sllre that there are positive consequences for those who are following the classroom

rules Missing out on the positive will be a logical consequence for those who arent following directions

Questions for Reflection How am I making good use of textbooks and other materials in my work as a catechist _____________

In what areas am I being proactive in the physical structure behavior management and schedule of the session Which areas could use more work ___________________________________

13

THE WAY GOD TEACHES

Keep it going The pedagogy of God is perpetual

l aiah 5511 states So shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth It shall nol leturn to me empt)- but han do what pleases me achieving the end tor which I sent it (NABRE) Gods truths are handed on through the gen rations in the form of S ripture and sacred Tradition which is the living memory ofthe Church Gods covenants do not end but come to greater fulfillment and realization A catechesis based on the divine pedagogy prepares the learner to share Ule Gospel with others in word and deed so that Gods Word is handed on to others and to future generations

AN EVANGELIZING CATECHESIS The sixth fundamental task of catechesis mentioned in the General Direct01yfor Catechesis is missionary initiation

(see No 86) B virtue of our baptism each of us is called to be a missionary in the sense that we are sent forth to live and share the Gospel of Jesus Christ How do we ensure that the seeds of faith we share vith our learners grow and bear fruit How do we instill a desire to keep learning and growing in the Faith and to share that faith with others Here are some recommendations

bull CONVEY IN YOUR WORDS AND ACTIONS THAT OUR FAITH IS ABOUTMYSTERY We should never feel that we know an there is to know about such profound truths as the Blessed Trinity or the Paschal Mystery or Christs Real Presence in the Eucharist And yet there are some Catholic adults today vho have a childs understanding of these t ruths because they thought that in learning a few facts they had mastered the concepts We should always continue to dive deeper into the mystmies of the Faith and encourage our learners to do the same Vhen communicating a profound truth call it a mystery acknowledge that it is difficul t to understand and reassure your learners that they will continue to learn more as they grow

bull SPEND QUAUTY TIME ON RIALmiddotUFI APPUCATIONS OF LpoundSSON MATERIAL We need a faith that directs our daily lives Point out those portions of your textbooks that deal with living what h as been learned and brainstorm other applications vith your learners Role-play ways to live out the lesson Research in social psychology tells us that this approach has two positive efshyfects we are more likely to do that which we say we will do and we are more likely to do that which we p ractice

bull HIGHUGHT STORlpoundS OF THE SAINTS AS REAL-UFI EXAMPLES OF DISCIPLESHIP Children and teens need role models and heroes There are so many bad examples tor them in popular culture Provide good examples by h aring information about as many saints as possible Focus especially on young saints such as Sts Lucy Dominic Savio and Therese of Lisieux

bull PRACTICE ARTICULATING TRUTHS OF THE FAITH bl the previous section we discussed repeating the key concept or main point at various times throughout the lesson in rder t tie the lesson activities to the fundamental truths being discussed Ask the students when they ar making craft projects to tell you what they signifY At the end of the session have iliem line up at the door and make the key concept the password to exit A bonns to this is that when mom or dad says What id you learn today their child i less likely to reply 1t h a dread d answer like I dont know 0 1 Nothing Instead he or she may talk about the key con ept learn d an the parent will say My child has such a good teacher this year

Questions for Reflection How do I convey a sense of mystery to my learners _ __________________________

What can I do to help the students in my class more effectively talk about and live their faith

14

Keeping Kids Attention

Checklist for Including Children with ADHD and other Attentional Needs

Most groups include at least one or more children with s ignificant attention problems Many ofthe strategies already discussed will help these children as well Here is a checklist of those strategies along with some additional tips

o Quietly and discreetly speak beforehand with children having attention problems and ask them to work together with you to wat ch their behavior and participate in the days activities Let them know you are

confident they can do it

o Set goals together with children who are struggling and folio up with them after the session for feedback on how t hey are doing

o Agree on a signal or code word you can use with the ch ild vith attention problems to redirect his or her

attention during the session This vill allow you to give reminders without embarrassing the child

o As much as possible seat children with attention problems away from high-distraction areas and near the

teacher or catechist

o Provide instructions in more than one sensory modality - that is offer written checklistmiddot of steps in word or picture form when providing verbal dir etions

Check for understanding after giving di rections For example say Who can tell me what you need to do

first Whats next

o Integrate movement into group activities as much as possible Move from one area of the room to the other as you complete various parts of the session tog ther - that is from the tablesdesks for a

gathering welcome activity to a circle on the floor fo r a story time and then back to the tablesdesks for a craft or written activi ty

o Provide positive reinforcement for on-task behavior Verbal p raise points or coupons for earning pri Ieges or small

tangible items can be efiecti e incentives

o Be enthusiastic and keep moving as you speak to the class Your energy and enthusiasm 11 attract the

attention of the learners

o Pray for each child in your group and say special prayer for those who have problems listening and

paying attention - that God will help them hear what is necessary and gi e you the patience and wisdom to work

effectively with them

15

Ca echistJs Prayer Dear God

Thank you for the privilege of sharing the

Good News with others Please help the

learners 1 teach t hear and understand your

message for them Help me to be aware of

and responsive to their learn ing needs May

we all be attentive to your Word and let it

grow and bear fruit in our lives

Amen

OurSundayVisitor Bringing Your Catholic Faith to Life

1-800-348-2440 wwwosvparishcom Inventory No X 1627

US $295

IS BN 978-1-61278-821-0 50295

9 781612 788210

Ieeping Kids Attention

There should be a typical routine so learners know what to expect Young learners also need some guidelines that reflect the st ructure within which we must work

tog ther as a Christian community We sometimes call these guidelines rules Here are some key charact ristics of good classroom guidelines (We might call them rules about rule )

CLEAR Make sure your rules are ones children in your students age group can understand and that you respond to developmentally approshypriate expectations For example for young children Use walking feet

or for older children Please walk

CONCISE State the rules as concisely as possible so children know exactly

what they are expected to do

POS ITIVELY PHRASED Focus on what you want the children to do not the behavior you dont want For example Take turns talking rather than Dont interrupt

VISIBLE Vrile the rules on a poster board or use picture prompts which are especially helpful for children who are not

yet skill d readers

ASSERTIVELY COMMUNICATED Dont shout a rule aclOSS the room When you need to redirect a child go next to that child and speak in a calm but firm oice This ays ou are seriolls

BACKED UP BY ACTION Make Sllre that there are positive consequences for those who are following the classroom

rules Missing out on the positive will be a logical consequence for those who arent following directions

Questions for Reflection How am I making good use of textbooks and other materials in my work as a catechist _____________

In what areas am I being proactive in the physical structure behavior management and schedule of the session Which areas could use more work ___________________________________

13

THE WAY GOD TEACHES

Keep it going The pedagogy of God is perpetual

l aiah 5511 states So shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth It shall nol leturn to me empt)- but han do what pleases me achieving the end tor which I sent it (NABRE) Gods truths are handed on through the gen rations in the form of S ripture and sacred Tradition which is the living memory ofthe Church Gods covenants do not end but come to greater fulfillment and realization A catechesis based on the divine pedagogy prepares the learner to share Ule Gospel with others in word and deed so that Gods Word is handed on to others and to future generations

AN EVANGELIZING CATECHESIS The sixth fundamental task of catechesis mentioned in the General Direct01yfor Catechesis is missionary initiation

(see No 86) B virtue of our baptism each of us is called to be a missionary in the sense that we are sent forth to live and share the Gospel of Jesus Christ How do we ensure that the seeds of faith we share vith our learners grow and bear fruit How do we instill a desire to keep learning and growing in the Faith and to share that faith with others Here are some recommendations

bull CONVEY IN YOUR WORDS AND ACTIONS THAT OUR FAITH IS ABOUTMYSTERY We should never feel that we know an there is to know about such profound truths as the Blessed Trinity or the Paschal Mystery or Christs Real Presence in the Eucharist And yet there are some Catholic adults today vho have a childs understanding of these t ruths because they thought that in learning a few facts they had mastered the concepts We should always continue to dive deeper into the mystmies of the Faith and encourage our learners to do the same Vhen communicating a profound truth call it a mystery acknowledge that it is difficul t to understand and reassure your learners that they will continue to learn more as they grow

bull SPEND QUAUTY TIME ON RIALmiddotUFI APPUCATIONS OF LpoundSSON MATERIAL We need a faith that directs our daily lives Point out those portions of your textbooks that deal with living what h as been learned and brainstorm other applications vith your learners Role-play ways to live out the lesson Research in social psychology tells us that this approach has two positive efshyfects we are more likely to do that which we say we will do and we are more likely to do that which we p ractice

bull HIGHUGHT STORlpoundS OF THE SAINTS AS REAL-UFI EXAMPLES OF DISCIPLESHIP Children and teens need role models and heroes There are so many bad examples tor them in popular culture Provide good examples by h aring information about as many saints as possible Focus especially on young saints such as Sts Lucy Dominic Savio and Therese of Lisieux

bull PRACTICE ARTICULATING TRUTHS OF THE FAITH bl the previous section we discussed repeating the key concept or main point at various times throughout the lesson in rder t tie the lesson activities to the fundamental truths being discussed Ask the students when they ar making craft projects to tell you what they signifY At the end of the session have iliem line up at the door and make the key concept the password to exit A bonns to this is that when mom or dad says What id you learn today their child i less likely to reply 1t h a dread d answer like I dont know 0 1 Nothing Instead he or she may talk about the key con ept learn d an the parent will say My child has such a good teacher this year

Questions for Reflection How do I convey a sense of mystery to my learners _ __________________________

What can I do to help the students in my class more effectively talk about and live their faith

14

Keeping Kids Attention

Checklist for Including Children with ADHD and other Attentional Needs

Most groups include at least one or more children with s ignificant attention problems Many ofthe strategies already discussed will help these children as well Here is a checklist of those strategies along with some additional tips

o Quietly and discreetly speak beforehand with children having attention problems and ask them to work together with you to wat ch their behavior and participate in the days activities Let them know you are

confident they can do it

o Set goals together with children who are struggling and folio up with them after the session for feedback on how t hey are doing

o Agree on a signal or code word you can use with the ch ild vith attention problems to redirect his or her

attention during the session This vill allow you to give reminders without embarrassing the child

o As much as possible seat children with attention problems away from high-distraction areas and near the

teacher or catechist

o Provide instructions in more than one sensory modality - that is offer written checklistmiddot of steps in word or picture form when providing verbal dir etions

Check for understanding after giving di rections For example say Who can tell me what you need to do

first Whats next

o Integrate movement into group activities as much as possible Move from one area of the room to the other as you complete various parts of the session tog ther - that is from the tablesdesks for a

gathering welcome activity to a circle on the floor fo r a story time and then back to the tablesdesks for a craft or written activi ty

o Provide positive reinforcement for on-task behavior Verbal p raise points or coupons for earning pri Ieges or small

tangible items can be efiecti e incentives

o Be enthusiastic and keep moving as you speak to the class Your energy and enthusiasm 11 attract the

attention of the learners

o Pray for each child in your group and say special prayer for those who have problems listening and

paying attention - that God will help them hear what is necessary and gi e you the patience and wisdom to work

effectively with them

15

Ca echistJs Prayer Dear God

Thank you for the privilege of sharing the

Good News with others Please help the

learners 1 teach t hear and understand your

message for them Help me to be aware of

and responsive to their learn ing needs May

we all be attentive to your Word and let it

grow and bear fruit in our lives

Amen

OurSundayVisitor Bringing Your Catholic Faith to Life

1-800-348-2440 wwwosvparishcom Inventory No X 1627

US $295

IS BN 978-1-61278-821-0 50295

9 781612 788210

THE WAY GOD TEACHES

Keep it going The pedagogy of God is perpetual

l aiah 5511 states So shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth It shall nol leturn to me empt)- but han do what pleases me achieving the end tor which I sent it (NABRE) Gods truths are handed on through the gen rations in the form of S ripture and sacred Tradition which is the living memory ofthe Church Gods covenants do not end but come to greater fulfillment and realization A catechesis based on the divine pedagogy prepares the learner to share Ule Gospel with others in word and deed so that Gods Word is handed on to others and to future generations

AN EVANGELIZING CATECHESIS The sixth fundamental task of catechesis mentioned in the General Direct01yfor Catechesis is missionary initiation

(see No 86) B virtue of our baptism each of us is called to be a missionary in the sense that we are sent forth to live and share the Gospel of Jesus Christ How do we ensure that the seeds of faith we share vith our learners grow and bear fruit How do we instill a desire to keep learning and growing in the Faith and to share that faith with others Here are some recommendations

bull CONVEY IN YOUR WORDS AND ACTIONS THAT OUR FAITH IS ABOUTMYSTERY We should never feel that we know an there is to know about such profound truths as the Blessed Trinity or the Paschal Mystery or Christs Real Presence in the Eucharist And yet there are some Catholic adults today vho have a childs understanding of these t ruths because they thought that in learning a few facts they had mastered the concepts We should always continue to dive deeper into the mystmies of the Faith and encourage our learners to do the same Vhen communicating a profound truth call it a mystery acknowledge that it is difficul t to understand and reassure your learners that they will continue to learn more as they grow

bull SPEND QUAUTY TIME ON RIALmiddotUFI APPUCATIONS OF LpoundSSON MATERIAL We need a faith that directs our daily lives Point out those portions of your textbooks that deal with living what h as been learned and brainstorm other applications vith your learners Role-play ways to live out the lesson Research in social psychology tells us that this approach has two positive efshyfects we are more likely to do that which we say we will do and we are more likely to do that which we p ractice

bull HIGHUGHT STORlpoundS OF THE SAINTS AS REAL-UFI EXAMPLES OF DISCIPLESHIP Children and teens need role models and heroes There are so many bad examples tor them in popular culture Provide good examples by h aring information about as many saints as possible Focus especially on young saints such as Sts Lucy Dominic Savio and Therese of Lisieux

bull PRACTICE ARTICULATING TRUTHS OF THE FAITH bl the previous section we discussed repeating the key concept or main point at various times throughout the lesson in rder t tie the lesson activities to the fundamental truths being discussed Ask the students when they ar making craft projects to tell you what they signifY At the end of the session have iliem line up at the door and make the key concept the password to exit A bonns to this is that when mom or dad says What id you learn today their child i less likely to reply 1t h a dread d answer like I dont know 0 1 Nothing Instead he or she may talk about the key con ept learn d an the parent will say My child has such a good teacher this year

Questions for Reflection How do I convey a sense of mystery to my learners _ __________________________

What can I do to help the students in my class more effectively talk about and live their faith

14

Keeping Kids Attention

Checklist for Including Children with ADHD and other Attentional Needs

Most groups include at least one or more children with s ignificant attention problems Many ofthe strategies already discussed will help these children as well Here is a checklist of those strategies along with some additional tips

o Quietly and discreetly speak beforehand with children having attention problems and ask them to work together with you to wat ch their behavior and participate in the days activities Let them know you are

confident they can do it

o Set goals together with children who are struggling and folio up with them after the session for feedback on how t hey are doing

o Agree on a signal or code word you can use with the ch ild vith attention problems to redirect his or her

attention during the session This vill allow you to give reminders without embarrassing the child

o As much as possible seat children with attention problems away from high-distraction areas and near the

teacher or catechist

o Provide instructions in more than one sensory modality - that is offer written checklistmiddot of steps in word or picture form when providing verbal dir etions

Check for understanding after giving di rections For example say Who can tell me what you need to do

first Whats next

o Integrate movement into group activities as much as possible Move from one area of the room to the other as you complete various parts of the session tog ther - that is from the tablesdesks for a

gathering welcome activity to a circle on the floor fo r a story time and then back to the tablesdesks for a craft or written activi ty

o Provide positive reinforcement for on-task behavior Verbal p raise points or coupons for earning pri Ieges or small

tangible items can be efiecti e incentives

o Be enthusiastic and keep moving as you speak to the class Your energy and enthusiasm 11 attract the

attention of the learners

o Pray for each child in your group and say special prayer for those who have problems listening and

paying attention - that God will help them hear what is necessary and gi e you the patience and wisdom to work

effectively with them

15

Ca echistJs Prayer Dear God

Thank you for the privilege of sharing the

Good News with others Please help the

learners 1 teach t hear and understand your

message for them Help me to be aware of

and responsive to their learn ing needs May

we all be attentive to your Word and let it

grow and bear fruit in our lives

Amen

OurSundayVisitor Bringing Your Catholic Faith to Life

1-800-348-2440 wwwosvparishcom Inventory No X 1627

US $295

IS BN 978-1-61278-821-0 50295

9 781612 788210

Keeping Kids Attention

Checklist for Including Children with ADHD and other Attentional Needs

Most groups include at least one or more children with s ignificant attention problems Many ofthe strategies already discussed will help these children as well Here is a checklist of those strategies along with some additional tips

o Quietly and discreetly speak beforehand with children having attention problems and ask them to work together with you to wat ch their behavior and participate in the days activities Let them know you are

confident they can do it

o Set goals together with children who are struggling and folio up with them after the session for feedback on how t hey are doing

o Agree on a signal or code word you can use with the ch ild vith attention problems to redirect his or her

attention during the session This vill allow you to give reminders without embarrassing the child

o As much as possible seat children with attention problems away from high-distraction areas and near the

teacher or catechist

o Provide instructions in more than one sensory modality - that is offer written checklistmiddot of steps in word or picture form when providing verbal dir etions

Check for understanding after giving di rections For example say Who can tell me what you need to do

first Whats next

o Integrate movement into group activities as much as possible Move from one area of the room to the other as you complete various parts of the session tog ther - that is from the tablesdesks for a

gathering welcome activity to a circle on the floor fo r a story time and then back to the tablesdesks for a craft or written activi ty

o Provide positive reinforcement for on-task behavior Verbal p raise points or coupons for earning pri Ieges or small

tangible items can be efiecti e incentives

o Be enthusiastic and keep moving as you speak to the class Your energy and enthusiasm 11 attract the

attention of the learners

o Pray for each child in your group and say special prayer for those who have problems listening and

paying attention - that God will help them hear what is necessary and gi e you the patience and wisdom to work

effectively with them

15

Ca echistJs Prayer Dear God

Thank you for the privilege of sharing the

Good News with others Please help the

learners 1 teach t hear and understand your

message for them Help me to be aware of

and responsive to their learn ing needs May

we all be attentive to your Word and let it

grow and bear fruit in our lives

Amen

OurSundayVisitor Bringing Your Catholic Faith to Life

1-800-348-2440 wwwosvparishcom Inventory No X 1627

US $295

IS BN 978-1-61278-821-0 50295

9 781612 788210

Ca echistJs Prayer Dear God

Thank you for the privilege of sharing the

Good News with others Please help the

learners 1 teach t hear and understand your

message for them Help me to be aware of

and responsive to their learn ing needs May

we all be attentive to your Word and let it

grow and bear fruit in our lives

Amen

OurSundayVisitor Bringing Your Catholic Faith to Life

1-800-348-2440 wwwosvparishcom Inventory No X 1627

US $295

IS BN 978-1-61278-821-0 50295

9 781612 788210