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Elizabeth
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What are your plans for this year, specifically, for the teaching of the Faith to your children? Please included ages when you share  .
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Elizabeth Foss is no longer a member of this forum. Discussions now reflect the current management & are not necessarily expressions of her book, *Real Learning*, her current work, or her philosophy. (posted by E. Foss, Jan 2011)
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Mary G
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I'm using the Mater Amabilis curriculum as my base for Thomas (6) and Maggie (5) this year. I love the way they Michele and Kathryn integrated the "Faith and Life" text, New Testament stories by Fr. Lovasik, and saints stories from the Ethel Pochocki books.
In addition, this year we are celebrating every Marian feast possible by attending daily Mass at 8:30 and then have a "feast day" day where we do fun activities (like teas, baking, reading etc) to enrich the Liturgical Year.
To encourage better participation in Mass, we just got the miniature Mass Kit from Our Father's House -- Thomas will play "priest", Maggie gets to be reader, and John-Paul will be the acolyte! They are already paying better attention in Mass as well as recognizing what Father is doing (and we just rec'd the kit last week!).
Another hting I did was to look-up all patron feast (including Marian feasts for me!), days for our family and posted a calendar by month of each so we wouldn't forget any this year -- often I would realize St. Clare was a wek ago, or oops! today is St. Joseph's feast and not have enough planned. Hopefully I'll be able to use this calendar to really help the kids embrace their Catholic faith and heritage!
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MaryG
3 boys (22, 12, 8)2 girls (20, 11)
my website that combines my schooling, hand-knits work, writing and everything else in one spot!
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Mare
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Here's what we started doing last spring. This has worked well for us so we have continued doing this schedule for this school year:
Monday - adoration in chapel, tour of church, Introduce weekly Bible Memory Verse
Tuesday - Read one page from A Walk Through Our Church, Review Bible Verse
Wednesday - Read about a Saint, Review Bible Memory Verse
Thursday -Home Catechechis of the Good Shepherd, Review Bible Memory Verse
Friday - Read Bible Story, Review Bible Memory Verse
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guitarnan
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We've always used Faith and Life for both children (now ages 7 and 13, grades 3 and 8). We discovered quickly that our daughter (7) is very hands-on, so we also got the Image of God series books for her...and last year we did a First Communion notebook (thanks again, Elizabeth!). This year we'll continue this approach, but I've also purchased the Image of God 8B book for my son (Church history).
Our family resource book for this year is A Treasure Chest of Traditions for Catholic Families. It's by Monica McConkey and it has some really wonderful ideas for all of the seasons of the Church year. I hope to inspire our new DRE to have a look at this book, too.
My son really liked CHC's Stories of the Saints Vol. IV (reading/comprehension/enrichment activities) last year, so we're doing Vol. III this year (backwards, I know...don't ask...). We'll probably start our daughter with Vol. I next year. I looked at it, but it's a bit too hard for her right now.
I love stories of the Saints, and have tried to integrate works by Tomie dePaola into my daughter's reading over the years. We're continuing that approach this year, too.
And, we try always to model a life of faith for our children. We go to Mass, of course, but also volunteer at Church, have the children help clean the church when it is our week (poor rural parish!), attend a weekly Scripture study on base (new, for adults), participate in music ministry, etc. We invite our pastor over for dinner. We cook food for funerals. You get the idea.
We don't have a daily Mass to attend here...I'd wanted to do that when we moved back to the USA, but God sent us here...I guess that will have to wait until the next duty station...
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Nancy in MD. Mom of ds (24) & dd (18); 31-year Navy wife, move coordinator and keeper of home fires. Writer and dance mom.
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Molly Smith
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We usually read about one saint each day, but this year we're going to try to just pick one saint whose feast falls in that week and read about him/her from a different source each day, with either a coloring page or related copywork on Friday to put in their religion notebooks. We're also in a Saints Book Club, where we will read a Vision Book each month and then gather with friends at the end up the month for a discussion and fellowship.
We'll continue to pray the Rosary, but I'm going to use Children Pray: A Scriptural Rosary and go more slowly, concentrating on a different set of mysteries each week.
Jeanne, 9, is going to do a Rosary scrapbook (we've been meaning to start this for over a year!), Matthew, 7, will be doing his First Reconciliation/First Communtion scrapbook, and Timmy, 5, and Sarah, 3, will make bible story notebooks. I'm sure Patrick, 1, plans to just eat the crayons  .
We've been going to Mass on Wednesdays all summer and it has been an unbelievable experience. The chapel is so small and now we have 3 homeschooling families going along with all the cute little old people. We sit right up front and Matthew is mesmerized watching Father. We'll definitely keep that up through the school year.
So, on Mondays and Tuesdays we'll read about our "Saint of the Week", pray the Rosary and work through St.Joseph's Baltimore Catechism. Wednesdays we'll go to Mass and work on our scrapbooks, and Thursdays and Fridays we'll do the saint, Rosary and work through My Path to Heaven.
That's it for our religion plans.
(Darn! Why are my links not working?? Here's the address for the scriptural rosary: http://www.cptryon.org/prayer/child/rosary/)
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momwise
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Mary G. wrote:
| In addition, this year we are celebrating every Marian feast possible by attending daily Mass at 8:30 and then have a "feast day" day where we do fun activities (like teas, baking, reading etc) to enrich the Liturgical Year. |
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Great thread Elizabeth! Great idea Mary  . I have been thinking of doing this more often and plan to buy a blue table cloth for this purpose.
In addition to Faith and Life (Grades 4 & 8) once a week with discussion, we are planning to memorize one Friendly Defender Card as a family.
I will continue to use Open Wednesdayon Friday and Sat. to prepare for Sunday Mass....another family activity.
For 10th grade Michaella is going to continue on with the Teen Guide to the Bible by Fr. Alfred McBride which she used last year but didn't come close to finishing. I have a textbook called The Triumph of Faith which she will use in conjuction with the Catechism. It covers 10th gr. theology and Church history.
K & Gr. 4 are going to do Bible History the Laura Berquist way: story, narration and illustration, ending up with a book at the end of the year.
And as always we will be trying to tie in the liturgical year with daily life.
May the Queen of Heaven be our compassionate and patient guide and intercessor!!
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Gwen...wife for 30 years, mom of 7, grandma of 3.....
"If you want equal justice for all and true freedom and lasting peace, then America, defend life." JPII
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MacBeth
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For Confirmation prep this year:
Fr. Corapi's DVD series on the Catechism.
The Catechism.
The Teaching Company's lectures on
St. Augustine (excellent...slightly edited for the older kids).
The Truth of Catholicism
The Weight of Glory
Probably more as we go along... 
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MacBeth in NY
Don's wife since '88; "Mom" to the Fab 4
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4Real Forums : Domestic Church
Topic: Plans for the School Year?
