Last week’s celebrations for Catholic Schools Week were a great way to showcase formal faith-based education. But sometimes circumstances mean great Catholic books or messages aren’t regular features of the formal education for some Catholic kids. Thankfully, we have many books to supplement their curriculum and round out their reading habits. Here’s some ideas for some faith-based extra credit!
Biography Unit in Social Studies: Does your child/student have a choice of historical figure to write a report about? Pick one of the saints in our Encounter the Saints Series. New this month is St. Gianna Beretta Molla: The Gift of Life. We also have several other saint resources at different reading levels: Saints and Their Stories, 57 Stories of Saints, and Saintly Tales and Legends.
English: How do you spell the word that describes a priest’s outer vestment? Did you know it was c-h-a-s-u-b-l-e (chasuble)? This word and nearly 600 other Catholic terms are defined in the dictionary Look It Up! Sprinkle some of these words onto spelling lists or use in sentences!
Multicultural Unit: Throughout the year, help children learn about our wonderfully diverse world and celebrate the contributions of many people from different heritages. Consider adding to your repertoire Saint Bakhita of Sudan: Comic Color Saints, Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha: Comic Color Saints, My Jewish Friend, My Muslim Friend, Saint Bakhita of Sudan: Forever Free (ESS), or Saint Martin de Porres: Humble Healer (ESS).
Story Hour/Circle Time: Encourage your young learners to make good decisions based on Catholic values with Shine: Choices to Make God Smile. The question-and-answer text will prompt enthusiastic responses at circle/story time.
Home Ec: Gain extra credit and get ready for Lent with Living and Celebrating Our Catholic Customs and Traditions: The Lent-Easter Book. As your child makes special crafts or treats, he or she will learn about our faith traditions during this most holy of times. Or, try your hand at one of the recipes in Now You’re Cooking! This short story collection features delicious treats and lessons in grace.
Drama/Theater: Perform hilarious plays that help everyday kids use Catholic values to solve problems and feature a very holy cast with Spotlight on the Saints!
For the Educator’s Bookshelf:
Imagining Faith with Kids: This exploration of how novels and other children’s books can foster a sense of personal faith is great background reading before planning a literature unit.
Our Media World: This award-winning title helps you guide students with engaging the media, especially when they undertake current events assignments.