The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is an approach to the religious formation of children. It is rooted in the Bible, the liturgy of the Church, and the educational principles of Maria Montessori. Children gather in an "atrium," a room prepared for them, which contains simple yet beautiful materials that they use.
You may be wondering how these materials help the religious life of children? If an adult hears a beautiful passage from the Bible, the adult might take a Bible, find the passage, and read it slowly again and again. He or she may think deeply about the words and perhaps speak to God in a thankful or hopeful prayer. But a little child, too young to read, needs another way. In an atrium the child can ponder a biblical passage or a prayer from the liturgy by taking the material for that text and working with it - placing wood figures of sheep in a sheepfold of the Good Shepherd, setting sculpted apostles around a Last Supper table, or preparing a small altar with the furnishings used for the Eucharist. Older children who do read often copy parables from the Bible, lay in order written prayers from the rite of baptism, or label a long time-line showing the history of the kingdom of God.
The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd was introduced to our PreK 4 program in 2009. The success of the program has impelled us to expand the program to grades K and 1 for the 2010 school year. The administration and early childhood faculty feel that the integration of CGS with the religion curriculum program provides 21st Century learning opportunities for our youngest students. Parents are welcome to visit the atrium and observe the children as they work.
The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd program joins Sofia Cavalletti's theological insights into children's spiritual development with the educational principles and methods developed by Marie Montessori.
The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd program joins Sofia Cavalletti's theological insights into children's spiritual development with the educational principles and methods developed by Marie Montessori.
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"If we want to help the child draw nearer to God, we should with patience and courage seek to go always closer to the vital nucleus of things. This requires study and prayer. The child will be our teacher if we know how to observe."
-- Sofia Cavalletti
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