Religious Education in Early Childhood

Abstract

The mission of St. Cecilia Elementary School (Omaha, Nebraska) is to foster a Christian learning environment that develops the spiritual, scholastic, emotional, social, and physical needs of each child. This paper describes the school's curriculum with regard to religious education for preschool, kindergarten, first grade, and second grade. Class activities include discovery, hands on, role playing, modeling, recalling/memory, reinforcement, discussion, presentation, service, and problem solving. The paper's discussion is divided by grade level; for each grade, examples of learning activities are presented. The preschool curriculum, intended to broaden the "me-oriented" thinking of young children, includes activities for the themes of Advent, poverty, caring for our world, Lent, love and caring for creation, and multiculturalism. Themes from the kindergarten curriculum include "I am Special,""I am a Friend," Baby Moses, prayer, Advent and Lent, and resurrection. First graders are encouraged to consider Jesus' teaching in their decision making and to work on their prayer life. Second graders have lessons that include scripture, doctrine, morality, and celebration, and are exposed to the Reconciliation and Eucharist. The paper concludes by describing other school activities intended to reinforce classroom learning, planning for parent participation, and an example of a Thanksgiving paraliturgy. (EV)