Hello all Early elementary teachers.

I teach first grade for my parish. Since my class meets after the regular school day, I try to make it as fun as possible. My goal this year is to have a craft or activity every week. My first year class had 18 students and this year I've 5. I've found the kind of crafts that work best has changed as my group size changed.

What books are you using? Our church is using the Finding God by Loyola Press. I'm kind of frustrated with their "tests" and such. Loyola's understanding of the reading and academic abilities of the students is too high. It's as if they wrote it for students at the end of 1st grade not at the beginning.

I haven't really looked into the fourth grade curriculum, but I'm teaching my fourth grader at home this year. His class work is more academic. Maybe that is the big difference with first grade...we're transitioning between "color and paste" of kindergarten and the academics of 2nd grade.

We are using Christ Our Life series parish edition. I teach first grade and I found that the curriculum was lacking for my students. They cannot sit long and listen to the lessons that are provided. I therefore incorporate crafts, activities, games, puzzles, etc. into my lessons. These activities make my lessons more concrete and easier for the students to understand and also a lot of fun.

We also use Finding God for grades 1-8 and love it. First grades was the first grade from the series that I taught out of. Any series is going to have a simular problem with the reading level.
I've found 2 things about first graders the first is that 1st graders have a huge variety of abilaties some are good readers others are just begining to put words together, second is that they are very tired after a full day of school. I had one little girl who fell asleep mid way throught every class for the first 1/2 of the year. It is appropriate to read to your first and second grade students. Your time together is a time of catechesis not time for them to be learning how to read. They've just spent 6 hrs or so doing that. I tried to use the book as a story book especially or the scripture stories.
The Blackline masters are meant to be supplimental not mandatory tests. There are alot of other hands on options in the catechist manual from discussions and games to art activities. I think you are on the right track adding in some crafts and hands on activities after all God gave us the gift of our entire being not just our intellects to get to know him.

You can say that again about the huge difference in abilities first graders have. A couple of my students cannot read at all or write well, some a little, and one probably reads better than my hubby and her handwriting is better than mine. It makes it extremely hard to find activities that all the students can do.

I make Take Home Sheets for the students to take home for their parents to go over with them and to bring back the following week. It helps reinforce what they have learned in class and lets the parents know what we are doing. They usually consist of about 10 questions that the parents read to their child. Two answers are provided and the child tells the parent which answer is best so they can circle it. Here's an example of one: http://www.orgsites.com/md/church-craft ... esheet.doc

When doing crafts, make sure they are easy to do and the patterns are already drawn on the construction paper. Making it easier for your students will also make it easier on you in the long run.

My take homes tend to be less academic and more hands on ideas for the family to do together. My Theory being that I want to encourage families to learn how to be faithfilled in ordinary every day ways.
Gor example. We did an advent chain with the younger ones. Parents were to make the chain with their children. The prayer at the top instructs them to take off one link of the chain each night after saying prayers when they get to the top it will be Chrismas Eve. the color of the paper links corespond to the colors of the advent candles. It helps children focus on what they are waiting for as well as introduces them to the liturgical colors.
The older kids make a simular chain but theirs grows as they add a link for each scripture reading and prayer they read together with their family.
I have found that many parents who received their religious education in the 70s and early 80s are uncertain about their faith and tend to take a let the parish educate them attitude. When I meet them in Sacramental Prep they are often open and even longing for a better understanding of their faith which is why I love the take home page from our children's books because it reinforces some of these same things. It gives families dinner conversation discussions, suggested social justice activities they can do together as well as prayer connections and an adult catechesis on the content from the lesson the students just did.

In regards to the "tests", at times I've turned them into group activities or rewritten them. To help myself or another teacher in the future, I've started writing notes in my leaders book on what activities or sheets don't work well. I think It will be more helpful than if all the notes are in a file for each lesson.

First graders are just learning how to read so the book is merely support for the parent. I find that a demonstration lesson or object lesson works best for this grade level. It allows the children more hands-on understanding of the concepts in each chapter. Of course it requires more intiative and creativity ont he part of the teacher because you have to rewrite the lesson. Let the paretn go over the material with their child at home. I also ask my first grade families to purchase the Beginer's Bible. I have the families read from the bible every night so that the first graders are learning to read and learning the scripture stories at the same time. It makes a difference when you are teaching in class. The children identify stories that they have read at home and then are reinforced through the classroom lesson. I try to make up songs, etc. that incorporate other parts of the lesson.

I would just be creative - and remember that the book is meant as a support of your faith sharing. Follow your heart in sharing your faith and the Spirit will help you with the curriculum.