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I. Curriculum pillar: Profession of the Faith
Content pillar Skills/Diocesan Content Standards Suggested Family Involvement
1. Sacred Scripture   General involvement
  • Have a Bible in your house, and have your child become familiar with it.
  • Buy a Children’s Bible to use for bedtime reading.
  • Read the Bible as a family and each one can share in spirit of prayer what the Lord is telling to them.
  • Read the Gospel together before you go to Mass. http://www.usccb.org/nab/today.shtml
  • Comment after Mass about the homily and the readings.
  • Invite your child to act out Scripture stories.
  • Watch with your child movies about stories from the Bible (i.e. Moses, David) http://www.usccb.org/movies/familyvideo/videoall.shtml
  • Have your child go to Vacation Bible School at your parish or nearby parish.
Specific involvement
Locate on a map where Jesus was born (Bethlehem), where he grew up (Nazareth), and where he died (Jerusalem).
  • Draw and/or color a map of Jesus’ steps
Identify the major sections of the New Testament as the Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles, Paul's Letters, and Revelation, and be able to briefly describe each of them.
  • Share/read a favorite quote from each part of the New Testament and discuss why that is important
2. Creed   General involvement
  • Review with your child what he/she learned in his/her religion class.
  • Have a Catechism of the Catholic Church in the house.  Make sure you are educated about the Faith so you can answer questions for your child.  Have your child see you reading the Bible, the Catechism or some other spiritual work. http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc/index.htm
  • Encourage your child to start a relationship with each one of the persons of the blessed Trinity.
  • Display an image of Mary at your home and pray to her.
  • Recite the Creed as a family.
    http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P13.HTM
Specific involvement
Relate that God is the author of all creation, and therefore all creation is good.
  • Thank God for creation and all of His gifts.
Know that God created us in His image with the ability to think, make choices, and love.
  • Discuss what it means to be made in God’s image.  In what ways are we most like Him?  Most unlike Him?  What choices can we make that will make us more like Him?
Identify Jesus as God’s Son, our Savior, who came to reveal the Father to us and teach us how to live.
  • Talk about ways as a family that you all can be more Christ-like.
Identify the Holy Spirit as the Third Person of the Trinity, sent by the Father and the Son, to dwell within us and help us always choose the good.
Know that evil entered the world through the sin of our first parents.
Recognize that temptation is a struggle for everyone, but God's grace is always present to help us choose the good.
Understand that all sin hurts the whole Body of Christ and us, but God's grace, especially in the sacrament of Penance/Reconciliation, heals us and restores us to God's friendship.
  • We are all one body; when part of that body is sick, the whole body is sick; in Penance, God heals the part of the body that is sick. Have your child draw a picture of the Church as a body with Christ at its head and we as the members.
  • Read 1 Corinthians 12 with your child  http://www.usccb.org/nab/bible/1corinthians/1corinthians12.htm
Identify Mary as the Immaculate Conception saved from sin at the moment of her creation in her mother’s womb.
  • Bring flowers to Mary the day of the Immaculate Conception—December 8.
Know that Mary never sinned throughout her life and so is the Church's example of perfect obedience, faith, and love of God.
  • Talk about the qualities of Mary. Read about Mary in the Bible.  Discuss the meaning of the words “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38) “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,” (Luke 1:46) and “Do whatever He tells you.” (John 2: 5)
Know that the Assumption celebrates Mary being taken up to heaven, body and soul, at the end of her earthly life.
  • Go to Church to celebrate the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary—August 15.
Know that the Church was instituted by Christ.
Describe the Communion of Saints as the baptized on earth, the saints in heaven, and those in purgatory preparing for heaven.

Recite the Apostles’ Creed and explain its meaning and importance.
II. Curriculum pillar: The Celebration of the Christian Mystery
Content pillar Skills/Diocesan Content Standards Suggested Family Involvement
1.Worship &Sacraments   General involvement
Specific involvement
Know that Mass is also known as the celebration of the Eucharist.
  • Know that the word "Eucharist" means Thanksgiving.
 
Know the order of the Introductory Rites and the Liturgy of the Word.
Know that during the Penitential Rite (at the beginning of Mass) we do not confess our sins; however, we humbly acknowledge them in our hearts, ask for mercy, and accept God’s pardon. 
  • Pray with your child at bedtime asking God to forgive any wrong-doings from the day
Help plan and participate in liturgical celebrations.
  • Participate in the special religious festivities at your parish and other parishes.
Identify Matrimony and Holy Orders as sacraments of Service (vocation).
  • Pray for the Religious and priests of your parish
Know that Christ sent the Holy Spirit who guides us through grace and helps us to lead holy lives.
  • As a family, write a prayer to the Holy Spirit
Recognize that we follow God’s laws to show our love for creation and our appreciation of God’s gifts.
  • Compare the story of the Ten Commandments to the New Testament story of the two greatest commandments.  The first three commandments relate to loving God; the next seven relate to loving each other. http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P78.HTM
Understand that Epiphany symbolizes Jesus’ mission to the whole world.
  • Make it a tradition to celebrate Three Kings Day.
Discuss the Liturgical Year, which begins with the First Sunday of Advent, and identify the ways we celebrate seasons and major feasts.
III. Curriculum pillar: Life in Christ
Content pillar Skills/Diocesan Content Standards Suggested Family Involvement
1. Community & Service   General involvement
  • Volunteer for community service as a family.
  • Invite your child to give to the poor at Christmas.
  • Have each family member commit to a new way to participate in the life of your parish.
  • Encourage your child to be generous to the poor and needy.
  • Talk with your child about the different vocations in the Church and ask your child to pray for vocations to the consecrated life in the Church.
    http://www.hearthecall.org/      
  • Discuss the missions in the Church and how you can help the Church worldwide.
  • Give example to your child sharing your time, treasure, and talents with the Church.
Specific involvement
Learn, through the Visitation, Mary's example of how to willingly respond to God's call to help others.
  • Share your view of Mary and how you can be like her.
Demonstrate respect for all creation, especially living things.
  • Choose something your family can do to care for God’s creation.
Identify and discuss ways of imitating how Jesus showed love for others.
  • Make a list of the ways your family cares for one another.
Discuss how we can live out Jesus’ Great Commandment, “To love God above all things and love your neighbor as yourself.”
  • Find out if your parish has a group that prays every day for people in the parish who are sick or in need.  If so, have your family join this group.
Learn that in contrast to the practices of the world, Jesus’ community lives in a spirit of selflessness and love, and are marked by a spirit of humility and service.
  • Have your child point out ways in which Jesus and Mary were humble.
Understand that the Christian family is the basic unit of the church community and needs to be respected and cared for.
  • Do something nice for family members without them knowing it.
  • Make a Church family tree (include the pope, bishops, priest, religious, faithful, saints).
Define responsible stewardship as care of personal belongings, public property, and God's creation.
  • As a family, talk about how you make sacrifices and use your saved funds to help those in need.
Demonstrate that as members of the Church we are called to be examples of Jesus' love to others.
  • Make a list of ways you can show Jesus’ love to others and act upon those way in your daily life.
2. Christian Morality   General involvement
Specific involvement
Know that Jesus is our role model for the Christian life.
  • Following the example of Jesus, name and talk about the many ways your family can make good decisions.  Post it where all can see it to be reminded of the steps.
Know that virtues are good spiritual habits.
Know that our conscience is an inner voice, aided by grace, which helps us to choose what is right.
  • Watch the movie Pinocchio explain what a conscience is. http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P60.HTM
  • Teach child how to make good decisions – do not make decisions only guided by your feelings and emotions, but think and ask your conscience.  Ask, “what would Jesus do?”
Define mortal and venial sins.
  • Discuss how you can avoid these sins.
Know that prayer helps us in times of temptation.
Know that the sacrament of Reconciliation (Penance) is given to us by Jesus and that, in it, we ask for and receive forgiveness of our sins from God through the priest.
  • Receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation with your child regularly.
Know that living the Beatitudes helps form Christian attitudes and actions.
Understand that grace is a supernatural help from God that enables us to live the Christian life.
List the Ten Commandments.
  • Ask your child to share two situations in the past week when he/she followed the Ten Commandments in making choices.
Respect all life as a gift from God.
  • Have your child discuss some ways in which the world does not respect life.  Have your child pray for greater respect for life 
Recognize and respect that all people are made in the image and likeness of God.
  • As a family, talk about why rules and laws are necessary.  Discuss the rules and laws that help your family live as a Christian family.
IV. Curriculum pillar: Christian Prayer
Content pillar Skills/Diocesan Content Standards Suggested Family Involvement
1. Prayer & Spirituality   General involvement
Specific involvement
Recite the Apostles’ Creed and explain its meaning and importance.
Tell the meaning of the Act of Contrition.    
Define prayer; and identify the four basic categories of prayer (praise, petition, thanksgiving, and contrition), and give examples of each.
  • Have each family member share their favorite times and places to pray.
Describe the difference between public and private prayer.
  • Talk about how your family can encourage each other to pray.  Then do one thing that week that will help you remember to pray.
Prepare for and assume different roles in communal prayer services and in the Mass.
  • Encourage your child to join the Children’s Choir or participate in the Children’s Mass at your parish.  Be an example to your child and volunteer as a minister yourself. 
Describe and participate in different kinds of prayers and devotions (Feast of Saints, Stations of the Cross).
  • Attend a Rosary, Litany and Benediction service at your parish.
Show a desire to incorporate prayer in their daily lives as Jesus did.
  • Pray before sending your child to school.
Recite a spontaneous prayer.
  • Encourage your child to write a prayer for something good that happened to them each day.
Respect all life as a gift from God.
  • Go on a nature walk with your child.
  • Pray for the unborn.
Recognize and respect that all people are made in the image and likeness of God.
  • Make a card for an elderly person, i.e. a grandparent or a local nursing home resident