RELIGIOUS CURRICULUM MAPPING: Kindergarten

• Keep a Bible in your house, and help your child become familiar with it. Read it a bedtime.
• Include Bible readings in regular family prayers.
• Read the Gospel together before you attend Mass.
• After Mass explore ideas from the homily and readings.
• Invite your child to act out Scripture stories.
• Watch age appropriate Biblical movies.

• Teach your child the importance of handling the Bible with respect and reverence.

• Tell your child Bible stories: especially creation Gen 1 and birth of Jesus Lk 2,1-21

• 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.
• 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. Also display a crucifix and Bible.

• Show the beauty of creation to your child and tell him/her how God created it by love.

• Talk with your child about the love of God that gives us as a family. Have your child use his/her own words.

• Before bed tell your child to give thanks to God for all of God’s gifts: family, friends, health, life, food.

• Teach a song about the love of God. Teach child that God is our Father in Heaven.

• Explain to them who Jesus is and that He is the Son of God. Show to them images of Jesus

• Talk to your child about Jesus’ family and give him/her an image of the Sacred Family. Use the Holy Family as role model for own family.

• Have an image of Mary in your house; bring flowers with your child to Mary in your house or in Church. Teach your child that Mary is our mother in Heaven.

• Celebrate Easter and Christmas as a family and decorate the house for Jesus’ birth and resurrection.

• Bring your child to Church and explain to him/her to be silent because it is God’s House.

• Teach your child that God is father of us all and to everyone they meet.

• Go with your child to Mass where Jesus shares Himself.
• Be an example of silence during Mass, and teach your child to have good behavior because God is there. Show him/her how to genuflect. Sit up front so your child can see what is happening.
• Do things as a family on Sunday "The Lord's Day".
• Explain to your child what we celebrate on the Holy Days.
• Visit the Blessed Sacrament with your child frequently.
• Celebrate the day of your and your child's Baptism.
• Have them help you with the preparations of advent; make a nativity, Advent wreath, etc. with your child and add this to the Christmas decorations.
• Pray a novena in Advent to prepare for the Birth of Jesus. www.catholicculture.org/lit/prayers/view.cfm?id=53 or www.ewtn.com/Devotionals/novena/christmas.htm
• Teach your child Christmas songs.
• Before the Christmas and Easter meals, have your child tell the story.

• Go with your child to Sunday Mass.

Demonstrate appropriate and respectful behavior during liturgy.

• Be an example of silence during the Mass, and teach your child to be on his/her best behavior because God is there. Sit up front so the child can see what is happening; be on time; dress up; talk about what happens at Mass.

• Recall your child’s Baptism, show pictures (video), candle and white garment. Involve your child in preparations for and celebration of younger children’s' baptisms.

• Tell your child about how Jesus prayed for those who hurt him and always forgave.  Reinforce how important is to say you are sorry.
• Discuss a couple of situations that you and your child have had about forgiveness. Share some of your own from childhood.

• Re-read the creation story as a family.
• Go on a nature walk and point out creation.
• Discuss the goodness of God and all that He created, including us.

Understand that God’s love is shown to us through the love of our families and friends.

• Give thanks to God with your child for his/her love and gifts.
• Create a family journal for a week that records acts of kindness done for each other.
• Ask your child to draw pictures of some ways that family members show they care for one another.

• Make a card for another family member, thanking him/her for what they bring to the family.  Affirm goodness when it is displayed.
• Ask the child what he/she can do to show his/her love for God.

• Have your child help you with the preparations of Advent; make a nativity scene.

• Invite your child to give to the poor at Christmas; allow your child to decide the charity to receive the gift.
• Have each family member commit to a new way to participate in the life of your parish.
• Discuss with your child how to take care of creation.
• Encourage them to be generous with the poor and needy.
• Give example to your child by sharing your time, treasure and talents with the Church.

• Have each family member show one thing they will do this week to show love to another.  At the end of the week, put a star next to each success.
• Write a secret note for each family member and write one way in which that person shows you love them.  Hide the note somewhere where he/she will find it as a special surprise.

• Talk about what it means to use something that belongs to someone else.  How should you treat it?  What should you do if you see that it may be harmed or broken?
• Discuss as a family some ways you could show God that you appreciate all of creation.  What are some ways you could take better care of creation?

• Talk about ways that each member of your family shows love to others in the family, in the school, in the neighborhood.

• Read to your child stories from the Gospels that show how Jesus cares for others.

• Read to your child stories from the Gospels that show how Jesus helps others.
• Have your child share something with others in his or her class or with brothers and sisters.
• Tell a story about a time when you helped someone who was not related to you, but was in need of help.  How did it feel?

• Read to your child the Scriptural references to Mary saying, “yes” (Luke 1: 38).

• Keep the Bible in a special place in your house.

• Make a commitment with your child about one virtue you are going to work on during the week or about a bad habit you are struggling to overcome.
• Watch a family movie together, then talk about the movie; show the values and the anti-values which are present.
• Tell your child about the life of Jesus and how He taught us how to live.
• Talk about the qualities of Mary.

• Tell the story of Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10) and discuss how it is an example of Jesus loving others.
• Have your child be friends with Jesus.  Ask your child to make sure he/she does at least one nice thing for someone else everyday.

• Make the Sign of Cross every day: in the morning, before meals, and at night.
• Pray with your child before every meal.
• Pray with your child the Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be when you enter a new Church or before you travel.
• Teach child to always pray to his or her Guardian Angel. 
• Say prayers together before bedtime: give thanks to God for His love and gifts, ask for forgiveness for the bad things we have done, and ask to bless our friends, family, and needs in the world.
• Tell your child some stories about saints. Celebrate your child's Saint Feast day.
• Buy your child religious objects.
• Use religious songs as a source of prayer.

• Practice making the Sign of Cross with your child.

Recite a mealtime prayer and explain its purpose.

• Write a family blessing prayer together and say it before meals or at the end of each day.

• Pray with your child at bedtime.

• Gather as a family once a day to say one of these prayers together.

• Pray with them spontaneously and ask them to do the same on different occasions.

Demonstrate appropriate and respectful participation during Mass and/or prayer.

• Correct your child when they behave badly during the Mass. Teach them how to behave in Church.

• Set aside family time and have each family member go around in a circle to say things he/she is happy to thank God for.

• Talk always with your child about the love of God.
• Make a list of all of their gifts from God.

• Take a family prayer walk.  Go for a walk together and thank God for all the things you see and hear.

• Ask them to draw a picture of themselves with God who created them.