Parents have the unique responsibility for the education of their children; they are the first educators or catechists. They teach by their witness of the faith, through their values and attitudes, by their Christian example of love for Christ and his church. When children are baptized, parents accept the responsibility to raise their children in the practice of the faith...(National Directory for Catechesis 234-235)
Dear Parents,
In a special document entitled Letter to Families, Pope John Paul II wrote: “Parents are the first and most important educators of their own children, and they also possess a fundamental competence in this area; they are educators because they are parents”(16). You are the first and best role model for your child in these growing years. Your role as parent to love, teach, and lead your child to Jesus is a remarkable and noble vocation.
At this particular stage of development fifth graders are strongly influenced by the group and need to be like their peers. They are beginning to experience self-consciousness and sensitivity to criticism. In this transition time between adolescence and the peaceful years of middle childhood, they can be unpredictable, having both spurts of high and low energy at the same time. Children at this age need help to cultivate virtues like modesty and consideration of others. They are developing close friendships and need help in identifying feelings and how to act upon them in a positive manner. Fifth graders are influenced by media and advertisements and are attracted to and value whatever enables them to experience physical/mental control over their environment. They are idealistic and begin to ask questions about themselves and their lives, and are aware of problems in their families and their world. Children at this stage need reassurance that God’s love for them as individuals is real. Parents should repeat the message of self-worth again and again.
Your Child’s Faith Development
Like other stages of development, your fifth-grader’s faith development is important. Although children at every developmental level have many characteristics in common, each child is unique and will not fit entirely into any model developed. Keep in mind then that your child will come to know and understand the faith at his or her own rate of development. However here are some general points to remember.
Children at this age:
U Continue to grow in their relationship with God through prayer
U View all events in their lives as part of faith
U Understand symbols and stories, and religious images of God in a way that can be
somewhat literal
U Need help to develop their own unique God-given gifts
U Can take greater roles of responsibility in prayer and worship
U Catch the tradition of the past through stories (scripture, Jesus, stories of the Church). Can
identify outstanding role models of the present
U Begin to glimpse themselves in the future through observing the virtues and character of
heroes and heroines and mature adults
U Respond to lived faith witness by willingness to participate in more systematic presentation
of the faith, liturgy, and religious practices
U Need help to see the reasons behind Church rules, privileges, and responsibilities
Parent Page (Grade 5)
U Need help to understand that God desires the good and happiness of everyone
U Vest greater importance in their expanding world of school, community, people, and events
around the world (the latter brought closer through media, internet etc.
U Can be introduced to care for the aged, persons with disabilities, the poor in the
neighborhood and the world, through their expanded involvement with others outside the
home
U Gain a sense of responsibility and develop care for others by being involved in charitable
collections, community clean ups, and other organized events
U Begin to have a genuine sense of fairness and equality
U Can take others’ views into account in bargaining to meet their own needs
U Grow in the ability to understand abstract qualities in the future such as justice and
injustice by participating now in activities with sharp contrasts between good and evil
Our diocese provides many resources and materials that will help you better understand the faith and work with your child at home. Among the resources is the United States Catholic Catechism for Adults, an adaptation of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. For more information contact the Office of Catholic Education at (804) 622-5113 or e-mail [email protected].
How You Can Help Your Child Grow in Faith
Your child will continue to learn more about the Church and the importance of belonging, participating, and sharing in the faith community—the life of the Church. He/she will come to learn that everyone has a call to holiness in imitation of Jesus. That we respond to this call by living as members of the Church, by understanding and obeying the Ten Commandments, by following the great commandment of love of God and neighbor, as well as, the beatitudes and the spiritual and corporal works of mercy. Your child will learn that the Holy Spirit enlightens us and gives us the power to live as Jesus did.
Here are several points that will aid you over the course of this year, in helping your child grow in his/her faith.
è Attend and participate in Sunday Mass and holy days of obligation as a family.
è Create opportunities at home to gather and pray together as a family.
è Get involved as a family in charitable events or causes outside the home by volunteering at parish/community events.
è Make it a practice to go to confession as a family at least seasonally. Discuss the importance of forgiveness and ways in which we can atone for our sins.
è Discuss with your child ways that he/she can take care of his/her body and respect the bodies of others. Let your child know that you are always available to discuss any issues that might arise.
è Discuss ways in which friends, society, and media can lead to occasions of sin as well as occasions of grace. Make it a point to mention the importance of safe use of the internet.
è Identify Mary as the ideal model of faith and holiness for us. Teach your child how to pray the rosary.
Parent Page (Grade 5)
Know Your Audience
Just like Jesus, every good catechist knows their audience.
“The catechist – must take into consideration all the human factors of a particular age level in order to present the Gospel message in a vital and compelling way.” (NDC #48)
Who Are Your Fifth Graders?
Faith Development
Children at this age:
v Continue to grow in their relationship with God through prayer. Can take greater roles of
responsibility in prayer and worship.
v View all events in their lives as part of faith.
v Understand symbols, stories, and religious images of God in a way that can be somewhat literal.
v Need help to develop their own unique God-given gifts.
v Catch the tradition of the past through stories (scripture, Jesus, stories of the Church). Can identify
outstanding role models of the present.
v Begin to glimpse themselves in the future through observing the virtues and character of heroes and
heroines and mature adults.
v Respond to lived faith witness by willingness to participate in more systematic presentation of the
faith, liturgy, and religious practices.
v Need help to see the reasons behind Church rules, privileges, and responsibilities.
v Need help to understand that God desires the good and happiness of everyone.
v Vest greater importance in their expanding world of school, community, people, and events around
the world (the latter brought closer through media).
v Can be introduced to care for the aged, persons with disabilities, the poor in the neighborhood and
the world, through their expanded involvement with others outside the home.
v Gain a sense of responsibility and develop care for others by being involved in charitable collections,
community clean ups, and other organized events.
v Begin to have a genuine sense of fairness and equality.
v Can take others' views into account in bargaining to meet their own needs.
v Grow in the ability to understand abstract qualities in the future such as justice and injustice by
participating now in activities with sharp contrasts between good and evil.
Catechist Information (Grade 5)
GUIDING PRINCIPLES
Catechists can:
· Provide reasonable explanations and increased group activities because the children have developed a longer attention span. Augment the docility and the unquestioning acceptance of adult explanations by capitalizing on the children's interest in sharing in small group discussions.
· Foster opportunities to replace interest in fantasy and fairy tale by interest in true-to-life stories that originate in the life of the Church, in their own communities and cultures, as well as in other areas.
· Provide group projects in which all the children can be involved because children learn most effectively when engaged in the learning process.
· Stimulate the children's creativity through music, art, drama, and related activities. Provide an opportunity for them to express and appreciate religious concepts.
· Encourage students to analyze facts and to explore the lived faith of believers, past and present, whose lives they can emulate.
· Continue to offer opportunities for meaningful memorization, particularly of certain essential doctrinal statements.
· Use daily situations and discussions to help students develop skills in moral decision making. Challenge the students to correlate what they say they believe with their actions. Encourage them to do what is right because it is right, whether it pleases the group or not. Stress the reasons and the values underlying the rules, as well as the importance of right motives.
· Include the element of social awareness in prayer experiences and reconciliation services. Move away from a simplified following of the rules and help the children to progress toward a faithful response to a call from the Lord. Make children aware of social ills and human need by helping them to become involved in social justice activities in various ways - e.g. recycling bottles and aluminum, learning not to waste natural resources. Teach that all are called to give of their time, talents, and earthly goods.
· Present Jesus as a model and friend. Identify biblical personalities, saints, and people in our own day who are living as Jesus did and who also serve as role models.
· Explore more fully doctrines of the creed, commandments, and sacraments. Emphasize the meaning behind law and ritual. Provide explanations that represent the effectiveness of Christ at work in the world today.
Catechist Information (Grade 5)
· Accept pre-adolescent restlessness, boredom, and awkwardness as a way to help students experience God’s love for them as individuals. Repeat the message of self-worth again and again.
· Understand that as peer pressure is a reality and pre-adolescents fear peer rejection, liturgical/sacramental experience rooted in the group is appealing and that community is an inviting concept. Encourage students to participate fully as a group in preparing materials and place for celebrations, playing musical instruments, reading the scripture, dramatizing the Gospel story, carrying the presentation gifts, making decorations, and presenting commentaries.
· Encourage the understanding of God as a partner, someone to whom they can talk, someone who affects them personally, someone with whom they can enjoy periods of silence and reflection. Establish a positive attitude toward prayer and its purposes. Offer a variety of prayer experiences: rote prayers, silent or centering prayers, spontaneous prayers and petitions, meditative prayer, paraliturgies, and prayer services.
· Educate students in attitudes and behaviors in the cause of peace and justice. Focus on three current areas of concern: world peace, world hunger, and the rights of the oppressed.
Physical Development
Children at this age:
· Are unpredictable; are a cause of irritation to themselves and others; worry about body development.
· See body as an embarrassing object because of the vast differences in rate of change among this
age group.
Social and Emotional Development
Children at this age:
· Are strongly influenced by the group; need to be like peers; are developing close friendships.
· Are in a transition time between adolescence and the peaceful years of middle childhood; are unpredictable, having both spurts of high and low energy at the same time.
· May act/dress older than their age; need help to cultivate virtues like modesty and consideration for others.
· Need help to identify feelings and how to act upon them in a positive manner – (giggling covers up emotions regarding the opposite sex).
· Like quiet time (e.g. reading) and time with peers (eg. Playing complex games).
· Do not want to risk being laughed at; may avoid answering orally in a large group; enjoy discussions better; prefer recording and reporting back to the large group.
· Are influenced by media and advertisements; are attracted to and value whatever enables them to experience physical/mental control over their environment.
· Are idealistic; are beginning to ask questions about themselves and their lives; are aware of problems in their families and world.
· Have feelings close to the surface; worry about looks, self, family, almost all think they are different; experience self-consciousness and sensitivity to criticism.
Catechist information (Grade 5)
Cognitive Development
Children at this age:
· Think on a factual/concrete level.
· Are able gradually to form abstract ideas/concepts based on experience.
· Manifest intense curiosity, a thirst for new experiences and a desire to collect, organize, and correlate factual material. Enjoy making collections of all kinds.
· Tend to see details more clearly than the main idea.
· Are able to observe people, situations and form conclusions about them.
· Search for explanations and are beginning to work with universals.
· Can memorize details but should always have this coupled with understanding.
· Have attention spans that usually exceed 20 minutes.
· Like to read, can participate in activities with complicated rules, can think chronologically, enjoy being silly, and delight in playing with the double meaning in language.
NOTES
v Pope John Paul II in On Catechesis in Our Time encourages the use of advances in pedagogy; biology, sociology as they help us to model God’s Divine Pedagogy (teaching us gradually in stages according to our level of development). The above noted information is consistent with such documents as the General Directory for Catechesis, the National Directory for Catechesis, the Catechism of the Catholic Church and other Catechetical Documents of the Church.
v The above sciences have limitations. While this information does provide references to typical age ranges, children continue to be viewed as individuals and individual differences need to be taken into account.
Catechist Information (Grade 5)
Dear Parents,
In a special document entitled Letter to Families, Pope John Paul II wrote: “Parents are the first and most important educators of their own children, and they also possess a fundamental competence in this area; they are educators because they are parents”(16). You are the first and best role model for your child in these growing years. Your role as parent to love, teach, and lead your child to Jesus is a remarkable and noble vocation.
At this particular stage of development fifth graders are strongly influenced by the group and need to be like their peers. They are beginning to experience self-consciousness and sensitivity to criticism. In this transition time between adolescence and the peaceful years of middle childhood, they can be unpredictable, having both spurts of high and low energy at the same time. Children at this age need help to cultivate virtues like modesty and consideration of others. They are developing close friendships and need help in identifying feelings and how to act upon them in a positive manner. Fifth graders are influenced by media and advertisements and are attracted to and value whatever enables them to experience physical/mental control over their environment. They are idealistic and begin to ask questions about themselves and their lives, and are aware of problems in their families and their world. Children at this stage need reassurance that God’s love for them as individuals is real. Parents should repeat the message of self-worth again and again.
Your Child’s Faith Development
Like other stages of development, your fifth-grader’s faith development is important. Although children at every developmental level have many characteristics in common, each child is unique and will not fit entirely into any model developed. Keep in mind then that your child will come to know and understand the faith at his or her own rate of development. However here are some general points to remember.
Children at this age:
U Continue to grow in their relationship with God through prayer
U View all events in their lives as part of faith
U Understand symbols and stories, and religious images of God in a way that can be
somewhat literal
U Need help to develop their own unique God-given gifts
U Can take greater roles of responsibility in prayer and worship
U Catch the tradition of the past through stories (scripture, Jesus, stories of the Church). Can
identify outstanding role models of the present
U Begin to glimpse themselves in the future through observing the virtues and character of
heroes and heroines and mature adults
U Respond to lived faith witness by willingness to participate in more systematic presentation
of the faith, liturgy, and religious practices
U Need help to see the reasons behind Church rules, privileges, and responsibilities
Parent Page (Grade 5)
U Need help to understand that God desires the good and happiness of everyone
U Vest greater importance in their expanding world of school, community, people, and events
around the world (the latter brought closer through media, internet etc.
U Can be introduced to care for the aged, persons with disabilities, the poor in the
neighborhood and the world, through their expanded involvement with others outside the
home
U Gain a sense of responsibility and develop care for others by being involved in charitable
collections, community clean ups, and other organized events
U Begin to have a genuine sense of fairness and equality
U Can take others’ views into account in bargaining to meet their own needs
U Grow in the ability to understand abstract qualities in the future such as justice and
injustice by participating now in activities with sharp contrasts between good and evil
Our diocese provides many resources and materials that will help you better understand the faith and work with your child at home. Among the resources is the United States Catholic Catechism for Adults, an adaptation of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. For more information contact the Office of Catholic Education at (804) 622-5113 or e-mail [email protected].
How You Can Help Your Child Grow in Faith
Your child will continue to learn more about the Church and the importance of belonging, participating, and sharing in the faith community—the life of the Church. He/she will come to learn that everyone has a call to holiness in imitation of Jesus. That we respond to this call by living as members of the Church, by understanding and obeying the Ten Commandments, by following the great commandment of love of God and neighbor, as well as, the beatitudes and the spiritual and corporal works of mercy. Your child will learn that the Holy Spirit enlightens us and gives us the power to live as Jesus did.
Here are several points that will aid you over the course of this year, in helping your child grow in his/her faith.
è Attend and participate in Sunday Mass and holy days of obligation as a family.
è Create opportunities at home to gather and pray together as a family.
è Get involved as a family in charitable events or causes outside the home by volunteering at parish/community events.
è Make it a practice to go to confession as a family at least seasonally. Discuss the importance of forgiveness and ways in which we can atone for our sins.
è Discuss with your child ways that he/she can take care of his/her body and respect the bodies of others. Let your child know that you are always available to discuss any issues that might arise.
è Discuss ways in which friends, society, and media can lead to occasions of sin as well as occasions of grace. Make it a point to mention the importance of safe use of the internet.
è Identify Mary as the ideal model of faith and holiness for us. Teach your child how to pray the rosary.
Parent Page (Grade 5)
Know Your Audience
Just like Jesus, every good catechist knows their audience.
“The catechist – must take into consideration all the human factors of a particular age level in order to present the Gospel message in a vital and compelling way.” (NDC #48)
Who Are Your Fifth Graders?
Faith Development
Children at this age:
v Continue to grow in their relationship with God through prayer. Can take greater roles of
responsibility in prayer and worship.
v View all events in their lives as part of faith.
v Understand symbols, stories, and religious images of God in a way that can be somewhat literal.
v Need help to develop their own unique God-given gifts.
v Catch the tradition of the past through stories (scripture, Jesus, stories of the Church). Can identify
outstanding role models of the present.
v Begin to glimpse themselves in the future through observing the virtues and character of heroes and
heroines and mature adults.
v Respond to lived faith witness by willingness to participate in more systematic presentation of the
faith, liturgy, and religious practices.
v Need help to see the reasons behind Church rules, privileges, and responsibilities.
v Need help to understand that God desires the good and happiness of everyone.
v Vest greater importance in their expanding world of school, community, people, and events around
the world (the latter brought closer through media).
v Can be introduced to care for the aged, persons with disabilities, the poor in the neighborhood and
the world, through their expanded involvement with others outside the home.
v Gain a sense of responsibility and develop care for others by being involved in charitable collections,
community clean ups, and other organized events.
v Begin to have a genuine sense of fairness and equality.
v Can take others' views into account in bargaining to meet their own needs.
v Grow in the ability to understand abstract qualities in the future such as justice and injustice by
participating now in activities with sharp contrasts between good and evil.
Catechist Information (Grade 5)
GUIDING PRINCIPLES
Catechists can:
· Provide reasonable explanations and increased group activities because the children have developed a longer attention span. Augment the docility and the unquestioning acceptance of adult explanations by capitalizing on the children's interest in sharing in small group discussions.
· Foster opportunities to replace interest in fantasy and fairy tale by interest in true-to-life stories that originate in the life of the Church, in their own communities and cultures, as well as in other areas.
· Provide group projects in which all the children can be involved because children learn most effectively when engaged in the learning process.
· Stimulate the children's creativity through music, art, drama, and related activities. Provide an opportunity for them to express and appreciate religious concepts.
· Encourage students to analyze facts and to explore the lived faith of believers, past and present, whose lives they can emulate.
· Continue to offer opportunities for meaningful memorization, particularly of certain essential doctrinal statements.
· Use daily situations and discussions to help students develop skills in moral decision making. Challenge the students to correlate what they say they believe with their actions. Encourage them to do what is right because it is right, whether it pleases the group or not. Stress the reasons and the values underlying the rules, as well as the importance of right motives.
· Include the element of social awareness in prayer experiences and reconciliation services. Move away from a simplified following of the rules and help the children to progress toward a faithful response to a call from the Lord. Make children aware of social ills and human need by helping them to become involved in social justice activities in various ways - e.g. recycling bottles and aluminum, learning not to waste natural resources. Teach that all are called to give of their time, talents, and earthly goods.
· Present Jesus as a model and friend. Identify biblical personalities, saints, and people in our own day who are living as Jesus did and who also serve as role models.
· Explore more fully doctrines of the creed, commandments, and sacraments. Emphasize the meaning behind law and ritual. Provide explanations that represent the effectiveness of Christ at work in the world today.
Catechist Information (Grade 5)
· Accept pre-adolescent restlessness, boredom, and awkwardness as a way to help students experience God’s love for them as individuals. Repeat the message of self-worth again and again.
· Understand that as peer pressure is a reality and pre-adolescents fear peer rejection, liturgical/sacramental experience rooted in the group is appealing and that community is an inviting concept. Encourage students to participate fully as a group in preparing materials and place for celebrations, playing musical instruments, reading the scripture, dramatizing the Gospel story, carrying the presentation gifts, making decorations, and presenting commentaries.
· Encourage the understanding of God as a partner, someone to whom they can talk, someone who affects them personally, someone with whom they can enjoy periods of silence and reflection. Establish a positive attitude toward prayer and its purposes. Offer a variety of prayer experiences: rote prayers, silent or centering prayers, spontaneous prayers and petitions, meditative prayer, paraliturgies, and prayer services.
· Educate students in attitudes and behaviors in the cause of peace and justice. Focus on three current areas of concern: world peace, world hunger, and the rights of the oppressed.
Physical Development
Children at this age:
· Are unpredictable; are a cause of irritation to themselves and others; worry about body development.
· See body as an embarrassing object because of the vast differences in rate of change among this
age group.
Social and Emotional Development
Children at this age:
· Are strongly influenced by the group; need to be like peers; are developing close friendships.
· Are in a transition time between adolescence and the peaceful years of middle childhood; are unpredictable, having both spurts of high and low energy at the same time.
· May act/dress older than their age; need help to cultivate virtues like modesty and consideration for others.
· Need help to identify feelings and how to act upon them in a positive manner – (giggling covers up emotions regarding the opposite sex).
· Like quiet time (e.g. reading) and time with peers (eg. Playing complex games).
· Do not want to risk being laughed at; may avoid answering orally in a large group; enjoy discussions better; prefer recording and reporting back to the large group.
· Are influenced by media and advertisements; are attracted to and value whatever enables them to experience physical/mental control over their environment.
· Are idealistic; are beginning to ask questions about themselves and their lives; are aware of problems in their families and world.
· Have feelings close to the surface; worry about looks, self, family, almost all think they are different; experience self-consciousness and sensitivity to criticism.
Catechist information (Grade 5)
Cognitive Development
Children at this age:
· Think on a factual/concrete level.
· Are able gradually to form abstract ideas/concepts based on experience.
· Manifest intense curiosity, a thirst for new experiences and a desire to collect, organize, and correlate factual material. Enjoy making collections of all kinds.
· Tend to see details more clearly than the main idea.
· Are able to observe people, situations and form conclusions about them.
· Search for explanations and are beginning to work with universals.
· Can memorize details but should always have this coupled with understanding.
· Have attention spans that usually exceed 20 minutes.
· Like to read, can participate in activities with complicated rules, can think chronologically, enjoy being silly, and delight in playing with the double meaning in language.
NOTES
v Pope John Paul II in On Catechesis in Our Time encourages the use of advances in pedagogy; biology, sociology as they help us to model God’s Divine Pedagogy (teaching us gradually in stages according to our level of development). The above noted information is consistent with such documents as the General Directory for Catechesis, the National Directory for Catechesis, the Catechism of the Catholic Church and other Catechetical Documents of the Church.
v The above sciences have limitations. While this information does provide references to typical age ranges, children continue to be viewed as individuals and individual differences need to be taken into account.
Catechist Information (Grade 5)