Religion - What Your Child Will Learn

Overview

This section summarizes the main points of faith and doctrine your child will be learning about in each unit of We Believe. Suggested materials are highlighted to help you prepare for effective use of the "Sharing Faith with My Family" pages.

Plan & Preview for Sharing Faith with My Family pages

• You might want to set out crayons and drawing paper in an area in your home. You can use this area to share each chapter's Family Page (Sharing Faith with My Family). Chapter 3 asks the family to draw one thing in God's creation that needs water to live.

• If there is not a pet at home, you might make available pictures of various animals from books, magazines, or the Internet.

What Your Child Will Learn in Unit 1

In this unit, children will be introduced to God the creator. They will recognize that God made the whole world and everything in it. They will come to understand that God not only lovingly created many things in our world, but that he loves and cares for them. Highlighted are God's gifts of light, water, and the land. Through this presentation, the children will come to respect their role in taking care of all the gifts God has given us in his creation.

What Your Child Will Learn in Unit 2

In this unit, the children will learn that God is our creator. They will discover that God made all people-and that he made each one as a special, unique human being. The children will also be encouraged to talk to God at any time. They will recognize that God gives us the gift of our senses to discover all the wonderful things in God's world. An important aspect of this unit's teaching is that the children will recognize that their families help them to discover God's world and share God's love. The children also learn that their friends are special gifts from God. In this context, they are introduced to the saints as friends of God who also help us to learn more about God.

What Your Child Will Learn in Unit 3

In this unit, the children will recognize that through his life and ministry, Jesus shows us God's love. God's love is first shown when Mary is chosen to be the mother of his Son. In turn, God the Father gives us Jesus who is both the Son of God and one of us. Much of the unit is devoted to teaching the children about the early life of Jesus. They learn about his family. They learn more about the ways Jesus treated other people with kindness and caring. They come to understand that Jesus wants them to treat others in the same loving way.

What Your Child Will Learn in Unit 4

This is the last unit for the year. It is fitting that the main focus of these chapters centers on understanding that Jesus wants all of us to share God's love. The Church is presented as the family of God. As members of that family through their Baptism, the children will recognize ways they can show their love for God and others.