1. Developing Faith with Preschoolers, Kindergartners, and First Graders Faith Formation Conference November 9, 2012 By Cheryl Anderson Fabienne Esparza Kim Lawrence

2. Agenda Welcome Introductions Goals To identify the developmental needs of preschoolers, kindergartners and first graders in relationship to faith development To understand the role of the catechist when working with very young children To articulate a variety of strategies which nurture faith development To share our knowledge and experience of teaching young children about our faith with those around us Q & A

3. Who are we? Cheryl Anderson, Kindergarten Teacher, St. Martin of Tours School, San Jose Fabienne Esparza, Principal, St. Catherine School, Morgan Hill Kim Lawrence, Kindergarten Teacher, St. Martin of Tours School, San Jose Who are you?

4. To identify the developmental needs of preschoolers, kindergartners and first graders in relationship to faith development 3 and 4 year olds: Egocentric Beginning to see the difference between fantasy/reality Beginning to understand past, present and future Learning to cooperate with others Enjoys playing pretend games Kindergartners: More emotional control and regulation Experiencing an explosion of cognitive development Interactive with peers Beginning to separate self from others First Graders: Increasing movement toward independence Learning to regulate emotional ups and downs Greater emphasis on relationships outside the family

5. To understand the role of the catechist when working with very young children Teacher/catechist is a significant role model Critical for teacher/catechist to be well-prepared Teacher/catechist is sharing his/her own faith through actions Teacher/catechist ideally will extend and support the child’s experiences of God at home Approaches faith and love of God as an integral part of life Engages children by using a range of modalities and senses

6. Introduce students to Catholic traditions which require movement and the senses -Blessing of the Animals -Advent wreath -May crowning Age appropriate prayers Character development based on gospel values Prayer table or area Integrate values and traditions throughout the curriculum Keep the concepts simple To articulate a variety of strategies which nurture faith development

7. To share our knowledge and experience of teaching young children about our faith with those around us What is your favorite faith supporting activity to do with young children? Are you looking for a project or activity on a specific faith related topic? What topic? What supports do you need as a Religion teacher/catechist? What is your favorite or most used faith based resource?

8. Q & A Cheryl Anderson canderson@stmartin.org Fabienne Esparza fesparza@stcatherinemh.org Kim Lawrence klawrence@stmartin.org