This is a place to brainstorm, to share, and to make requests for materials that will aid homeschooling Catholics and other religious formation educators in teaching the Faith to children. Part of our purpose is to study the methods of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. Those of other faiths are welcome and I believe you will find we have more in common than not. We do not allow religious debates so you will find this a very caring and welcoming group.

Those who have participated in or are trained in Catechesis of the Good Shepherd are especially welcome.

The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS) was started by Catholics, Sofia Cavalletti and Gianna Gobbi in Rome in 1954, and is based on Maria Montessori’s methods of education.

Other interpretations of Montessori religious education include:
Godly Play by Jerome Berryman, who was a student of Sofia Cavalletti
and Young Children and Worship/Following Jesus by Sonja Stewart.

In order for the religious education of children to be most effective it should:
1). relate to their developmental needs
2). be presented in a prepared environment where children best learn by experiencing the Scripture and the Liturgy through hands-on materials.

The key elements of religious formation through CGS include:
1). OBSERVATION of children to determine what their educational needs are,
2). the creation of a PREPARED ENVIRONMENT where children as young as three years old can work independently,
3). and hands-on MATERIALS which will lead a child to “respond” to the call to “prepare for life” in the Christian community.