Catholic Homeschool Support

I imagine if you are internet active, you’ve seen a message or two regarding the classes that are available online this summer. I will post the information in a moment, but I wanted to give a plug for these classes. We had a wonderful priest speak to our homeschooling group several years ago. He talked about world view and the importance of understanding how a person’s world view affects what he believes, says and does. The example he gave was that while two people might have the same goal – to end poverty for example the approach they take could be radically different. One would be in line with Catholic morality and teachings and the other might not be.

With that being said, I think it is such a gift to see this endeavor flourishing and I hope as a community we are able to support these types of courses. Courses being taught by teachers who have a Catholic world view through which they offer their insights and through which they guide discussions.

Many of us were so poorly formed (God is love – 1970′s CCD classes), that we may not have our Catholic world view in place. How many of us studied history not understanding the most basic points. I remember in high school discussing Columbus and the goal of the explorers – find riches and subjugate the natives.When I was teaching my 3rd graders out of Pioneers and Patriots, I was shocked to realize that a goal that Columbus and the explorers had was also to bring Christ to all people. And, at the time, I thought I was pretty well read up on the Church – but still my formation / lack of shined through.

The rest is from Maureen Whittman:

As promised I’ve put together the information for you on the summer courses. Both of the professors have a love for the trivium and all things classical. Also, both have experience teaching at the kitchen table as well as in the ivory tower. I’ve talked to several moms whose high school children have taken their courses. Both men are loved by their homeschool students and come highly recommended.

Note that all Homeschool Connections courses are recorded and available to registered students for up to six months. So you can go back to review or if you’re going on vacation in the middle of a course and can’t get internet access where you are then you can watch the recording later. These particular courses have been designed for summer — little or no homework. All courses require high speed internet (non-dial-up).

If you want to register, just go to https://homeschoolconnections.webex.com/. Please don’t hesitate to send me questions or suggestions.

Here are the descriptions with the instructors’ bios at the end

Course Title: Beowulf and Christ
Course Description: This great mini epic will be explored as an allegory that te aches the Anglo-Saxon world how to transform pagan heroic ethos into a pattern for Christian heroism and how to re-envision blind Fate as Godly Providence. The Charles Kennedy translation is suggested. Be careful not to get a web version that cuts out the Christian elements. This is a book that lies behind J.R.R. Tolkien’s depiction of Edoras as well as the warlike virtues of Gondor. Suitable for any high school student who can read the poem and enjoy it. It is preferred that student have pre-read the poem before the first day of class. There will be no homework assigned for this course.
Instructor: Henry Russell, Ph.D.
Fee: Four-week course for $60.
Dates and Time: Classes will begin Monday, June 1, 2009 and meet every Monday through June 22, 2009. The time will begin 10:00 AM Eastern and end at 11:15 AM Eastern.
Enrollment Period: Enrollment is currently open and will close when the class is filled. (Maximum 25 students.)
Course Materials Needed by Students:  Beowulf, preferable the Kenned y translation.
Equipment requirements: Students are required to have a headset with microphone.

Course Name: The Space Trilogy of C.S. Lewis
Course Description: This is a seminar in which we will discuss the Space Trilogy of C.S. Lewis—Out of the Silent Planet, Perelandra, and That Hideous Strength. The first session will be an overview. Then we will spend two session discussing each volume. The final session will be a discussion of the entire trilogy. Juniors and seniors.
Instructor: Robert Gotcher. Ph.D.
Fee: Eight-week course for $120.
Dates and Time: Classes will begin Tuesday, June 16, 2009 and meet every Tuesday through August 4, 2009. The time will begin 11:00 AM Eastern and end at 12:30 PM Eastern.
Enrollment Period: Enrollment is currently open and will close when the class is filled. (Maximum 15 students.)
Course Materials Needed by Students: The Space Trilogy by C. S . Lewis (Out of the Silent Planet, Perelandra, and That Hideous Strength)
Equipment requirements: Because this is a discussion course, students are required to have a headset with microphone.

Course Title: Catholic Living for Young People
Course Description: In our complex and changing world, with its serious cultural challenges, how does a young person structure and organize his life so that he can grow in his relationship with the Lord? Themes covered include prayer, study, social life, recreation and entertainment, technology, and decision-making. Lecture and discussion. The student will compose a rule of life tailored to his own situation. High school.
Instructor: Robert Gotcher, Ph.D.
Fee: Eight-week course for $120.
Dates and Time: Classes will begin Friday, June 19, 2009 and meet every Friday through August 7, 2009. The time will begin 11:00 AM Eastern and end at 12:15 PM Eastern.
Enrollment Period: Enrollment is currently open and will close when the class is filled. (Maximum 25 students.)
Course Materials Needed by Students: None
Equipment requirements: A headset with microphone is preferred but not required.

Course Name: College Writing
Course Description: What are the characteristics of excellent writing in the eyes of college professors? This course will use the rhetorical arts to help turn competent writing into impressive writing. What are the essential components of an excellent piece of nonfiction writing? How does one write a compelling introduction and conclusion? How does one argue effectively for one’s position? What are important mistakes to avoid? The course will work with previous writing samples of the students, as well as composition exercises, culminating in the writing of a short argumentative essay. Juniors and seniors.
Instr uctor: Robert Gotcher, Ph.D.
Fee: Six-week course for $120.
Dates and Time: Classes will begin Monday, June 22, 2009 and meet every Monday through July 27, 2009. The time will begin 12:00 PM Eastern and end at 1:15 PM Eastern.
Enrollment Period: Enrollment is currently open and will close when the class is filled. (Maximum 20 students.)
Course Materials Needed by Students: None
Equipment requirements: A headset with microphone is preferred but not required.

Course Title: The Short Stories of J.R.R. Tolkien
Course Description: In this course we will discuss in seminar (discussion) format five short stories by J.R.R. Tolkien in light of his essay called “On Fairy Stories.” The stories are “Smith of Wooton Major,” “Farmer Giles of Ham,” “Leaf by Niggle,” “The Adventures of Tom Bombadil,” and “Roverandom.” All five stories and the essay are available in one volume, called Tales from the Perilous Realm by J. R. R. Tolkien. The assignment will be to write your own fantasy story by the end of the six weeks. High school.
It is preferred that students have read Lord of the Rings before coming to this course, but not required.
Instructor: Robert Gotcher, Ph.D.
Fee: Six-week course for $120.
Dates and Time: Classes will begin Wednesday, June 24, 2009 and meet every Wednesday through July 29, 2009. The time will begin 11:00 AM Eastern and end at 12:30 PM Eastern.
Enrollment Period: Enrollment is currently open and will close when the class is filled. (Maximum 15 students.)
Course Materials Needed by Students: Tales from the Perilous Realm by J. R. R. Tolkien
Equipment requirements: Students are required to have a headset with microphone.

Course Title: The Mass Explained
Course Description: In order to participate fully in the Mass, we need to understand it better. The Bible provides many images and ideas that are the basis for the structure and prayers of the Mass. This course looks at these Biblical ideas and explains how they are realized and fulfilled in the celebration of the Mass. Some of the images include the Trinity; temple, priest and sacrifice; the Passover and the Exodus; and the bridegroom/bride. In this course we will look closely at the prayers and structure of the Mass in light of these images and ideas. This course will not require written assignments. It will involve reading from the Bible. High school.
Instructor: Robert Gotcher, Ph.D.
Fee: Six-week course for $90.
Dates and Time: Classes will begin Thursday, June 25, 2009 and meet every Thursday through July 30, 2009. The time will begin 11:00 AM Eastern and end at 12:15 PM Eastern.
Enrollment Period: Enrollment is currently open and will close when the class is filled. (Maximum 25 students.)
Course Materials Needed by Students: A Catholic Bible
Equipment requirements: A headset with microphone is preferred but not required.

Course Title: The Catholic Shakespeare: MacBeth
Course Description: The course will explore the play on four levels: 1) What is literally happening and why that is often surprising; 2) What main Christian moral messages are being embodied in the play; 3) The Biblical references that enrich the meaning of the work; and finally, 4) How Shakespeare is presenting the challenges and duties of the Body of Christ within the Elizabethan police state. Suitable for anyone who can read the play and enjoy it. It is preferred that students have pre-read the play before the first day of class.
Instructor: Henry Russell, Ph.D.
Fee: Four-week course for $60.
Dates and Time: Classes will begin Monday, June 29, 2009 and meet every Monday through July 20, 2009. The time will begin 10:00 AM Eastern and end at 11:15 AM Eastern.
Enrollment Period: Enrollment is currently open and will close when the class is filled. (Maximum 25 students.)
Course Materials Needed by Student: MacBeth by William Shakespeare
Equipment requirements: Students are required to have a headset with microphone.

Biography, Henry Russell, Ph.D.
Dr. Henry Russell is Headmaster of the St. Augustine’s Homeschool Enrichment Program founded with his wife Crystal. The program began in Fall 2005 with 20 students in two living rooms and now tutors more than 70 students.

A graduate of Princeton and South Caroline (M.S.), Dr. Russell completed his graduate work at Louisiana State University.

Formerly the Chairman of Ave Maria College’s Department of Literature, he has also been a professor at Franciscan University of Steubenville and Wake Forest University. He is a founding faculty member of the St. Robert Southwell Creative Writing Workshop held in Mahwah, New Jersey.

Dr. Russell’s works include The Catholic Shakespeare Audio Series. He was the Associate Editor of The Formalist from 1990-2004 and his writings have been published in various journals. He was honored to edit Dr. Alice von Hildebrand’s groundbreaking volume, The Privilege of Being a Woman.

Biography, Robert Gotcher, Ph.D.
Dr. Robert F. Gotcher most recently served as Associate Professor of Systematic Studies at Sacred Heart School of Theology in Hales Corners, Wisconsin. He and his wife, Kathy, are raising their seven children in Franklin, Wisconsin. Dr. Gotcher has been actively involved in the home schooling of his children, especially in the junior high and high school years. He has taught Latin, literature, physics, astronomy, and religion to homeschooled students. He has a special devotion to the classical trivium of grammar, logic and rhetoric, especially as they pertain to the written arts.

Dr. Gotcher graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 1981 with a B.A. in the Program of Liberal Studies. He received his M.A. in Theology of the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul in 1991 and his Ph.D. from Marquette University in 2002. In his adult life he has done everything from volunteering with the poor in Appalachia, to religious education and youth ministry, to desktop publishing and computer related responsibilities at a law firm. At the seminary he taught introduction to theology, the doctrine of God, one and three, theological anthropology (creation, sin, redemption, grace, four last things), life principles, and human sexuality and has given public presentations on Vatican II, the encyclicals of the pope, social justice, life issues, human sexuality and the theology of the body. His publications focus on family=2 0issues, lay spirituality and issues related to the Second Vatican Council. He is involved in the secular Franciscan order, home schooling, and pro-life activities in the Milwaukee area and nationally.

Dr. Gotcher blogs at Heart, Mind & Strength, Classic Catholic and Love2Learn.

Well, to be honest this is one of the personal needs driven posts. My two oldest (not twins) are entering 9th grade next year. They did abismally poor on their science tests this year and it struck me that I have not taught any note taking / study skills to them.

So, look for this post to grow as I find more resources to add. Due credit must be given to the Mother of Divine Grace family email list. I had seen these sites before, but the note taking thread prompted me to look back into the subject.

First offering, a free online course from Seton – yeah! We like free. And, I would like to try a course from Seton online to see what the experience is like.

Introduction to Study Skills: A Mini-course

Now if you are a bit slow like me, please look at the links in yellow – these are the actual class links. The course is comprised of 11 lessons. The first lesson contains the links for the audio portion. Topics include how to organize your study area, avoiding distractions, outlining and various other study techniques.

From the MODG Families list, Notetaking Systems has links to compare 5 different note taking techniques including the Cornell Method. You could read the description of each method and then google for links to sites that contain more details and examples of how you might use this method.

The method most often mentioned on the various lists I belong to is the “Cornell Method“.  Most seem to think that this approach to note taking especially lends itself to textbooks that students are assigned to read. From this site, you can learn how to apply the technique to lectures. Finally, this site has a nice graphic of what a page looks like when preparing to take notes.

Test Taking Techniques

I thought it might be helpful to begin a list of sites that offer test taking suggestions. Most come from colleges that have tutoring services so you can look up more on your own.

• Taking Objective Tests
• Test Taking Tips
• Study Guides and Strategies (excellent site for creating a daily and weekly schedule, prioritizing and more)
• More Test Taking Tips
• MIT – Online Learning Modules – Test Taking (explore the rest of the site for detailed learning modules)

I am not promoting the idea that parents can identify and remediate all speech issues at home. Speech therapists are highly trained and skilled at identifying issues and are an important resource. But there are times when either we cannot afford their services, especially if we do not want to go through the school system, or the issues seem to be minor enough that perhaps, with the right resources, we can attempt to remediate at home before we go on to seek the skills of a professional.

So, with all that being said, I have a child who has some articulation issues. He was delayed in his speech, and while he seems to be at grade level with his language expression and comprehension, I was a bit concerned about his articulation.

A friend on a homeschool list I belong to mentioned the program, “Straight Talk” from NATHHAN: National Challenged Homeschoolers Associated Network. First of all, I have to say the newsletter included in the box is phenomenal – it is packed full of resources – even pro-life resources like carrying to term sites, post abortion resources and pro-life doctors. What a testimony to their belief that all God’s children are to be cherished. NATHHAN is a wonderful, Christian resource for families who are homeschooling children with special needs!

Anyway, back to “Straight Talk” – I ordered the $55 package (free shipping) for “Straight Talk 1 – A parent’s guide to correcting childhood speech mispronunciations.” (please note there is a “Straight Talk 2 – A parents guide to language development”) – and it included a binder, the program, and a DVD.

The DVD has staged therapy sessions so that parents can understand how to work with their children. You watch the instructor adminster the quick test, a series of 29 pictures and a checksheet to note which sounds your child has incorrectly pronounced. You then check the age/sound chart to see if the sounds are sounds your child should have mastered by his age.

The next part goes on to the Word Probe – you take the sounds that your child had difficulty with and go to the the Word Probe page for that sound – you’ll find 3 columns of words, with the sound in the beginning, middle and end (there might be a 4th column for blends). You say the word, the child repeats and you make a note of how he said the sound such using a w sound for the r sound. Now, you know specifically where he has difficulties.

The final part is how to begin training to pronounce the sound correctly – isolated, syllables, words, sentences and then in conversational speech. In the Word Probe section prior to the words, you will find a page or two of detailed information on how that particular sound is produced – you are provided with teaching cues and may use things like a tongue depressor and a mirror to teach where your tongue should be when you say the sound “er”. Ideas are provided for how to motivate your child to do all the repetitions necessary. Pattern sheets are provided for some of the exercises. The DVD is helpful in getting an overview of the program as well as reinforcing when to move on, things like 90% accuracy with no cuing over 3 sessions for syllable sound training.

So far, I have only administered the quick test and word probes for the sounds my son had difficulty with, but already I realize that some of the sounds I can relax a bit on, he still has another year before I need to really work on those sounds.

Again, this is not a suggestion to bypass speech therapy. But just offered as another resource to consider.

Some other links that might be helpful:

• I also found another site with 350 picture word cards. These would be a useful addition to work on articulation and language aquisition. One further site is a list of word pairs from Caroline Bowen. You might use this as an adjunct to formal therapy, or a suppliment to what you are doing on your own.
• The blog from Mommy Speech Therapy has some useful exercises and links – I am using some of the ideas for working with the “t” sound and the placement of my son’s tongue.

If you have a subscription to the Catholic homeschooling magazine, mater et magistra, you should be receiving the October issue soon. If you do not have a subscription, I hope that you might consider getting one now. Margot Davidson along with a team of writers has a beautiful, edifying, inspiring magazine for us. I love to support Catholic businesses, especially when they fill a need in our community. Browse through the site for free articles from past issues – it’s a treasure.

Faith Database – Over 1500 Writings – Over 75,000,000 Words – Over 80,000 Pages

First of all, let me give you some links:

Faith Database Website

Video Introducing the Faith Database – Jerry Usher

In one place, you have an absolutely mind boggling amount of information compiled (from the website):

2000 Years of Christian History

• 10 Bible Translations
• 88 Council Documents from all 21 Ecumenical Councils
• 400 Early Church writings
• 165 writings from the Doctors of the Church
• 74 books from John Henry Newman
• 1300 Papal writings/encyclicals
• The Old Catholic Encyclopedia (1200 entries and 5000 images)
• Many classics including Gibbons’ “Faith of our Fathers,” Thomas a Kempis’ “Imitation of Christ” and John Paul II’s “Theology of the Body”
• 1000 Bible Art Images
• Over 100 Bible Maps
• Illustrated Church history
• Search Catechism and Code of Canon Law

Some of the Over 1500 Featured Writings Classics

• Apologia (Newman)
• Orthodoxy (Chesterton)
• Thomas a Kempis
• Doctors of the Church
• St. John of the Cross
• St. Theresa of Avila
• St. Thomas Aquinas (The Summa)

Early Church Fathers

• St. Augustine’s Confessions
• Irenaeus’ Against Heresies
• St. John Chrysostom’s Commentaries

Papal Writings / Encyclicals

Ok, so now as a homeschooling parent – what do we do with this? How can we it assist us in our job as teachers? I believe it’s a given that it it is a fantastic apologetic tool for all adults as well as way for us to grow in our faith. With ten translations of the Holy Bible, we can do in depth Bible studies.

But, this review is focused on how we might use the database with our children.

So, my first delve into the database – my two oldest children had to write a paper for 8th grade about Infallibility. I could not do the search because I was using the database incorrectly. Finally, I realized I needed to select Encyclopedia and searched again for the term, “infallibility” – and the program crashed. Yikes. A caveat, watch the video! It gives a nice walk through of how to search the encyclopedia. But, I still encountered an error and will contact them in regards to it. It appears if you search for a term in the topics that is not found, you receive an error message and if you press cancel, it closes the program down.

Oops – I discovered that I spelled the word incorrectly. Once I correctly spelled infallibility, I discovered one entry for the topic and many entries when I searched the text – both searches returned a huge amount of information. Everything I might possibly want to know about infallibilty was in the topic and my children were able to understand the concept better. Actually, I read it and distilled it and was better able to delve deeper into the topic so that they were able to write more about it.

Then, out of curiosity, I wanted to see what other information was in the database about infallibility. After selecting the Tab, Apologetics, I selected Authority/Church in the Categories Box, and then in then in the box below, Doctrines, I selected Church Authority/Papal Infallibilty.  What was returned, was a series of quotes from the Catechism of the Catholic Church including:

100 The task of interpreting the Word of God authentically has been entrusted solely to the Magisterium of the Church, that is, to the Pope and to the bishops in communion with him.

Under this section was Supporting Bible Passages with another great list of quotes. This was followed by quotes from the Early Church fathers. Wow! All I can say is wow! What an amazing collection of information.

Next task – my 8th graders needed to write a paper on the 4 marks of the Catholic Church, “One, Holy, Catholic, Apostolic”. I go immediately to the Apologetics section – and there it is. Once again, I select in the Categories box, Authority/Church. Then I find a topic for each item – Church is Apostolic (ok, I know this is the One part of the Marks of the Church). Again, the format is a collection of quotes from the CCC, then the supporting Bible passages, followed by the Early Church fathers quotes. There is more information than I even know what to do with. And, again, my children are able to write a deeper paper because I am better educated.

My only disappointment with the Apologetics section is that I was unable to search for terms in it.

The Mass section is another little treasure. Each part of the mass is written out, and then a “references” link is provided on the right. After clicking it, you find a list of Bible passages giving reference to where the words came from. You could also use this section for a detailed study of the Creed since each section is referenced.

The saints section is searchable.

I love the History Section. It has as categories, 100 year increments, and within each period such as 501-600AD, a number of topics like Irish monasteries flourish. The text on the right is brief, but there are images to view, an encyclopedia entry about the history of Ireland, and a map image. As my children study medieval history, I can totally image how we can use this section.

I cannot even begin to delve into all the rest including the various writings of Saints, Doctors of the Church and Popes. You can select Popes and then Pope John Paul II and see all the writings included. So, if you want to read “Faith and Reason”, there it is. I believe all these writings are downloaded upon installation. So the install of the database does take some time.

Also included are 10 translations of the Holy Bible and again, I do not have time to delve into how we might use that in our homeschools.

This is a fantastic product – I am not sure if they will be offering updates, but it is well worth the price of $31.95 (downloaded), or $39.95 (shipped). I look forward to seeing all the ways I can use this for both my personal growth in faith, to become a better apologist, and in my homeschooling.

I joined Faith and Family Flix several months ago. We have a Blockbuster online DVD account, but I found the movie selections for FFF much easier to navigate, so now we have both. On to the point of this post, one of my best discoveries was the series, “The Footprints of God“. I watched the first DVD I received, “Mary, Mother of God”. What is so unique about the series, is that they are filmed on site. As Steve Ray talks, you get to see the sites – the actual house of the Dormition of Mary and many other treasured locations. You travel with Steve as he visits all these sites. You have a sense of the scope of the travels that Holy Family made. You see the river Jordon where Jesus was baptized. You are there where Jesus walked on water. You watch as modern fishermen bring in their catches just as the apostles did.

When Steve discussed, “Peter, The Keeper of the Keys”, you see the rock where Jesus proclaimed,

“And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.”

Upon seeing the rock, you understand exactly what Jesus meant.

Steve is passionate about his subject – his love for the Holy Mother, for the Church and for Our Lord is quite evident. My family was enthralled to watch the DVD’s and we came away with a much deeper understanding and appreciation for the history of the Church.

I was asked by Sister Kieran Sawyer, SSND to review a program she developed called, “Faith Facts for Young Catholics: Drills, Games, and Activities for Middle School Students” and the “sequel” to it, “More Faith Facts for Young Catholics: Fun Ways to Teach the Basics of Our Faith“.

I appreciate the paragraphs she wrote in the Introduction (bold text added for emphasis):

“The faith formation of our children includes three distinct but interrelated process: developing their personal relationship with God; deepening their sense of belonging in a Christian community; and increasing their understanding of and allegiance to the institutional church. A firm knowledge of the basic faith facts is an important aspect of all these processes, especially the third: coming to know and understand the formal church with its scriptures, sacraments, moral teachings, prayers, liturgical celebrations, hierarchical structures and history.

Faith facts give young people the vocabulary they need to think and talk about the deeper matters of personal, communal, and institutional faith. A facile knowledge of the faith facts is an important component in developing for them a sense of Catholic identity. The facts also provide a structure within which they can organize the vast array of truths that make up church doctrine and church traditions. To use an old phrase I learned from my father, memorized facts provide ‘pegs to hand your knowledge on.’”

The books are designed primarily to work in a classroom setting. For homeschoolers who belong to homeschooling groups and co-ops, the games and activities are well suited. For families who will use the resources in their individual families, some adaptions will be necessary.

First of all are the Faith Facts Study Cards. The cards are printed on card stock; each set in a different color to make it easy to keep them sorted. Furthermore, each card has a number printed on it, so you can keep track of where you are at on memory work, or you can easily assign a set of cards by number for you child to work on. The description from the website follows:

Study Cards
Faith Facts Study Cards Every middle school catechist needs these — 400 study cards, each with a faith vocabulary word or phrase on one side and the definition or explanation on the other. The cards are printed on heavy card stock and packaged in small baggies. There are four sets of 100 cards: Set A (green) is the easiest, with Sets B (pink), C (blue) and D (yellow) being successively harder. Set L (orange), the last 20 cards, contains questions with long or multiple answers (eg: Name the 12 apostles, Recite the Hail Mary). Games for teaching with the study cards are found in the Faith Facts Books below. The games and the cards were created by Sister Kieran Sawyer, SSND.

I think the price is reasonable for the number of cards you receive and the ease in which they are organized. In the green set, some examples include:

• #13 – Baptism – The sacrament through which we become members of the Church and adopted children of God.
• #14 – Benedict XVI – This person was gorn in Germany and baptized Joseph Alois Ratzinger. He was elected Pope in the year 2005.
• #47 – Holy Communion – Receiving the Body and Blood of Christ under the appearances of bread and wine.
• #73 – Matrimony – The sacrament that unites a baptized man and woman in a lifelong bond of faithful love.

Other definitions include those for Peter, diocese, bishop, Lord’s Supper, Sign of the Cross and soul.

In the next level of cards (pink), examples include:

• #25 – consecration – The solemn prayer during hte Mass when the bread and wine are changed into the Body and Blood of Christ.
• #64 – mortal sin – A very serious offense that destroys our relationship with God.
• #88 -sanctuary – The main area in the church building where the altar is placed.
• #95 – Sunday obligation – The expectation that Catholics are to participate in the Eucharist every Sunday (or Saturday).
• #96 – tabernacle – The special locked cabinent, often made of gold, where the Blessed Sacrament is kept in a Catholic Church.

In the blue set of cards, examples include the following definitions:

• #21 – College of Bishops – All the Catholic bishops of the world, in union with their head the Pope, who is the bishop of Rome.
• #22 – communion of saints – All the followers of Jesus, living and dead, including the faithful on earth, the souls in purgatory, and the saints in heaven.
• #90 – transubstantiation – The special word used to name the changing of ordinary bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ at the consecration of the Mass.
• #91 – vestments – The special clothing worn by the priests and other ministers for liturgical celebrations.

In the yellow deck, definitions are included for words like fidelity, excommunication, prudence, St. Augustine, St. Dominic, inspiration and logos.

All the decks are organized alphabetically for ease in working on specific definitions.

Alone, you could use the cards simply for memory work, taking perhaps ten cards at a time and drilling them for a week. In a 36 week school year, you would have worked your way through nearly all 400 cards and exposed your family to the “vocabulary” of the Church.

What if you want to step it up a notch? Then look to the two books that go along with the Faith Fact Cards. As I stated earlier, the activities are geared towards classroom. One fantastic idea that this set off for me is a Catholic Knowledge Bowl. Each family that wants to participate would purchase the set of 400 cards and work on them. At the end of the school year, families from your homeschooling group could get together and have a competition by giving out the definitions and having students compete to provide the correct word.

In the first book, Faith Facts for Young Catholics, these are some of the activity directions that are provided:

• Sacraments – Drill One and Two
• Ten Commandments – Drills One through Four
• Review Card Drill
• Parts of the Mass
• Seven Gifts Memorization Game,
• Prayer Relay
• Several sports analogy games,
• Twenty Questions
• Complete the Passage
• Scripture – Drills One through Three

All told, there are are 25 activities listed. In the resource section, you will find blackline masters for making copies of the forms needed for the games, the scripture passage cards and more.

I found the the scripture passage cards to be very useful – on one side is the beginning of a scripture passage like “#1 – My God, my God” and on the other side of the card, “1. why have you forsaken me.” (Ps 22:1) and “15. See, upon the palms of my hands” with the other side saying “15. I have written your name. (Is 49:15)”.

Another useful section is the Gospel Trivia Cards that include 36 cards with a question about a biblical passage on the front along with the location of the answer and then on the back the answer.

In the next book, “more Faith Facts for Young Catholics“, Sister Kieran provides another 13 activities including: Tick Tac Toe, Musical Flash Cards, Apostles’ Creed Games, Old Testament and Gospel Trivia, Bible Book Games and Catechism Categories Game.

A particularly useful feature of this book is the Flash Card Categories section. Sister Kieran offers 13 suggestions for categorizing the cards including Old Testament Men, Old Testament Women, Gifts of the Holy Spirit and Apostles. In the resources section you will find 103 Flash cards to duplicate and cut out.

And the Old Testament (30 cards) and Gospel Triva (30 cards) cards (black line masters in the resource section) are also quite useful. They include:

• 5. Name both parents of John the Baptism. LUKE 1:5-23
• 28. On what day of the week did Jesus cure a man’s paralyzed hand? MARK 3:1-6
• 25. Two of the apostles were sons of a man named Zebedee. Name the sons. MATTHEW 10:2

This is such a great activity to foster independent work that familiarizes your children with the bible, the ability to look up passages and to be exposed to particular biblical fphrases. I can see giving a card to each child at the beginning of the school day for them to look up and write out.

And, finally, definitely not to be missed is the the “Who, What, When Study Cards”. This part of the resource section includes 16 black master pages starting off with 4 pages of a time line.

The next section offers 40 cards of events / people including Edict of Milan, St. Benedict, Crusades, Gothic Cathedrals, Council of Trent, First American Bishop, First Vatican Council, Rerum Novarum, and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton  with a description of the term / person on the front and a date on the back.

Following the cards is the actual sequence of the 40 cards mentioned previously. Again, my mind is just churning on how I could use these as an independent activity for my children.

I found this to be a very well done package of resources. I believe you could use the Faith Fact cards independently of the books. But, I did find especially the second book to be filled with some very unique resources and ideas. I have a large family, so I could use the activities right here, but they do especially lend themselves to co-ops and larger group settings.