Catechism Preparation

Last year was my first year of teaching Catechism. I found out I was going to be teaching the grade two class (which involves sacramental preparation for First Confession and First Communion) the day before classes started. I was kind of thrown into the whole thing not knowing what to expect or what I was doing. Although I initially felt unprepared and unqualified to be preparing the children for the sacraments, I soon began to get the hang of things and teaching these young eager minds as they prepared to encounter Christ in the sacraments of Reconciliation and Communion brought me great joy.

Last week I got an e-mail from my parish asking if I'd be willing to teach catechism again this coming year. Within minutes of receiving that e-mail though I also received an e-mail from the person in charge of our Archdiocesan catechesis program for children with mental disabilities asking if I'd be interested in teaching with them. Unfortunately, the two catechism programs overlapped and so I had to make a choice. I love working with children with disabilities. Their simple faith, deep love, trust, and joy truly inspires me. In the end though I decided to stick with the program in my local parish.

And so, last night I decided that I'd get myself organized for this coming year. I wanted to be on top of things this time so that I'd be prepared once catechism classes start again next month. I know that once I start my own studies things will get hectic and I feel that I owe it to the kids to do a thorough and well thought out job of instructing them in the Faith. Preparing the children for their First Confession and First Communion is a huge responsibility.

As I started to get things organized last night I found a stack of old catechism books from when my siblings and I were much younger. I was flipping through these books looking for material I could use with my own class, when I saw some pretty frightening things. . . let's just say that the images in children's catechism books from the eighties were scary (and certainly not in accordance with liturgical norms). Sigh. . .

Does anyone know of any good websites with age-appropriate resources for preparing for First Confession and First Communion?