THE LATEST SCOOP

Religious Education product news for June:
The National Conference of Catholic Bishops has updated their Conformity Listing of Catechetical Texts and Series. Click here to view the latest version with the list of texts and series that have been found in conformity with the Catechism of the Catholic Church as of May 8, 2009.

Because there is very little religious education product news, I’m using this month’s column to review information about new and revised programs for 2009. This information has come out item by item over the past six months, but now that it is time to start thinking about the next year in religious education, I thought it might be helpful for teachers and catechists to see it all in one place.

New for preschool:
Loyola Press's preschool materials, God Made Me for 3-year-olds and God Made the World for 4-year-olds, have been revised for 2009. These two titles, together with God Loves Us for kindergarteners constitute Loyola's new preschool-kindergarten series, God Made Everything . The kindergarten materials for this new program have been available since 2008. The components for 3- and 4-year-olds, including Teacher/Catechist Guides with music CD and Scripture cards, are new for 2009. The Bishops’ Committee has approved the entire program.

A revision of Our Sunday Visitor’s I Am Special program for preschool and kindergarten has been completed for 2009. Revised materials for kindergarten and for 4-year-olds have been available for a year or two. The revised fifth edition of the Preschool 1 component for 3-year-olds now completes the series. The Bishops’ Committee has approved the whole program.

New program for elementary:
RCL Benziger has introduced Blest Are We: Faith and Word Edition for Catholic schools. Chapters are structured around the four pillars of the Catechism: Catholic faith, worship, life, and prayer. Faith in Action pages highlight parish ministries and vocations. Each spiral-bound Teacher Manual includes a grade-level DVD with Quick Clips for use with the lessons. Student texts and teacher manuals are now in stock. Materials for Grades 7 and 8 for both school and parish are expected later this summer.

New for junior high:
Saint Mary’s Press presents The Catholic Connections Handbook for Middle Schoolers. This handbook for younger adolescents in grades 6 through 8 is modeled on the Catholic Faith Handbook for Youth. In addition to the student handbook, the program includes a coordinator’s manual and six catechetical manuals, each with topical material to cover at least 10 sessions. The program works for 2- or 3-year parish religious education models for junior high. The Catholic Connections Handbook is approved by the Bishops’ Committee.

New for high school:
Ave Maria Press presents Catholic Essentials: An Overview of the Faith. This is a new handbook for high school students that follows the new national curriculum framework from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Each required course is covered in a complete chapter and elective courses are covered in the appendix, making this a great tool for parish religious education. It can also be used in any introductory-level high school course or as a reference for all four years of high school religion. The Bishops’ Committee has approved the handbook. The Bishops' Committee has also approved a revised edition of Encountering Jesus in the New Testament for high school. It is available for the 2009-2010 academic year.

Fireside Catholic Publishing has expanded the popular Fireside Catholic Youth Bible to include three new topics: What Jesus Did; What Jesus Said; and Putting My Faith into Action. This new edition, the Fireside Catholic Youth Bible - NEXT is now available.

The first volume in the Didache Semester Series from Midwest Theological Forum, The Sacraments: Source of Our Life in Christ ©2009 has been approved by the Bishops’ Committee. Three more volumes in the core curriculum and two for elective courses are expected for the fall semester 2009. The new Semester Series will be published in accordance with the Bishops’ high school curriculum framework. More information and additional titles are expected this summer.

Saint Mary’s Press has two revised high school textbooks available for the 2009-2010 academic year. Written on Our Hearts: The Old Testament Story of God's Love and World Religions: A Voyage of Discovery are in stock. Written on Our Hearts has been approved by the Bishops’ Committee. The bishops do not review World Religions texts.

Annual publications and calendars for 2009-2010:
Annual publications from Liturgy Training, Catholic Book and Pflaum including The Year of Grace 2010 calendars and lector resources for Liturgical Year C will be making their appearance in late summer and early fall.

New bilingual materials:
RCL Benziger completed the bilingual edition of Bendecidos/Blest Are We with the addition of grades 5 and 6 early in 2009.

Sadlier has a bilingual edition of the junior high program, Vivimos nuestra fe/We Live Our Faith, coming soon.

St. Jerome Press has a new, economical edition of the Bible in Spanish, Sagrada Biblia: Dios Habla Hoy Catolica now available.

New resources:
Ascension Press has announced a children’s version of the popular Great Adventure Bible study. Great Adventure Kids is a new learning system designed to teach the story of the Bible to children preschool-age through sixth graders. It uses the same methods that have made The Great Adventure and T3: The Teen Timeline so well received. Through games, coloring, play, memorization, and prayer, children between the ages of 3 and 11 learn the big picture of salvation history. The materials work in any setting: classroom, parish religious education, and at home.

Our Sunday Visitor has created a set of resources for sacramental preparation to reinforce classroom learning at home. Sets of Family Posters and Sacrament Prayer Cards for First Reconciliation, First Communion, and Confirmation can foster Catholic identity in the home and remind the family of the important sacrament about to take place in the life of a child.

Our Sunday Visitor also has new titles in the Catechist’s Companion series and in the Catholic Parent Know-How series.

St. Anthony Messenger Press has a revised edition of Believing in Jesus coming in August. Now in its sixth edition, this overview of the faith can teach those who are approaching the church for the first time as well as help “born Catholics” come to a deeper understanding of the beliefs and practices they have held all their lives.

Saint Mary’s Press: More resources for Breakthrough! The Bible for Young Catholics. A board game, The Old Testament Bible People Poster Pack, and the New Testament Bible People Poster Pack.

Coming in 2010:
The Saint Mary’s Press Catholic High School Curriculum will be unveiled spring of 2010. The Living in Christ Series is a completely new curriculum that will include church teaching outlined in the USCCB’s Curriculum Framework for the Development of Catechetical Materials for Young People of High School Age. Saint Mary’s Press has announced that the new curriculum will follow conformity protocol, will make use of contemporary educational practices, and will have new materials to meet the diverse needs of high school students. The first two courses for freshmen, Jesus Christ: God’s Love Made Visible, and The Bible: The Story of Our Salvation will be available February 2010.