2012-2013 School Planning: Faith and Character, Part Two (Assessment and Documentation)

 The other night, Nina and I skipped out for some “just us girls” time grocery shopping and stopping by a Staples for their Extreme Deal of the Week. 

While we were at Staples, we also took advantage of their binder trade-in deal, where we could recycle old, empty and abused binders in return for receiving $2 off brand new binders. 

The next day, as I thought about the approach our family is taking this year for Faith and Character studies, I considered how we might best document whatever learning the Spirit leads us to enjoy.  In addition, I wondered what tools we might use to assess how each of our Faith and Character Learning Objectives is met throughout the year.

The answer came to me:  notebooks!

Thus, the children and I took a mini-step yesterday in putting together our Faith and Character Notebooks by hole-punching the St. Anne coloring and narrations we had done as a part of our St. Anne Liturgical tea, as well as the Hail Mary coloring pages we did yesterday as a part of our Assumption Day celebrations, and putting them into binders.

On my next trip to Staples, I will be purchasing dividers, so we can make the next mini-step in our Faith and Character Notebook making, which will be setting up the section of the binders as:

• Prayer:  copies of traditional prayers the children have learned and those they are in process of learning; photos and observations related to prayer;  a photo of personal prayer corners we hope to set up; etc.
• The Word:  narrations and drawing of Bible stories; copywork and drawings of Bible verses; etc.
• Living Our Liturgical Year: drawings, coloring pages and narrations about the saints and Liturgical year celebrations and observances; photos of Liturgical Table displays and Liturgical Teas; etc.
• Catechism:  copywork of My First Catechism questions and answers; observations, notes and photos related to the Catechism; etc.
• Sacraments:  photos, observations and notes related to understanding and living the Sacraments
• Character and Virtues/Christian Living:  examples and photos of character an virtues in action

We may also set up a cross-discipline Geography notebook that will include notations of  where saints lived and Bible events took place in it.

In addition, if all aligns right, perhaps this year will be the year that the pocket children’s calendar focusing on both liturgical and natural seasons that I began envisioning – and even creating – years ago finally becomes a reality, but this year in a notebook form which we can take with us wherever we happen to be.

What are your favorite tools and strategies for assessing Faith an Character studies?  Please share!

Note: It would appear that as I have been taking my planning in bits, I have sharing it that way as well.  The other portions of our planning to date can be found by scrolling through School Planning 2012-2013. 


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