Grade Level Milestones

“The family’s catechetical activity has a special character, which is in a sense irreplaceable”

Saint John Paul II writes in Catechesis in Our Time (Catechesi Tradendae), #68

Faith Formation is a lifelong process:

  • learning about God and the Church through study, prayer and service to others,
  • learning about oneself, and
  • learning habits that help one appreciate and value God's gift of faith.  

Evangelization is also a lifelong process:

  • building relationships by learning about the person right in front of you,
  • identifying the encounter you have had with Christ working in your life, and 
  • sharing that encounter with the person in front of you.

The milestones identified in these pages is shared with you to help identify learning objectives for children in a given age.  This tool is not meant to be an assessment on your child or your parish/school program.  It is designed to help you partner with your parish or Catholic school program to ensure your child's faith is systematically growing.  Remember this formula - Information plus Formation in Faith leads one to a Transformative Encounter with Christ.

Milestones by Grade Level

  • Children and teens will encounter God as revealed through Sacred Scripture, Sacred Tradition, and the stories of everyday human experience.

  • In liturgy young people will learn to honor Christ's presence and learn how to participate in the liturgical celebrations and the Sacraments.

  • Children and teens will encounter the Holy Spirit in expressions of prayer.

  • They will learn Jesus' story to inspire their life of virtue.

  • Teens and children will come to understand their role in the body of Christ and see their own story of discipleship in THE story of salvation. 

Preschool and Kindergarten

  • Encountering God revealed through Sacred Scripture, Sacred Tradition, and the stories of everyday human experience 
    • God created each person in His image and likeness to be special and He loves each person
    • Jesus is God's son
    • The Holy Spirit lives inside each of us and guides us every day
    • The Bible is a special book that tells God's story and that of His people
  • Honoring Christ's presence in liturgy, participating in liturgical celebrations and the sacraments
    • Participating in services celebrated during the liturgical year (Advent, Christmas, Lent, Holy Week, and Easter)
    • Begin to identify Holy Mass as the ultimate Christian prayer through building the habit of weekly Mass attendance
  • Encountering the Holy Spirit in expressions of prayer
    • Prayer is listening and talking to God
    • Begin practicing some traditional Catholic prayers (Sign of the Cross, Hail Mary, Lord's Prayer, prayers before and after meals, etc.)
  • Learning Jesus' story to inspire a life of virtue
    • We love others because they are also made in God's image and likeness, just like us
    • Jesus teaches us about sin and forgiveness
    • God gives us the gift of choice and the Holy Spirit will help us to make good choices if we ask
  • Learning how to become a disciple (student of Christ) and discovering one's role in the body of Christ (vocation)
  • You belong to the Church because of your Baptism
  • God loves all people including those who are of other faiths, or even if they don't have any faith
  • God has a unique plan for all of us
Use this link to discover more preschool and kindergarten milestones for your child.

 

First Grade

  • Encountering God revealed through Sacred Scripture, Sacred Tradition, and the stories of everyday human experience
  • Experiencing God as the Holy Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit)
  • Jesus is the Son of God the Father, Mary is His mother = Jesus is true God and true man
  • The Holy Spirit is sent to us by God the Father to be His love alive in us
  • We are called to be saints (to be holy)
  • Honoring Christ's presence in liturgy, participating in liturgical celebrations and the sacraments
  • The seven Sacraments are an encounter with God's love and presence that give us grace
  • The Sacrament of Baptism makes us members of the Church
  • The Sacrament of the Eucharist is Jesus completely sharing Himself with us 
  • Encountering the Holy Spirit in expressions of prayer
  • Prayer is listening to and speaking with God
  • Learn certain prayers of the Church including: Sign of the Cross, Lord's Prayer, Hail Mary, Glory Be, Angel of God, Decade of the Rosary, Morning Offering, Grace before meals, Grace after meals
  • Learning Jesus' story to inspire a life of virtue
  • God created us to love Him and our neighbors as ourselves
  • Church teaching informs our moral conscience; to choose to do what is good and to avoid what is wrong
  • Prayer to the Holy Spirit before making a decision, helps us to make better choices
  • Learning how to become a disciple (student of Christ) and discovering one's role in the body of Christ (vocation)
  • We learn what we believe by being active members of the Church and living what we believe
  • God has given each of us a personal vocation whose goal is to help us grow in holiness

Use this link to discover more first grade milestones for your child.

Second Grade

  • Encountering God revealed through Sacred Scripture, Sacred Tradition, and the stories of everyday human experience
    • Experiencing God as the Holy Trinity = three persons in one God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit)
    • We are praying to the Holy Trinity when we pray the Sign of the Cross
    • We experience signs of God’s holiness, wisdom, power, and love when in nature, in family life, and in civic life
  • Honoring Christ's presence in liturgy, participating in liturgical celebrations and the sacraments
    •  Baptism, Eucharist, and Confirmation are the sacraments of initiation and are signs of God’s action in our lives
    • Grace is a special gift of love and action in our lives
    • Eucharist means thanksgiving and His real presence is found in this sacrament
  • Encountering the Holy Spirit in expressions of prayer
    • Prayer helps us be close to God
    • We are united to one another through our active participation at Mass
    • We learn the Act of Contrition in preparation for our First Reconciliation
  • Learning Jesus' story to inspire a life of virtue
    • We learn about how to form our conscience and to recognize our free will
    • Sin is turning from God and choosing to do wrong
    • Love is the act of turning towards God and doing what is right
  • Learning how to become a disciple (student of Christ) and discovering one's role in the body of Christ (vocation)
    •  Belonging to the parish helps us grow closer to God and feel part of a community
    • The Communion of Saints helps connect us all (the faithful ones living and dead) because we are one body
    • Our vocation is God’s mission for our lives; it is a calling from God

Use this link to discover more second grade milestones for your child.