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Contact Person:
Anne Marie Kaufmann
703-527-5500 or education@stcharleschurch.org
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"If we want to help the child draw nearer to God, we should with patience and courage seek to go always closer to the vital nucleus of things. This requires study and prayer. The child will be our teacher if we know how to observe." --Sofia Cavalletti |
The Atrium is a name chosen to represent a unique religious program for children from three years to twelve years of age. The name, chosen, by Maria Montessori, was used to designate the place in the early church where the catechumens were prepared. The present day program is divided into three age groups: Atrium I for three to six year olds; Atrium II for six to nine year olds; and Atrium III for nine to twelve year olds.
Sofia Cavalletti, a recognized Hebrew Scripture scholar, developed the program in collaboration with Gianni Gobbi, a Montessori instructor. Using Hebrew scholarship, Scripture studies and Roman Catholic liturgy and doctrine along with the Montessori pedagogical principles, these two Roman women began to develop this approach to religious instruction for children in 1954. This program not only appealed to the profound religious intuitions of children but also was guided by the children themselves. Today the Atrium is present in many countries around the world, including the United States, Italy, Chad, Mexico, Canada and Argentina to name a few.
HOW DOES ATRIUM WORK?
All three levels of Atrium consist of the following components:
ATRIUM I - PROGRAM FOR 3 TO 6 YEAR OLDS
Environment: Most atria have around 15 children in a room which has material set out in different areas for practical life, maps, art supplies, Infancy Narratives, Parable lessons, an altar, and baptismal font. There are small tables and chairs as well as mats for children to put the materials they are using on. Children are free to take materials as often as they wish from these areas once the materials have been presented to the children. This is a religious place for community and worship, not a classroom for instruction. As a quiet place to reflect, the Atrium is a place of work that becomes a conversation with God.
Materials:
These
objects are invitations for children to explore and deepen their relationship
with God at their own pace. An important characteristic of the materials is
that they are closely linked to biblical and liturgical sources. The maps are
of ancient Palestine and the city of Jerusalem. The figures in the Infancy Narratives
and the Parables represent the Scriptures that seem to satisfy the spiritual
needs of the child through years of observation and experimentation by catechists.
The altar and its components convey the central focus of the Eucharist. The
Baptismal font and other things like seasonal colors pertaining to liturgy introduce
the child into the liturgical life of the Church. Sofia Cavalletti observes,
"The catechetical material consists of concrete 'signs' of a transcendent reality
(and) is a way of letting the child prolong, alone with the inner teacher, the
meditation begun together with the adult."
Curriculum: In
Atrium I the 3-6 year old child enjoys contemplating one of the most fundamental
beliefs of our faith, the unconditional love of God as seen in Jesus as the
Good Shepherd who names us, calls us by name and feeds us. He is the Christ
who died and is risen. The Infant Narratives announce
through the Scriptures the birth events of Jesus from the Annunciation through
the Presentation at the Temple. The geography materials place Jesus in the
our world and points to Israel as the land where salvation for all would take
place. The Parables of the Kingdom give these children the keys to unlock
the mystery of the kingdom of God, how it grows like the tiniest mustard seed,
how it is seen like the most precious pearl and how it permeates all like
the leaven in bread. After hearing the words of Scripture and using the relevant
materials, the children are encouraged to express their reflections in art
by drawing or tracing a picture about the story or parable. With manipulating the articles
of the Mass, putting them together on the model altar, the children see in
a concrete way in which liturgy helps us be in relationship with God, the
Good Shepherd. They learn the important gestures and the accompanying words
done during the Mass that emerges as the Sacrament of the Gift. Around Holy
Week the children become acquainted with the history of the liturgy by listening
to the words of Scripture while using materials relating to the Last Supper,
Christ's death and resurrection through manipulating figures and putting together
a three-dimensional city of Jerusalem. The celebration of the Liturgy of the
Light after Easter as well as the rites of Baptism and the celebration of
Pentecost concludes the Atrium I year. The liturgical calendar and its seasonal
colors help the children understand the cycle of the Pascal Mystery, the Incarnation
and the Death and Resurrection of Jesus the Christ. The children gather around a prayer
table, clothed in the liturgical color of that season garnished with flowers,
a bible, a candle and statue of the Good Shepherd or whatever seems appropriate.
There they sing and pray together, listen to biblical prophecies or phrases
from the Psalms and experience being God's people whom He loves very much.
Catechist: The
catechist's role is to prepare the environment for the children and to present
the materials mentioned that encourages the children to respond to God's love.
The catechist is not an instructor but rather a co-witness with the children,
listening to them and listening with them as they ask, "Who are You, God and
how do You love us?" Relationships with other people have a certain mystery
about them. This is particularly true of the relationship between God and
his people, especially the young children. The catechist is the initial go-between
in this relationship through the presentations and dialogues at the prayer
time. The catechist offers meditative questions that come out of the stories
or parables for the children to grasp and hold in their hearts. These kinds
of conversations together with the prepared environment help to foster the
children's relationship with God as they express themselves through their
art and their songs and prayers.
Religious Education Letter to Parents (2006 - 2007)
Word | PDF
Religious Education Registration Forms
Religious Education Volunteer Form (2006 - 2007)
Word | PDF
