Book Notes: Faith Beginnings: Family Nurturing From Birth Through Preschool

Book Notes: Faith Beginnings: Family Nurturing From Birth Through Preschool
by Michele E. Chronister and Amy M. Garro
Liguori Press, 2013

Looking for a good resource for teaching our littlest ones the faith?

Faith Beginnings: Family Nurturing From Birth Through Preschool by Michele Chronister and Amy Garro is a lovely guidebook for introducing infants and toddlers to the Catholic faith. It provides a philosophy and roadmap for presenting the faith in family life, in the home environment, through baptism, at Mass, during playtime, and by celebrating the liturgical year at home.

Having worked with our parish’s faith formation coordinator to develop a catechetical nursery program, I can attest to the lack of literature and resources available for faith formation for this age group. Faith Beginnings is therefore an important contribution to a conversation we should be having.

The content and suggested activities of Faith Beginnings are heavily influenced by the Montessori method and its Catechesis of the Good Shepherd program, a program that Michele Chronister taught while completing her graduate studies in theology. The activities are hands-on, sensory-based, and age appropriate.

Though the book is written for parents, the ideas and activities presented in Faith Beginnings could also be adapted for use in parish nurseries, daycares, and homeschool co-ops.

Faith Beginnings is definitely worth a read for parents and catechists interested in infant and toddler catechesis. I’ll be sharing this book with my parish’s faith formation coordinator!

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Copyright 2015 Rhonda Ortiz