The Religious Potential of the Child: Experiencing Scripture and Liturgy with Young Children

Sofia Cavalletti has "unschooled" church school by offering parents and pastors a way to present the Christian faith that is respectful, hands-on, historically accurate and child-centered. She has been researching the way children come to Jesus for fifty years and her approach has found wide respect among almost every denomination, including Evangelicals. Recent research supports her approach. The best thing is her explanation of how God speaks to the child, and what we can to do foster this lifelong relationship.

This book is the cornerstone of a program called the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd and it is a new way to tap into the private relationship that children have with God. This book is translated from Italian and requires careful reading, but Sofia Cavelletti's message is profound. In learning how to teach 3-6 year old children using Sofia's method, I have been transformed.Sofia Cavalletti picks up where Maria Montessori began. We learn about Cultivating the Gift of Wonder, and how to engage children in such a way that they show us who God might be. I encourage every parent who wonders "How do I teach my child about God?" to read this book and to explore this method.

Developmentally appropriate, respectful of the child's capabilities, and true to the essentials of Christianity, this approach is a quantum leap above traditional Sunday School stuff. It nurtures the child as well as the teacher, and crosses denominational lines in its effectiveness.