The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is an approach to the religious formation of children. The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd is rooted in the Bible, the liturgy of the church, and the educational principles of Maria Montessori. Children gather in an ""atrium,"" a room prepared for them, which contains simple yet beautiful materials that they use.
A little child, too young to read, can ponder “hands on” a biblical passage or a prayer from the liturgy - placing wood figures of sheep in a sheepfold of the Good Shepherd, setting sculpted apostles around a Last Supper table, or preparing a small altar with the furnishings used for the Eucharist. Older children who do read, often copy parables from the Bible, lay in order written prayers from the Rite of Baptism, or label a long time-line showing the history of the kingdom of God."
