Catholic Review of: Who Am I? Pre-School Workbook A

The Who Am I? Pre-School Workbook A is part of the Catholic Heritage homeschool curriculum through the Image of God series.  It is based on John Paul II’s writing and teaching from (copyright 1986).  I found it full of developmentally appropriate tasks for a three-or-four-year-old, a logical progression of topics, and simple instructions for the parent.  It’s made to be used with the entire curriculum, but because the basic Bible verses and themes are supplied, it was fairly easy to adapt without the rest of the system.

 I initially thought the book was supposed to be something that a child might take home from a religious education class to work on with a parent, until I saw the same workbook pages posted on my homeschooling friend's wall!  She explained more of the series, which I was quite impressed with.

At age four, my son would probably be more fitted for the “B” workbook or even the kindergarten version, which seemed to remain fairly basic when I flipped through it at my friend's.  The great part about the entire series is that all three books tackle the same topics in Scripture/Church teaching in the same order, so a child’s need for repetition is met, but also their need for challenge.  Each time a topic is touched on, like the Trinity for example, the child is offered a new level of understanding and increasing difficulty in the activity presented. 

Topics include: 

1. There is One God - the Trinity
2. We See God in the World Around Us - Creation
3. I am Special to God Who Made Me
4. Actions and Attitudes - the Ten Commandments
5. Love Others as God Loves You
6. God's House - The Church
7. Wrong Choices - Sin

...and so many more, from Sacraments to Bible stories to tenets of our faith.  The text is very orthodox and teaches a great deal of concepts at the preschool level.  I'm excited to continue to work through it (or move on to the kindergarten level) with my son.

 The workbook “A” has great variety and a nice balance of tasks for the child, including, connect the dots, circling the correct answer, and hidden pictures.  There are two pages for every lesson, each with a Bible verse/story, short summary for the parent, simple "concepts of faith" and an extending activity to perform in the real world.  The child will practice a range of basic skills as well, from cutting, coloring and tracing to following directions and sequencing pictures.

I chose to use the "concepts of faith" as my format for teaching, so my son might learn and memorize a new word or be introduced to a concept like being made in the image of God on a given day, and the next time we sit down we begin by reviewing those concepts in a quick question and answer format.  Real teaching hinges more on the experience and God's hand touching his heart, but I'm a believer in some memorization as well.

I found the overall direction of the curriculum, as supported by the workbook, to have a great flow, purposeful objectives, and age-appropriate themes.  My only criticism comes from my knowledge as an educator.  When the children are asked to trace letters, those provided are all capital letters.  In spite of the building block industry and their rampant capitals, it is best for children to learn lowercase letters first because that is what they’ll encounter as they read real books.

 As a part of the whole curriculum, this Who Am I? Pre-School Workbook A has a very valid and important place, and I would certainly consider the Image of God series for homeschooling little ones.  Do try to review the academic level of the book, though, to make sure your child isn't already too advanced for the "A" version.

 You can purchase this item here.