EPISCOPAL CHILDREN'S CURRICULUM

The Bible, liturgy and traditions of The Episcopal Church come to life for children ages 3 to 11in the Episcopal Children’s Curriculum. It is rooted in scripture and incorporates The Book of Common Prayer and The Hymnal to teach church traditions and standard responses used during worship. The curriculum was recently updated to provide teachers with new resources for building stimulating and effective lessons. The three-year curriculum was developed in cooperation with the Center for the Ministry of Teaching at the Virginia Theological Seminary. Materials include teacher’s guides and instructional support materials, student books, newspapers, take-home cards and puzzle pads.

Overview | Leader Resources
Preschool/Kindergarten | Primary | Intermediate

Overview
offers nine years of fully developed material for three age groups: Preschool/Kindergarten, Primary, and Intermediate. There are three years of material available for each age group: Shell (in the year Baptism is studied), Chalice (in the year the Eucharist is studied), and Cross (in the year Worship is studied). This format allows churches with multi-age classes to alternate study material.

Each year of the curriculum is organized into four units—Old Testament, New Testament, Sacraments, and the Church. This format is consistent across all age levels, so that students’ understanding of core concepts grows week by week and year to year.

 

Leader Resources

Director’s Guide
This single volume provides a comprehensive overview of the entire curriculum. Helps Christian education directors design an ECC church school program, train and recognize teachers, and plan intergenerational activities.

Teacher’s Guides
ECC offers nine comprehensive Teacher’s Guides with easy-to-use, modular lessons that can be adapted to small or large classes. Now with expanded teacher resources for building effective sessions:

Supplemental Guides
A valuable resource for new and experienced teachers. Offers creative options for expanding lesson plans, activities for multi-age and intergenerational groups, and suggestions for using learner’s materials. Three guides available: Preschool/Kindergarten, Primary,
and Intermediate.

 

Preschool/Kindergarten (Ages 3-5)

Episcopal Children’s Curriculum is a natural fit for the boundless energy of Preschool/Kindergarten children. Threes, Fours and Fives are constantly striving to make sense of their world through sight, sound, and touch.

ECC was designed with active kids in mind. Lessons are written in developmentally appropriate language and built around stories that engage young children in talking about familiar concepts like feelings and values.

Each lesson follows a consistent structure—the gathering, followed by a story, activity period, and the going forth. Colorful visuals help children remember important themes, and teachers can choose from a long list of activities that use music, crafts, and movement to capture and keep children’s attention.

Teacher’s Guides
There are three Preschool/Kindergarten Teacher’s Guides: one each for the Shell, Cross, and Chalice years. Guides include 36 lessons, teaching tips and activities that satisfy young children’s budding curiosity about God and the world around them.

Teacher’s Packets
A resource packet filled with posters, patterns, and illustrations supports each year of the curriculum. Clergy, church settings, and liturgical actions are realistically portrayed as children are likely to see them in an Episcopal church.

Take-Home Cards
Colorful Take-Home Cards feature engaging artwork and text summarizing the week’s theme. Includes ideas for sparking discussions at home.

Children’s Books
Twelve beautifully illustrated child-sized books recount Bible stories referenced in each unit. Written in a language young children will understand, these books are ideal for reinforcing learning by building a bridge between the classroom and home.

 

Primary (Ages 6-8)

Children at this age level are energized by relationships with people around them—their parents, peers, and teachers. As they grow in self-awareness, children often wonder about people of the past—why they lived as they did, and how they differ from people of today.

Primary lessons build on this natural curiosity through experiential activities that bring biblical characters and church history to life for students. In a lesson on saints for example, children might make a banner to commemorate Christians who were faithful to Jesus, or create sun catchers to honor Christian heroes through the ages.

A consistent class structure and easy-to-use materials keep learning on track and provide students with an imaginative, fun-filled experience.

Teacher Resources
Each Teacher’s Guide includes 36 class sessions across four units. Sessions can be customized to fit small and large classes of varying lengths. A Teacher’s Packet provides vivid posters, charts, patterns, and maps that clarify session themes.

Take-Home Cards
Take-Home Cards for Primary learners feature full-color illustrations, prayers, poems, and text from the Bible, The Book of Common Prayer, and the Hymnal 1982.

Puzzle Pads
Children love these 36-page, reproducible puzzle pads. Covers an entire year of material: Shell, Chalice, or Cross, and includes crosswords, acrostics, word searches, mazes, and more.

Learner’s Books
Thirteen Primary level books are written in age-appropriate text and include classical art, photos, and illustrations that help students visualize lesson themes.

 

Intermediate (Ages 9-11)

Children in the Intermediate level are no longer limited just by what they can see, hear, or touch. They can think about situations from more than one perspective and begin to apply scriptural understanding to everyday life.

Storytelling remains an integral part of ECC at this level, but in the form of a lively interaction between students and teachers.

Concepts such as covenant, prophecy, parables, Creeds, and the Gospel are explored through art, poetry writing, plays, and interviewing members of the congregation. This hands-on focus makes children active participants in their spiritual journey as they begin to understand their responsibilities to God and other people.

Teacher’s Packets
A series of colorful posters with classical art, descriptive maps, and Church symbols help Intermediate students visualize lesson concepts.

Teacher’s Guides
Intermediate Teacher’s Guides follow the same format and structure as other ECC levels, but with more interactive elements. Includes many activities that get children out of their seats and exploring lesson themes from a unique perspective. The Supplemental Guide offers creative ideas for fun projects that bring students and adults together to share individual alents.

Student Newspapers
Colorful newspapers with biblical stories, historical information, memory tasks, games, and more. One issue for each session.

Treasurebooks
Intermediate learner resources include these fact-filled Treasurebooks with historical references, explanations of Old and New Testament text, Church history, and traditions.

Overview | Leader Resources
Preschool/Kindergarten | Primary | Intermediate

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