What Young People Should Know By Age
Use this guide to determine what your child should generally understand about their Catholic faith at various age levels. Keep in mind that each child is unique, and therefore you must also consider your child’s mental, physical and emotional growth as well as his or her age. If your child has special learning needs, you should use the age level which is appropriate for his or her cognitive ability.
These guidelines are sequential. As a general rule, the guidelines for one level presume that a child has received and retained the information from the previous level(s).
Parents are the first witnesses of the faith to their children. If you do not know any items listed below, check out our Formation Labs schedule to sign up for quick, 30 minute sessions that help teach the faith to adults.
By Age
Birth to Age 4
Ages 5 to 10
Ages 10 to 13
Ages 14 – 17
Ages 18+
As disciples of Christ helping to build the Kingdom of God.
- Everything we have is a gift from God.
- We should take care of the things we have.
- We should take care of God’s world.
- We should be nice to other people because they are also God’s people.
- We should do what our parents and teachers tell us to do.
- We make God happy when we work and play well.
- We can pray by using our own words or by using the following gestures and prayers: the Sign of the Cross, Grace Before Meals.
In one, holy, catholic and apostolic church
- My family loves and cares for me.
- My family is part of God’s family.
- The people at church belong to God’s family.
- We go to Church to thank God for all we have.
God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
- God made everything.
- God made me.
- I am special.
- Jesus is my friend and teacher.