As we have been discussing, L2 children is very different from L1 children, especially in how their minds work. We cannot place a 6yo or a 9yo with no Atrium experience into a L1 Atrium and give a 3yo presentation, expecting that child to respond and work as a 3yo child would. This seems so obvious…and yet I often see L2 catechists trying to give new Atrium children all of the L1 materials before moving into the L2 content or trying to “fill in the rest of the L1 presentations” for children who only had one or two years in the L1 Atrium. One of the biggest problems with this approach is that it does not honor the child in front of us, a child whose mind is asking different questions and taking in information in new ways, who needs to see the big picture and to synthesize, compare, contrast, and discuss. A L2 child does not do well being asked to sit silently as a presentation is given. They need to engage their minds from the start, asking questions, sharing ideas, and being involved intellectually in the presentation from the beginning. Here we also see the second plane child’s need for real work and to see the Atrium as a place of real work from the very beginning of the year.
- Have several new L2 children set the entire model altar, using the large altar collage to help them, then invite them to read (or match!) the labels from the control to the items. When they have finished their work, an adult can sit and read the labels with the children and then speak about being invited to the feast by Jesus who prepares it for us. After this, the adult can light the candles (with a proclamation of the Paschal Mystery) for a moment of prayer.
- Start with the liturgical calendar, not the liturgical colors, and, after the child has built the entire calendar, show him how to color it in the L1 way, labeling each cycle, season, and feast.
- Consider beginning with the regions puzzle map instead of the raised surface map because this is a map they can then trace, color, and label. When their map has been completed help them add symbols for the three cities and discuss their significance.
Please do not forget that while offering these essential materials and content the new L2 children also need to be receiving presentations which include returning members of the community in order to not isolate these “new” children from those with Atrium experience. All of the children need to be introduced to the History of the Kingdom of God in a timely manner in order to orient them to time and to set the stage for cosmic education. As they are in an age of moral development, all of the L2 children will also need to be introduced to the Maxims and Moral Parables. By starting with our knowledge of the second plane child and of the L1 and L2 materials in our space, we will be able to discern (with the help of the Holy Spirit upon Whom we must rely) which materials will best suit the needs of these new children as they enter the Atrium and are introduced to this place of listening for God’s voice and speaking with Him.