Why We Love Handouts Over Textbooks
(and you should, too)

Our sacramental preparation sessions use 8-page handouts, one for the children and another for the parents/guardians.  Once you purchase, we send links to all the handouts in electronic (PDF) format. 

You print the number of copies for which you have paid. It prints beautifully in either color or black and white.  You also have permission to email them.

Using handouts is a game-changer over textbooks. We'll tell you why!

Parents don't do well with books!

All our research shows us that when you hand the parents a book, they usually feel it's "just too much."  Giving them everything at once can be intimidating.  But when you give them a manageable handout with the material for a single session, they jump in quickly!

Children learn better with handouts

Children need to handle, color, and write on the resource, but this is not very economical with books. But if children only read the text, it remains cognitive - a sort of head trip which is easily forgotten.  That isn't real formation. BUT, when they mark it up, color it, and really use it, they can integrate it.

Handouts are less expensive

When we deliver handouts to you electronically, you don't have to pay us for printing or postage, and can print them yourself inexpensively within the parish.

Parents can't attend every session

They often miss, due to the circumstances of daily life. When they do, you send home the resource for that lesson only via either email or postal mail. If you send home a book, they (1) can't find their way through it, (2) often misplace it, and (3) don't see the session-to-session flow of the preparation process.

Handouts serve diverse families better

Many families have parents who don't live in the same home but are still involved with their children's education and faith formation process. With a handout format, you can easily provide both parents (even when they're divorced or separated) with the resource so both can take a role in preparing their children.

Handouts can always go home

Because the handouts each have the content for only the current lesson, they can always go home.  With books, you end up having to collect them or worry about families forgetting to return them for the next lesson (and/or saving them from year to year).  Since handouts can go home, children can complete any unfinished activities, show other family members, review, etc.

Handouts bring faith into the home

At-home activities are so important for building households of faith that continue to grow after the sacramental preparation period.  If we get families to practice praying, reading the Bible together, faith-sharing, serving and forgiving each other, learning about their faith, etc. in between sessions, some of that will stick.  If books go home, they may be forgotten there.  But our handouts--with their at home pages--can stay home.


We have found that children and parents simply love working with our handouts.