This course is to help you prepare your children for First Confession and First Communion. It is divided into eighteen chapters.

Each chapter follows a similar pattern. First there is a black and white picture to colour alongside a page of text. There are two levels of text: that in smaller type at the foot of the page is more advanced and could be omitted depending on the ability of the participants. The font used throughout is a recommended Sassoon font designed for the early years of reading.

The second page of each chapter provides a variety of activities: simple writing tasks, puzzles, drawing and learning, with suggestions for extension activities in the "More to do" section. The learning section mainly focuses on prayers which every Catholic child should know and the other activities either reinforce the material presented in the text or give an opportunity for input from the child in terms of drawing, reading or expressive writing. At the end of each chapter there are some catechism-style questions for you to use where appropriate and in any way that you wish. Half way through and at the end there are quizzes which will help you to assess the quality of learning. The material could be used more flexibly if you wish. For example, the chapters specific to First Confession – 6,7,8, and 9 – could be used later in the sequence if it suits your own requirements.

The adult overseeing the delivery of the programme will need to do some minimal preparation prior to each session. Some activities will need ordinary or coloured pencils, and others will need extra paper or scissors. You may need to provide envelopes for keeping tidy the cut-out features. In some cases a simple Scripture passage, or a picture, may need to be prepared. The extension activities, if you decide to use them, might involve a visit to the church, a task to be done at home or some information to be found.