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The Shorter Catechism For Study Classes Volume 1 (Questions 1-38)
G. I. Williamson
P&R Publishing
PO Box 817
Phillipsburg, NJ  08865-0817
ISBN # 0-87552-539-3
Phone Orders:  1-800-631-0094
Contact:  1-908-454-0505
Web Site:  P&R Publishing

Introduction

G.I. Williamson does an outstanding job at explaining the basics of the Christian faith and gives plenty of Scriptural support.  An option that you may want to take advantage of is listening to G.I. Williamson teaching others how to teach each of the lessons in The Shorter Catechism For Study Classes Volume 1 and Volume 2 in audiotape form from

The rental of these tapes is very inexpensive and helps to shed more light on what you are studying.

Personal Note:  
I would not allow my daughters to do algebra until they had completed The Shorter Catechism For Study Classes Volume 1 and Volume 2.  Why?  It was very important for them to start dealing with abstract concepts in a concrete manner and to feel comfortable with it before taking on algebra.

Historical Significance
While going through the Shorter Catechisms, I informed my children that this is what the Pilgrim children studied.  If they only completed the Shorter Catechisms and did not complete the Larger Catechism (i.e., The Westminster Confession of Faith), they were called half-covenanters and were only allowed half privledges of church membership.  This may sound silly to modern ears, however, it was important that the citizens of the colonies had a good understanding of Holy Writ as the laws were an outgrowth of them.  Using actual sourcework (i.e., the Shorter Catechisms) to understand the times and the thinking processes of others historically, is extremely helpful for understanding the significance of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and other colonial writings.

Recommendations
Each of my children selected a spiral notebook of their choice for The Shorther Catechism for Study Classes Volume 1.  In their spiral notebook, they would write the Lesson number and the questions for that lesson with an erasable pen.

For example:

At the end of the first lesson, for example, there are 15 questions.  We took three (3) questions per day.  In short, we would see how many questions were at the end of each lesson and divide by five (5) as the goal was to complete a lesson in one week.  

My children would write down the questions at the end of the lesson in their spiral notebook and, as we came across the answer in the lesson, the child would write the answer quickly and in phrases.  The answers were written in such a way that the answer was perceived immediately without being bogged down by unnecessary words.  

We did the catechism daily.  Each day we would read the lesson and answer the questions at the end of the unit.  Subsequently, each lesson was read five times.  Rightly or wrongly, I felt this was necessary in order for a child to feel comfortable with the information being presented in the lesson.

My younger daughter is very visual.  Therefore, she would duplicate the illustration in each lesson in her spiral notebook.  It worked very well for her in remembering the point of the illustration.

Some individuals have their children memorize the answers and questions at the beginning of each lesson every fifth (5th) chapter or so.  Others do the lessons verbally and through family discussions.  What is most important is to understand HOW your child learns and proceed on that basis.  

Flashcards:

Print off all or some of the PDF flashcards for any and/or each lesson you do for The Shorter Catechism For Study Classes Volume 1 (Questions 1-38) by G. I. Williamson.  This will help making difficult concepts much easier to memorize.  They are also great for reviews, impromptu quizzes, etc.

Final Word
After completing the The Shorter Catechism For Study Classes Volume 1 (Questions 1-38) by G. I. Williamson, you may want to take the time to write a letter of appreciation thanking G.I. Williamson for all of his hard work.  Let him know that his work has helped you and yours.  Right after the address in your letter, you may want to have what is called a "Re" (pronounced "ray") line.  The "re:" line goes before Rev. Williamson and is quite simple. Send your letter to: