A PreK–8 Theology of the Body Program for Schools, Parishes, and Families
Questions? Contact us or call (800) 888-9344
The Only Theology of the Body Curriculum Written for Children
The Body Matters brings St. John Paul II’s life-affirming vision of the human person into every grade, PreK through 8 — in language children actually understand. Non-consumable, easy to teach, and built to supplement any religion curriculum.
What Sets The Body Matters Apart?
Three reasons Catholic schools, parishes, and families are adopting it.
A culture in need
Our culture too often compromises children’s innocence and presents adult ideas to them before their time. Educators have asked for resources offering an age-appropriate vision of human dignity, virtue, and the goodness of God’s plan.
The perfect response
Theology of the Body teaches the why behind the what of Catholicism. Often mistaken for Catholic “birds-and-bees,” it is really a breathtaking vision of what it means to be made in the image of God.
TOBET answers the call
In November 2015, many bishops— led by Archbishop Samuel Aquila — asked for a Theology of the Body program children could actually use. The Body Matters is the result.
Trusted in Schools and Parishes Around the World
212
Parishes & Schools
106
Dioceses
17
Countries
245,000+
Students
“This theology of the body is the basis of… the most appropriate method of… man’s education.”
— TOB 59:3
Questions? Contact us or call (800) 888-9344
What the Program Looks Like
Two 48-page, non-consumable lesson books per level — four lessons per book — plus everything a teacher, catechist, or parent needs to lead them.
Lesson Books
Eight beautiful and easy to use lessons per grade. Two non-consumable, richly illustrated books per level, made to be held and read by the student. Kindergarten books carry two lessons each; PreK is a classroom set of three board books.
Educator Guides
Instructions, activities, and assessments for every lesson — written so anyone new to Theology of the Body — teacher, catechist, or parent — can teach it with confidence. Included free with your purchase of student books.
Parent Guides
Guides that help parents learn alongside their children and continue the conversation at home. Included free with your purchase of student books.
Storybooks for K–2 are available separately. The program is offered in English and Spanish — PreK board books and storybooks are English only.
What students learn by level
Each level builds on the last — yet every level also stands alone, so you can begin wherever your students are today. Sexuality is not addressed directly until Level 7, and then only in a veiled, reverent manner.
PreK
The Body Is Smart · The Body Is a Gift · Everybody Has a Body
Three board books introduce our littlest students to the body as a gift — our bodies teach us what we need, and everybody has a body worth loving.
Classroom set of three board books
Kindergarten
The Body and Life · The Body Is Good
Students meet the body as something good and alive — God’s first gift to them.
Two lessons per book
Level 1
The Body Teaches Many Lessons · The Body Tells a Story
The body teaches, and the body tells a story. Students begin to read the meaning God wrote into how they are made.
Level 2
The Body Is a Gift · The Body and Holy Mass
Students practice the gift of self — giving, receiving, and being open to others — and discover why families worship together at Mass.
Level 3
The Body Is God’s Design · The Body and Reverence
Students learn that God-given limits are good, and that reverence is the right response to a body that reveals a person.
Level 4
The Body and Friendship · The Body and Heaven
Friendship as a school of love, and heaven as the destiny of the whole person — body and soul together.
Level 5
The Body as Sacrament · The Body Speaks a Language
“Blessed are the pure of heart.” When we see a body we see a person — and the only proper response to a person is love.
Level 6
EveryBODY Reveals God · The Body of Christ
We are most fully in God’s image when we love rightly — and the Church is the Body of Christ, made up of saints, sinners, and the wounded.
Level 7
Our Bodies Made Male and Female · The Body and the Heart
Why we are made male and female, and how holiness begins in a pure heart that tells the truth with the body. Sexuality is first addressed here in a veiled, reverent manner.
Level 8
The Body and Purity · Catholicism for EveryBODY
From a well-formed conscience comes a pure heart. That with a true gift of self equals sexual integrity — chastity presented as the proper ordering of love.
Questions? Contact us or call (800) 888-9344
Four Ways to Fit It Into Your Schedule
The Body Matters flexes around the schedule you already have. Choose the model that fits your school day, your faith formation sessions, or your family’s own pace.
Already Using Spirit of Truth?
The Body Matters is non-consumable and built to sit alongside the religion curriculum you already teach — it does not replace a single Spirit of Truth lesson. It deepens the Christian anthropology underneath what your students are already learning about creation, the human person, the sacraments, and vocation.
Runs alongside, not instead of
One short lesson at a time, on whichever of the four schedules above fits your year.
The same vertical logic
Both programs build grade by grade, PreK through 8, so concepts land in the right year.
Mapped for your grade levels
Your Sophia representative can walk your team through how the two line up, level by level.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this sex education?
No. Theology of the Body is Christian anthropology — a Christian view of what it means to be human. The books do not mention sex or sexuality at all until Level 7, and even then only in a veiled, sacred manner.
Do students need to start at the beginning?
The curriculum is vertically aligned, but each level also stands alone. We always recommend beginning as early as possible — but it is never too late to start.
How is it used?
We recommend every child have a book in hand. The illustrations and diagrams are designed to engage children as they learn.
Does it replace our religion curriculum?
No — it supplements it. The Body Matters is non-consumable and designed to work alongside whatever religion program you already use.
What’s included?
Two lesson books per level for each student, plus Educator Guides and Parent Guides, which are included free with your purchase of student books. Storybooks for K–2 are sold separately.
Is it available in Spanish?
Yes. The Body Matters is available in English and Spanish. PreK board books and the storybooks are available in English only.
What Educators, Catechists, and Parents Are Saying
Why it matters now
“We need to reach children with the wonderful truth of ‘who’ they are and God’s design for their bodies, before they are inundated with confusing, even toxic, messages from the culture. That’s why I recommend TOBET’s The Body Matters.”
Mary Rice Hasson, J.D.
Director, Person and Identity Project, Ethics and Public Policy Center
“It builds the foundation in a way they can understand… Best Foundation Ever.”
The dialogue that we are having with the students using TOB language and examples is essential! They see the relevance of TOB in their everyday life as children. Helping them understand what full gift of self means and how they can live it out — Best Foundation Ever.
Colleen Smith
5th Grade Teacher, Saint Peter Catholic School, Lincoln, NE
“No other curriculum is as authentic to St. John Paul II’s vision of the human person.”
This curriculum brings out St. John Paul II’s thoughts and ideas about the human person in a clear, concise, and age-appropriate way. No other curriculum is as authentic to his vision of the human person as The Body Matters.
John Cox
Director of Catechesis, St. Thomas More, Centennial, CO
“Extremely helpful… especially for any teachers teaching TOB for the first time.”
I have found the simplicity and repetition of TOB concepts from The Body Matters to be extremely helpful, and this gives me confidence to expand this program to all grade levels in our school.
Steven Richardson
Junior High Religion Teacher, St. Anthony of Padua Catholic School, Gardena, CA
We’re Here To Help… Wherever You Are!
Bring Theology of the Body to Your Students
Request samples and pricing, or talk with your Sophia representative about the right model for your school, parish, or family.
Questions? Contact us or call (800) 888-9344
