METHODS USED IN THE RECITATION
The particular mode of procedure used in recitation will depend on the
nature of the material, the age of the pupils, and the aim of the
lesson. For the church-school recitation period four different methods
are chiefly used. These are:
1. The _topical_ method, in which the teacher suggests a topic of the
lesson or asks a question and requires the pupil to go on in his own way
and tell what he can about the point under discussion.
2. The _lecture_ method, in which the teacher himself discusses the
topic of the lesson, presenting the facts, offering explanations or
making applications as he judges the case may require.
3. The _question-and-answer_, or discussion, method, in which the
teacher leads in a half-formal conversation, asking questions and
receiving answers either to test the pupil's preparation or to develop
the facts and meanings of the lesson.
4. The _story_ method, in which the teacher uses a story, told either in
the words of the writer or in his own words, to convey the lesson. The
story method differs from the lecture method in that the story recounts
some real or fancied situation or occurrence to convey the lesson, while
the lecture depends more on explanation and analysis.
It may sometimes happen that an entire recitation will employ but one of
these methods, the whole time being given either to reciting upon
topics, to a lecture or discussion by the teacher, or to a series of
questions and answers. More commonly, however, the three methods are
best when combined to supplement each other or to give variety to the
instruction.
THE TOPICAL METHOD
There is really no absolute line of demarkation between the topical and
the question-and-answer method. The chief difference lies in the fact
that the _question_ deals with some one specific fact or point, while
the _topic_ requires the pupil to decide on what facts or points should
come into the discussion, and, so make his own plan for the discussion.
The plan of the topical method.--It is evident that the topical method
of reciting will require more independence of thought than the
question-and-answer method. To ask the child to "give the account of
Noah's building of the Ark," or to "tell about Joseph being sold by his
brothers" is to demand more of him than to answer a series of questions
on, these events. The topical method will, therefore, find its greatest
usefulness in the higher grades rather than with the younger children.
This does not mean, however, that children in the earlier grades are to
be given no opportunity to formulate their thought for themselves and to
express their thought without the help of direct questions.
This power, like all others, is developed through its use, and is not
acquired at a certain age without practice. Even young children may be
encouraged to retell stories in their own words, or to tell what they
think about any problem that interests them; and all such exercises are
the best of preliminary training in the use of the topical method.
Narrative topics.--The easiest form of the topical method is that
dealing with _narration_. Children are much more adept at telling _what
happened_--recounting a series of events in a game, a trip, an incident,
or an accident--than in giving a _description_ of persons, places, or
objects. The Bible narratives will therefore afford good starting places
for topical recitations in the younger grades. Older pupils may be
called upon to discuss problems of conduct, or to make applications of
lessons to concrete conditions, or carry on any other form of analysis
that calls for individual thought and ability in expression.
Report topics.--A modified form of the topical method is sometimes
called the _report_ method, or the _research_ method. In this use of the
topical method some special and definite topic or problem is assigned a
pupil to be prepared by special study, and reported upon before the
class. This plan, at least above the elementary grades, has great
possibilities if wisely used. The topics, if interesting, and if adapted
to the children, will usually receive careful preparation. Especially is
this true if well-prepared pupils are allowed in the recitation to make
a brief report to an interested audience of classmates.
Care must be taken in the use of this method not to permit the time of
the class to be taken with uninteresting and poorly prepared reports by
pupils, for this will kill the interest of the class, set a low standard
of preparation and mastery, and render the method useless. When a topic
of special study is assigned to a pupil, care must be taken to see that
the exact references for study are known and that the necessary material
is available. The devoted teacher will also try to find time and
opportunity to help his pupil organize the material of his report to
insure its interest and value to the class.
Avoiding a danger.--A danger to be avoided in the use of the topical
method is that of accepting incomplete and unenlightening discussions
from pupils who are poorly prepared. To say to a child, "Tell what you
can about David and Goliath," and then to pass on to something else
after a poorly given account of the interesting story is to fail in the
best use of the topical method. After the child has finished his
recitation the teacher should then supplement with facts or suggestions,
or ask questions to bring out further information, or do whatever else
is necessary to enrich and make more vivid the impression gained. This
must all be done, however, without making an earnest child feel that his
effort has been useless, or that what he has given, was unimportant.
THE LECTURE METHOD
The lecture method, if followed continuously, is a poor way of teaching.
Even in telling stories to the younger children, the skillful teacher
leads the pupils to tell the stories back to her and the class. Mere
listening gets to be dull work, and the teacher who does all the
reciting himself must expect lack of interest and inattention.
There can be no doubt that many teachers talk too much themselves
compared with the part taken by their pupils. It is much easier for the
teacher to go over the lesson himself, bringing out its incidents,
explaining its meanings, and applying its lessons, than to lead the
class, by means of well-directed questions, to accomplish these things
by their own answers and discussions. Yet it is a common experience,
especially with children, that we like best any program, recitation, or
exercise, in which we ourselves have had an active part. And it is also
from the lesson in which we have really participated that we carry away
the most vivid and lasting impressions.
The lecture method not for general use.--Every teacher should
therefore consider, when making his lesson plan, just what his own part
is to be in the presentation of material. Some latitude must be allowed,
of course, for circumstances which may arise in the recitation bringing
up points which may need elaboration or explanation. But he should know
in a general way what material he is to bring in, what applications he
will emphasize, and what illustrations he will use. He should not trust
to the inspiration of the moment, nor allow himself to be led off into a
discussion that monopolizes all the time and deprives the class of
participation. More than one church-school class has failed to hold the
interest, if not the attendance, of its members because the teacher
mistook his function and formed the habit of turning expositor or
preacher before his class. The overtalkative teacher should learn to
curb this tendency, or else give way to one who brings less of himself
and more of his pupils to bear upon the lesson.
This does not mean that the teacher shall never lecture or talk to his
class. Indeed, the teacher who does not have a message now and then for
his pupils is not qualified to guide their spiritual development. It
means, rather, that lecturing must not become a habit, and that on the
whole it should be used sparingly with all classes of children. It means
also that all matter presented to the class by the teacher himself
should be well prepared; that it should be carefully organized and
planned, so that its meaning will be clear and its lesson plain, and so
that time will not be wasted in its presentation. It will be a safe rule
for the teacher to set for himself not to come before his class with a
talk that is not as well prepared as he expects his minister to have his
sermon. And why not! The recitation hour should mean at least as much to
the church class as the sermon hour means to the congregation.
THE QUESTION-AND-ANSWER METHOD
Skill in questioning lies at the basis of most good teaching of
children. Good questioning stimulates thought, brings out new meanings,
and leads the mind to right conclusions. Poor questioning leaves the
thought unawakened, fails to arouse interest and attention, and results
in poor mastery and faulty understanding. To the uninitiated it appears
easy to ask questions for others to answer. But when we become teachers
and undertake to use the question as an instrument of instruction we
find that it is much harder to ask questions than to answer them, for
not only must the questioner know the subject and the answer to each
question better than his pupils, but he must be able constantly to
interpret the minds of his pupils in order to discover their
understanding of the problem and to know what questions next to ask.
Questions slavishly dependent on the text.--Not infrequently one finds
a teacher who uses questioning solely to test the knowledge of the
pupils on the lesson text. Probably the worst form of this kind of
questioning is that of following the printed questions of the lesson
quarterly, the pupils having their lesson sheets open before them and
looking up the answer to each question as it is asked.
The following questions are taken from a widely used junior quarterly,
the Bible text being Luke 10. 25-37: "Who wanted to try Jesus? What did
he ask? What did Jesus say? What reply was made? What questions did the
lawyer ask? How did Jesus answer him? What is such a story called? What
is the name of this parable? Where was the man going? Who met him? How
did they treat him? What did they take from him? Where did they leave
him?" No one of these questions appeals to thought or imagination. All
are questions of sheer fact, with none of the deeper and more
interesting meanings brought. All of them may be answered correctly, and
the child be little the wiser religiously. Such a method of teaching
cannot do other than deaden the child's interest in the Bible, create in
him an aversion to the lesson hour of the church school, and fail of the
whole purpose of religious education. The teacher must _be able to use
living questions, and not be dependent on a dead list of faulty
questions embalmed in print_.
Questions arising spontaneously from the topic.--One who does not know
his lesson well enough so that he can ask the necessary questions
practically without reference even to the text, let alone referring to
the printed questions, or asking questions in the words of the text, is
not yet ready to teach the lesson. In order to successful teaching there
must be a constant interchange of response between teacher and class at
every moment throughout the recitation. This is impossible if the
teacher must stop to read the text of the lesson, or take her eyes and
attention away from the class to look up the question which is to come
next. All such breaks of thought are fatal to interest and attention on
the part of the class.
As suggested in an earlier chapter, the teacher should have prepared a
list of pivotal questions as a part of her lesson plan. With these at
hand there should be no necessity for reference to the printed lesson to
find questions during the recitation period. Let the teacher who is
accustomed to slavish dependence on the lesson text for his questions
really master his lesson, and then declare his independence of
tread-mill questioning; he will be surprised at the added satisfaction
and efficiency that come to his teaching.
The principle of unity.--Questions that really teach must follow some
plan of _unity_ or continuity. Each succeeding question must grow out of
the preceding question and its answer, and all put together must lead in
a definite direction toward a clear aim or goal which the teacher has in
mind. One of the serious faults of the questions quoted above from the
lesson quarterly is that they lack unity and purpose. Each question is
separate from all the others. No question leads to the ones which
follow, nor does the whole list point to any lesson or conclusion at the
end. Such questioning can result only in isolated scraps of information.
A series of questions lacking unity and purpose resembles a broom ending
in many straws, instead of being like a bayonet ending in a point: and
who would not prefer a bayonet to a broom as a weapon of offense!
The principle of clearness.--The good questioner makes his questions
_clear and definite_ so that they can not be misunderstood. That this is
not always accomplished is proved by the fact that a child who is unable
to answer a question when it is put in one form may answer it perfectly
when it is asked in different phrasing. The teacher always needs to make
certain that the question is fully comprehended, for it is evident that
an answer cannot exceed the understanding of the question in clearness.
To be clear, a question must be free from obscure wording. One primary
teacher, seeking to show how each animal is adapted to the life it must
live, asked the class, "Why has a cat fur and a duck feathers?" Just
what did she mean for the child to answer? Did she mean to inquire why a
cat has fur instead of feathers, and a duck feathers instead of fur, or
did she mean to ask why each has its own particular coating regardless
of the other? Another teacher asked, "Why did Jesus's parents go up to
Jerusalem when Jesus was twelve years old?" Did he mean to ask why they
went when Jesus was just at this age, or did he mean to ask why they
went at all, the age of Jesus being incidental? One can only guess at
his meaning, hence the answer could at best be but a guess.
Questions to be within the learner's grasp.--If questions are to be
clear to the child they must deal with matter within his grasp. These
questions are taken from an _intermediate_ quarterly: "Why was the New
Testament written? What was the purpose of the book of Revelation? Fit
the epistle of Paul into the story of his life. What is meant by
inspiration? What are the reasons for calling the Bible the most
wonderful book in the world?" These questions are all clear enough so
far as their wording is concerned, but they belong to the college or
theological seminary age instead of to the intermediate age. While our
questions should make our pupils think, they must not go over their
heads, for one does not commonly think on a question whose very meaning
is beyond his grasp!
Some questions lack definiteness because several correct answers could
be given to the question. Here are a few such: What did Paul claim
concerning one of his epistles? What did Moses do when he came down from
the mountain? What were the priests of the temple required to have? What
happened when Jesus was crucified? What of John the Baptist? What about
Ruth and Naomi? What did Judas become? No one of these questions asks
any definite thing. To answer any of them the pupil must guess at the
particular thing the teacher has in mind. Many answers may be given to
each question which are as correct and which answer the question as well
as the answer the teacher seeks from the pupil. Such questioning comes
either from lack of clearness and definiteness in the teacher's
thinking, with a consequent uncertainty as what he really does mean to
ask, or else from a mental laziness which shrinks from the effort
necessary to formulate the question definitely.
Questions should stimulate thought.--Questions should be
thought-provoking. Usually it is a mistake to ask questions that can be
answered, by a simple _Yes_ or _No_, though there are occasions when
this may be done. For example, children will not be required to think
when asked such questions as, Was Moses leader of the Israelites? or Did
Jesus want his disciples to keep children away from him? But they will
require thought to answer Yes or No to such questions as, Should Esther
have asked that Haman be hanged? or, Can God forgive us for a wrong act
if we are not penitent?
_Leading questions_, or questions that suggest the answer, do not
encourage thought. To ask, Do you not think that God is pained when we
do wrong? or What ought you to say in return when some one has done you
a favor? is to leave the child himself too little to do in answering.
The _alternative_ question, or the question that simply allows the
choice between two suggested possibilities is also fruitless so far as
demanding thought is concerned. In a question like, Was Paul a Gentile
or was he a Jew? the bright child can usually tell from the teacher's
inflection how to answer. In any case he will run an even chance of
giving the right answer from sheer guessing.
The order of questioning.--It is a mistake to ask questions in serial
order, so that each child knows just when he is to be called upon. This
method invites carelessness and inattention. There should be no set
order, nor should a child who has just been called upon feel that he is
now safe from further questioning. The element of uncertainty as to when
the next question will come is a good incentive to alertness. The pupil
who shows signs of mischief or inattention may well become the immediate
mark for a question, and thereby be tided past the danger point.
Usually the question should be addressed to the entire class, and then a
pause of a few seconds ensue before the one who is to answer is
designated. Care must be taken, however, not to wait too long between
asking the question and calling the name of the one expected to answer,
for attention and curiosity quickly fall away, and time and interest are
lost and the recitation becomes slow.
The reception of answers.--The teacher's reception of the child's
answer is almost as important as the manner of asking the question.
First of all, the teacher must be interested in the answer. This
interest must be real, and must show in the manner. Not to look into the
eyes of the child who is answering is to fail to pay the courtesy due
one who is conversing with us; it is not only bad manners but worse
pedagogy. The interested, sympathetic eye of the teacher has a wonderful
power of encouragement and stimulus to the child, while an attitude of
indifference on the part of the teacher is at once fatal to his
enthusiasm. One of the besetting sins of many teachers is to repeat the
pupils' answers after them. This habit probably has its rise in mental
unreadiness on the part of the teacher, who repeats what the child has
just said while getting ready to ask the next question. Besides being a
great waste of time, the repeating of answers is discourteous, and is a
source of distraction, and annoyance to pupils.
Finally, we may say that good questioning on the part of the teacher
leads to questions on the part of the pupils. The relations between
teacher and class always should be such, that the children, feel free to
ask questions on any points of the lesson, and they should be encouraged
to do so. The teacher must have the tact and skill, however, not to be
led away from the topic by irrelevant questions nor to be required to
waste time by discussing unimportant points which may be brought in. It
is to be feared that valuable time is sometimes lost in adult classes in
discussing controversial questions that ought not to have been asked.
THE STORY METHOD
The use of the story method of instruction has been mentioned many times
in the course of our discussion. It will still be worth while, however,
to note a few of the principles upon which the successful telling of
stories depends.
First of all, a story is--just a story! It is not an argument, nor an
explanation, not a description, nor a lecture in disguise. A story is a
narrative of a series of events, which may be either real or imaginary.
These events are so related as to form a closely connected unity from
beginning to end, and they are of such nature as to appeal to
imagination, interest, and emotion more than to the intellect. The
successful handling of the story depends on two chief factors: (1) _the
plan or arrangement_ of the story itself, and (2) skill in telling the
story.
The story itself.--The story must not be too long, or interest will
weaken and attention will flag. It must have an interesting beginning,
so that attention and anticipation are aroused from the very first
sentence. "Once upon a time..." "A long time ago when the fairies..."
"There once lived a king who..."--these all contain a hint of mystery
or of interesting possibilities certain to invite response from
children. The commonplace beginning is illustrated in a story in a
primary leaflet which starts, "There was once a mother, who loved her
child as all mothers do." There is no invitation here to imagination or
anticipation, and the evident attempt to enforce a moral truth in the
opening sentence detracts from its effectiveness.
The major characters of the story should be introduced in the opening
sentences. The story should possess a close-knit unity, and not admit
incidental or supplemental characters or events that play no direct part
in the sequel. It must be so planned as to proceed to a _climax_, and
this climax should be reached without unnecessary deviations and
wanderings. We all know that type of story in which the main point is
all but lost in a multiplicity of unnecessary details. On the other
hand, points necessary to the climax must not be omitted. The climax may
be the end of the story, or an ending may be provided following the
climax. In either case the ending should leave the mind of the listener
at rest as to the outcome. That is to say, there should remain no
mystery or uncertainty or unpleasant feeling of incompleteness. The
ending of a story should be as carefully phrased as its beginning. Even
if the story has a sad ending, which is usually not best in children's
stories, it should have some element in it which makes such a conclusion
inevitable, and so leaves the mind in a sense satisfied.
Guiding principles.--The rules to guide in planning the story itself
may, then, be stated as follows:
1. Decide on the _truth to be conveyed_, and make the story lead up to
this.
2. Use great care to compel interest and anticipation through an
_effective beginning_.
3. Plan to have the body of the story reasonably brief, and to make the
main truth _stand out in a climax_. Eliminate all complications or
irrelevant matter that does not aid in leading up to the climax.
Elaborate and stress all features that help in making the impression to
be attained in the climax.
4. Make the ending such as to leave in the mind a feeling that the story
was _satisfactory and complete_.
Telling the story.--The effective story must be _told_. It cannot be
read without losing something of spontaneity and attractiveness. It
cannot even be committed to memory and repeated; for here also is
lacking something of the living glow and appeal that come from having
the words spring fresh and warm from the mind that is actually thinking
and feeling them. Most story-tellers find that it pays to work out
carefully and commit to memory the opening and closing sentences of a
story; the phrasing is so important here that it should not be left to
chance. But the body of the story is better given extemporaneously even
if the wording is not as perfect as it could be made by reading or
reciting the matter.
Before trying to tell a story before his class, the teacher should
rehearse it several times. Nothing but practice will give the ease,
certainty, and spontaneity necessary to good story-telling. Even
professional story-tellers realize that they do not tell a new story
well until they have told it a number of times. Perhaps this is in part
because one never enjoys telling a story until he is sure he can tell it
well, and so get a response from his listeners. And one never tells a
story really well unless he himself enjoys both the story and its
telling. One never brings the full effectiveness of a story to bear on
his hearers unless he himself enters fully into its appreciation, and
moves himself while stirring the emotions of those who listen.
The right atmosphere required.--Second in importance only to preparing
himself for the telling of the story is the preparing of the class to
listen. The right atmosphere of thought, attitude and feeling should be
created for the story before it is begun. A primary teacher was about to
begin a story whose purpose was to show how God cares for the birds by
giving them feathers to keep them warm, wings for swift flying, and cozy
nests for their homes, when suddenly a little bird flew in through the
classroom window and was killed before the class by dashing against the
wall. Of course the right atmosphere for her story was then impossible,
and she wisely left it for another time.
The approach to the story can be made by some question or suggestion
relating to the pupils' own experience, by a sentence or two of
explanation, or by an illustration dealing with matters familiar to the
class. But whatever device is used, the introduction should prepare the
minds of the class to receive the story by turning their thought in the
direction which the story is to take. It is also important that any new
terms or unfamiliar situations which are to be used in the story, and
which might not be understood by the class, shall be cleared up before
the story is begun.
Arts and devices of the story-teller.--The skillful story-teller will
soon learn to use certain arts and devices to make the telling more
effective. One such device is the use of direct discourse; that is,
instead of telling _about_ the giants, the fairies, the animals, give
them human speech and let them speak for themselves, like the bear in
Little Red Riding Hood. Another effective device is that of repeating in
the course of the story certain important words or phrases until from
this repetition they stand out and become emphasized. Some of the best
story-tellers make effective use of pauses, thus creating a situation of
curiosity and suspense in the minds of the listeners. The pause must be
neither too long nor too short, nor can any tell just how long it ought
to be except from the response of the children themselves, which the
teacher must be able to sense accurately and unfailingly. Much may be
added to the effect of stories by skillful use of the various arts of
expression, such as facial expression, voice tone, quality, and
inflection, and gesture. The use of mimicry, imitation, and
impersonation is also very effective if this ability comes naturally to
the one who attempts to use it, but these would better be omitted than
poorly done.
Good stories sometimes lose much of their effectiveness by having the
moral stated at the end, or by having an attempt at moralizing too
evident in the telling of the story. A story which has a lesson inherent
in the story itself will teach its own moral if it is well told. If the
truth to be conveyed is not clear to the child from the story, it will
hardly appeal to him by having it tacked on at the end.
* * * * *
We have, then, come to the end of our brief study of the teaching of
religion. We have seen some of its principles and methods, and have
discovered these at work in various illustrations and applications. It
now remains to realize that these are all to be found in brief epitome
in the work of the Great Teacher. For Jesus was first of all a
_teacher_, rather than a preacher. And as a teacher he supplied the
model which anticipated all modern psychology and scientific pedagogy,
and gave us in his concrete example and method a standard which the most
skillful among us never wholly attain. While we may love Jesus as a
friend, come to him as a comforter and helper, seek to follow him as a
guide, and worship him as a Saviour, it will be well for us now and then
momentarily to place these relations in the background and study him
just as a _teacher_.
Jesus possessed an attractive, inspiring, compelling personality. People
naturally came to him with their questions and problems. His quick
sympathy, ready understanding, and unerring insight invited friendship,
confidence, and devotion. He was ever sure of his "great objective," and
whether he was teaching his disciples stupendous truths about the
kingdom of God, or whether he was pointing the wayward woman the way to
a reconstructed life, the welfare of the _living soul before him_ was
his controlling thought. Jesus had a true sense of the value of a life,
and no life was too humble or too unpromising for him to lavish upon it
all the wealth of his interest and all the power of his sympathy and
helpfulness. He did not feel that his time was poorly spent when he was
teaching small groups, and many of the choicest gems of his teaching
were given to a mere handful of earnest listeners seated at his feet.
In all his teaching Jesus manifested a deep reverence for vital _truth_.
He told his disciples, "The truth shall make you free." He was never
afraid of truth, but accepted it reverently, even when it ran counter to
accepted authority. Nor did Jesus ever lose time or opportunity in
teaching trivial and unessential matters to his hearers; the knowledge
he gave them was always of such fruitful nature that they could at once
apply it to their living, Jesus's teaching carried over; it showed its
effect in changed attitudes of life, in new purposes, compelling ideals,
and great loyalties and devotions. Out of a band of commonplace
fishermen and ordinary men he made a company of evangelists and
reformers whose work and influence changed the course of civilization.
Every person who responded to his instruction felt the glow of a new
ambition and the desire to have a part in the great mission. Thus the
teaching of Jesus entered into the actual life and conduct of his
pupils. The truths he taught did not lie dormant as so much mere
attainment of knowledge. They took root and blossomed into action, into
transformed lives, and into heroic deeds of kindly service. The constant
keynote and demand of Jesus's teaching was shown forth in his, "He that
heareth these sayings of mine and doeth them"; he was never satisfied
without the doing.
Much is to be learned from the technique of Jesus's teaching, imperfect
though the account is of his instruction. He always met his hearers on
the plane of their own lives. He would begin his instruction with some
common and familiar experience, and lead by questions or illustrations
to the truth he wished to present. In this way, without the use of
technical words or long phrases, he was able to teach deep and
significant truths even to relatively uninformed minds. Jesus appealed
to the imagination through picturesque illustrations and parables. He
made his hearers think for the truth they reached, and so presented each
truth that its application to some immediate problem or need could not
be escaped. He was always interesting in his lessons, for they did not
deal with unimportant matters nor with tiresome platitudes. He never
failed to have definite aim or conclusion toward which his teaching was
directed, and the words or questions he used in his instruction moved
without deviation toward the accomplishment of this aim. He was too
clear, too deeply in earnest, and too completely the master of what he
was teaching ever to wander, or be uncertain or to waste time and
opportunity. He felt too compelling a love for those he taught ever to
fail at his task.
Finally, Jesus was himself the embodiment of the truths and ideals he
offered others. He lived the lessons he desired his pupils to learn. He
rendered concrete in himself the religion he would have his followers
adopt. His life was a lesson which all could learn and follow.
1. Which type of recitation method do you most commonly employ?
Which do you like best? Do you combine the several methods
occasionally in the same recitation? Do you plan which is best for
each particular occasion?
2. To what extent do you use the topical method? Do your pupils
succeed in discussing the topics with fair completeness? Do you
always supplement with matter of your own, or expand the topics by
asking questions when the discussion has been incomplete?
3. Stenographic reports of various recitations have shown that
teachers often themselves use from two to three or four times as
many words in the lesson hour as all the pupils combined. Do you
believe that for young pupils this is good teaching? Have you any
accurate notion of the time you yourself take? Do you talk too
much?
4. Study your questioning in the recitation and determine as well
as you can which of the principles of good questioning you are most
successful in applying; which you are least successful in applying.
5. To what extent do you use the story as a method of instruction?
How do you judge you would rank as a story-teller? To what extent
have you studied the art of story-telling? Are you constantly
improving? What difference have you noted in the interest of a
class when a story is _told_ and when it is _read_?
FOR FURTHER READING
Betts, The Recitation.
Hamilton, The Recitation.
Home, Story-Telling, Questioning and Studying.
St. John, Stories and Story-Telling.
Houghton, Telling Bible Stories.
INDEX
ADOLESCENCE, subject matter for, 117
AIM, the
the child determining, 30
of religious instruction, 42
religious habits as, 193
APPRECIATION
as an aim of instruction, 86
cultivating religious, 194
APPROACH, psychological mode of, 52
ART
in religious teaching, 72
types of in curriculum, 125
ASSIGNMENT of lesson, 197
ATTITUDES
religious as aim, 45
to be cultivated, 76
toward the school, 77
the child's spiritual, 84
BIBLE, the
the teacher's knowledge of, 23
the child's knowledge of, 68
continuing interest in, 82
as a source of material, 111
and reason, 167
CONSERVATION, religious, 33
CHILD, the
as a Christian, 34
his concept of God, 59
his concept of religion, 63
the teacher's knowledge of, 25
as the great objective, 30
and his spiritual growth, 31
CHRISTIAN, the child, 34
CHURCH, the
the child's knowledge of, 69
participation in activities of, 101
loyalty to, 88
DANGER POINTS
in instruction, 161
how avoided, 162
DEDUCTION, in religion, 190
DISTRACTIONS
freedom from in recitation, 155
avoiding unnecessary, 156
DRAMATIC, the
children and, 176
use of in teaching, 176
DRILL, place of, 192
DUTY, as a virtue, 99
EXPRESSION
religious in the home, 106
as a mode of learning, 44
in social service, 101
GIVING, training in, 104
GOD
the child's concept of, 59
harm from wrong concepts of, 60
made the daily counselor, 100
HABIT
preventing the, of defeat, 81
religious, as aim, 93
the growth of, 94
HEROES, appeal of to child, 89
HOME, religious expression in, 106
IDEALS, 85
IMAGINATION
use of in religion, 170
how to appeal to, 172
INDUCTION, use of in religion, 187
INSTRUCTION
response as a test of, 53
various tests of, 56, 107
INTEREST
as a test of attitude, 79
in the Bible, 82
how to appeal to, 151
JESUS, an ideal teacher, 217
KNOWLEDGE
religious as an aim, 44
of most worth, 58
of the Bible, 67
of the church, 69
LABORATORY, work in religion, 102
LESSONS
Uniform, the, 134
Graded, the, 134
in text book form, 134
different types of, 183
LIFE
requirements of for religion, 43
religious teaching and, 91
a code for, 95
LOTI, PIERRE, quoted, 61
LOYALTY, cultivation of, 88
MATERIAL, for instruction
means instead of end, 35
adapting to child, 50
chapter on, 109
sources of, in
in story form, 118
organization of, 126
MEASURES
of success, 38
of child's progress, 39
MEMORY, the
laws of, 177
training of, 179
METHOD
of the recitation, 201
the topical, 202
the lecture, 204
the question-and-answer, 206
the story, 212
MUSIC
in worship, 72
in the curriculum, 126
NATURE, as a source of material, 122
NEGLECT, and stress of subject matter, 51
OBEDIENCE, as a virtue, 97
OBJECTIVE, the
chapter on, 30
for the teacher, 30
effect of on teaching, 37
ORGANIZATION, of material
chapter on, 129
different types of, 130
PERSONALITY
building of, 16
chart for, 18
PICTURES
types of in use, 125
appeal of to child, 174
PLAN, the lesson, 141
PRESENTATION, and response, 55
PRINCIPLES, foundation in teaching, 42
QUESTION, the, method, 206
QUESTIONING, principles of, 207
RECITATION, the, 201
RELIGION
the child's concept of, 63
related to living, 64, 92
and art, 72
influence of music in, 72
laboratory work in, 102
REVIEW, the, 196
SCHOOL, the church
pupils' attitude toward, 77
the spirit of, 78
SCORE CARD, for personality, 19
SERVICE
social as expression, 101
training in social, 105
SINGING, in worship, 104
STORY, the
as lesson material, 118
other than Bible, 120
method of, 212
principles of telling, 214
STRESS, and neglect of material, 51
SUBJECT MATTER
as means to end, 35
selecting right, 48
chapter on, 109
sources of, 111
TEACHER, the
chapter on, 13
types of, 14
preparation of, 21
as a student, 27
TEACHING
technique of, 148
measures of effective, 165
types of, 183
TEXT BOOKS, of religion, 139
THINKING
required in religion, 165
and Bible study, 167
UNIFORM LESSONS, 134, 135
WELLS, H.G., quoted, 60
WORSHIP, in church school, 104