Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1838-04-11
L 4 r T. Z r. ".
To the Editor Of the Vermont Telegraph.
QUESTION BOOKS.
NoVALls.

| QUESTION BOOKS.
The history Of the Question books pub,
lished by the American S. s. Union, is
interesting. In number of the London
Sunday School Teachers Magazine for
1924, paragraph occurs suggesting the
necessity Of setti g "certain portions OF
Scripture Catechism and spelling. instead
of letting children select and commit what
they please" The necessity of selection
and Limitation had been so apparent here,
that several schools had already adopted a
plan by which given portion Of Scripture,
of not less than ten, nor more than twenty
verses was assigned to such classes in the
school as could read the Scriptures. This
portion was first read to each class, and the
pupils directed to read it often during the
week, and then it was publicly propounded
! to the school as the les Oh for The next Sab
bath, and the teachers prepared themselves
TO instruct from it. The plan was for the
teacher to question the scholars, answer
their inquirers, explain the passage, and
! give such instructions as it naturally sug-
gested. This was to be done both morning
and afternoon, leaving only time to appoint
the lesson for the next Sabbath. When by
these repeated examinations, and the in
structions Of the teacher, the pupil was
familiariZed with the scope and meaning of
the passage, he was required to commit it
TO memory, and when the next Sabbath
came he recited the portion Of Scripture in
which he was instructed the Sabbath before,
and received instruction in new lesson
1t was a prominent feature of this plan to
organize the officers and teachers Of the
school into class to be conducted by the
pastor of the church (f any, to which the
school belonged, and TO gain from him and
from mutual conference, Full knowledge
Of the subject of instruction.
/ have gone into this detail to show how
little real improvement mas been made on
this simple plan, aud how different the
present condition Of our schools would
have been at this moment if il had been
faithfully carried out.
Alta meeting Of the New-York Associa-
,ion Of S. S. Teachers, October II, 1924,
the following resolution was unanimously
adopted: "That in the opinion Of this meet,
ing all lessons for recitation in Sabbath
schools should be selected, and previously
explained by the teacher; and on the firsl
of January 1925, they commenced a series
of selected lessons for the forr following
months. In March 1925, the American s.
s. Union published card containing Sc.
lection of lessons for a year; and for the
purpose of assisting teachers to analyze
and explain these lessons, the New Y ork
Sunday School Union caused to be prepared
a series oil questions of three grades. The
first consisted Of such plain aud easy ques
tons as might be answered in the very
words of the lesson. The second such a.
required some thought and attention. The
tuhu ptOulISSuOuS 4uCStOhS W tuc genera
subject, connected with references, and de-
signed to illustrate and enforce the truth
Two volumes Of questions were prepared
and were received very favorably.
In short time another question book
similar in its general character, was pub
lished in New-Jersey; and was preferred by
many to the other. Without deciding or
the merits Of either, a work was put tc
press by the American s. s. Union, whict
, combined the advantages Of both. 1t wa:
, prepared by the united labors of the author:
Of both, under the careful review Of gen
tleman appointed by themselves, and ther
) Of the Committee Of Publication. Th'
volume thus prepared was the first Of th'
, series Of Union Questions. We have nov
nine volumes embracing ~ The Life ant
Miracles of Christ, e. The PARALLELS, AM
!, other Instructions of Christ, (3.) From tn
o Creation Of the world to the Exodus. "a.
From the Exodus TO the death of Joshua
e (5.) The Acts. (6.) From the death @
j, Joshua to the death Of Samuel. a. From
), the death Of Samuel to the BabvloniSh cap
e ftivity. (s.) The Epistle 10 the CALLAHAN.
a (9.) Daniel, Ezra and Nehemiah. One n
e two volumes viii be added The presen
., year. - sss.sss $50 lsv - - !