The record-union., 1898-04-09
SUNDAY -SCHOOLCONvEATIOA
THAT OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY
AT OAK PARK YESTERDAY.
Interesting Papers and Discussions
on the Various Phases OF
the Work.

The Sacramento County Sunday
School Convention opened yesterday
afternoon at Oak Park NJ. 4. Church
with a very large attendance and de-
votional exercises by Rev. w. ). Hos
kinson Of the English Lutheran Churcn,
after which Mrs. w. C. Sherman OF the
Fourteenth-street Presbyterian Sunday
school took I'D the topic of Opening and
Closing Exercises" and her remarks
were followed by a discussion.
Mrs. J. II. Liggett Of the Westmln-
ster Sunday-schooI spoke on the topic,
How to Win Boys and Girls to Christ p"
and the subject was discussed py
Others. The topic of Miss Frances a.
Healy of the Sixth-street NJ. E. Sunday
school was THE Ideal Teacher"
Miss Bertha E. Dawley of the same
school read the following paper on THE
Primary Department:
Perhaps no one realizes the import
ance of this department more than the
primary teacher as she sees the little
minds and hearts grow and expand
under her teaching. 1 say her, for or
course the primary teacher is woman,
one who loves little children, and not
only loves them but understands them
and realizes how little and yet how
much they know. She must get down to
where the children are and see their
trials and troubles and pleasures from
their point of view. Can you not re-
member something that in your child
hood seemed a great task or terrible
temptation to you, but now as you look
back to it it seems such small mat
ter? And how grateful you were to
the one who lent you a helping hand
or gave you an encouraging look.
So the primary teacher must be sym
pathetic and quick to see where sym
pathy is needed.
In order TO hold the attention Of the
children the lesson must be thoroughly
prepared and have found from expert
ence that more thought and time are
needed to prepare a lesson for the pr1-
mary class than for the intermediate
classes or even the older classes.
The lesson must first be prepared with
its relation to the preceding lessons, It's
orientialism and its practical teaching.
Then it must be carefully gone over
and such parts cut out as they will not
understand, for it is worse than use
less to try to teach what is beyond
their comprehension; and those parts
enlarged upon which will appeal most
to the children. Illustrations and stories
may be changed to suit the conditions
of the particular class.
The children must be reached through
objects, pictures and stories, around
which the thoughts of the lesson may
be grouped.
/ think the international lesson"
should be taught at least in part, for in
this way the older members of the
family viii become interested in the les
son and the children will better under
stand the pictures and stories in their
Sunday-school papers.
In our class room We have black
board which revolves on a pivot, so
that either side may be turned at will
toward the children.
On this blackboard I put, in bright
colored crayon, pictures illustrating the
lesson. usually using the blackboard
helps in the back of the Sunday school
Journal" sometimes adding to them or
substituting others that will be better
suited to our children.
And crude though these pictures be,
they hold the attention and make the
I also put on the board the tiny
text" and such other We rses or parts OF
the lesson as are suitable for the chill
dren. These they readily learn.
I think they should commit to mem
ory some Bible verse every Sunday
for a memory we'll stored with Bible
verses will be a force for good within
that child, and this is the age when
oh ont
thing to learn and the memory is most
active.
These verses should be short and
within the comprehension of the child
They should be explained and taught ii
such a way that each verse means
something to each child.
These pictures and verses we leave
on the board so that when the children
come to the room they find on the boarc
what they saw there at the close Of the
previous lesson. This helps in the re-
view. calling to the minds Of the chill
dren the facts learned in the last les
son.
And 1 take it every teacher reviews
the previous lesson, thus fixing in th'
mind the facts learned, preserving th
connection of the lessons and forming
a
lesson.
On the other side of the blackboard
put the new lesson ready to be shown
at the proper time. All eyes are anX
fously watching when the time come
to turn the blackboard, and there i
little trouble to hold the attention s.
long as we talk about the pictures o
use them for the center of our talks
Sometimes l show but a part of tn
lesson pictures at a time, covering tn
rest with a paper until needed, thu
arousing the curiosity of the class. for
as an eminent educator has said, Curl
osity is the parent of attention
Sometimes we substitute for the pic
lures objects which may be used il
illustrating the lesson, for in teach
ing little children we must appeal t
the sight. The eye receives NOR
knowledge and that more readily thai
the ear Hence eye teaching is NOR
effective than any other.
Next to the pictures and objects com
the story The children are intereste
in anything in story form, if it be toll
with animation and simplicity The.
love the Bible stories, especially thos
in which Christ is the central figure.
How thoroughly they appreciate Hi
greatness and goodness, how readil
they accept Him, and how implicitl
they trust Him.
We may learn much from the chill
dren, for Except ye become a httl
child ye cannot enter the kingdom O
Heaven"
There is a constant tendency to sc
into a rut When we hit upon