The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1913-07-04
Home Study of Lesson
Excellent Paper Read by Herbert Kah
at tho Sunday School
Convention

1T tho Sunday School
Convention
The following excellent paper was
on one Of the important subjects dis
cussed at the recent county Sunday
school convention, and we have been
req quested to publish it for the benefit
OF some OF the Sunday school teachers
who were not present, and also that
some OF those who heard it read may
more fully digest its suggestions:
How can we get pupils to study the
lesson at home? The practical an
ever to this question is: get them in
tereeted In it, and this is, belle We.
the key to the whole secret. Human
nature is strongly given to fancies,
and one great among them is . desire
always for something interesting,
This is due perhaps to the fact that the
most interesting thing in the whole
universe is man himself. II once the
interest Of human individual is
centered upon duty, or object of
such duty, there will be no need of
an outside impetus to induce him to
become actively eng aged in performing
that duty.
So this gives rise to another
question, and that is. How are we
going to get the pupil sufficiently in
terested in his lesson to cause him to
study it At home?
This should not be 50 difficult If We
consider the nature and purpose of
the Lesson. why should not . pupil
become exceedingly interested in his
or her 8. s. lesson il emph attic ally
given to understand the importance of
the lcsson, the great part it will play
In his life. and especially the divine
and immortal volume it Is taken from,
viz, the blessed word Of God. which
reveals his great love, his holy will
and blessed gift, ia whicn he reveals
heaven and the path which leads to
that glorious realm? Why should it
be SO hard to induce pupils to study
their lessons at home If they are i'm
pressed by the thruthful tact that these
lessons are the hand OF God reached
down to his children on earth to foster
their salvatiop9 The Sunday School
appears in good order with them.
treated and used as the school of the
church Of the kingdom OF God on
! earth, the young trees in forest and
destined IN time, to become the great
should be the special inducement by
pupils and teacher in studying and
teaching the lesson. Both should
gravely remember that the ground up
on which they are treading is holy.
think that the interest pupil takes
in his Sunday School lesson is going
to be aroused to weaken to great.
extent by the way ne is treated while
in the Sunday school, especially dur
ing the lesson hour. The pupil must
be given to understand that he is q
part Of the class, that the class Is for :
him, not he for the class, and that the
lesson is for the class, not the class
for the lesson.
The pupil in the public school spends
much time out of school, often late in
to the night, studying his lessons.
How is this? what is the motive back
of all this energy, what prompts this
interest? Why,at the end Of the
month he Is going to be examined, he
is going to be tested as to what he
knows of the lesson. He is studying
his lesson at school, at home, on the
way to and from school, everywhere,
SO that when the time comes he will be
prepared to stand the test, hence the
interest manifested. How much more
inducing and interest creating should
be the lessons taken out of the study
of the Pure Life? How suggestive of
making life study out of the study
of life!
Let us as Sunday school workers
| udVO Oh VI o. GA 0MA0 0UAOA VVOAy OAA
day. let US as teachers give each pupil
a final test on Sunday. A very grave
and common error of to-day is the
mistake of letting few bright ahd
forward scholars answer all the qnes-
tions and do all of the talking, while
those found in every class who are
slow at grasping facts, and others
timid, slowly, but surely, retreat into
the back seats of indifference. These
must be drawn out. If they once see
that the teacher skips them and passes
on to the next. they will soon los
interest in the lesson. in the class an,
in the Sunday school. They will forr
the ha bit of taking the back seat an
then try to avoid the teachers eye.
We must draw them out, let thel
see that they are needed in the class
, Giye every pupil . chance, give him
: test every Sunday, give him
3 understand that hs 10 wanted in q
80 =