Page:PracticalCommentaryOnHolyScripture.djvu/29

 After the  story  has  been  told,  the  children  open  their  books,  and one or  more  read  it  aloud  — the  teacher  adding  any  further  explanations that may  be  necessary. Teachers — this  is  important  — in  telling  the story should  endeavour  to  adhere  pretty  closely  to  the  words  of  the book. Otherwise, if  the  language  differs  notably  from  that  in  the  book, the children,  when  reading  the  story  for  themselves,  will  be  puzzled  and perplexed. Considerable variety  in  language  will  only  confuse  them.

So far  the  children  have  listened  to  the  story  with  attention,  and have understood  it. But the  impression,  like  lines  written  in  water, will quickly  disappear,  unless  measures  be  taken  to  fix  it  in  the  memory. This is  the  next  process. Our knowledge  is  co-extensive  with  our memory. We know  as  much  or  as  little  as  we  remember. Memory, says Hirschfelder,  is  the  mortar  that  holds  the  bricks  together. Without memory, the  combined  action  of  understanding,  heart  and  will,  can succeed in  erecting  only  a pile  of  loose  stones. Furthermore, many Catechists of  note  insist  that  the  text  should  be  committed  to  memory, word for  word,  at  least  by  young  children. Thus Alleker  argues  that a free reproduction  is  beyond  the  capabilities  of  all  but  advanced  pupils, and that  it  is  far  easier  for  children  to  reproduce  the  matter  in  the form set  before  them. Hirschfelder truly  observes  that  children  are unequal to  improving  on  the  form  given  in  the  book,  and  that,  when the lesson  is  not  exacted  word  for  word,  the  tendency,  especially  in the  quicker  and  brighter  children,  is  to  learn  it  in  the  most  slipshod fashion. Perhaps time  will  throw  light  on  this  question. Meanwhile teachers may  do  much  towards  facilitating  the  by-heart  and  making  it intelligent,  by  pointing  out  the  natural  divisions  of  the  story,  the  connexion between  the  several  parts,  and  so  forth.

As regards  the repetition  in  class, I cannot  do  better  than  give  in substance  Dr. Knecht’s words. The repetition  consists  in  the  children telling the  story  independently,  and  in  a connected  fashion. It should be no  parrot-prattle,  no  mechanical  outpouring  of  sentences  conned  by rote; but  the  story  should  be  told  intelligently,  with  correct  expression and emphasis. In particular,  teachers  should  beware  of  letting  the children either  speak  too  quickly,  or  fall  into  a sing-song,  drawling,  or hum-drum  style.

Commentary. Hitherto  all  our  efforts  have  been  concentrated  on the  Bible  story  in  itself. The children  have  seized  the  right  points  of the  story;  they  have  learnt  the  course  of  events,  and  have  gained  an insight  into  the  motives  that  impelled  the  actors  in  the  drama;  they understand the  immediate  meaning  of  the  phrases  in  which  the  story  is told. But the  deeper  meaning  of  the  story  is  still  hidden  from  them. The commentary  is  the  key  that  opens  the  gate  of  this  wider  knowledge.