Billeder på siden
PDF
ePub

CHAPTER XIII.

CURRICULUM-GRADING THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.

CHURCHMAN'S MANUAL.

SUGGESTED READINGS.

Butler. 97-103.

REPORT OF THE JOINT COMMISSION ON SUNDAY SCHOOLS.

THE SUNDAY SCHOOL PROBLEM SOLVED. Smith.

PRINCIPLES OF RELIGIOUS EDUCATION.

TEACHER TRAINING. Roads.
PEDAGOGICAL BIBLE SCHOOL.
CURRICULUM. Hodges.

What is a Graded School?

pp. 105-126.

Haslett. pp. 207-348.

In the Appendix to the Report of The Joint Commission of the General Convention on Sunday School Instruction, published October, 1907, the Commission says: "The term, ‘a graded school,' has proved in practice to be a somewhat loose designation. Sometimes a school is called 'graded' when the same uniform lesson is used all through the school (except perhaps the primary), only that the school is organized in certain groups, as a 'main school,' 'Bible classes' or 'senior school,' etc. The grading in this case is not at all in the lessons, but only in the grouping of pupils.

"Again, a school is called 'graded' when each of the various groups or departments studies the same topic or lesson at the same time, though in forms modified to suit the various ages. Here there is grading both in school grouping and in lesson form.

"Still again, a school may have an order of studies, by which certain topics are gone over in certain departments or at certain ages. It may happen that no two classes are working on the same subject or lesson at any one time, yet each class is following out the scheme of study for the school. This is the most complete form of grading, generally designated as a 'subjectgraded' scheme.

"The first mentioned school is not generally graded at all. It is merely grouped. Grading applies properly to lessons rather than to organization. The second school may be justly called a graded school, but it is not really 'subject-graded.'

"There is little question but what the attempt to modify the same lesson topic in such ways as to adapt it to various grades at once will ultimately be surrendered in favor of a real subjectgraded plan. There are fundamental differences in the method of study suitable to various ages which render it undesirable to keep all departments of the school on the same topic and proceeding at the same pace. Moreover, in other than Biblical material, such a uniform plan is impossible. Even the attempt to accomplish it in Biblical material tends to make it impossible to treat other material in any adequate or pedagogical way.

"A school should be graded in accordance with the recognized laws of child development. There are well-marked periods in child-life. The earliest runs until about seven years. The second is from seven to nine or ten, roughly speaking. The third runs from nine or ten to about thirteen. The fourth covers approximately the ages of thirteen to seventeen. It is convenient to have the school divided into departments according to these periods, and especially desirable where there is facility for using separate rooms or buildings.

"But actual separation of pupils is not so important as a differentiation in the lesson material and the way of handling it. In the beginners' and primary grades large groups of children may be handled by a single teacher. Even in the next or third period classes may be reasonably large, provided the teacher is competent. Nor is it absolutely necessary in this period to separate the sexes, though perhaps desirable. The fourth period should see smaller classes, separated by sexes, and taught, preferably, by teachers of their own sex.

"In beginners' and primary grades the children will not be expected to do much, if any, home work. The principles of the kindergarten, though not necessarily its actual method, will pertain. The years from eight to ten will be diligently used for appropriate memory work. It will not usually be practicable to expect much writing before the third period, or to get map work done, but both can be commenced at about ten years. Yet

previous to this, note-book work with pictures and other illustrated features can be accomplished.

"Biographical work, usually begun in later primary years, will be continued into history in the succeeding periods. The teaching of the Catechism comes best at ten or eleven years, but the Christian Year, if taught objectively, may precede this. The Prayer Book must be taught in exceedingly simple fashion if it is undertaken before the age of twelve. The ages of thirteen to fourteen or fifteen should not fail of some direct ethical instruction, nor of a clear and forceful presentation of the life of our Lord. Both of these subjects should be mastered by the pupil as a background for the confirmation decision."

Grading is pedagogically recognizing Child-Psychology, i.e., child-development. Good Grading must, therefore, plan (1) to adapt the Topical Subject-matter or material to the right age; (2) to meet the particular moral, practical, and mental Requirements of each period of development; (3) to supply All the Religious Instruction Material, Collateral, Correlated Subjects, etc., consistent with the broadest possible religious Education, giving due regard to and practical coöperation with the Public School Work of the children. It supplements, not supplants, the Day School. (4) It will, of course, in doing this, adjust questions to the comprehension of the children. It will be adjustment, not in the same material, but differing material, suited to each age. In all Schools, this grading should be done by a specially qualified teacher. It will seldom be the Superintendent, who is qualified in Management, not Education. It may be one of the regular class teachers or a Special Grading Officer.

What Grading is Not.

There is a widespread conception of grading that differs totally from what is intended by the use of the term in this chapter. We refer to the idea that all grading involves adaptation of questions to the varied ages of the children and of simplicity and quantity of material in their diverse capacities. This is a part of Grading; but is not grading.

Dr. Roads brightly adds certain other things that Grading is not. (a) We cannot grade on strictly intellectual Knowledge of the Bible, on account of general ignorance, varying among all

ages. (b) Nor can we use Public School Grades. It has not worked well; though in the main it would do so theoretically, if all Public School Grading were consistent. It is better than the former plan, and will in time agree with mental development better than it frequently does now. (c) Nor again can we follow Age absolutely, since it is too mechanical.

Here, too,

Neither will the diminution of the amount of instruction on a given subject meet the requirements of the case. the adaptation must be in quality as well as in quantity.

White says that forty years ago elementary text books in the schools were prepared "on the basis of the theory that primary pupils may be taught the same kind of knowledge as the pupils in the higher grades, and by essentially the same methods, the only radical difference between the primary and advanced instruction being in the amount of the knowledge taught, the former covering daily less ground than the latter. The only essential difference between the elementary and higher books in all branches was the fact that the former were thinner than the latter.

Practical Grading.

In looking at the studies suggested in each grade, we must first evidently allow for locality, since it is apparent that children in some schools are fully one year in general behind those of other schools in mental ability. This is due sometimes to race, sometimes to locality, as between city and country, sometimes to the condition of the Day Schools. This, of course, affects the order of studies, and instead of a child being able to enter the Grammar School at eight or nine, it does not come in till ten. Thus what often appears to be a dissimilar topic at a certain age will not be, if we stop to justly regard the mind of the child. So a year's difference, one way or the other, is not of much significance. Again, the ages for certain classes of facts are not all definitely established, but only serve approximately as guides. We may safely infer that at most not more than two years' difference should be allowed for divergence of opinion as to the position of the main topics for the Grammar School Grades.

In undertaking to grade a school, it must be remembered

« ForrigeFortsæt »