Science In The Sunday School

Sunday School isn't what it used to be. New teaching methods demonstrated in Gisborne this month have a fresh and direct appeal to the child mind.

Miss Betty Dewdney, of U.S.A., and Mrs B. McRae, Auckland, have been showing Gisborne instructors how child psychology can be applied to Sunday School teaching.

A 5-year-old, they say, has a "concentration span" of only 3 minutes. So special equipment is used to maintain interest.

Mrs McRae & Miss Dewdney demonstrate a "flannelgraph". Cloth-backed figures in this scene of Christ feeding the multitude can be moved to illustrate varying stages of the story.

This flannelgraph depicts the story of Moses in the bullrushes. Memory devices help youngsters like Donald Davidson, pictured here, to absorb Bible lessons.

"Flash cards" are also used to retain children's attention. The teacher holds up different cards to illustrate points in a story.

Mrs E. Nunns and Mrs L. Stephens study memory devices

Mrs McRae shows flash cards to Mr C. Hogarth, Methodist Sunday School superintendent.

Miss Small, Mrs J. Letcher and Mrs Evans.

Tracing patterns for flannelgraphs are Mr W. Gordon, Mr J. Lockwood, Miss June Binsted, Miss Pat Small, Mrs G. Evans, and Mrs M. Proudfoot.

Sunday School teachers join in a song before demonstration.
Group singing is important part of Sunday School training. Action songs allow children to "let off steam". More sedate songs quieten them down.

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The Gisborne Photo News

No 25 : July 26, 1956

Science In The Sunday School