Christian Education Looking Ahead In Christian Ed
ed ited b y M a rga r e t Ju cobsen , W. l . Associate professor of Christian Education Biola Bible College
MUSIC in Christian Education (Part Three) b y Jan ice W iyna ll
praise he sings to God as he plays his harp and songs of night and re turning to the fold. Use Simple Instruments Occasionally use instruments which the children can play to accompany their singing. The auto harp is easily learned, and a toy xylophone can also be effective. Rhythm band in struments (wood sticks, wood blocks, shakers, clappers, cymbals, triangle and bells) are simple to make and can greatly enhance a very rhythmic song. In teaching children’s hymns, look into the background of each one. If there is an interesting story concern ing why it was written, share it with the children. It will bring the hymn to life for them. After the first hearing of a song, motivate repetition in succeeding weeks. Try to use it in different situations with different approaches. Individuals who learn quickly will like to sing it as a solo. Have a group pretend to be a church choir, with boys in back and girls in front, sing ing their song as an anthem. Let them sing for other classes, sometimes building a short program around a group of songs. Helpful Hints for Teaching Would you like some helpful hints for successful teaching? Present each song as an entire unit of thought rather than broken up into several parts. Familiarize the children with the words of a song by singing it several times before they start to learn it. Let them hear the music often; have them hum it, sway to it, and clap to it until it becomes a part of them. Move quickly from one song to another; stop when their interest is at a peak. Have continual variety. Have plenty of action. Above all, make sure that each procedure has a definite contribution to the spiritual life of the children and to the progress of the Christian educa tion program. Stop for a minute and ask your self, “ Do the songs I teach provide real spiritual experiences and teach definite spiritual truths? Does each song become a part of each child’s inner life? Are my children singing with the spirit and singing with un derstanding also?” END.
T he introduction of music to chil dren is an art. Presentation must be well planned. Timing must be perfect. Content has to be meaning ful at the moment it is given. Meth ods and procedures should be fresh and new. The situation also demands that the teacher herself be so inter ested in the children she is teaching and in the material she is presenting that a natural empathy is created between teacher and children, each responding sensitively to the other’s feelings. Create a Setting for Singing Let each song grow out of a nat ural setting. What could be a more opportune moment to present a new song than when the children are carrying on an entirely spontaneous conversation? You just overheard David telling about a baby bird he found in the grass. Others enter in with comments about their own birds, their feeding stations in back yards and the strange looking birds at the zoo. (You may even direct the discussion in a subtle way so that it leads up to the desired point of inter est.) Soon you can easily mention, “ Isn’t it wonderful that God can make such lovely birds? I know— let’s sing a song about birds! Here is one: God makes the birds, etc. Now, as I sing it again, you move your wings with the music, just like birds flying in the sky.” Use Pictures Start a picture collection so that you can illustrate songs with lovely colored drawings and photographs. Just read through a few simple song verses and let your imagination go to work. Soon you will have pictures of animals, of families, of churches, of a child saying a prayer at meal time and of the baby Jesus in the manger—each to be brought out at a time when you need it. Interpret pictures by a song. In studying the picture of Jesus and chil dren of other lands, sing “ Jesus loves the little children, all the children of
the world,” etc. Possibly leave this song as the picture’s own, or lead into “All the Children Need the Saviour” and songs with a missionary theme, such as: Dear God, we want each child to know It was because you loved them so. You sent your Son to earth. We are too young to go today To tell the children far away That Jesus Christ loves them. But we can give and love and pray So grown-up folks can go today To tell them of your love. With this, a real understanding of missions can be given, and perhaps an actual missionary project started. Objects and Stories Use objects to illustrate songs. Actu ally go outdoors and look for “ All things bright and beautiful, all things great and small” when you sing about them. Sometimes it will be easier to bring objects inside— a flow er, a brightly colored leaf or a winged maple seed, as you teach “ Praise to God for Things we See.” Present songs by flannel board and chalk illustrations, or let the children draw original pictures as you sing the new song. Make up your own stories so that a certain song becomes a part of a story. Better still, let the children contribute original stories to go along with songs they know. Associate Bi ble verses with songs, and thus en courage more memorized verses. Children love to act, so let them often dramatize the songs they sing. For a special treat, group several songs together with a thread of nar rative and let them act it out as a little play. For example, tell the story of David as a shepherd boy, choosing children to take the part of David and the sheep. Choose songs for the story such as songs about Da vid himself, songs about things he sees on his way to the pasture (the trees, the brook, the girls), songs of
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