Guiding principles.—­The principles for the organization of the church-school curriculum, are, then, clear.  Its lessons should start with matter adapted to the youngest child.  It should present a continuous series of steps providing material of broadening scope adapted to each age or stage from childhood to full maturity.  Its order and arrangement should at all times be decided by the needs and development of the learner, and should make constant point of contact with his life and experience.  It should be printed in attractive textbook form, the paper, type, illustrations, and binding being equal to the best standards prevailing in public-school texts.  In short, we should apply the same scientific and educational knowledge, and the same business ability in preparing and issuing our religious material that we devote to this phase of general education.

ORGANIZING THE DAILY LESSON MATERIAL

The teacher’s plan or organization of each lesson for presentation to the class in the recitation is a matter of supreme importance.  Even the best and most experienced teachers never reach the point where they do not need to prepare specifically for each recitation.  No matter how complete the knowledge of the subject, nor how often one has taught it, there is always the necessity of fitting it directly to the needs and interests of the particular class before us.  This preparation should result in a definitely worked out lesson plan which, though it may finally be modified to fit situations as they arise in the class discussion, will nevertheless serve as an outline of procedure for the recitation.  Even the teachers’ manual supplied with most of the lesson series cannot take the place of this definite, individual plan prepared by the teacher himself for his immediate class.

The lesson plan.—­The first step in arranging a lesson plan is to determine the range and amount of material which is to be presented to accomplish the aim of the class hour.  This will include the lesson or story from the Bible, nature material, memory work, music, pictures or any other subject matter to be considered.  In determining this point the age of the children, the time available, and the nature of the subject must all be taken into account.  It is a mistake to attempt more than can be done well, or to try to do so many things that the recitation is too much hurried to be interesting or profitable.

The lesson plan should provide for a few chief points or topics, with the smaller points and the illustrations grouped under these.  To have many topics receiving the same amount of emphasis in a lesson indicates poor organization.  For example, in teaching the lesson of obedience from the Garden of Eden story the material may well be grouped under the following topics:  1.  The many good and beautiful things God had given Adam and Eve, 2.  There was one thing only which they might not have. 3.  Their disobedience in desiring and taking this one thing, 4.  Their feeling of guilt and unhappiness which made them hide from God.  Under these four general heads will come all the stories, illustrations, and applications necessary to make the lesson very real to children.