PREFACE There are two problems in religious education which this manual seeks to solve. First, the use of proper motives to secure the child's interest and, second, to supply practical correlated expression in the religious educational program. In the practical solution of these problems it has been necessary to present briefly a complete program of expression, including worship, singing, hand-work, plays and social service. This does not permit a thorough discussion of any one of these forms of expression. Our discussions of method are necessarily brief and only types of expressional activities are presented. This will allow the teacher to make further research and a presentation of her theme, using her own originality. The impressional method in religious education has in the past been over emphasized. Only more recently have we provided for the expressional side of religious teaching. Expressional methods without any regard to motives or correlations with the lesson theme miss the real aim. This manual seeks to give expression its true value in religious educational methods. The question whether such expressional work as hand-work, play and dramatization contribute vitally to the religious experience of the child depends entirely on the method and the correlation of the expression. The solution of this problem is in presenting nothing to the child as mere busy work nor for the sake of educating the hand but in presenting a wholesome form of expression correlated with the lesson theme. Grateful acknowledgment is here tendered to those who have so helpfully contributed to this book. Special acknowledgment is made to Elsie N. Shickel for valuable suggestions from her wide experience and research in expressional work, to Katie Bowman and Melva Barnhart for special contributions to the chapter on hand-work, to Olivia Dickens for her valuable art designs and reading manuscript, and to my class in Expression in Religious Education for their many helpful contributions of hand-work from the expressional laboratory. There are many others whose helpfulness deserves mention for their suggestions and words of encouragement who are held in silent appreciation. CHARLES S. IKENBERRY. |