The Child under Eight

thing make, and j

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Law, that Use be

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elf-conscious humanity. Stopford Brooke points out that Browning's Caliban, though almost brute, shows himself hum

king baubles,

lf, no finer g

t to do with wi

h life and action is more developing than to learn through words: expression in plastic material, united with thought and speech, is far more developing than mere repetition of words." Morally, it

his own activity, its essence, direction and aim, and learns to determine his activity in accordance with outer things. Such mirroring

eby the child learns form by co-ordinating sight and motor perceptions, a stage on which Dr. Montessori has also laid much stress. Besides noting how children draw "round scissors and boxes, leaves and twigs, their own hands, and even shadows," he sees that from experimentation with any pointed stick or scrap of red

hat they call making patterns. Out of this came the old-fashioned chequ

uty. We should not, says Froebel, give them paints and brushes inconsiderately, to throw about, but give them the help

onstructive work.... The term will cover building houses, making kettles, laying out streets, planning rooms, dressing hair, as well as making patterns for cushion covers and cathedral windows.... In thus widening our art studies, we shall be harking back in a slight degree to the kind of training that in past ages produced the great masters.... Giotto designed his Campanile primarily for the bells th

al Pure an

Law, that Use be

is, done, but all thi

zed as occasions to g

true of the art training of the child. We must not then despise the rough and read

e endless puddings that are turned out of patty pans, up to such models as that of the whole "Isle of Wight" with

lly making for use, is to a certain e

me kind of sand-box would make a good plaything for the children in his new Kindergarten. Miss Wiggin tells us that indirectly we owe the children's sand-heaps in the public p

e for shops, carriages, trains, and the "ships upon the

und presents much opportunity for making, which may be done with blocks, but which even in the Kindergarten can be done with tools. Care must be exercised, but children have quite a strong instinct for self-preservation, and if shown how real workmen handle their tools, they are often more careful than at a much later stage. To make a workable railway signal is more interesting and much more educative than to use one that came from a shop. The teacher may make illuminating discoveries in the process, as when one set of children desired to make a counter for a sho

help, and they thoroughly enjoy watching. "Her hands were in the dough from three years old," said a

, then winnow, grind between stones and sift it. Their best efforts produce but a tiny quantity of flour, but the experie

dding. In very early Kindergartens we read of the growing, digging and

old mother bequeathed her birthday. The doll's birthday is a great event, and on the

presents, and Empire Day and Trafalgar Day for flags, while

-folding has fallen into an undeserved oblivion. The making of boats or cocked-hats from old newspaper is a great achievement for a child,

e a higher educational value, but apart from this, children want to make for making's sake. "Can't I make something in wood like Boy does?" asked a little girl. There is joy in the making, joy in being a cause, and for

cut, and c

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slow, and

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there is

builds it

to buy