286 BIRD FRIENDS 



The children should be encouraged to look for 

 the birds, and some questions may be written on the 

 board that they may answer from a study of the 

 bird. The children should be asked to report to the 

 class the results of their observations, and frequent 

 opportunities should be given for these reports. At 

 first not all the children will make these studies and 

 reports, but if the teacher encourages and expects 

 this and gives opportunities for reports, the number 

 of children who do this can be gradually increased. 



As a means for reviewing and summarizing the 

 birds from the standpoint of identification, the 

 tables given later on pages 312 and 313 may be used. 



The child's activities. One of the most effective 

 phases of nature-study is that which calls into play 

 the manual activities of the child in providing op- 

 portunities himself for making a study of the life 

 around him. This principle of utilizing the child's 

 activities is one that is well understood and applied 

 in the kindergarten, but too little employed in later 

 years. It will prove a most effective instrument to be 

 used with the children when circumstances allow. 

 Bird-study is specially well adapted to making use 

 of these activities in building nesting-houses, in 

 feeding the winter birds, and in providing fountains. 

 The very fact that the child is doing something 

 for the birds is a means of developing that helpful 

 sympathy with nature which may prove such an 

 important factor in all his subsequent life. And, 



