142 THE NATURE-STUDY IDEA 



of a new boy or girl. But I should not stop with 

 the name. Nature-study does not ask finally *^ What 

 is the thing ? " but ^ ^ How does the thing live ? ' ' or 

 "What does it do ? " or ^' How did it get here ? " 

 or '^ What can I do with it ? " The name is only a 

 part of the language that enables us to talk about 

 the object. Tell the name at the outset and have 

 the matter done with. Then go on to vital 

 questions. 



Would you begin by first reading to the child about 



nature ? 



No, not in the school as a part of nature-study 

 work. The reading should come after, not before. 

 Order will gradually come out of experience. 

 The child should first come in contact with things 

 rather than with ideas about things. This is the 

 natural order. Animals come before zoology, 

 plants before botany, fields and rocks before 

 geology, words before language, religion before 

 theology. Experience should come before theory. 



Now that there are so many nature-books^ how shall 

 I choose the most useful one ? 



Only by finding out what you want. The multi- 

 tude of books may be confusing, but the greater 

 the number the greater is the chance that you will 

 find one to your liking. Some persons deplore 

 the making of many books, because they then 

 have more difficulty in choosing; but the time has 

 already passed when one book, or even two, can 

 satisfy a good teacher. The teacher may not be 

 able to purchase several books, but the school 

 should supply a reasonable number. In these days 



