6 FOREWORD TO THE TEACHER 



The project method. Since we must allow for individual 

 differences in our scheme of education, it goes without saying 

 that mass education, which does not account the child as a 

 personality, can no longer be admitted as a part of our scheme. 

 We must take cognizance of all the factors mentioned in the 

 last paragraph ; environment, age, and sex act more uniformly 

 and thus may be taken into account in the forming of classes 

 or groups. But individual capability and endowments, hered- 

 ity's part in the game of lif e ; are much more difficult factors with 

 which to deal. Recent developments in educational psychology 

 show that one method of attack, however, has certain elements 

 which may be used successfully with any group of children not 

 too young to think to a conclusion. Problem solving of one 

 sort or another is common to all the activities of life. It is the 

 one great factor which goes toward making for success or failure 

 in life. It should be part of the mental attitude of every edu- 

 cated person. Problem or project, call it what you will, repre- 

 sents the method by which things worth while in life are 

 achieved. It offers the pupil a method for accomplishing those 

 things in life which mark off greatness from mediocrity the 

 leader from the led. 



Methods in science adapted for children. We hear a good 

 deal nowadays about the logical versus the psychological 

 approach. No teacher, and the word is used in its truest sense, 

 can teach except from the viewpoint of the child. Approached 

 from this angle, the psychological becomes logical. We must 

 have a plan, but we must remember that a plan may sometimes 

 be changed to advantage. Above all we must be human. If 

 we but remember how we looked at things with the eyes of 

 thirteen instead of those of forty-three we will have no difficulty 

 in solving the method of lesson attack. We must remember, 

 too, that concepts grow and are not always brought to ma- 

 turity in one lesson. The cyclic treatment of topics, which has 

 been followed in Civic Science, is a far more natural method of 



