8 THE NEW METHOD 



duced during the first week of school, not by separate 

 lessons in each, but all combined in nature study. 

 As all parts of the world are interwoven with each 

 other, so are all branches of science intimately con- 

 nected, and must be presented to the child as a single 

 subject. The time for children to learn the spelling, 

 meaning, and use of words is when they have occa- 

 sion to use them to express their own original ideas. 

 The same may be said of grammar, arithmetic, and 

 all other branches to be studied before the age of 

 twelve. True education from the first is a many-sided 

 unit, and each side is kept bright by constant use. 



Among the popular criticisms upon our schools, 

 there have been complaints of too many branches of 

 study ; but really there is but one subject in the true 

 method. It is natural for children to play ; but in 

 play they do many different things in a single game. 

 They use the sense of sight, the sense of hearing ; 

 they walk, run, jump, talk, laugh and sing. Chil- 

 dren's play is made up of many parts, just as a lesson 

 in school has, or ought to have, many parts or kinds 

 of activity. 



In the true methods of school work, the teacher 

 must observe the law of nature or his work will be a 

 failure. He must do nothing for the child that the 

 child can do for himself. General information may 

 be derived from books and oral instruction, but these 



