222 NATURE STUDY. 



never under any conditions be required to memorize a 

 mere list of such words ; the terms, for instance, used 

 in describing leaves. If, on the other hand, they can 

 be first led to see or realize how helpful these terms 

 are, they will be glad to get them and use them. Chil- 

 dren even in the first grade, studying the bean, who 

 have been given no technical terms, and have been en- 

 couraged to describe in their own ways, after struggling 

 for two or three days to tell about the "two halves," 

 or the " two thick white parts," or the " two pieces 

 which cover the little bud," will welcome the word 

 " cotyledon " as a friend, and use it freely and correctly. 

 No other word expresses the idea. In the morning- 

 glory seed, where these cotyledons are so leaf-like, the 

 children may call these parts seed-leaves, but not in the 

 bean. After the children have gained an idea which 

 they want to express in language, and have no word 

 to express it, they need and will welcome the word, 

 even though it is long. Until then they have no use 

 for the technical term. 



In general, the common terms, when they are exact 

 in meaning, are much better for young children than 

 the technical terms, feelers better than antennae, 

 breathing-pores better than spiracles. 



On the principle of apperception, scientific terms will 

 mean more and be more readily remembered just in pro- 

 portion as they are closely related to what is already in 

 the child's mind. This can be done by always explain- 

 ing their meaning. When the child knows that plu- 

 mule means "little feather," and lanceolate means 



