THE EXPRESSIVE WOKK OF THE SCHOOL. 247 



printed word bud. The relation between ideas and the 

 symbols which we call words must be gradually es- 

 tablished in the mind of each child. No such practice 

 is needed to establish the relation between ideas and 

 the pictures representing them. Drawing is a natural 

 universal language. 



In the development of mankind drawing has pre- 

 ceded written language. The first writing was picture 

 writing, and from pictures written language was grad- 

 ually evolved. As children are more dependent upon 

 their eyes than adults, so they find more helpful or ne- 

 cessary a means of expression, such as drawing, which 

 appeals to their eyes. 



Drawing is also the clearest way of expressing form 

 ideas. It is, in general, impossible to describe any 

 object in words as clearly as with a picture. We real- 

 ize this when we compare the ideas we can gain from 

 the clearest possible description of some simple object, 

 such as a table or chair, with the ideas we can gain 

 from even a crude sketch of the same object. The 

 latter gives a very much clearer mind picture. 



Form ideas can be expressed most exactly by draw- 

 ing. It is impossible for any one, child or adult, to tell 

 in words as exactly as by a drawing much of what he 

 sees. Much more careful observation is necessary to 

 make a fair drawing of an object, than to write what 

 will be generally considered a fairly clear description 

 of it, as any one will discover who makes the experi- 

 .ment. It is. mainly because we do not observe care- 

 fully that we find difficulty in expressing by means of 



