THE EXPRESSIVE WORK OF THE SCHOOL. 261 



strongly as to deaden the interest and dull the eyes to 

 beauty. 



Cannot we keep in view both these aims, giving more 

 and more prominence to exact observation, expression, 

 and reasoning, as our pupils are older? We shall then 

 find our nature study most effectively preparing for and 

 aiding in the study of arithmetic, and developing care- 

 ful, truthful men and women. 



Not quite so important as individuality and truthful- 

 ness are clearness and order. In work with the young- 

 est children clearness means expressing each idea so 

 that it can be easily and correctly understood. Order 

 means combining ideas so that their relations can be 

 readily grasped or appreciated. As children grow older, 

 and gain power to relate different or successive ideas, 

 clearness depends more and more on order. 



We cannot expect a little child to be very clear ; he 

 does not have sufficient command of language. Neither 

 can we, at first, expect him to be very orderly ; he does 

 not well understand the relation of ideas. If we place 

 too much emphasis on clearness, we discourage the 

 child ; we ask him to do what he does not have the 

 power to do. If at first we emphasize order of thought 

 too strongly, we lead him to copy our order, instead 

 of developing in him the power to see things in their 

 relations, and to arrange his ideas for himself. 



Greater clearness can be gained by leading children 

 to discuss one another's statements or drawings, and de- 

 cide (not merely have the teacher decide) how they can 

 be made more clear and truthful, or can be changed so 



