SELECTION AND SEQUENCE OF MATERIAL. 311 



Now comes the question, " The knowledge of what 

 material will be of the greatest practical value in life, 

 will best prepare for life ? " The question has been 

 largely answered already. The pupil is, in general, 

 best prepared for life who is best prepared to do well 

 what comes next, and to understand and appreciate 

 what lies nearest. 



During the earlier years of the elementary school, \, 

 purely utilitarian considerations should have very little ; 

 influence on the selection of material. This must be 

 determined by higher aims. During the last three or 

 four years of the elementary course, the years which 

 end the school education of most of our children, this 

 question of practical value must have more weight. 

 Hence it seems wise, during these later years, to 

 emphasize strongly the study of physics and chemis- 

 try, and of minerals and rocks of economic importance, 

 and to dwell somewhat on the economic (agricultural, 

 manufacturing, and commercial) aspects of plant and 

 animal study. Remembering the higher aims of nature 

 study, we must be careful, however, not to neglect the 

 higher side of the work, aesthetic, ethical, spiritual ; not 

 to place too much or too exclusive emphasis on purely 

 utilitarian considerations. 



Next to the influence of aim, the most important ele- 

 ment in determining the selection of material is the 

 stage of development of the child himself. In fact, the 

 aim, to develop the whole child or to adapt the child 

 to all his environment, and the nature of the child to 



