314 NATURE STUDY. 



nature study can relate and make clear old perceptions, 

 and add a host of new ideas. 



The most common weeds, the pebbles in the street, 

 or stones of the pavement, the rain and frost which 

 they have seen so often, and yet have never seen, the 

 most common birds, sparrows and canaries and robins, 

 the flies and spiders so abundant all about them, are far 

 better for study than the finer flowers or minerals from 

 other localities, or the birds and insects of other lands. 

 After the child has studied that which is nearest, he 

 can make this a foundation for the study of what is 

 more distant. 



Teachers will find, as did the writer, that each year's 

 experience with nature study will open their eyes to 

 new and better material close to their schools or homes. 

 At first they will think they must go or send miles for 

 what they want. Later they will find just as good or 

 better material in the trees under which they have 

 walked for years, along the streets, in the back yards 

 about the school. Even in great cities they will dis- 

 cover leaves and insects and stones in all sorts of places 

 before overlooked. 



The lack of permanence in the interests and acquisi- 

 tions of children must influence the selection of ma- 

 terial, or rather the variety of material and the time 

 which should be devoted to its study. However in- 

 tense the interest of the young child in any one thing, 

 he does not want to study that thing very long. 

 His nature demands and requires frequent change. If 



