SPRING NATURE STUDY, 527 







day to day ? Do not be too critical about spelling. The 

 interest and idea are most important. Encourage them to 

 sketch or draw, however crude the results may be. Urge 

 careful observation. Discourage guessing. Inspire a little 

 rivalry in making new discoveries. In case of dispute, 

 make them settle it by looking again. Do not decide for 

 them, and thus deaden interest. Insist that they be sure, 

 as sure as little folks can be. They are apt to see scores 

 of bluebirds and robins before their teacher can discover 

 one. They are not necessarily telling untruths. If the 

 teacher has, as she should do, aroused a spirit of expec- 

 tancy, their imagination may be quicker than their eyes. 

 It is our work not to deaden their imagination, but to de- 

 velop their senses, and cultivate a habit of using and trust- 

 ing their senses, that they may form a basis for and develop 

 what we call the scientific imagination. 



The record of a few actual observations made in the 

 spring of 1899, which is given below, may be suggestive. 



OUR SPRING CALENDAR. 



March 15. Jennie says she saw some pussy willow-buds yesterday, 

 and that the pussies were just peeping out. Her brother brought 

 them from the woods back of the fair-ground. So spring must 

 be coming. 



March 16. Jennie brought some of the pussies to school, so that we 

 could all see them. She says they have been in t the house two 

 days. Some of the pussies are " way out " now. 



March 17. Harry picked some " pussies " this morning, and brought 

 them to school. The fur is about half-way out. Tom says he 

 saw a whole lot of crows. His papa said that is a sign of spring. 

 He says a few crows stay here all winter, but not so many. 



March 20. It is so cold this morning that it seems like winter. The 

 pussies must be cold . But they have such warm coats. One of 

 the boys says he saw a robin. But he is not sure how a robin 

 looks. So we will not put it in our calendar as a u sure " story. 



March 31. It is real warm to-day. We do not need mittens on our 

 hands. So winter must be going away. Eleanor says she saw 



