OF NATURE STUDY. —? 



associated with poetry. Hence the importance of including these activities in 

 educational life, especially in the lower years, which, according to the culture- 

 epoch theory, corespond more nearly to the tribal period of the race. The 

 Kindergarten is the only period in school life in which singing, accompanied bv 

 rhythmical motion, forms an integral part of the school exercises, but this 

 should extend far beyond the Kindergarten age. If singing has been found so 

 beneficial in religious exercises, surely it has a beneficial effect in educating the 

 moral sense. 



Stages of Mental Development. 



Nature Study must conform to these general principles, which underlie the 

 relation between thought and expression, but like other subjects must be adapted 

 to the stage of mental development of the students. There are three well 

 recognized stages in mental development, which corespond to three well marked 

 stages of physical growth. Close observation and study of children have shown 

 that the period of childhood up to eight years of age is one of rapid growtii, both 

 of mind and body. It is a period of great susceptibility to impressions but with 

 slight power of retention. It is, therefore, essentially an impressionist period. 



From eight to twelve years of age, there is little growth but there is great 

 development, nevertheless, in at least the lower mental activities. Health is 

 good, muscles firm, the brain retentive. With, perhaps, diminished impressibility, 

 there is increased power of retention, which is very characteristic of the period. 

 It may be called the retentive or representative or more simply tiie secondary 

 stage. After twelve years of age, growth becomes rapid again, and in a year or 

 two sexual development becomes marked. This characterizes the period as one 

 of relationship. Relations of ideas develop ; relations of self to society ; of man 

 to God. It is the stage of thinking. 



We shall use the terms primary, secondary, and tertiary, to indicate these 

 three stages instead of the more technical terms, which may arouse preconceived 

 notions. 



We have to consider in each stage : (i.) how id->as are aroused ; (ii.) the 

 nature of the ideas aroused : (ill.) the mode of expressing the idea; (iv.) the 

 subjects of study best adapted to the stage. 



The Primary Stage. 



In all stages mental development must be associated with the constructive 

 activity of the child, hence, the ideas aroused and the mode of expression are 

 indissoluhly combined except for purposes of analytic discussion. In the prim- 

 ary stage, ideas should be aroused by direct stimulation of the senses. The 

 child should see, handle, taste the object and operate upon it in some way to 

 adapt it to his ideal end. In thus operating upon objects under the direction of 

 his teacher, he comes to recognize them, first as wholes, then as integrated 

 parts, and associates with them the symbols by which society knows them. 

 This recognition and association involves the higher mental activities, implicitly 

 but not explicitly, and thus lays a foundation for the discovery of more ideal 

 relationships in the higher stages. 



