Mental Culture 109 



a few persons may be remembered and recog- 

 nized. It is not until the tliird year, however, 

 that memory develops very rapidly. Efforts 

 at speaking usually begin at the end of the 

 first year when single words may be uttered. 

 At the close of the second year short sentences 

 are attempted. 



By the third year there begins to be the ability 

 to draw an inference and slight powers of rea- 

 soning develop. Here is where education 

 should begin to have an effect, always remem- 

 bering that while the little child's preceptions 

 and emotions are active, there is not much 

 volitional power or self-control. The child 

 should be taught to use its senses and muscles 

 before trying to cultivate memory or imagina- 

 tion. Precocious children should not be pushed 

 forward; they have usually over-ner\^ous tem- 

 peraments. Sometimes bright children by be- 

 ing thrown too exclusively into the society of 

 adults become precocious. They like to show 

 off by exhibiting feats of memory or special 

 aptitudes, as in music or dancing. Their ex- 

 aggerated perceptions soon disappear and they 



