OF THE INTELLIGENCE OF YOUNG CHILDREN 25 



pointing with his finger. Any error constitutes a failure. 

 At three years a child cannot count four pennies ; at four 

 years nearly half the children succeed ; at five years only re- 

 tarded children fail. It is truly a test for five years. 



V. Game of patience with two pieces. — This is a game 

 demanding an arrangement, a combining of pieces, which 

 pleases children ; they often amuse themselves at school by 

 constructing objects with cubes. It is a game and at the same 

 time a work for the intelligence, operating with the given 

 material, some sensations and some movements. If the oper- 

 ation is analyzed, it is found to consist of the following ele- 

 ments : 1. To keep in mind the end to be attained, that is 

 to say, the figure to be formed ; it is necessary to comprehend 

 this end; it is necessary also to think about it, not to lose 

 sight of it. 2. To try different combinations, under the influ- 

 ence of this directing idea, which often guides the efforts of 

 the child, though he be unconscious of the fact. 3. To judge 

 the formed combination, compare it with the model, and de- 

 cide whether it is the correct one. 



t is at once seen that the game of patience can be 

 complicated so that its difficulty may be varied at will. There 

 are some games which a child of five can solve, and others 

 which try the skill of an adult. We commenced by choosing 

 a very difficult game, and we think that it will be of interest 

 to explain why we abandoned it; it was because success in it 

 is too much a matter of chance. If in a game consisting of 

 a dozen pieces of card, the subject was fortunate enough to 

 pick up at once two or three cards which belonged together, 

 the completion of the task would be easy; on the other hand, 

 were he not so fortunate, the problem would be much more 

 difficult. It also happens that the number of successes are 

 altogether independent of age. This objection, which obtains 

 with some kinds of tests, led us to give up this type of game. 



That which we finally adopted is much more simple, 

 it consists of two pieces only and is adapted to children of 

 five years. 



