ON STUDIES MOST SUITABLE FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. 457 



* Other measurements should then be made and recurded in a simihir 

 Way, such as size of head and length of foot ; the relation of foot-length 

 to body-length and of body- weight to body-length should then be worked 

 out.' 



It is very important that practical exercises should be devised which 

 will bridge over the gap between Kindergarten work and the time when 

 children can handle tools. Much may be done by paper cutting and 

 folding and by shaping cardboard and by building up squares, triangles, 

 &c., into boxes. 



The tendency of teachers in carrying out such work is to fly too high ; 

 the supervising teacher will need to criticise in tactful and guarded terms, 

 which will appeal to the class as well as to the instructor. The following 

 is offered by Professor Armstrong by way of suggestion : — 



Hemarhs by Mr. Square. 



' I have been looking through a number of very neat exercise-books 

 in which an account is given of my humble self. I had no idea that so 

 much could be made of me. The accounts are almost as exciting to read 

 as " Alice in Wonderland " and make me wish to ask a great many 

 questions. 



' 1. First, T should like to know what the term " Practical Geometry " 

 on the book-covers means. I do not like words that I do not under- 

 stand and shall be content to wait some time before I attempt to 

 understand this term. It seems to me that you are studying shapes and 

 .tizes and that you are finding out all you can about me and my relations, 

 so that you may write a story about us. I shall be content if you call 

 your story "Mr. Square and his Relations, or Shapes and Sizes." 



' 2. The story-books I read are divided into chaptei'S. Will you not 

 write your story in story-book style 1 Look at a story-book and see how 

 it is arranged. Has it not a title-jDage 1 And then, on the first page 

 I see a heading, "Chapter I.," below this there are some words to show 

 what the chapter is about. 



' 3. I suppose the heading to your first chapter will be simply 

 "Mr. Square." Now, I should like you to begin by telling me how you 

 first came to know me and why you are interested in finding out all 

 about me. Remember what the Mock Turtle said to Alice: "Nowise 

 fish would go anywhere without a porpoise." I hope you know the 

 passage and understand its meaning. If not, read it at once and read 

 it again and again and never forget it. To attempt to do anything 

 witho^U a purpose is very very wrong. 



' I suppose your teacher introduced me to you, perhaps by holding 

 up a piece of paper, telling you it was cut in the shape of a square, 

 asking you to look at it and measure it and then to find out in what 

 different ways you could fold it. And evidently you were asked to write 

 an account as you went on with the work of all you saw and did and 

 thought, so that you might be able to desci'ibe me. If you had told me 

 this at the beginning of your story it would not now be necessary for me 

 to ask for information. 



' 4. I am very glad to see that you each wish to have me with you, so 

 that you may be able to study my character closely. You will be sur- 

 prised, I can assure you, as you learn to know me more and more, how 



