TRANSACTIONS OF SECTION L. 747 
is a large field for workers in many departments, the organisation is more 
difficult, especially where the correlation of laboratory work and schoolroom work 
is desirable. 
Probably the most effective form of organisation would be the establishment 
of a board or advisory committee, consisting of professors of education, 
psychologists and practical teachers, in large centres of population, either 
under the control of the university or the local education authority, which 
would be largely responsible for expert guidance and sanction, where necessary, 
in connection with the conduct of important experiments. In this way teachers 
wishing to take part in experiments could obtain advice, be warned against the 
more common errors into which they are likely to fall, and, where they desire 
it, obtain that necessary training which would qualify them to take part in 
important investigations in various capacities. 
4. Report on the Mental and Physical Factors involved in Education. 
See Reports, p. 302. 
5. Psychological Analysis and Educational Method in Teaching. 
By Miss S. Farruurst.—See Reports, p. 302. 
6. An Investigation into Spelling at the Fielden Demonstration School. 
By Miss I. Supparps.—See Reports, p. 304. 
7. Spelling Reform. By Professor Rippman. 
8. Experiments on the Methods of Teaching Reading. 
By Dr. C. W. VALENTINE. 
Two classes of students and five classes of Elementary School children, 
varying in age from six to nine years, were each divided into two sections of 
approximately equal average intelligence. One section of each class was then 
taught to read English words written in Greek script, by the Phonic method, the 
other section of each class being taught to read the same passages by the ‘ Look- 
and-Say’ (or Word-Whole) method. The same length of time was spent over 
the lessons given by the respective methods to each class. Subsequently reading 
tests were given with both seen and unseen words, and the scores of the various 
sections were compared. On the whole, the Phonic method proved much superior, 
even with the infant class, and especially in the unseen tests. There was some 
evidence, however, that for very dull children the ‘ Look-and-Say’ method may 
be preferable. : 
9. The Excessive Use of Suggestion in Education. 
By Mrs. C. M. Merepity. ~ 
I. The term suggestion is here used to mean the process of accepting an 
idea or proposition with conviction, but without adequate logical grounds. The 
process thus depends (a) on the manner of presentation, e.g., the prestige or 
authority of the ‘person making the suggestion; (b) on the state of mind of 
_ the recipient, e.g., absence of contrarient ideas, inadequate knowledge. Children 
consequently are, as a rule, specially suggestible. They accept ‘suggested ’ 
ideas (1) without opposition; indeed, in the case of indirect suggestion 
they regard the idea as their own; (2) with a tenacity which they cannot justify ; 
(3) with an emotional tinge which is effective in leading to action.—Ideas due 
to suggestion contrast with those due to reason. 
TI. It is at present uncertain how far suggestion is effective in forming 
children’s characters and interests, and at what stage in education suggestion 
is most influential. In regard to the first point we need to determine how far 
