PREFACE

FOR understanding of the child and for inspiration in the writing of this book I am deeply grateful to many teachers and many authors as well as to my friends, the children, whom it has been my good fortune to know intimately in school and out of it. I wish to acknowledge my indebtedness to Anne Goodwin Williams for her valuable assistance in preparing the bibliography and questions for the chapters, and to my sister, Clara Belle Baker, for critical reading of the manuscript.

E. D. B.

III INSTINCTIVE EQUIPMENT IN INFANCY
IV MENTAL DEVELOPMENT IN INFANCY
EARLY CHILDHOOD-CHARACTERISTICS OF
LIFE FROM FOUR TO SIX .
NEEDS of Life from FOUR TO SIX
VII MIDDLE CHILDHOOD-CROSS SECTION OF
LIFE FROM SIX TO EIGHT

V

VI

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1

10

19

42

57

75

96

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127

VIII PRINCIPLES OF EDUCATION IN MIDDLE
CHILDHOOD

IX

EDUCATION IN LATER CHILDHOOD

X THE ACTIVITIES OF CHILD LIFE IN THE

HOME.
BIBLIOGRAPHY

Robert con

give pleasure to the family and friends.
tinued surreptitiously to pull the flowers. "Robert,” said
mother, "you can either stop pulling the flowers or you
can go into the house." She gave the lad a few minutes
in which to decide. He regretfully turned his back on
the flower bed and went to play in the swing. That ended
the controversy.

The question of doing right involves three steps,knowing the right, wishing to do the right, and possessing the self-control to do it. Parents and teachers fail with some one of the three steps when the child does not obey. He learns what right is through example, through clear explanation, through definite direction and not infrequently through the lesson of punishment. How many times little children fail to obey because they do not understand what they are expected to do. "John, keep out of the mud!" shouts a testy father. John, thinking to carry out his parent's behest, carefully avoids the mud puddles but walks in the road. His irate father overtakes him and drags him out of the road with the remark, "Didn't I tell you to stay on the sidewalk!" Many a child who will not learn in any other way has to suffer punishment. A little girl insisted on coming down the slide backwards. Her teacher warned her that she might get hurt. Sure enough she came down once too often and not seeing an obstruction in the path received a serious bump.

Children who understand, often do not wish to do the right thing. Here again example is very potent. The family has oatmeal for breakfast; Harry insists that he doesn't wish any; mother eats her dish with relish; father remarks that he can do a good day's work on such oatmeal as that; big brother Roy passes his bowl for a second serving. The next morning Harry tries oatmeal without a murmur. anything if the activity itself does not afford pleasure, is To attach joy to the doing of an excellent way of bringing the child to desire its repe

tition. The approval of mother, father, teacher or other children is very dear to the heart of this child. There is no more effective means of encouraging goodness than appreciation.

The child must be physically able and mentally developed to the point where he can obey the specific command given him. George wanted very much to skip with the other children, but as yet he could not get the coördination. "When I try to skip, mother," he said, "one leg won't work." Julian was kept in at noon by his kindergarten teacher because he could not draw anything suggestive of spring. With the drawing lesson couched in such terms it was no wonder that Julian did not comprehend, besides his imagery for spring may have been lacking. The child who is stubborn and will not act, is often helped by the element of choice, by the device of so much time for completing his task and by a warning given a few minutes before he is expected to undertake some new activity. Often if the child can be diverted from the cause of contention for a little while until his "stubborn set" is broken, he will very happily respond when called upon later. The child who is dealt with rationally and impersonally will as a rule soon outgrow his stubbornness.

In the early years of the child's life is the time for the building up of habits that will persist and that will form later the substrata of character. In forming any habit it is necessary to secure frequent repetition with as few exceptions as possible, and it is equally desirable to attach satisfaction in some way to the correct response. Miss Harrison tells the story of the small boy whose mother sent him from the table one night to wash his hands. "James," she said, "why do you always come to the table with dirty hands when I always send you to wash them?" "Once you didn't, mother," was the boy's quick rejoinder. He had been counting on that possibility every night when he took the chance. Emphasis should be placed during these years on habits of neatness, cleanliness, kindness,