,,miller',s ,,mind ,,training for ,,children ,a ,practical ,training for ,successful ,living ,educational ,games ,that ,train the ,senses ,,william ,e4 ,,miller ,,author ,,and ,,publisher ,alhambra1 ,california4 ,,by ,,william ,e4 ,,miller ,,alhambra1 ,,california ,,author ,,of ,the ,natural ,method of ,memory ,training ,,copyright #aibj ,,copyright #aiba ,,william ,e4 ,,miller ,,all ,,rights ,,reserved ,,including ,,foreign ,,copyrights ,,contents--,,book ,,one ,page ,a ,first ,word to ,readers #g ,training the ,senses #i ,game of ,hide the ,watch #aa ,results of ,sense ,training #ab ,to ,develop the ,sense of ,touch #af ,the ,game of the ,button ,bag #ag ,the ,game of ,matching ,cards #ah ,the ,game of ,insets #ah ,the ,game of the ,rag ,bag #ai ,the ,game of the ,dry ,goods ,clerk #ai ,the ,game of ,who ,is ,it8 #bj ,the ,game of ,weighing #bj ,measuring #ba ,training the ,ear #bb ,the ,game of ,whispering #bc ,the ,game of ,tapping #bc ,the ,game ,speak and ,i'll ,name ,you #bc ,the ,game of ,silence #bd ,the ,game of ,drop ,it #bd ,a ,musical ,exercise #be ,the ,game of ,blind ,man's ,ears #be ,the ,game of ,telephoning #bf ,the ,bell ,game #bg ,the ,game of ,stop ,thief #bg ,the ,table ,game #bh ,care of the ,ears #bh ,training the ,sense of ,sight #bi ,strive for ,more ,detail #cj ,training the ,eye to ,measure #cb ,the ,game of ,measuring #cc ,the ,sense of ,taste and ,smell #cg ,using ,two of the ,senses #ch ,exercise for ,two ,senses #ch ,improvement from ,conscious ,effort #dj ,the ,faculty of ,visualization #da ,a ,visual ,test #da ,visual ,process ,natural #db ,training the ,mind's ,eye #dc ,the ,picture ,test #dc ,test for ,quick ,reaction #dc ,test for ,color ,reaction #dd ,test for ,order #dd ,the ,letter ,game #de ,the ,number ,game #dg ,practice with ,geometrical ,figures #dh ,out of ,door ,game #di ,immediate ,visualization #ej ,training of ,younger ,children #ea ,developing the ,observation #eb ,value of ,observation #ee ,the ,neglected ,faculty #ef ,picture ,cards for ,observation #ei ,counting from ,mind's ,eye ,pictures #ei ,the ,game of ,quick ,counting #fa ,the ,game of ,visual ,counting #fb ,reproducing the ,visual ,picture #fc ,the ,game of ,color ,cards #fc ,the ,game of ,picture ,cards #fd ,the ,seeing ,game #fe ,the ,game of ,detective #ff ,a ,game at the ,dining ,table #ff ,the ,change ,about ,game #fg ,the ,game of ,observation #fg ,training the ,sense of ,location #fh ,the ,game of ,guide #fi ,the ,game of ,guiding ,home #fi ,make ,play ,profitable #gj ,attention and ,concentration #gb ,exercise for ,prolonging ,attention #gc ,divided ,attention #ge ,the ,degree of ,attention #gg ,expectant ,attention #gg ,cure for ,diverted ,attention #gh ,parent ,is ,child's ,interpreter #gi ,what ,is ,concentration8 #hj ,exercise for ,concentration #hj ,the ,construction of a ,home #ha ,the ,farmer and ,his ,farm #hb ,the ,farmer and ,his ,crop #hc ,the ,growing ,plant #hc ,the ,imagination #he ,test for ,visual ,reproduction #hf ,a ,universally ,useful ,faculty #hg ,children's ,falsehoods #hh ,reality of ,illusions #hi ,imagination a ,curse or ,blessing #ij ,dissipating the ,imagination #ij ,exercises for the ,imagination #ia ,the ,story ,games #ia ,the ,game of ,creation #ib ,the ,picture ,gallery #id ,the ,power of ,suggestion #ig ,indirect ,suggestion #aja ,indirect ,positive ,suggestion #aja ,health ,habits #aje ,deep ,breathing #ajf ,drinking ,water #ajg ,rest and ,sleep #ajh ,thinking ,health #aji ,ambition ,pulls #aaa ,a ,,first ,,word ,,to ,,readers ,many requests from parents for a simple method of training children to think and remember have prompted this series of books on ,mind ,training for ,children4 ,play is the child's great objective and this is capitalized in the methods used in presenting this subject4 ,there are over fifty interesting games and as many exercises1 all of which are based upon scientific principles4 ,these will not only interest and amuse the children1 but will result in the development of their senses and faculties4 ,this will lead naturally to the improvement of the memory4 ,in the last book all this advancement is applied to the child's studies and school problems4 ,parents should read these books and use the ideas according to the ages of the children4 ,older children can read and apply the principles for themselves1 but should be encouraged and guided by the parents4 ,here is a great boon to mothers who need assistance in entertaining the children in the house or out of doors4 ,for rainy days and children's parties there is a never-ending source of pleasure and continual profit in these ,mind ,training ,games4 ,no equipment is required4 ,all games and exercises are so planned that they are easily made of materials already in the home4 ,the making of the games will interest the children for hours4 ,sense training is fundamental to profitable education4 ,memory is the storehouse of all knowledge--see that your child has a good one4 ,you can give your children a wonderful advantage by playing these games with them4 ,they have the indorsement of educators4 ,they are scientific1 but simple and lots of fun4 ,,the ,,author4 ,,training ,,the ,,senses ,all through life you are accumulating knowledge1 and storing it away for future usefulness4 ,this knowledge becomes yours through one process1 which is a series of impressions carried to your brain by the nerves connecting it with the sense organs of your body4 ,the future value of this knowledge will depend largely upon the accuracy of the first sense impression4 ,if the sense impression is dim and indefinite the resulting knowledge will be uncertain and useless4 ,if the sense impression is inaccurate the resulting knowledge will be an error and cause a mistake in judgment4 ,the senses are the tools1 by the use of which the mind accumulates the knowledge which it uses in memory1 thought1 judgment1 imagination1 and all the mental operations4 ,professor ,w4 ,prior says3 ,the foundation of all mental development is the activity of the senses4 ,the first step in mental growth is the making of impressions on the brain by the senses4 ,the senses are the instruments by the use of which all knowledge is acquired4 ,sense training is the logical beginning of all ,education4 ,you give your child an education to help him to succeed in life4 ,first give him sharp tools--keen senses--that he may get the best results from the time spent in study4 ,an understanding of the proper use of the senses will enable you to make these impressions lasting--instead of fleeting4 ,lack of ability to properly use the senses is a handicap in life and a subtle foe to success4 ,in the beginning all the brain does is to store the simple sense impressions4 ,the baby sees his mother many times before he recognizes her4 ,the eye nerve carries to the brain the picture of the mother's face and stores it there4 ,soon the brain perceives the similarity and the child recognizes her4 ,the fact that in some way the brain retains the first1 second1 third1 etc41 impressions becomes the foundation of recognition4 ,if the sense nerve failed to carry the image of the face there would be no comparison and no recognition4 ,without sense impression there can be no knowledge4 ,imperfect sense impressions can only result in imperfect knowledge4 ,each set of sense nerves carries its impressions to a different area of the brain4 ,each set has a distinct and localized memory4 ,the ear memory is the auditory memory4 ,there is the gustatory memory of taste2 the olfactory memory of smell1 and the tactual memory of touch4 ,the visual memory is the most accurate and lasting4 ,the nerves connecting the eyes with the brain are many times larger than those of the other sense organs4 ,psychological tests have also proven the eye to be the most accurate of all the senses4 ,next to the eye comes the ear in both strength and exactness4 ,sense ,training ,games ,the training of the senses1 important and necessary as it is1 can be accomplished in a most entertaining and pleasant manner4 ,the playing of games1 so necessary in the life of children1 can in most cases be used as the agency to gain this result4 ,game of ,hide the ,watch ,you can entertain your children for an hour with this game and at the same time1 even without their knowledge1 be training one of their most important senses4 ,go into a quiet room and hide a watch where it will be out of sight but in a place where the ticking will be plainly audible4 ,if the children are small it will be well to start with a small clock1 or a watch which ticks loudly4 ,now let the children come into the room and1 standing perfectly still1 try to locate the watch by hearing it tick4 ,let them move around1 but very quietly1 so as not to disturb the others2 or let all move at one time4 ,when one of them has located the watch allow that child to remain and assist you in hiding it for the others4 ,a record can be kept to see who finds the watch the most often4 ,one child must not be allowed to move noisily1 or in any way disturb the efforts of the others4 ,see to it that they use their ears and not their eyes2 it will even be well to blindfold them4 ,results of ,sense ,training ,that the senses can be trained every one will at once admit4 ,the world is full of examples1 as the ,indian savage with his keen sight and hearing4 ,you may think this a natural born ability but there are many examples to prove the contrary4 ,the ,american scouts1 some of whom have gone into the ,indian country when they were grown men1 have become almost as proficient as the ,indians themselves4 ,this fact of the unusual ability of the ,indian is true today as well as in the story periods of the past4 ,on a recent camping and canoeing trip through the lakes of ,canada1 it was a common occurrence for the ,indian guide to say1 ,washkeesh1 meaning deer4 ,no one in the party could see the animal1 but the ,indian would point out the exact spot1 and as the party canoed silently along the shores the deer would soon become visible to all4 ,this training of the ,indian was brought about largely by necessity4 ,it was required for the preservation of his life4 ,the same is true of the white man who has gone into the ,indian's country4 ,if we were all driven by the same necessity we would have the same keenly developed senses4 ,prof4 ,magnusson says3 ,there is affecting our senses what may be called the disease of civilization4 ,civilized man does not have to use his senses4 ,let the realization of the importance of the ability spur you to conscious effort to secure this result for your children4 ,it can be done by playing the games which are to follow--it is of great value4 ,prof4 ,gates has demonstrated that by exercising one of the senses we actually build up brain matter4 ,a child who is helped to cultivate the sense of sight will not only make more brain cells in the visual areas but will also make more brain generally2 for the sense of sight correlates with all other areas of the brain4 ,this is a result well worth striving for4 ,there are many other examples in the different trades of today4 ,the ,tea and ,wine tasters have a very fine sense of taste and smell4 ,the jeweler has a well developed sense of hearing so that he can detect irregularities in the ticking of a clock that are imperceptible to most of us4 ,makers of telescope lenses complete the smoothing of the surface by rubbing them with the fingers1 being able in this way to detect the slightest roughness4 ,the blind have a very fine sense of feeling and hearing4 ,deaf people often have a keen sense of sight4 ,necessity and ,desire are the parents of all progress and development4 ,you will notice that in all of these cases there are these two impelling motives which have caused this great improvement4 ,create in the child the desire to be unusual in this regard4 ,show him that the highest success of life necessitates this development4 ,also that in every case it comes as the result of individual effort4 ,the one possessing this unusual capacity acquired it only as the result of his own continued practice4 ,the senses cannot be developed in a day4 ,they ,,can be developed1 however1 if you will make any reasonable effort4 ,the child will attach most value to that which gives him the greatest pleasure4 ,this is a fact which you must keep in mind throughout all your efforts in child training4 ,whenever possible make the exercises into games and make them interesting4 ,do not work so long with one idea that it becomes tiresome or tedious to the child4 ,add anything that suggests itself to you that will give variety4 ,when the child seems to be losing interest or paying only partial attention1 vary the game or change to some other4 ,in all the exercises it is helpful to note the results and keep careful watch of the progress made4 ,have competitive trials and championship records2 always keep some incentive for further effort before him4 ,encourage ,individualism ,each child should be a rule unto himself4 ,do not encourage or strive for uniformity of desire or result in your children4 ,let them reveal those distinctive characteristics with which they are endowed and then encourage and assist them in their development4 ,a child will excel in some things and possibly be deficient in others4 ,he will naturally wish to play most often that game in which he does best4 ,do not deny this game1 but use it as a reward1 when the child does well the thing he most needs4 ,use the promise to play it as an inducement to get him to do the more necessary or difficult exercise first4 ,even in cases where the children are old enough to use these books themselves1 parents should keep an oversight of the games used1 to see that all of their senses1 and especially the eye and the ear1 are developed4 ,an all around development is most necessary4 ,when parents join the game let it be an opportunity to introduce and encourage the most needed exercises4 ,training the senses will result in greater ability in all mental operations throughout life4 ,a few moments' daily use of the games and exercises in these books will attain the result4 ,there is one principal instruction1 that is--,,make ,,an ,,effort--,,try4 ,then persist1 try again1 let failure spur you to greater effort4 ,only he who continues to try1 after others have tried and given up1 will win the prize of success4 ,,to ,,develop ,,the ,,sense ,,of ,,touch ,the child should be taught to determine the degree of smoothness1 size1 shape1 quality 7of cloth71 and many other things of value by touch4 ,you can give an experienced dry goods clerk a piece of cloth and he can tell without looking at it what kind it is1 and about what grade4 ,this is entirely a matter of development upon the part of the clerk4 ,when he began this work he could not tell muslin from long-cloth4 ,parents will get a good idea of what is going on in the child's mind1 and the training he is receiving by watching the little fingers work in all these exercises for the development of the sense of touch4 ,try the exercises yourself and see what is required to do them accurately4 ,in this way you will be better able to help the child4 ,washing the hands in tepid water before the exercises of touch will increase the sensitiveness of the fingers4 ,have the child touch lightly with the pads at the ends of the fingers4 ,increase the difficulty of the exercises as he progresses4 ,exercise--,blindfold the child and hand him articles which are somewhat familiar and have him tell1 by feeling1 what they are4 ,have him describe them4 ,if a knife1 what kind of a knife it is4 ,if a box1 what kind of a box it is--about how long8 how wide8 how high8 ,if you ask the child to give these estimates in inches after removing the blindfold have him make the actual measurements4 ,have the child describe the article1 giving all the details possible1 and find any peculiarities or irregularities by feeling4 ,exercise--,give the child an article with which he is not familiar and have him describe it4 ,see how much he can learn by touch alone4 ,then let him see if he can learn any more by sound1 by knocking the article against something to determine what it is made of1 whether solid or hollow1 etc4 ,exercise--,give the child1 while blindfolded1 a book which he has recently read and see if he can identify it by the size1 shape1 thickness1 and quality of paper4 ,the ,game of the ,button ,bag ,from your button bag select a number of different buttons1 two of each kind4 ,let the child sort out the pairs and thus become somewhat familiar with the sizes and shapes4 ,then mix the buttons1 blindfold the child1 and let him match the pairs entirely by feeling4 ,have him lay them out in pairs as he matches them4 ,then take off the blindfold and let him see them just as he has matched them1 and count for himself how many are right and how many wrong4 ,game of ,matching ,cards ,take a piece of cardboard and cut it into many shapes1 as suggested by the illustration below4 ,make two pieces of each figure exactly alike4 ,let the child match them and see that there are two of each kind4 ,then mix them1 blindfold him and have him pick out the pairs by feeling4 ,there should be at least #ab sets--more if desired4 ,illustration ,animal ,cookies ,a similar game to the one above can be played with a box of animal cookies4 ,pour the cookies out on a large plate4 ,blindfold the children and let them select pairs of animals or as many of a kind as possible4 ,let them name the animals by feeling4 ,game of ,insets ,the expensive ,insets used by the ,montessori ,school can be satisfactorily made out of heavy cardboard and accomplish the desired result4 ,take a piece of cardboard of good thickness and draw on it some of the figures illustrated above4 ,after they are cut out with a sharp knife1 smooth the edges so that they will fit easily into the places from which they came4 ,the cardboard from which they are cut may be fastened to another or tacked to a thin board4 ,the game is to blindfold the child1 give him the cutouts and by the sense of touch let him find the proper hole and fit the piece into it4 ,as the pieces are fitted into their places they may be left there until the board is filled4 ,this exercise is a little more difficult than most of the others4 ,encourage the child to keep at it4 ,the ,game of the ,rag ,bag ,cut a number of pieces of different kinds of cloth4 ,show them to the child and have him feel of them and become acquainted with the pieces so as to know them by name4 ,blindfold him and give him one of the pieces of cloth and have him tell by feeling what kind it is4 ,put all the pieces in the rag bag 7any large bag will do74 ,blindfold the child again and let him pick out the kind of cloth you name4 ,see how many he can get correctly4 ,have him choose velvet1 silk1 satin1 calico1 muslin1 broadcloth1 etc41 using all the common varieties of cloth4 ,children need not be blindfolded if the bag is held so they cannot see4 ,blindfolding increases the curiosity and thus the interest in the games4 ,the ,game of ,dry ,goods ,clerk ,cut from the scraps in your rag bag two pieces each of all the different kinds of cloth that can be found there4 ,make the pieces about two by four inches and have them all of one size and shape4 ,let the child examine them and match them in pairs4 ,have him feel of them and see that they all feel different4 ,do not have more than two pieces of any one kind of cloth4 ,pay no attention to color4 ,now mix the pieces in a pile on the table1 blindfold the child and seat him in front of them4 ,have him match the pieces by feeling and lay each aside4 ,when finished1 have the child look at the pairs as matched1 counting for himself the points won4 ,the ,game of--,who ,is ,it8 ,blindfold two or three children4 ,silently select one of the others to be identified by the blindfolded children by means of touch4 ,let the blindfolded ones feel of the child--his hair1 face1 clothes and shoes4 ,in this way see which one will first be able to name him4 ,to win this game depends a great deal on the child's observation of what the other children are wearing4 ,the game of ,blind ,man's ,buff is similar and good1 but usually has a good deal of sound to assist the one guessing4 ,the ,game of--,weighing ,get a pair of scales and let the child weigh anything he wishes4 ,let him learn to accurately judge a pound1 then to estimate the weight of an article before placing it upon the scales4 ,teach the child comparative weights by lifting articles and determining which is the heavier4 ,encourage him to make a pair of balances with which he can balance one object against the other after he has compared them by holding one in each hand4 ,many variations can be easily made of these ideas1 to help the child to become accurate in estimating weights4 ,all practice will be more interesting if there is a record made1 and the spirit of competition is introduced4 ,measuring ,give the child a measure--quart or pint--and let him learn to estimate the capacity of the different utensils of the kitchen4 ,he should in this manner become able to judge accurately the contents of different containers4 ,the child should learn to estimate in pecks1 bushels1 etc4 ,this is good exercise and a valuable ability for later life4 ,let the games given here suggest new ones to be used2 any factor which will vary or add to the game is valuable4 ,keep always in mind the fact that the highest usefulness of the games is training the senses to be more accurate4 ,,training ,,the ,,ear ,this is a very important sense2 consider its relation to memory and how your decisions and judgments are based upon things you have heard or thought you heard4 ,psychological tests have revealed the fact that the ear of the average person is mistaken thirty-four per cent of the time4 ,think of it--one-third of your ear impressions are mistaken4 ,the resulting memory1 judgment and action must suffer4 ,this is true largely because of lack of a conscious effort to develop this important sense4 ,a ,test ,exercise ,have the child stand across the room and listen for the tick of a watch which you hold in your hand4 ,if he cannot hear the tick1 advance slowly toward him and keep track of the distance at which the child first distinguishes the ticking4 ,it will be interesting to test each ear separately4 ,any physical defect in the child's hearing can be found by this test4 ,encourage him to make a deliberate effort to hear the watch4 ,do not be too hasty in moving towards him as he will have to concentrate his attention before the tick can be heard4 ,this exercise is a good one for the development of attention4 ,practice with this yourself4 ,you will find as your attention wanders that you will lose the consciousness of the ticking of the watch4 ,the ,game of ,whispering ,have the child stand across the room or several feet away4 ,whisper a word and see if he can repeat it4 ,encourage him to try a little more and to be more quiet2 then whisper the same word but no louder4 ,work with this exercise1 increasing the tone gradually until the child distinguishes what is said4 ,then whisper other words and sentences4 ,this exercise can be lengthened and is excellent for the development of attention and memory as well as of hearing4 ,the ,game of ,tapping ,sit at a table and with a pencil or your finger tap upon it a certain number of times1 during which there are irregular intervals1 for example--four taps--interval--two taps--interval--five taps--interval--one tap4 ,now see if the child can reproduce the correct number of taps and intervals4 ,this can be varied in innumerable ways4 ,for older children tap a familiar tune and see who can recognize it4 ,let the winner tap a tune for the others to recognize4 ,the ,game--,speak and ,i'll ,name ,you ,blindfold one child and have the others sit or stand around him in a circle4 ,turn the blindfolded one around a few times and let him point to anyone1 saying3 ,speak and ,i'll name you4 ,the child designated1 in a natural voice says1 ,yes1 sir4 ,the one blindfolded has two chances to guess from the sound of the voice who the person is4 ,if he guesses correctly he is released1 if not1 he must pay a forfeit4 ,the person pointed out must be blindfolded and take the next turn4 ,forfeits may be redeemed in any manner desired4 ,the game ,ruth and ,jacob1 familiar to everyone1 is a good game of sound4 ,the ,game of ,silence ,for developing self-control and relaxation1 have the children practice silence4 ,have them relax and show them that the movement of a foot or a hand makes a slight noise4 ,have them listen to their breathing1 and then breathe just as quietly as they can4 ,drop a pin and have those who heard it put up their hands4 ,let them become perfectly quiet again and drop several pins for them to count4 ,see who is the most accurate4 ,in all your instructions to them only whisper4 ,do not allow them to talk or whisper at all during this exercise4 ,as you use it prolong the periods of silence and attention to one sound or idea4 ,this is a wonderful exercise for the development of the power of concentration and should be played often4 ,the ,game of ,drop ,it ,have the children sit quietly in a room2 have several different articles in your hands and drop them one at a time1 on the table4 ,have the children sitting with their backs to the table and determine by the sound what you have dropped4 ,for this exercise you can use a bunch of keys1 coins1 pencil1 knife1 books1 ball--anything that is available4 ,after they have become somewhat acquainted with the articles by sound1 drop the different objects in different places1 moving quietly about so that the children can only determine from the sound what you have dropped1 and where you dropped it4 ,for example1 drop the book on the rug1 the keys on the floor1 the pencil on the tiles of the hearth1 the coin on the table1 the keys on the mantel4 ,after each object is dropped1 see which child can tell what was dropped and where4 ,this will teach them to recognize the object and its location by sound4 ,do not overlook the value of competition--keep a score4 ,a ,musical ,exercise ,the child should be taught to recognize tones1 and the spaces between tones of the scale4 ,have him stand with his back to the piano and learn to tell the difference in the tones that are played4 ,first1 use the octave1 then the one-five-eight4 ,next the one-three-five eight2 then the one-two three1 etc4 ,then introduce the half-tones4 ,this exercise can be made more difficult according to age and musical ability4 ,the ,game of ,blind ,man's ,ears ,have the child blindfolded and sitting quietly on the porch and tell all the sounds he hears4 ,the blindfold will add to the interest and fun1 at the same time insure his dependence upon the sense of hearing4 ,let him tell what is approaching2 if persons are walking1 how many8 ,if a vehicle is coming1 how many horses1 and what kind of a vehicle8 ,let him learn to distinguish automobiles by sound1 large cars from small ones1 trucks from pleasure cars4 ,strive for recognition of the slightest sound1 a distant bird1 etc4 ,try to estimate the distance from which the sound is coming4 ,take the child into the woods1 teach him to distinguish the sounds of the different animals1 and if possible to locate the distance and to estimate the location4 ,on the ground1 in a bush1 or up a tree8 ,anything which stimulates the child to hear keenly and accurately is of value4 ,let the exercise be adapted to the time and place4 ,when he remarks ,how quiet it is here1 it is a good time for him to realize how many sounds are actually going on around him4 ,the ,game of ,telephoning ,give each child a pencil and paper and have them sit in a row or in different parts of the room equally distant from the spot selected for the operator4 ,make a list of words2 later on short sentences can be used2 have the operator take these and sit about twelve feet from the children4 ,let the operator whisper ,hello1 just loud enough for the children to hear distinctly4 ,the children can raise their hands when they get the connection1 or hear the ,hello1 but should not be allowed to speak during the game4 ,the operator will then whisper the words in the list slowly1 using the same volume of sound as in the ,hello1 giving time between words for each child to write them4 ,at the conclusion correct the lists1 each child being scored for the number of words heard correctly4 ,during this game all instructions should be given in whisper1 and perfect quiet maintained among the children4 ,the ,bell ,game ,have all the children sit quietly in one room while some one takes a small bell and goes to some other room1 hall or any other part of the house and rings the bell softly1 just loud enough to be heard in the room where the children are seated4 ,see which child can tell most accurately the location where the bell was rung4 ,allow the child making the closest guess to go out and ring the bell4 ,the ,game of ,stop ,thief ,place a table in the center of the room1 preferably one with doors on two sides1 or at least more than one door4 ,on the table place a bell1 bunch of keys or other article difficult to pick up without making a noise4 ,have all but one of the children blindfolded and seated at the end of the room farthest from the doors4 ,the child not blindfolded is the ,thief and leaves the room4 ,when everything is perfectly quiet the ,thief tries to enter the room1 get the article from the table and get out without being heard4 ,if a child hears the ,thief1 he calls ,stop ,thief1 and if he accurately locates the position of the thief he takes his place4 ,this game will teach the children to move quietly as well as to improve their hearing4 ,the ,table ,game ,after the meal and while enjoying a few minutes around the table have the children close their eyes while you take a spoon or fork and tap softly upon some dish or article on the table4 ,see who can tell by hearing what the article is and where it is4 ,see who is most accurate in locating the spot where the sound is made4 ,other interesting games to be played at the table will be found under the sense of ,sight and faculty of ,observation4 ,remember it is the effort that counts--just to listen will tend to sharpen the sense of hearing4 ,well developed senses are the result of repeated efforts upon the part of their possessor4 ,try--keep on trying4 ,care of the ,ears ,teach the child to respect and value the sense organs as possessions of great worth and to care for them properly4 ,do not allow any kind of abuse1 especially of the ears and eyes4 ,do not try to wash too far into the ears1 the inner ear is fully protected by nature and does not need cleansing4 ,wash as far as the child's finger will reach and no farther4 ,,training ,,the ,,sense ,,of ,,sight ,this sense has been endowed by nature with special ability and capacity4 ,the nerves connecting the eye with the brain are eighteen times larger than those of any other sense4 ,their capacity to impress the brain is therefore many times greater4 ,at the same time nature has duplicated the sense of sight and we have the mind's eye1 or the faculty of visualization1 by which we can reproduce the visual impression1 or picture1 of the thing which we have seen4 ,this faculty is one of the important foundations of memory development as you will see in future chapters4 ,we are probably more conscious of defects in the operation of the sense of sight because of the many opportunities for comparison with others4 ,children may differ considerably in their vision but any unusual condition should prompt a consultation with a specialist4 ,because of the movement possible in this sense organ and the delicate muscles which control it1 there is the possibility of improvement by muscular exercise which does not exist in the other senses4 ,the following exercises will strengthen the eye muscles4 ,they should be practiced by persons of all ages4 ,it has been found during operations that some of the eye muscles have been exercised so little that they have become almost incapable of use4 ,these exercises are simple1 and can be practiced at odd moments1 that would otherwise be wasted4 ,first--,move the eye horizontally as far as you can to the left and then to the right4 ,continue this until there is a feeling of fatigue4 ,no physical exercise should be continued beyond that point4 ,second--,move the eyes vertically as far as you can1 up and then down1 trying to extend the range of vision4 ,continue this alternately until you feel fatigue4 ,third--,roll the eyes from right to left and then from left to right in as large a circle as possible4 ,these exercises will keep the eye muscles in a healthy condition4 ,see to it that the child does not abuse his eyes2 that he does not strain them2 always has plenty of light and that it falls upon the page1 or work1 that he is doing4 ,do not overlook indications of eye trouble1 eye pains1 inflamed lids1 continued recurrence of styes1 blood-shot eyeballs1 or pain back of the eyes1 all should have the attention of a doctor4 ,a stitch in time saves nine4 ,strive for ,more ,detail ,there is the greatest difference in the amount of detail which the eyes of different persons gather from a glance at an object4 ,some will only see a tree2 others in the same time will see a tree with spreading branches1 small irregularly shaped leaves1 with small black berries and a rough vertically marked bark4 ,children should be trained to notice as much detail as possible4 ,development along this line becomes a basis for many other mental operations which will be discussed later on4 ,exercise for ,detail ,place yourself with the child where you can look out on the landscape4 ,pick out some object1 tell him what it is1 and have him look until he finds it4 ,then let the child pick out some object that he thinks will be difficult for you to find4 ,it may be a bird1 a red flower1 or a hoop4 ,as he develops pick objects farther away1 smaller or partially hidden4 ,another ,good ,exercise ,have the child look at a house and give you all the detail that he can see4 ,call the child's attention to the things missed so that he sees the reason for making an additional effort4 ,the same exercise can be followed with any object1 a tree1 an automobile1 or an animal4 ,when in the house use a picture on the wall1 a table1 a book case or a coin4 ,you will find that the longer the child looks at the object the more detail he will see4 ,the aim is to get him to notice and mention the details as quickly as possible4 ,after some practice he will be able to mention them as rapidly as he can speak4 ,this can be made into a competitive game when there are several children4 ,keep score of the number of the details each can write on a slip of paper in a given length of time4 ,training the ,eye to ,measure ,the ability to accurately measure with the eye is a thing that a great many people find very difficult1 if not almost impossible4 ,you are continuously finding opportunity to use such an ability4 ,a little conscious effort will work wonders in this regard and children should not be allowed to grow up without being trained to intelligently estimate measurements4 ,in this training begin with larger measurements and from that work to the finer ones as rapidly as the child can progress4 ,first ,exercise ,have the child determine which of two trees in the distance is the closest or use any other objects in the landscape4 ,walk towards the trees to prove the matter4 ,point out things of interest to encourage the child's observation of nature4 ,second ,exercise ,give the child a foot rule and let him become acquainted with its length4 ,then with his fingers on the table have him indicate the distance which he believes to equal that of the length of the rule4 ,lay it between the child's fingers4 ,practice until he knows accurately how long a foot is4 ,at the same time and for variety he can practice with a half foot and an inch4 ,have him compare objects with a foot rule and determine whether they are longer or shorter4 ,then let him measure the objects4 ,allow the child to check the measurements himself1 this will increase his definite conception of the length of a foot4 ,the ,game of ,measuring ,let the child with his eye1 and without a rule1 measure the length of the table1 of the book case1 the side of the room1 or the height of a door4 ,have him do this by eye measurement and not by guess work4 ,teach him to start at one end and select a point which he judges to be one foot from the end and then to advance the eye to a point one foot from that and so on1 counting as he goes1 one1 two1 three and a half--whatever he believes is right4 ,then have him take the foot rule and check his measurements accurately4 ,in the same manner the child should be taught to know and to be able to measure with the yard stick4 ,with it1 of course1 measure larger objects1 as the length of the house1 the width of the porch1 the distance from the house to the sidewalk1 the width of the street1 the height of the shed1 etc4 ,teach the child to recognize the distance of a block1 a half mile or a mile1 and the size of an acre4 ,unless you have had some practice in work of this kind1 you will find yourself busy keeping ahead of the child4 ,you can get excellent practice and development which will be of value to you1 by entering into these exercises4 ,make it a point to become thoroughly interested in the work yourself1 as it will insure continuation and increased good for the child4 ,remember the interest increasing value of competition4 ,while training the child's eye to measure1 excellent practice will be found in determining comparative length of lines4 ,the illustrations below will show some of the ways in which the lines can be made confusing4 ,the child should be given enough drill in this exercise so that he learns to judge the things as they are1 and not as they seem4 ,have him look at ,figure #a and decide which is the longer line1 a side of the square ,b or the diameter of the circle ,a4 ,then have him measure carefully4 ,in like manner compare the height of the two rectangles in ,figure #b4 ,which line is longest in ,figure #c--;,,ab1 ,,cb1 or ,,bd8 ,which vertical lines are tallest in ,figure #d--those between ,,ab or ,,bc8 ,in ,figure #e which line is longest1 ,a1 ,b or ,c8 ,illustration ,good practice can be had in judging the size of boxes by comparing the length of one box with the width of another1 or any similar measurements4 ,in each case the measurements should actually be made so that all error can be corrected4 ,in the same way practice with size and thickness of books4 ,let the child estimate them by inches so that he learns to determine accurately the difference in thickness4 ,the carpenter can readily tell the full inch board from the seven-eights boards by looking at it or by feeling4 ,his ability to do this is the result of practice4 ,the size of type is a good thing to practice with1 as the irregular outlines of the type make it quite confusing4 ,a sample book of type can be gotten from any printer4 ,from this the child can also be taught to become familiar with the common type faces4 ,this knowledge he can use to good advantage in later years4 ,the child should be taught a definite length of step for the purpose of measurement4 ,in proportion to his size he can learn to step off two feet or a yard4 ,he should also know the length in inches of his shoe for the purpose of checking shorter measurements4 ,have the child know his height and estimate the height of trees1 buildings1 etc4 ,these estimates can be checked by computing the proportion of the length of the shadow thrown by the tree and using the proportion4 ,example--,if the child is five feet tall and his shadow measures three feet1 the shadow is three-fifths of his height4 ,if the shadow of the tree measures fifteen feet1 the height of the tree is twenty-five feet4 ,further ,development of ,sight ,there are two important faculties which are dependent upon the operation of the eye for usefulness and accuracy4 ,they are ,visualization and ,perception4 ,the games which are given later for the improvement of these important mental operations will also develop the sense of sight4 ,it will be better to use these later exercises where double results can be accomplished4 ,give all the time possible to the games on pages #ei to #fi4 ,,the ,,senses ,,of ,,taste ,,and ,,smell ,for most of the mental operations the three senses already treated are the more important ones4 ,there are some trades in which the senses of taste and smell are also important4 ,these can be cultivated readily by exercises of any nature that stimulate an effort on the part of the children4 ,many ideas will suggest themselves to you from those given for the other senses4 ,it is advisable to do a good deal of the practice blindfolded so as to separate entirely the sense of sight1 and force dependence upon the senses of taste and smell4 ,these two senses are very closely allied4 ,try the experiment of determining the difference in tea1 coffee1 milk and water while the eyes are covered and the nose held tightly closed4 ,the degree to which these two senses can be developed is illustrated by the proficiency which is shown by experts and testers who grade tea1 coffee and tobacco4 ,the usefulness of their development is to a large degree only of value to those engaged in these lines of trade4 ,the opportunity for their development comes rarely except in connection with work in the trades1 and for that reason will not be dealt with at any length here4 ,using ,two of the ,senses ,there are times when the ability to use two of the senses with reasonable accuracy at the same time will be of value4 ,it is not possible for either of the senses to produce perfect attention while working in conjunction with one another4 ,we can attend to only one thing at a time and do it well1 but ,divided ,attention is possible4 ,under the chapter on ,attention and ,concentration1 on page #ge1 you will find an explanation of ,divided ,attention1 which should be read before going farther with these exercises4 ,exercises for ,two ,senses ,combine any of the previous exercises for ,eye and ,ear1 ,ear and ,feeling1 ,eye and ,feeling1 etc41 but do not attempt two exercises of the same sense or use two of the same order4 ,at first the attention will alternate between the two exercises1 but by persistence the child can learn to carry on two exercises at the same time4 ,watch an operator in the central phone stations1 she listens to the party calling1 watches the board over which other conversations are passing1 and pulls and shifts the plugs1 all at the same time4 ,operators of many machines in factories learn to carry on two and more separate operations at one time4 ,combine the ,insets for the sense of feeling on page #ah with the ,number ,game or the ,letter ,game on page #de1 or with the exercises for visual counting on page #ei4 ,let the ,insets be held close to the body so as not to be easily seen1 or have them worked under the table1 or covered by a cloth4 ,use a similar combination of any of the sense exercises or games4 ,try many variations of the idea given on page #ge under ,divided ,attention1 using different verses and problems to suit the age of the child4 ,have the child write a familiar verse while listening to the reading of a story and see how much he can tell after the verse is finished4 ,see that the writing continues during the reading1 that is1 that he does not stop writing to listen1 then write again4 ,take the letter cards of the ,letter ,game1 page #de1 and arrange a series of six1 having these covered4 ,give the child a paper and pencil1 uncover the series of letters and simultaneously read an equal series of digits4 ,after the reading cover the letters and have him write as many as possible1 first the letters and immediately following the digits4 ,next time write the digits first and the letters second4 ,the result of this test will reveal the comparative quality of the child's eye and ear memory1 as memory must of course enter into this exercise4 ,if the sounds of the digits are lost before the pictures of the letters1 the eye memory is strongest4 ,this is usually the case1 but some children will retain the sounds easily and lose the picture of the letters4 ,the sense which proves most useful should be depended upon for accuracy1 but there should be a continuous effort to develop and strengthen the weaker one4 ,improvement ,from ,conscious ,effort ,the child may be normal in all his senses and able to gain an average success in life without much conscious effort given to improving them4 ,it will require very little effort1 however1 to greatly develop the capacity of the different senses and thus increase the success which he will gain1 and greatly reduce the effort necessary to attain it4 ,while effort and use develop1 neglect causes disintegration4 ,the fact that the eye1 for example1 needs development is illustrated by the limited usefulness of this organ in infants4 ,professor ,compayre tells us that babies see only objects in front of them1 not to the right or to the left1 and only objects that are at short range4 ,your present capacity in the use of this sense organ1 and the accuracy with which you use it1 is the result of the development of past years4 ,conscious effort upon the part of your children will lead them to more rapid development1 and to the possibility of far greater power and usefulness4 ,the value of this improvement is apparent to you1 but not to the child4 ,the benefits to be derived will be largely dependent upon your leadership and encouragement in making the effort4 ,while the children are seeking amusement1 see that they combine it with these games and exercises which will accomplish some improvement that will be permanent and valuable to them later on4 ,the ,faculty of ,visualization ,the sense of sight has been wonderfully endowed with a duplicate power which we have come to call the mind's eye4 ,with this visual faculty we produce some very important mental operations4 ,we must first become conscious of this faculty and learn to use it intelligently and then to broaden its scope and increase its power to deal with details4 ,visualization is the mind's eye reproduction of an impression made by the sense of sight4 ,when the name of ,abraham ,lincoln is mentioned you can see his face in your mind's eye4 ,hesitate a moment and become really conscious of this reproduction of ,lincoln's face in your mind4 ,see the details of the picture1 the deep set eyes1 the furrowed skin1 the sad expression1 etc4 ,another ,visual ,test ,in the same manner your mind can reproduce an unlimited number of pictures4 ,anything which you have once seen with the physical eye can be reproduced again in the mind's eye4 ,make a few tests of this fact1 if it is not well known to you4 ,for example1-- ,see a pasture with a creek flowing through1 willows hanging over the water1 the green grass on the banks1 and the stock grazing there4 ,see several different kinds and sizes of animals1 note their color1 what they are doing4 ,add to the detail of the picture4 ,to close the eyes and thus to eliminate the more distinct impressions of the physical eye1 will assist you in visualizing any picture4 ,visual ,process ,natural ,we are all born with this ability to visualize or see imaginary mental reproductions of things which we have seen before4 ,by the use of the imagination we combine parts of these pictures into new ones and thus are able to construct a mind's eye picture which may never have existed in fact4 ,children possess this faculty in a marked degree2 they use it continuously and unconsciously4 ,they can also see their visual picture much more clearly than their parents can1 unless they have continued to use the faculty consciously4 ,many children amuse themselves by the hour in playing with imaginary playmates1 and will talk to them as interestedly as if they were really present4 ,to the child they are present1 he actually sees them and also visualizes the conditions under which he is playing4 ,the child should be given a conscious understanding of the mind's eye picture and what is meant by visualization4 ,teach him that when you ask him to visualize1 you mean for him to see clearly the mind's eye picture of the thing referred to4 ,the first exercises in visualization are for the purpose of developing a clear visual picture4 ,training the ,mind's ,eye ,the following tests and games will reveal the lack of speed and accuracy in the operation of the visual faculty4 ,the repetition of the tests will result in an improved ability2 vary and continue them and you can quickly experience improvement in the availability of the faculty4 ,exercises which tend to quicken the action1 broaden the range of vision1 and increase the amount of detail retained1 are most valuable4 ,the ,picture ,test ,select a good sized picture which is strange to the child1 in which there are several persons surrounded by the furniture of a room1 or any similar setting where there are a number of objects4 ,allow him to give one quick glance at the picture and then see whether he can recall definitely just how many persons were in the picture8 ,whether they were men1 women or children2 and locate definitely the position of each person4 ,the first glance should not exceed one second4 ,now let him look at the picture again for not more than five seconds4 ,see how many objects he can name1 check them up to see that he is accurate4 ,also notice how many objects are mentioned which are not in the picture4 ,test for ,quick ,reaction ,prepare a strip of cardboard about three inches wide and fourteen inches long4 ,get as many colors of paper as possible1 cut them into strips of unequal width and paste them on the cardboard so that each color will be from one to three inches wide1 according to the number secured4 ,stand across the room holding the back of the strip towards the children1 then turn it over so that they get one clear glance4 ,this glance should not exceed the length of time it takes you to count rapidly one-half the number of colors4 ,there should not be less than six colors on the slip1 in which case you count from one to three4 ,after this first quick glance see who can tell accurately ,,how ,,many colors there are on the slip4 ,let each write down the number his mind registered without checking up to see if he is correct4 ,a ,test for ,color ,reaction ,now turn the paper over again so that they see the colors about twice as long as the first test4 ,then have them write a list of the colors that are on the paper4 ,after they have written all the colors that they saw1 have them take the following tests1 before checking up the lists4 ,a ,test for ,order ,allow a third glance at the color strip while you count ten1 and have each begin at the left hand end of the strip1 noting the arrangement of the colors1 and see if they can write accurately the order in which the colors appear on the card4 ,the first test is for quick reaction of the mind4 ,the amount that they are able to observe in a given length of time will depend upon the rapidity with which their minds react4 ,this test is designed to determine the rapidity of the mental reaction4 ,about thirty-five per cent of those who take it are able to get the correct number1 where the number of colors is not more than seven4 ,the second test is designed to determine the ability of the mind to hold the color impressions4 ,about twenty-five per cent are able to retain the impression of the seven colors4 ,the third test combines the power to retain the color impression with the ability to retain the correct order4 ,experience shows that not over ten per cent are able to give the order accurately4 ,similar tests repeated will give a great amount of exercise and soon result in a perceptible increase in the power to accomplish the desired results4 ,the ,letter ,game ,prepare a series of white cards about #b ,x #c inches1 larger for larger groups1 on which are painted the letters of the alphabet in large black type4 ,for this test select a convenient spot1 such as the mantel1 window sill1 or table edge1 and place six letters upright and side by side1 but do not have the letters spell a word4 ,each child should be supplied with paper and pencil4 ,all should hold the pencil above their heads4 ,upon a signal allow the children a five-second glance at the letters4 ,when the five seconds have elapsed give the command ,write1 at which each child will write the letters in proper sequence4 ,when they have had ten seconds in which to write1 give the command stop4 ,during the time for writing the letters the cards should be covered4 ,now the cover can be removed and each allowed to check the result4 ,begin with the arrangement of about six letters and gradually increase the number and complexity of arrangement so as always to give the child something to strive for4 ,only that which requires effort results in growth4 ,those things for which we strive are of most value to us4 ,a few examples for the letter game-- ,m ,d ,l ,t ,r ,x ,x ,o ,m ,e ,r ,s ,e ,a ,m ,n ,r ,t ,v ,t ,e ,x ,r ,l ,o ,s ,a ,x ,m ,e ,v ,a ,l ,r ,y ,a ,c ,o ,p ,t ,e ,l ,later arrange some double line combinations1 and increase the complexity as the ability develops4 ,y--,e--,o--,p ,x--,o--,j--,r ,m--,p--,s--,q ,e--,m--,t--,a ,b--,z--,y--,e ,r--,e--,t--,w ,l--,v--,d--,h ,in some combinations use letters which make the semblance of a word and later some which spell a word4 ,notice how quickly and easily the combination is remembered when it conveys sense or something definite which the mind can grasp4 ,for example-- ,t--,e--,x--,o ,a--,m--,i--,t ,c--,o--,c--,o ,b--,r--,a--,s ,c--,r--,e--,p ,j--,u--,b--,s ,f--,i--,n--,o ,the ,number ,game ,in the same manner in which you made the cards for the ,letter ,game prepare a set on which are numbers instead of letters4 ,follow the same rules for the ,number ,game1 using rows of numbers instead of letters4 ,first use a row of single digits1 increasing it until you have used nine or ten4 ,then change and arrange a column of two digits1 as illustrated below4 ,later for variety you can combine letters and numbers4 ,in some arrangements leave blank spaces requiring the child to leave the blank in its proper location when reproducing his mental picture4 ,a ,few ,examples for ,guidance #bc #ej #b #e #a #g #b #ijf #d #df #bg #i #f #h #a #d #e #bg #af #ai #dh #c #g #d #f #a #b #j #jaj #cgb #dc #ad #j #e #a #i #c #e #d #f #i #efhj ,x #g #c #g #f ,a #i ,e ,x #e #j ,t#d ,,ax #i ,e #d ,b ,a #g ,x #f #d ,b ,c #a #f;,e #if #a ,o ,b ,x ,t ,o ,m #a #d #i #b #aj ,d#g ,a series of squares1 circles1 triangles1 etc41 can be used4 ,these exercises can be varied in any manner and made as long and as complicated as is necessary to keep the child striving to make an effort to accomplish more4 ,keep a time limit1 remember the value of competition1 championship scores1 etc4 ,the ,colors of a ,room ,have the child look at one side of the room1 then look away and tell all the colors he saw there in pictures1 draperies1 etc4 ,have him look at a certain picture for about five seconds and turn away and see how many of the colors in it he can recall4 ,use a row of books on the shelf for another test4 ,have the child tell how many colors he saw in the row1 and1 if possible1 how many books4 ,practice ,with ,geometrical ,figures ,first secure some geometrical figures4 ,take for example a five-pointed star1 have the child look at it carefully1 then close his eyes and reproduce its form and size in a clear1 visual picture4 ,let him look at the drawing and see if he can improve the clearness and definite proportion of his mind's eye picture4 ,now have him take a sheet of paper and draw this picture as he sees it in his mind1 and when complete compare it with the original for accuracy in size and proportion4 ,let him close his eyes several times and get just as definite a mind's eye picture as possible before he attempts the drawing of the figure4 ,practice with figures of this kind1 gradually increasing their complexity4 ,use ,other ,simple ,objects ,instead of the geometrical figures of the previous exercise1 take some simple object1 such as a coin1 a key1 a watch charm1 or a book4 ,follow the same plan as above4 ,have the child make a complete mind's eye picture1 then try to draw it4 ,color ,practice ,valuable ,secure a number of colored objects1 such as sheets of paper1 or book covers1 or candy boxes1 anything which is colored4 ,let the child study the color carefully1 then reproduce it in his mind's eye4 ,first he must work with single colors1 then combine two or three in a group1 and reproduce them in his mind's eye4 ,in following this exercise he will develop an accurate color memory4 ,out-of-,door ,games ,select a certain tree and let the child look at it intently for a few seconds1 then ask him to close his eyes1 or look away1 and describe the tree to you4 ,try to get him to see clearly all the detail in his mind's eye picture1 as you did in the former exercises for the physical eye4 ,use ,entire ,landscape ,in the same way have the child visualize the landscape4 ,let him look at it intently for a few moments1 and then1 with his eyes closed1 describe it4 ,the description which the child gives will reveal the amount of detail in his mind's eye picture4 ,try again1 and see how much he can add at the second trial4 ,immediate ,visualization ,the rapidity of visualization can be greatly increased by effort and training4 ,there is great value in this ability1 and it can be attained by shortening the interval during which the object or exercise is visible to the eye4 ,after the children have learned to form a definite1 accurate picture1 try to shorten the time in which they see the objects4 ,strive until they can take in the whole at a glance4 ,the detail will continue to develop after the eyes are closed4 ,in the ,letter and ,number ,games gradually shorten the time given until they can reproduce the entire row at a glance4 ,such effort will quicken the action of the brain area of sight4 ,the story is told of a woman who so developed this ability that she could secure a picture of the page of a letter in one glance and read it from the visual image4 ,she became a well-known government agent in a foreign country1 an internationally known spy4 ,all of the exercise given for the development of the sense of sight can be used for visualization and later for observation4 ,these two important faculties are closely related to each other and both dependent upon the eye4 ,later on you will see that the most used of all the faculties--,memory--is in turn largely dependent upon all three4 ,training of ,younger ,children ,up to eight years of age the child should be trained principally in the use of his senses and in making clear mind's eye pictures4 ,the parent should have the definite aim in mind of increasing the child's stock of knowledge1 and of the later value of these efforts4 ,show him everything you can1 and take time to explain4 ,things are new to the child1 even though they are very common to you4 ,this is the age when he acquires his knowledge of things without being so much interested in their relationship to each other4 ,a great deal which is explained to children is forgotten1 because they did not sense it--that is1 they do not impress it upon the mind by many and varied sense impressions4 ,simply to hear the answer to the question is not sufficient4 ,you can tell a child what a rectangle is1 but he is very apt to forget4 ,if1 after you have explained a rectangle to the child1 you have him go around the room and find all the rectangles that he can--such as windows1 doors1 books1 etc41 and then draw different sizes of them1 he will never forget4 ,,developing ,,the ,,observation ,the next step of development1 after forming clear visual impressions1 and closely allied to it1 is the development of the faculty of observation4 ,the eyes see1 but the brain perceives4 ,the sense organs bring a sensation to the brain where1 by the act of perception1 it is classified or identified as being like certain other objects and filed away in its proper place4 ,recognition goes a step farther and places this object alongside of one particular mental image1 which it resembles4 ,standing by the gate in the twilight you see an object coming down the road4 ,as it approaches you ,perceive that it is a cow4 ,as it comes closer you ,recognize it as ,neighbor ,jones' cow4 ,you ,perceive that it is a cow1 but you ,recognize her as a certain cow1 different from all others4 ,it is a fact that the eye may be perfect1 and the nerve connecting it with the brain may be in good working order1 and yet no impression may be received by the brain4 ,injury to that area of the brain which receives the impression from the eye may cause total blindness2 at the same time the eye and nerves connecting it with the brain may be physically perfect4 ,when the brain is not injured1 the same result is brought about by lack of ,attention4 ,the eye can look straight at an object and you do not perceive it4 ,the brain does not accept any impression of it4 ,attention is necessary that the sense impressions may be properly perceived and recognized2 and this completed mental operation is commonly called ,observation4 ,trained senses that react quickly make possible quick perception and recognition4 ,the result is quick1 accurate1 and complete observation4 ,observation requires knowledge and it develops definite knowledge1 but most people are poor observers4 ,help your children to be definite in their knowledge and to know what they know4 ,how many can tell the different trees by name8 ,how many legs has a spider1 a fly1 a bee1 a butterfly8 ,it is a strange fact that the poorly educated are the best observers4 ,do not lose sight of the necessity of helping the child to form the habit of observation4 ,it is the basis of common sense4 ,do not let him grow up ignorant of the common knowledge and experiences4 ,the faculty of observation is also the basis of science and of the success of specialists in every line4 ,the story is told of a young man1 who1 having made up his mind to become a naturalist1 went to a celebrated teacher in that line of study4 ,the professor set the young man at work drawing a picture of a fish4 ,the picture was soon finished and carried to the teacher for inspection1 who1 without looking up1 said3 ,draw it again4 ,this seemed foolish to the young man1 but he sat down and drew a new and better picture1 which he again carried to the teacher for approval4 ,this time the professor told him to go back and improve it and to wait until he should come to inspect it4 ,the young scholar returned1 did some more work on the picture and then pushed it back and waited4 ,the professor did not come and so he started wandering restlessly around the room1 thinking he had been forgotten4 ,soon he became interested in studying the fish he had been drawing2 he noticed several peculiarities of the eye which he added to his picture4 ,this led him to a more careful study1 and other details were noted and added4 ,he then decided he could draw a better picture1 so started all over again4 ,after days had passed1 the professor came in and glanced at the picture which the young man then realized was still only partially complete4 ,for one year this young scholar was kept busy studying and drawing the fish1 then the old professor told him3 ,you have learned the greatest lesson of the scientist1 observation4 ,this young man was ,agassiz1 who became ,america's foremost naturalist4 ,observation usually occurs where there is a motive4 ,do not ask the child to develop it1 but induce him to play games and to strive to excel in contests which require observation4 ,value of ,observation ,this is one of the faculties which we use continuously1 but have given very little thought to its conscious improvement4 ,every judgment rendered in business life is largely dependent for accuracy upon this faculty4 ,you may intend investing money in a piece of real estate4 ,you go out to look at it4 ,what you see on this trip of inspection is a large factor in your decision4 ,your ability to observe all existing conditions will go a long way towards determining whether or not your judgment in buying this property is correct4 ,if the surrounding land is higher1 and you do not observe this fact1 you will probably discover1 when winter comes1 that you have purchased a mud hole4 ,two men go to inspect a piece of mining property4 ,mr4 ,a decides to invest1 while ,mr4 ,b decides not to4 ,in talking over the situation later on ,a inquires of ,b why he did not invest1 and finds that ,b saw many things about the location of the property which he did not see at all4 ,in every decision of life we depend largely upon our observation2 upon the things we see4 ,a keen observation is of great help to the salesman in finding a point of contact with the prospective buyer4 ,when he enters the man's office his eyes are keen and alert4 ,he sees the golf bag or tennis racquet in the corner1 or a book on the man's desk1 the title of which he can read at a glance4 ,these things reveal to him the things in which this man is interested4 ,if all faces look alike to you you will of course call them all by the same name4 ,your friends are all different in their appearance4 ,it is your observation which detects this difference4 ,you may have thought that ,mr4 ,jones and ,mr4 ,smith look very much alike1 but when you see the two side by side you are surprised that you ever thought they resembled each other4 ,such cases are not at all rare1 and show that the observation has not been as keen and accurate as it should have been4 ,the ,neglected ,faculty ,observation can be improved easily and quickly4 ,this is one of the faculties which is used so habitually that we have overlooked its importance and almost entirely neglected its improvement4 ,the following pages will give some tests by which you can determine the child's power of observation and which will convince you of the need of its development1 and also suggest some simple games by means of which you and your children can improve this important mental faculty4 ,it is a great aid to observation to have the ability to place upon the brain a physical eye picture which is so clear and distinct that later1 when you reproduce the picture in the mind's eye1 you still see the details accurately4 ,to develop this power of visualization will help to develop the ability to observe4 ,the exercises in the development of observation which follow will also improve the visual power of the mind's eye4 ,method of ,developing ,observation ,the story is told how the ,french magician ,houdin trained the observation of his son4 ,they would go down the street together and stop in front of a shop window4 ,the father and son would both take a good look at the contents of the window1 and then walk on a little farther and stop and write on a pad all the objects they could recall4 ,then they would go back to the window and compare the lists1 and go on to a second window and do the same thing4 ,this exercise was followed until the boy had developed an unusual ability to remember what he saw4 ,when the father was performing his magical feats on the stage of ,paris he would ask people from the audience to come up onto the stage and deposit any articles which they chose upon the table until there were forty in all4 ,the boy1 blindfolded1 was then brought onto the stage1 led up to the table1 and1 after the blindfold was removed1 allowed one glance4 ,he was then blindfolded again and led to the front of the stage with his back to the table4 ,he would without hesitation name each of the forty objects4 ,this was considered magic1 mental telepathy1 etc4 ,it was magic--the magic of practice4 ,practice will work wonders for you and your children4 ,the method followed by this magician is one of the best exercises for developing this faculty4 ,the time you put in walking the streets is mostly wasted as far as mental development is concerned4 ,as you and the children pass a store window look closely at the articles in it and as you walk along see how many each of you can recall definitely4 ,at first you will not be able to name very many4 ,practice in this way several times a day will soon enable you to recall the majority of things that you see4 ,continual practice will result in your becoming an adept4 ,the same kind of practice can be indulged in on streets where there are no store windows4 ,look at the front of a house and see how definitely you can describe it after you are by4 ,how many windows has it8 ,can you see the color1 trimmings1 the style of windows1 doors1 porches1 and all the details clearly8 ,practice until all can do this4 ,then observe the yard until you can describe the approximate size1 the arrangement of the shrubbery1 walks1 flower beds and trees4 ,while walking with the children continuously use these ideas4 ,call their attention to a certain house and when you have passed ask questions regarding what they have observed4 ,an excellent method of developing observation is to recall the definite location of the furniture in the different rooms of the home1 the articles that are on the top of the dresser or library table4 ,in going to the home or office of a friend look around the room once carefully1 then look out of the window or at the floor1 and recall the furniture and other details of the furnishings4 ,how many pictures are on the walls1 where are they and what are they8 ,picture ,cards for ,observation ,secure a group of pictures which have considerable detail and a variety of objects such as often appear on calendars1 large magazine pictures1 and advertisements1 etc4 ,put a single picture upon the wall for observation for a period of a few seconds4 ,let each child write the answers to a series of questions1 each being numbered4 ,they can be answered verbally if the group is small4 ,have the list of questions prepared and numbered4 ,if the picture is of a house and yard have questions like the following3 ,how many chimneys8 ,how many windows upstairs1 downstairs8 ,how many porches8 ,what color is the house8 the trimmings8 ,how many trees1 bushes1 flower beds8 ,is there a fence8 ,is the door open or closed8 ,is there any person in the picture8 ,any animal8 ,counting ,from ,mind's ,eye ,pictures ,illustration3 ,,group #a4 ,take a piece of paper1 or a child's slate1 place a simple group of small circles1 as illustrated in ,group ,one4 ,let the child look at this group for five seconds4 ,turn the slate over and have him count from his mind's eye picture and tell how many circles are in the group4 ,then have the child draw on the other side of the slate or on another piece of paper the circles as nearly in the same position as possible4 ,see that he gets the advantage of two tests from this exercise1 one the counting from his mind's eye picture and the other to be able to reproduce the group in the same positions as shown on the other side of the slate4 ,illustration3 ,,group #b4 ,make another group of mixed crosses and circles as shown in ,group ,two4 ,after looking at it for five seconds1 have the child tell you how many circles and how many crosses there are4 ,have him draw a picture of them4 ,illustration3 ,,group #c4 ,use a group of combined circles and squares as illustrated in ,groups ,three and ,four4 ,as the child becomes able to count and reproduce accurately1 increase the difficulty and complexity of the exercises4 ,for variety use triangles1 rectangles1 octagons1 stars1 etc41 as in ,group ,four4 ,illustration3 ,,group #d4 ,for ,visual ,reproduction ,divide a slate or a sheet of paper into four1 six1 nine or twelve sections4 ,beginning with four and increasing the number as the child progresses4 ,draw in each section some picture1 number1 letter or object1 as illustrated4 ,let the child look at those which you have arranged and then close his eyes and look away and tell what is in each of the squares4 ,if he is old enough1 let him take a piece of paper and reproduce the squares and their contents4 ,for variety the squares can contain all letters1 all numbers1 or all objects4 ,illustration ,the ,game of ,quick ,counting ,have a handful of small sticks or matches and lay a number in a row on the table4 ,let the children stand with their backs to the table and a few feet away from it4 ,after you have arranged the sticks go several feet away from the table and say1 ,ready6 ,the children then go to the table1 count the sticks1 run to you and whisper their answer4 ,the object in your being away from the table is to keep the others from repeating the answer of the first child when they have not finished the count for themselves4 ,from a simple beginning of a straight row of a few sticks1 the game can be developed to any degree of complexity1 so that it will tax the powers of the most alert and developed mind4 ,the children will soon be able to glance at the group of sticks and count them from their mind's eye picture while they are coming to you and not have to stand at the table while counting them4 ,lay the sticks in groups1 make them into figures1 into small piles1 double lines of different length1 etc4 ,a few different groups are illustrated below--use matches1 tooth picks1 or any small articles4 ,illustration ,the ,game of ,visual ,counting ,take the same game described above for ,quick ,counting and have the children see the figure or pile of sticks for just a moment1 then cover them and let them count from their visual picture and tell the number1 rather than by the actual count as before4 ,they can also have a handful of sticks in their hands and each try to arrange a group of sticks which is the duplicate of the one they have been observing4 ,the game of dominoes is good for small children in helping them to count quickly and accurately4 ,use a row of dominoes instead of sticks and have the children count the number of spots from their mind's eye picture4 ,for variety use any objects1 let the child look at a flag and count the stars4 ,have him count the number of squares in a colonial window2 the number of books on a shelf2 the number of sections in the radiator4 ,anything of this kind can be easily used4 ,give him only a glance1 do not allow time enough for an actual count4 ,in each case let the time allowed for each exercise be less than required to count the objects4 ,reproducing the ,visual ,picture ,show the child a vase1 or the picture of one that is odd in shape1 a water pitcher1 or an ,egyptian water bottle4 ,let him have a good look at the object1 then take it away and let him describe it in detail1 or1 better still1 have him draw it4 ,drawing is an excellent exercise for the development of muscular control and will-power4 ,in the same way let children observe the decorations of a building1 the design of the windows1 the design and style of the caps and bases of the pillars1 and then draw them4 ,older girls should be taught to observe so as to be able to describe accurately1 and to draw in detail1 suits and dresses2 draperies and furnishings4 ,this is also an excellent opportunity for color study4 ,boys can observe1 describe and draw the outlines of boats1 automobiles1 and furniture1 and anything that interests them4 ,an excellent book to help the child in learning to draw is one entitled1 ,when ,mother ,lets ,us ,draw1 by ,e4 ,r4 ,lee ,thayer4 ,the ,game of ,color ,cards ,to develop ,observation and ,memory of location1 and relation of objects1 get eight cards of any size1 from one to three inches square1 each of a different color4 ,colors of decided contrast are best4 ,number the cards on the back from one to eight4 ,while the child is not looking arrange the cards in a double row1 writing the number of each card on a slip of paper4 ,the numbers should be in two rows and in the exact order in which the color cards are to be arranged4 ,call the child and let him look twenty seconds at these cards4 ,the time can be shortened as the ability develops4 ,now mix the cards and let him try to arrange them as they were4 ,the one taking the test should do this by making a picture of the colors as they appear1 holding them in mind as he arranges the cards4 ,this is excellent practice for persons of all ages4 ,some can do it accurately at the first trial1 others will have a poor record at the beginning1 but as usual persistence will win and the ability will grow rapidly4 ,the ,score4--,the numbers1 as you have previously written them on the slip1 will give the original order4 ,after they have been arranged by the one taking the test1 turn the cards and check by the numbers4 ,each card in its correct place entitles him to one point4 ,any number can be decided upon as a game4 ,the first one reaching that number of points by correct arrangement wins4 ,if colored cardboard is not handy the cards can easily be made by painting one side with a child's water color paints or by using crayolas4 ,the ,game of ,picture ,cards ,this game will develop observation and location4 ,make a series of eight1 ten1 or twelve cards about #bx#c inches in size1 on one side number them as in the color game1 and on the other side draw the outlines of simple objects1 as a hat1 tea kettle1 shears1 box1 fan1 book1 owl1 hen1 dog1 etc4 ,these pictures can be cut from a paper and pasted on the cards2 small picture cards1 or picture postals may be used4 ,arrange the cards in two rows4 ,you can begin with four or six cards and later1 after these have been used with comparative accuracy1 add more4 ,keep a record of the arrangement by the numbers on the back of the cards as in the ,color ,game4 ,allow about twenty seconds for the observation of the cards and their positions1 then shuffle them and arrange them in the original position if possible4 ,score the same as in the ,color ,game4 ,the ,seeing ,game ,take the child into some room with which he is not familiar1 and let him walk through the room slowly1 then go out and make a list of everything he can remember4 ,now let him look through again and see what he can add to the list4 ,walk a block down the street and have him make a list or tell you of as many of the things which he saw as possible4 ,whenever possible return for a second look so that the child may see and realize the many things that he has omitted4 ,the story of the experience of the magician ,houdin and the method which he used for developing the observation of his son can easily suggest a number of interesting1 and as you have learned1 very profitable games4 ,the ,game of ,detective ,place a dozen objects on a table and let the child look at the table from twenty to thirty seconds and then leave the room4 ,while gone change the position of two objects4 ,have him return and tell what changes were made4 ,where there are two or more children let the one who first observes the change remain and make the change for the others4 ,the number of objects changed can be varied4 ,but those out of the room should know how many changes are being made4 ,at first the objects changed should be returned to their original positions1 before the second change1 so that the mental picture is the same each time4 ,later they can remain in the position to which they were changed so that there is a new relationship to be retained in mind each time4 ,a ,game at the ,dining ,table ,after a meal1 while sitting at the table1 let the children take a careful look at what is upon it and then close their eyes4 ,ask the location of different things and see how many they can remember accurately4 ,while their eyes are closed take something off the table and hide it4 ,see which one can first tell what is removed4 ,return it and next remove some other article4 ,let the child first telling what was removed be the one to remove the next article1 and so on1 or take turns around the table4 ,the ,change ,about ,game ,let all the persons playing the game look over the furnishings of the room and then all1 but one1 go out4 ,the person remaining can change the location of one article but nothing must be removed4 ,when the alteration is made the others may return4 ,the first one to detect the change must remain and make the change for the others4 ,at first the changes should be made of larger articles as the chairs1 pictures1 pillows1 etc4 ,later smaller ones can be used as vases1 doilies1 books1 bric-a-brac4 ,a time limit can be placed upon the observation of the room and also upon the time allowed for detecting the change made4 ,a score can be kept among smaller children rather than to allow them to make the changes4 ,the ,game of ,observation ,gather a group of small articles and place them on a table4 ,begin with not less than twenty articles and increase the number as those making the test become accurate4 ,have the children gather around the table and look intently at the objects upon it1 striving to make a picture of the group in their minds4 ,after they have looked at the table for thirty seconds cover it and have them write a list of all the articles they can recall from their mental impression4 ,the one writing the longest list is the winner4 ,it is well to allow them a second observation of twenty seconds after they have written the first list and see how many more they can add to it4 ,after the child has written all that he thinks he can1 have him close his eyes and see the mind's eye picture of the top of the table and in this way concentrate on the picture4 ,you will find that in most cases this will recall to mind other objects1 they will gradually become definite in the picture and can be added to the list4 ,few people are able to write more than twenty objects from a one minute observation of a table containing thirty1 but there are some who can do much better at the first trial4 ,these are usually persons who have been engaged in some line of effort which causes the development of the faculty4 ,this is an excellent mental exercise and should be repeated as often as you can induce the children to play it1 adding to the articles and changing some for variety4 ,play this at the children's parties4 ,older persons enjoy it as well as the younger ones1 especially after they see how difficult it is4 ,training the ,sense of ,location ,one valuable application of the habit of attention and observation is that it develops the memory for places4 ,the keen1 observing woodsman is not easily lost4 ,some people can be lost a few blocks from home simply because they do not observe where they go1 the objects which they pass1 or the relation of one building or corner to another4 ,impress the importance of this application of observation upon the child4 ,teach him to pick landmarks4 ,show him how the ,indian or woodsman blazes a trail as he goes through an unknown country4 ,teach the child to notice the roads1 fences1 trees1 houses and buildings as he walks4 ,teach him the directions and how to find them4 ,the ,game of ,guide ,take the child for a walk4 ,tell him that the next day you are going to see if he can take you for the same walk4 ,have him observe the different places you go4 ,after you have been home for an hour or so let the child go over the walk in his mind and review it visually so that he will be able to take you the next day4 ,review is necessary for a permanent memory1 and this act will help the child to realize the importance of forming the review habit4 ,the ,game of ,guiding ,home ,take the child for a walk and double back over your track and see if he will recognize the fact that he has been there before4 ,take him to the same place by different roads and let him guide you back home4 ,when you are ready to go home after a walk let the child play the game of taking you home4 ,he will enjoy this and it will develop independence and the ability to get home alone if such a necessity should arise4 ,occasionally ask him what direction you are traveling and in which direction his home is located4 ,when the corner is turned have him tell the new direction4 ,make ,play ,profitable ,in your play with the child make it a point to choose some game which will develop his senses and faculties4 ,you can amuse him as easily and at the same time be accomplishing a great good4 ,do not put this matter off until you have more time4 ,use a little time each day1 if only five minutes4 ,you are bound to experience to some extent the same result as a friend who said3 ,i started in with this thing for the good of the kids1 but ,i find the kid who gets the most out of it is dad4 ,rudyard ,kipling1 in his book ,kim1 gives an instance of the ,observation ,game played by ,kim and a trained native youth4 ,lurgan ,sahib exposes to the sight of the two boys a tray filled with jewels and gems1 allowing them to gaze upon it a few moments before it is withdrawn from sight4 ,then the competition begins1 as follows3 ,there are under that paper five blue stones1 one big1 one smaller1 and three small1 said ,kim in all haste4 ,there are four green stones1 and one with a hole in it2 there is one yellow stone that ,i can see through1 and one like a pipe stem4 ,there are two red stones1 and--and--give me time4 ,but ,kim had reached the limit of his powers4 ,then came the turn of the native child4 ,first are two flawed sapphires1 one of two ruttees and one of four1 as ,i should judge4 ,the four ruttees sapphire is chipped at the edge4 ,there is one ,turkestan turquoise1 plain with green veins1 and there are two inscribed--one with the name of ,god in gilt and the other being cracked across1 for it came out of an old ring1 ,i cannot read4 ,we have not the five blue stones2 four flamed emeralds there are1 but one is drilled in two places1 and one is a little carven4 ,their weight8 said ,lurgan ,sahib1 impassively4 ,three1 five1 five and four ruttees1 as ,i judge it4 ,there is one piece of old greenish amber1 and a cheap cut topaz from ,europe4 ,there is one ruby of ,burma1 one of two ruttees1 without a flaw4 ,and there is a ,ballas ruby1 flawed1 of two ruttees4 ,there is a carved ivory from ,china representing a rat sucking an egg2 and there is last--ah ha6 a ball of crystal as big as a bean set in a gold leaf4 ,kim is mortified at his bad beating1 and asks the secret4 ,the answer is3 ,by doing it many times over1 till it is done perfectly1 for it is worth doing4 ,conscious and accurate sense impressions are essential for definite knowledge4 ,he who knows and knows that he knows1 he is wise1 follow him4 ,,attention ,,and ,,concentration ,there is no greater heritage which you can give your child to aid in his mental development1 character building1 and success winning than a trained ability to control his attention and concentration4 ,in fact1 to the degree in which he is able to do this1 will he be able to control himself and later to control others4 ,the ability to do these two things is a part of the capacity of every successful man4 ,every effort that you will put forth to aid the child in the development of these faculties will repay you in many ways4 ,attention is the application of the senses to the subject in mind4 ,attention controlled and prolonged is ,concentration4 ,the opposite1 absent-mindedness1 is simply involuntary or uncontrolled attention4 ,the principal aid you can give the child is to teach him how to induce and control attention and to know its enemies and how to avoid them4 ,attention may be discussed under several different heads1 but we shall confine ourselves to aids in inducing it4 ,it must be led1 not compelled or driven by will force4 ,you may exert all the force you possess to center your attention upon one object for a prolonged period1 but in spite of all you can do it will soon wander4 ,it is said that the longest period of time in which a mind will attend1 without rest1 to one subject1 is a few seconds4 ,at the end of that time there must come consciously or unconsciously1 a period of relaxation4 ,william ,james1 the psychologist1 says that doing work which requires concentration is like driving a hungry horse along a road lined on both sides with green grass4 ,if left to himself the horse will stop to nibble4 ,it is only by continual jerking and urging that he can be kept moving forward4 ,in the same way the mind is inclined to wander4 ,there must be conscious ability upon the part of the individual to urge it along and keep it busy at the task in hand4 ,the first stimulus to the attention is change4 ,prof4 ,james says3 ,no one can possibly attend consciously to an object that does not change4 ,a continual and unvarying sound soon makes no impression1 you become used to it so that your mind no longer pays any attention to it4 ,a picture may be very interesting but if you gaze at one object in it steadily you will soon go to sleep4 ,exercise for ,prolonging the ,attention ,take a sheet of paper and draw a heavy square upon it4 ,pin this upon the wall in front of you4 ,gaze steadily upon the square and see how long you can keep your mind upon it4 ,do this several times and you can become acquainted with the period of time during which you can hold your attention without change4 ,the knowledge of the length of this cycle can be a guide of how rapidly to introduce change as a stimulus4 ,now gaze at the square again1 introducing a change before your attention has wandered4 ,look at the square1 then at the different sides1 the corners and the space inside4 ,see it in different colors1 see the square frame of one color and the center of another1 change the combinations4 ,let the center be formed of irregular shaped discs of different colors and see them change places1 forming new figures4 ,see the frame as a picture frame and with imaginary pictures in it4 ,see the pictures change and the objects moving4 ,let it be a moving picture screen and imagine the pictures moving there4 ,let the square be the fence of a farm1 set it all laid out in fields with the buildings1 the stock and all the work that is going on there4 ,while doing this make a continual change and attend to the different details of the picture at different times4 ,keep up this exercise as long as you can hold your attention without wandering4 ,then start again and try to prolong the period in which you can control the attention4 ,let the movement of the conscious attention be more rapid if necessary to hold it fixed upon the picture4 ,practice with the pictures on the wall and direct your attention from one detail to another1 always changing before the attention wanders1 keeping it absolutely under your control4 ,attention to be perfect must be directed to one thing at a time4 ,it must be centered and not scattered4 ,perfect attention is a rifle1 not a shotgun4 ,you can best stimulate attention by use of one sense at a time4 ,at the same time see to it that the other senses are relaxed and at rest4 ,divided ,attention ,it is possible to divide the attention but then it can not be of the highest quality4 ,try the experiment of doing a simple problem in arithmetic and at the same time say a familiar verse1 as ,humpty-,dumpty4 ,again try to write the lines of ,mary had a little lamb1 while you say aloud the lines of ,humpty-,dumpty4 ,while you did succeed in doing the first you do not succeed in doing the second4 ,this experiment should be tried by all children to show them the effect of dividing the attention and of how it may be done when necessary1 but only to a certain degree4 ,the difficulty of the verse and problem can be accommodated to the age of the child4 ,the attention may be divided between two objects or acts if they call for the use of two different senses or are different in their order4 ,you can not divide your attention between two acts of the same order1 as two arithmetic problems1 one mental and the other written1 or between two operations of the same sense4 ,you can not listen to two quartets singing at the same time1 but you can attend to one and smell some flowers at the same time and do both fairly well4 ,while using one of the senses for fixed attention train the others to relax4 ,the ,degree of ,attention ,this will depend upon the strength of the stimulus or force which excites it4 ,the sense of sight is the strongest of all the senses and therefore can exert the strongest stimulus1 and should be used in all possible cases4 ,in the exercises with the square the changes are all visual and they continue the strongest stimulus4 ,another strong stimulus can be induced by the feelings of either pleasure or displeasure4 ,happy1 joyful anticipation or fear1 horror1 or disgust will arouse the attention4 ,familiarity also aids the attention because of the feelings which it incites4 ,visual pictures which contain familiar scenes are better and all changes introduced should be of familiar ideas in order to take advantage of this fact4 ,the more you embrace in the attention the less penetrating it will be4 ,do not try to take in the whole picture or object all the time1 but change from one detail to another1 centering the attention on one at a time and thus building the perfect whole4 ,arouse ,your ,interest ,always become interested in the thing to which you are striving to direct your attention4 ,boys have no difficulty in paying close attention and remembering the ball score and the batting average of the players but to ask them to pay as strict attention to a lecture on an uninteresting subject is asking the impossible4 ,the compelling element of interest has been taken away4 ,this is a great lesson for all parents and teachers2 if the results of fixed attention are to be expected1 the interest must be supplied and maintained1 by natural or imaginary means4 ,expectant ,attention ,prolonged expectancy is a great aid to holding the attention4 ,the element of curiosity is a great impelling force in the child and even in adult life4 ,this can be taken advantage of in prolonging the attention4 ,the element of expectancy also affects the results of attention4 ,the thing you expect is the thing most easily found4 ,if you wish to aid a friend who is searching for a lost article you first learn as nearly as possible just what it looks like1 so that you may know what you are expected to find4 ,exercise4--,in the following lines count all the #es4 #e #j #c #d #b #f #e #g #d #f #g #h #i #h #j #g #f #h #g #e #d #c #e #g #f #e #d #c #g #icgehdcbfegcgdeifhgjbcdbfehcdihefgbbcji hfegd ,notice how readily the other digits pass before your eyes in more or less indistinct rows1 but the #es stand out more clearly4 ,this is caused by your expectancy1 your attention is fixed upon this one digit and cares nothing for others4 ,count the #is and note the change of expectancy4 ,use any selected letter in this paragraph for additional practice4 ,cure for ,diverted ,attention ,it is not the easiest thing to learn to control and to prolong the attention1 but it is one of the most important4 ,great results are never easily accomplished4 ,easily diverted attention is a contributing cause of failure in every undertaking and if allowed to continue1 will become habitual absent-mindedness4 ,see to it that your child does not acquire this unfortunate handicap4 ,the cure for diverted attention is to enter whole-heartedly and wholly into everything that you do1 no matter how trivial it may be1 do not change or lose your enthusiasm over it until fully completed4 ,if you discover something more desirable1 put it aside for the time being and attend to the thing started1 until you have finished4 ,learn to use better judgment about what you start1 and when started1 never change4 ,it is the tendency to change which you are striving to overcome4 ,when one thing is finished go directly and enthusiastically to the next1 without hesitation or indecision4 ,if uncertain1 learn to make a decision and go through with it to the end1 and then do the better things which may have suggested themselves after starting4 ,parent ,is ,child's ,interpreter ,these are immensely valuable lessons for children4 ,younger children1 whose habits are more easily formed can not realize the importance of it so that the responsibility must rest upon you1 the parents4 ,see to it that right habits are formed and wrong ones avoided or corrected if they now exist4 ,they will thank you for it many times in later years4 ,repeat any of the exercises given for sense training and prolong them for development of attention and concentration4 ,an unusually successful physician tells how his mother developed his conscious attention4 ,each time she told him to do something or sent him upon an errand she would require him to repeat to her just what she had told him to do4 ,if he could not he had to stand and think it over1 and if he had not paid good attention he was punished4 ,sometimes he was given instructions and when he had left the house was called back and required to repeat in detail where he was going and what he was to do and say4 ,by this method he learned to pay attention and thereby to remember well4 ,in the practice of his profession he used this idea1 requiring the parent or nurse to repeat his instructions for the care of the patient and the use of the medicine1 in this way avoiding omissions and improving the result4 ,follow this plan and help your children to learn to pay attention and to remember when told once4 ,what ,is ,concentration8 ,an uninterrupted continuation of the flow of thought and undivided attention is concentration4 ,it is the result of a well-regulated and controlled thought process4 ,it is accomplished by patient and persistent effort4 ,it is a reward of the highest value4 ,there is no real effort connected with it1 but you become so engrossed and interested in your thought that you are conscious of nothing else4 ,everything else is excluded and your whole consciousness is concentered upon one thought4 ,one moment's complete concentration will go farther toward the mastery of a lesson or solution of your problem than much time spent in idle1 disconnected thought4 ,this is a faculty not easily mastered1 but when once harnessed and under your control has the greatest constructive power4 ,exercise for ,concentration ,the following exercises are valuable for prolonged periods of concentration1 for developing the visual faculty1 and exercising the productive imagination4 ,they will prove of great worth to adults in helping with the construction and definite visualization of their life ideals and business problems4 ,by this process you can easily learn to direct concentrated thought power to the bringing about of your plans and ideals4 ,the ,construction of a ,home ,visualize a forest1 into which some lumbermen are coming4 ,see them cutting the trees1 sawing them into mill lengths1 and donkey engines drawing them to the railroad4 ,they are loaded and hauled to the mill1 where they are converted into lumber4 ,see as much detail as you know of the mill processes4 ,the lumber is loaded on cars1 shipped to the city1 unloaded in a lumber yard1 sold and hauled to the spot in the city where a house is to be erected4 ,follow the erection of the house1 watch all the details of its construction until fully completed and the occupants have moved in and established their home4 ,furnish the house1 each room separately1 and arrange and cultivate the grounds4 ,this exercise can be continued as far as you desire to prolong the period of concentration4 ,add all possible detail which will depend upon the amount of knowledge which you possess along these lines4 ,some parts of the work you will be able to follow in detail1 others you may know little about4 ,if there is some other kind of construction that you are more familiar with you can use it in order to make the visualization definite4 ,see to it that your concentration is complete1 do not allow your mind to wander4 ,keep this picture moving so as to hold the complete attention1 become interested in the development of each process4 ,prolong the period of concentration as far as possible4 ,this and the following exercises may be too complicated for your children1 according to their age1 but some of the simpler ones should be begun as early as eight years4 ,the length and detail increasing with the ability and knowledge4 ,remember that the children should be gathering knowledge by sensations4 ,those parts of the former picture1 of the ,construction of a ,home1 with which they are unfamiliar1 should be brought to their attention4 ,describing the processes to them is good1 but far better for them to get the original sensations for themselves4 ,take them to the forest1 to the mill and lumber yard4 ,let them go where a house is being built and spend as much time there as possible4 ,parents should be purposefully adding to their children's stock of knowledge4 ,the ,farmer and ,his ,farm ,see a settler going into an unsettled country and beginning the construction of a farm4 ,watch him build his cabin1 clear the land1 break the virgin soil and put in the crops4 ,see the development of the home1 the well1 the fences1 barn1 sheds1 enlargement of fields1 bringing on of stock1 the harvesting of crops1 building of greater barns1 the new home1 settling of the community4 ,continue the development of the farm as much in detail and as far as you can4 ,the ,farmer and ,his ,crop ,visualize the first breaking of the field in the spring1 the preparation of the soil for sowing1 bringing of the seed corn from winter storage1 the planting1 cultivating1 and growth of the crop4 ,watch the ripening1 the cutting1 shocking1 husking1 hauling and storing into barns4 ,now follow the corn to the mill and through the processes of manufacture until it arrives on the table as corn flakes1 syrup or corn bread4 ,do this with the other crops4 ,follow the wheat until it is bread4 ,the buckwheat to the steaming hot cakes4 ,the same can be done with the stock on stock farms4 ,the different kinds of farming can be used for variety4 ,the great wheat farms present different pictures from the usual diversified ones4 ,the fruit orchard presents an interesting picture to work with4 ,the spraying1 the cultivating1 irrigating1 and all the process from the blossoming to the picking1 sorting1 packing1 transportation and sale4 ,this same plan can be followed with all industries and manufacture of any article4 ,take the ore from the mine to the steel in the building or battleship4 ,the oil from the well to gasoline in the auto tank4 ,the automobile from metal1 wood1 leather and rubber to the picnic in the woods4 ,the ,growing ,plant ,to visualize the growth of a seed or plant is interesting and helpful4 ,prepare the soil1 plant the seed1 see the little hair roots start out from the seed1 the first green sprout1 the breaking of the soil1 the gradual growth1 the leafing1 branching1 budding1 and flowering4 ,hold your mind upon all pictures which you are visualizing4 ,direct it consciously1 do not let it wander4 ,use motion1 color1 vividness of detail1 everything that will aid concentration4 ,for this exercise younger children can use the making of a kite1 building of a sand castle or doll house2 a ,hallowe'en party2 a trip to the woods4 ,let him start with the well-known and familiar and lead him up to the unknown1 which will develop a desire upon his part for more definite knowledge of the subject4 ,the chief factor in observation and in acquiring knowledge is ,attention and ,concentration4 ,these can be produced by curiosity and the desire to excel1 which is found in the love of competition and the game spirit4 ,a good example of concentration is found in the juggler or acrobat on the vaudeville stage or in the circus4 ,the ability to concentrate will grow with the doing of the exercises and playing games such as are mentioned here4 ,any exercises or games which will result in improved ability to concentrate and pay attention are valuable4 ,play the games with the child1 use any method or idea which suggests itself if it gets results4 ,give the child a conscious realization of the possession and value of this power4 ,see to it that he continues to develop it4 ,,the ,,imagination ,even in the simple exercises for the development of the senses you have been continuously required to draw upon the child's imagination4 ,most children are blessed with a vivid1 active imagination and use it continuously in their play and self-entertainment4 ,the reason that this wonderful faculty is so useless to the average adult is largely caused by a misunderstanding of the faculty on the part of the parent and perhaps the teacher4 ,imagination is the reproduction1 in mental images1 of those sensations which have previously been experienced4 ,most children use both reproductive and the productive imagination easily4 ,there is1 however1 considerable difference in the amount of use and benefit which they derive from it4 ,reproductive imagination is reproducing the literal copy of the sensations4 ,productive imagination is the forming of a new image made up of elements from previous images4 ,there is natural individuality in imagination and a difference in method and in inclination to use the faculty4 ,some children reproduce vivid images which are to them real and impressive and by the use of which they amuse themselves for hours4 ,others reproduce indistinct images which have no attractiveness1 are dim1 uncertain1 and of little value or consequence4 ,do not expect the imagination of two children necessarily to operate in the same way1 and above all1 do not insist upon the same results4 ,if you wish to know what the difference is in this faculty of visual reproduction you can use some definite test1 such as the one following4 ,test for ,visual ,reproduction ,the ,preparation--,take particular care in the arrangement of the breakfast table in certain known order1 so that you will later be able to know exactly what was on it and where it stood4 ,put on the table some article of distinct color4 ,if there is any question of your being able to check accurately the arrangement leave the table as it is for an hour or so after the meal4 ,the ,test--,some time after the family have left the table1 not less than an hour and preferably longer1 ask each child separately1 and not in the hearing of the others1 how the breakfast table looked that morning4 ,let the child tell in detail what he can of the appearance of the table1 or if old enough let each write a description4 ,the ease with which this is done1 the amount of definiteness displayed1 and the vividness with which the child reproduces the table will be an accurate indication of the quality of images used in his imagination4 ,a ,universally ,useful ,faculty ,some have held the notion that imagination is a faculty useful only to actors1 artists or poets4 ,this is untrue4 ,some parents have discouraged and even killed the imaginative faculty in their children1 because they did not wish them to follow either of the above professions4 ,your child will be the greatest credit and satisfaction to you if he becomes that for which his natural endowment and inclination is strongest4 ,it is a great mistake for parents to drive a child to grow up according to some previously conceived plan or professional choice of their own4 ,parental wisdom and duty are to find out what the child is especially endowed for and to guide him in taking advantage of these natural gifts1 and at the same time inducing a general development in other lines4 ,because of past misunderstanding or lack of understanding of its importance in every line of effort1 including science1 engineering1 and every business development1 many parents have discouraged their children in the use of their imagination4 ,every leader in commercial and industrial life is a man who has learned to use this faculty4 ,without it he could not make great progress4 ,other men as brilliant as he have lagged behind because they have never cultivated their imagination or allowed themselves to be led by it4 ,you should do everything possible to encourage and to guide your children in the conscious use of this faculty4 ,children's ,falsehoods ,many parents are distressed because of the tendency on the part of young children to tell untruths1 stories about what they have seen or heard4 ,this tendency is more marked in some children and occurs in the younger years before the senses and faculties are thoroughly under control4 ,there is nothing dangerous about this1 it is more often than not the result of a vivid imagination in which the visualizations appear real4 ,the fusion of ideas and illusions sometimes cause the story to be so awful4 ,in most cases the child will outgrow this tendency and if carefully and wisely watched over nothing detrimental will come of it4 ,it is an indication of a strong imaginative faculty which1 if guided and trained1 will later be of immense value to him4 ,children who have a tendency to this story telling should not be punished for it4 ,they should be given to understand that these are imaginary stories and should not be told as the truth4 ,they will1 of course1 appear real to the child1 but he will gradually learn to distinguish between the real and the imaginary4 ,two children1 both with vivid imaginations1 were allowed and encouraged in telling all kinds of imaginary stories1 and playing imaginary games1 but were taught to discriminate between these and the truth by the use of the word really4 ,if one began to wonder if the things the other was telling were true and actually happened1 he would ask1 ,was it really1 sister8 ,oh1 no1 not really1 was the reply1 and the game or story proceeded4 ,in this way the children developed the faculty and were taught to respect the truth4 ,reality of ,illusions ,there may be many individual peculiarities about your child's imagination and his story telling inclination1 but these should not induce you to be severe or to forbid them unless you have studied the subject of the imagination carefully1 or secured competent advice4 ,you attend the entertainment of a magician1 and during the whole evening your senses are deceived4 ,the magician uses the inclination of the mind to illusions in making his tricks possible4 ,he throws a ball into the air a couple of feet and catches it4 ,then he throws it higher and does the same several times1 the last time he goes through the same motion without the ball and nine-tenths of the audience will swear that they saw it actually disappear in the air4 ,if we with years of experience in sensation and thought are so easily deceived can you justly punish a child for yielding to the same mental tendencies8 ,imagination a ,curse or ,blessing ,all normal children possess the faculty and its use will bring them blessing and success if properly guided4 ,the direct opposite is true4 ,if the child is allowed to form the habit of using his imagination carelessly and negatively it will be harmful to an extreme degree4 ,positive imagination which suggests happy1 cheerful and successful thoughts and actions should be praised and encouraged4 ,negative imagination which suggests danger1 accident1 sickness1 loss and failure1 should be discouraged and immediately replaced by thoughts which are positive in quality4 ,imagination allowed to dwell upon morbid1 revengeful1 ethically forbidden1 or immoral ideas is harmful physically as well as morally4 ,he who has imagined an action 'has committed it in his heart4' ,there is no greater truth than--,as a man thinketh in his heart so is he4 ,imagination is the fountain head of thought and therefore the source of words1 action1 personality and character4 ,help your child to control the whole trend of his life by carefully governing the operations of his imagination4 ,dissipating the ,imagination ,here is a danger point1 ,day dreaming1 idle flights of imagination1 building air castles are of little value1 and dangerous in that they tend to develop the habit4 ,if indulged in to excess they constitute a foolish waste of time4 ,occasional flights of this kind should not be dealt with harshly1 but any tendency to persist in them should be stopped4 ,reading of books which are wild flights of imagination often constitute a harmless form of recreation for persons who are confined for long hours at routine work1 or engaged in hard physical labor4 ,children do not need this extreme class of reading and should not be allowed to indulge in much of it4 ,exercises for the ,imagination ,first strive for clearness in the reproduction and ability to keep the images separate4 ,the reproduction of letters and figures in the exercises for visualization on page #df will accomplish this result4 ,problems in mental arithmetic1 if visualized1 are of great value in that the correct solving of them requires vivid and separate images4 ,work for fullness of detail1 the picture frame suggested on page #gd offers an excellent opportunity to do this while exercising the constructive imagination4 ,while fixing the attention upon the square you keep the element of change going by use of the imagination in picture making4 ,put into this picture all the detail possible1 add everything you can think of and then strive to create still more4 ,the ,story ,games ,read the child a story or description of some well-known object1 then have him tell it as nearly as he can reproduce it4 ,now have him tell it again and add every bit of detail1 every new circumstance and condition which he can create for himself4 ,read half of a story to the child and have him go on from where you leave off1 making his own imaginary ending for it4 ,then read the conclusion to show him how the author's imagination differed from his4 ,most of the exercises and games given for the development of ,visualization and ,attention call the imagination into action4 ,these three faculties are so closely related that they can not be treated entirely separate4 ,any exercise previously given for the first two will develop the imagination as well4 ,these faculties of ,visualization1 ,attention and ,imagination combine in the operation of the great faculty of ,memory1 which is to be the subject of the ,second ,book4 ,exercises given there will result in further development of the imagination4 ,the ,game of ,creation ,prof4 ,gates is credited with being the first to use the following idea for guiding the constructive imagination in producing new ideas4 ,he has in the past few years used it so effectively that there are more than one hundred articles now manufactured under the protection of patents by the ,united ,states ,government1 and scores of others are being perfected4 ,make a list of all the things in the room1 then select one object and combine it with the rest of the list and see how many new ideas will result4 ,this is using the constructive imagination1 creating a new whole from familiar parts4 ,example-- ,floor1 table1 ceiling1 wall1 window1 glass1 casing1 frame1 stove1 pipe1 damper1 oilcloth1 cover1 rug1 boards1 paint1 plaster1 paper1 picture1 frame1 bench1 chair1 couch1 morris chair1 curtain1 rod1 lace1 book1 paper1 magazine1 ,victrola1 plant1 flag1 etc4 ,select table1 and by combining it with the other objects we will see how some new combinations have been created1 and perhaps we will create some ourselves4 ,table--wall1 suggests a table disappearing into the wall1 as used in small apartments4 ,table--oilcloth1 a common article4 ,table--cover1 also common4 ,table--rug1 ,oriental rugs are often used for table covers4 ,table--boards1 the extension dining table4 ,table--chair1 the combination used in dairy lunches4 ,table--book1 the library table4 ,table--,victrola1 a combination manufactured by the ,columbia ,company4 ,table--flag1 suggests the flag as a table cover4 ,the longer the list the greater the possibility of finding some new and useful idea4 ,business men use this idea constructively4 ,woolworth combined the #e;c and store1 and made his fortune4 ,ingersol combined the ,dollar and ,watch4 ,a boat1 paddles1 and a steam engine resulted in the first steamboat4 ,there is no limit to the illustration1 it is everywhere apparent and in many things that you use4 ,every new invention or short-cut in business will result from a new combination of existing concepts4 ,we are now manufacturing alcohol from sawdust1 rubber from wheat4 ,when shall we stop8 ,play this game with the children4 ,they will enjoy it and learn how progress has been made and gain new and valuable ideas4 ,an active lad was confined to the house with a broken leg4 ,his mother started him playing this game and by its use he has discovered many new games4 ,this time it suggested kite--window1 and soon1 with the assistance of a neighbor boy1 he was flying his kite out of a window4 ,the ,picture ,gallery ,in the great home of the mind there is a room of unusual importance which can be known as the picture gallery4 ,here the great artist ,imagination hangs the products of his efforts4 ,picture after picture is painted by this wonderful faculty and hung in this gallery4 ,each of these pictures becomes a force exerted upon the individual in whose mind it is hung4 ,thought and ,desire wander in this gallery incessantly1 and gaze upon the pictures there1 using them as patterns for their efforts in future4 ,from these pictures they get their incentive and inspiration4 ,the young child's picture gallery is a wonderful room with clean1 white walls waiting for the artist to take up the task of painting and hanging the pictures4 ,this artist is young and inexperienced and easily influenced and guided by one older and more accurate4 ,the parents should realize that this gallery is going to be rapidly filled with pictures1 and that the choice of these pictures can be almost entirely under their control4 ,you can help your child's imagination paint clean1 wholesome pictures that will result in helpful and constructive influence upon his life4 ,but remember that these pictures ,,are ,,being ,,hung1 whether ,,you take time to help in the work or not4 ,if the pictures are negative in influence1 or those suggested by wrong companions and vulgar thoughts1 the result will show itself sometime in the future4 ,the life will sooner or later reproduce these pictures in personal character and action4 ,pictures which are objectionable can be replaced1 or covered over by attractive ones1 which will be helpful and lead ,thought into right paths and create ,desire that will be a future blessing4 ,remember1 it is far more difficult to replace a negative picture than to paint a helpful one before the other has made its impression4 ,it is very important that you place your picture first4 ,imagination is the architect and his plans are hung upon the walls of this picture gallery1 where other faculties use them for building the character and personality of the child4 ,his future circumstances1 success1 or failure1 will be the result of this law of nature4 ,the contents of this picture gallery are great and powerful causes which help bring about the desired result4 ,if this truth can be sufficiently impressed upon the mind of parent and child1 both will co-operate in an effort to hang the right kind of pictures in the gallery and the result will be a finer and more successful life4 ,every parent should make it a duty to hang in this gallery beautiful pictures of all the ideals which they wish to see fulfilled by their child4 ,besides the ideals of growth1 character1 purity1 etc41 there should be such pictures as a home2 a life of useful service2 financial independence1 and a happy old age4 ,the details are a matter of individual choice and should be filled in as the years pass by the growing understanding and ambition of the child4 ,,the ,,power ,,of ,,suggestion ,everything that the child experiences exerts an influence upon his future4 ,it suggests a tendency to thought or action4 ,once the thought or act is indulged in1 it has started the formation of habit4 ,one act will not create a habit1 but one act will tend to induce the child to act again in the same manner rather than go contrary to it or to vary the method4 ,repeated action forms a habit1 for habit is defined as a tendency of the mind to do again what it has done before4 ,habits1 of course1 vary in their strength1 but you must realize the importance of the fact that the first repetitions are the important factors1 because they are the habit's beginning4 ,if the child's tendency is wrong do not delay changing it4 ,tomorrow may be too late4 ,there is no certain age at which child training should begin4 ,it is never too soon4 ,the earlier you begin the easier it will be1 and the more pleasure and satisfaction you will derive from your children4 ,the story is told of an anxious parent who went with a six-year child to the ,bishop4 ,the mother told at great length of the difficulty she was having with the child and asked what the proper age was to begin training him4 ,the ,bishop's reply was3 ,my dear woman1 you are six years late4 ,parents who procrastinate or delay correcting wrong tendencies and instilling right ones because the child is too young to know better1 or it's too soon to train him yet1 will awaken to find that they have formed a wrong habit and that the child will soon be trying to train and rule them4 ,there is no method of child training as helpful as that of ,suggestion4 ,inducing the child by directly spoken words to think and believe that he is1 and that he does1 what you wish him to be and to do4 ,this is known as ,direct ,suggestion4 ,this is the most difficult form to use1 as it may arouse antagonism1 in which case no favorable result will be secured4 ,it is better to postpone the use of ,direct ,suggestion until some time when you can sit down quietly and talk to the child1 holding him in your lap and first preparing his mind by story or quiet talk of positive and constructive nature4 ,then make the ,direct ,suggestion in a clear1 definite statement4 ,do not stop to argue or to impress the suggestion by moralizing4 ,prepare the soil of the child's mind1 plant the seed 7the ,direct ,suggestion71 cover it over and leave it to germinate there4 ,you do this by once clearly stating the ideal and then passing on to some other talk or story4 ,do not allow the child to argue the statement of the ,suggestion4 ,this is fatal to its germination4 ,have him in a passive mood in which he is listening to all that you say1 and after you have given the ,direct ,suggestion and planted the seed1 pass on to something else before he starts a train of contrary thoughts in his mind4 ,if he resists and denies your statement before you can lead his mind on1 the soil was not properly prepared4 ,do not be discouraged1 try again4 ,never be discouraged or give up1 if you expect to gain results by the use of ,suggestion4 ,after you have succeeded in planting this seed-thought in the child's mind1 cultivate it4 ,do not neglect it1 but return to it and emphasize the thought at another time1 and gradually induce him to think of it in a positive manner4 ,tell an imaginary story which depicts the positive side of your seed-thought1 and let him know it is of him you are thinking4 ,always be positive--never negative4 ,always state the thing you want as it now is4 ,make it present tense--not even future4 ,in suggestion there is no place for don't1 can't or any other negative statement4 ,do not refer to the negative condition which you are striving to overcome4 ,do not say1 ,your headache is better4 ,leave out the headache and say only1 ,you are better4 ,a transitory term as--is becoming1 or a future term as--you will be1 or a questionable effort as--try to do1 should not be used4 ,make your statement always positive1 present tense1 and completed4 ,as for example3 ,this is mama's big1 strong boy4 ,my boy always tells the truth4 ,my boy is strong and he is always kind4 ,john is a gentleman1 he is kind to his sister4 ,sarah loves her kitty and is kind and gentle with it4 ,the story of the ,scotch wife will illustrate the effect of making negative statements4 ,the husband was starting off on ,saturday night to the village4 ,john had a weakness1 and knowing this the wife stood on the doorstep calling after him1 ,john1 don't go near the saloon4 ,john1 don't go near the saloon4 ,john1 don't go near the saloon4 ,with the best of intentions she kept repeating this as long as she could make him hear4 ,john needed help1 but if you will stop to think a moment you will see that the wife had continuously impressed upon his mind the saloon1 and1 true to her fears1 ,john returned home at a very late hour and in a sad condition4 ,suggestion to be of value must get beyond the critical and analytical activity of the conscious mind and become placed in the sub-conscious4 ,if the conscious mind denies the statement1 either audibly or to itself1 the sub-conscious is not influenced4 ,the most profitable time to plant these positive seed-thoughts is just before the child drops off to sleep4 ,the sub-conscious mind1 which is influenced by the suggestion1 never rests4 ,it is the mind which controls the breathing1 heart beat and other sub-conscious action of the body4 ,it is working all the night through4 ,if you fall asleep thinking in happy anticipation of some pleasure tomorrow you will awaken in the same happy1 buoyant condition of mind4 ,often you have to think a moment to ascertain the reason for your happy mental condition1 then you remember1 ,this is the day of the picnic4 ,this shows how the sub-conscious has retained all through the night the thought which was placed there just before the conscious mind sleeps4 ,take advantage of this fact and strive to place a positive1 constructive thought upon the sub-conscious mind of your child just before sleep4 ,it will be held and built into character and physical development all through the night4 ,indirect ,suggestion ,this method is usually most effective because it is applied at times and in a manner which tends to overcome any tendency to negative influence of the conscious mind4 ,all have seen the pitifully bashful child whose mother takes every opportunity to tell the visitors1 in the child's hearing1 how bashful she is4 ,to the child she says3 ,my1 you are the most bashful child ,i ever saw4 ,the former statement made to the visitor1 is a negative indirect suggestion2 the latter1 the statement to the child1 is negative ,direct ,suggestion4 ,both of these tend to increase the child's bashfulness4 ,they will never overcome it4 ,indirect ,positive ,suggestions ,two parents are sitting in a living room talking2 the child is playing in the next room1 or even on the floor of this one4 ,without paying any attention and with the apparent intention of the child not hearing1 the mother1 in an undertone1 says to the father3 ,have you noticed how improved ,sarah is of late2 she is kind and thoughtful of her kitty1 she loves it more and is so kind and gentle with it8 ,father replies3 ,isn't that nice2 she is a dear1 kind1 gentle child4 ,the parents go on talking about other things not noticing the little girl4 ,if you were where you could observe you would see the child stop her play at the mention of her name1 listening intently1 and thinking about what has been said4 ,most likely she would find her kitty and come back loving it and demonstrating the result of mother's suggestion4 ,this indirect method of sowing seed-thoughts is most effective1 and will correct errors and form right habits and character1 much more rapidly than correction1 argument1 or punishment4 ,the possibilities of the use of suggestions in child training are limitless4 ,there are many cases where miraculous results have been secured by intelligent1 devoted mothers4 ,in the matter of health and overcoming of detrimental habits there is no greater power than that of positive ,suggestion intelligently used4 ,every up-to-date and thoroughly progressive physician realizes the power of the positive thought over the human body4 ,during the epidemic of ,influenza which swept through the ,army ,camps where the boys were being trained for overseas service1 all the available ministers were called into a large hospital to minister to the sick and dying4 ,before being allowed to go among the sick soldiers they were gathered together and given a talk by one of the head surgeons4 ,one of the instructions was this3 ,in all talking with the sick there must not1 under any circumstances1 be any mention or reference to death1 the possibility of death1 or of any condition after death4 ,every thought and word must be of health1 recovery and what they are going to do after recovery4 ,this must be followed in conversation1 letter writing for the sick1 and in prayer with them4 ,this is an example of the modern acceptance of the value of positive suggestion in cases of sickness4 ,in matters of ,child ,training it is of the utmost value4 ,dr4 ,stanley ,krebbs1 in his book1 ,the ,law of ,suggestion1 which every parent should read1 tells many interesting examples of its use4 ,a little girl had formed the habit of telling lies in order to attract attention4 ,when this fact was learned it was made the key of her recovery4 ,it was lodged in her mind that her lies caused people to avoid her1 to dislike her2 but that if she were truthful she would make people like her1 would make friends and attract a great deal more attention than in any other way4 ,simple6 but successful4 ,quoting again from ,dr4 ,krebbs1 ,take an extreme case1 ,belford ,russell ,lawrence1 the boy criminal1 testified at twelve years of age1 that among other things1 his mother had often said to neighbors1 referring to him3 ',that devil will hang yet4' ,as a general rule children are what their elders expect them to be4 ,as a general rule we adults are what our fellows expect us to be4 ,the story is told of a boy who was no student and hated school1 he even disliked to read4 ,one time when there were guests at dinner there arose a discussion of a certain point of history4 ,the boy had just studied this fact in school and was able to set the entire group right4 ,on several occasions later his mother repeated this fact to friends1 in the boy's hearing1 always ending with the statement3 ,you know ,johnny is quite a historian4 ,up to that time he had had no interest in the study1 but believing that others considered him an authority on the subject he got busy and studied up on it4 ,he afterward became a historian and a professor in one of the large universities4 ,he just had to make good1 to keep up with his mother's expectation1 and he did4 ,take every opportunity to tell others about the good points of your children and the characteristics that you want them to have4 ,do this when the children can hear you4 ,tell it to others and the child will not disappoint you4 ,the subject should be studied by every parent4 ,there is no attempt made to cover it in these pages1 but merely to give a hint of its possibilities in the hope that the parent will learn to use this power constructively and wisely4 ,,health ,,habits ,habits are a great part of life4 ,the forming of proper ones should have more attention than is usually given to them4 ,habits is a tendency of mind to do that which it has done before4 ,when considered in this simple way habit becomes one of the great forces in our lives4 ,it is by taking advantage of this fact that we are able to develop rapidity and efficiency in movement4 ,this shows itself in playing games or musical instruments and in later life in the operation of machines in office and factory4 ,every child begins to form habits with his first actions4 ,he has his individual way of dressing1 which is simply the result of having repeated this method several times4 ,each repetition adds to the strength of the habit4 ,to correct a habit it will be necessary for you to suggest a new method and see to it that it is repeated a sufficient number of times to become the stronger tendency4 ,no habit is or can be formed without the element of repetition4 ,realizing that children are forming habits which will follow them through life should suggest to the parent the importance of consciously guiding the child in their formation4 ,do not allow careless1 inefficient1 dawdling methods to become fixed4 ,of course1 these may in later years be changed to more efficient methods by the child himself1 but it will be at the expense of considerable effort and loss of time4 ,on the other hand1 many children will not correct the habits and will be handicapped by them all through life4 ,there are certain simple regulations of health that are of vital importance to the life success of every one and the parent should attend to their becoming habits while the child is small4 ,mental efficiency and accuracy are quickly influenced by bodily conditions4 ,poor health or physical inability are never accompanied with #ajj mental efficiency4 ,you may at once think of some examples of men of high mental caliber who were deficient and handicapped by physical disability4 ,this is sometimes the case1 but it is an exception1 and an illustration of success won1 in spite of difficulty4 ,think of what such an indomitable spirit could have accomplished in a more perfect physical body4 ,deep ,breathing ,one of the strong influences on health is that of purifying the blood in the lungs4 ,plenty of fresh air is necessary for this purifying1 and insufficient or impure air supply in the lungs will send the blood back to the heart only partially cleansed4 ,teach the child to stand erect1 to consider his position when sitting1 and at all times to demand fresh air4 ,do not be afraid of an open window1 always have good ventilation1 especially in sleeping rooms4 ,give the child a simple exercise for deep breathing and help him to use it until he has formed the habit of taking several deep breaths of fresh air immediately upon arising in the morning2 each time he goes out of a building into the open air2 and many times during the day4 ,singing1 running1 skipping1 jumping rope1 etc41 are all good exercises to stimulate deep breathing4 ,see to it that the child breathes through the nose4 ,drinking ,water ,many chronic troubles result from the simple neglect to supply the body with sufficient water4 ,an average grown person should have two quarts of water a day and more in warmer weather4 ,the lack of any habitual time for drinking this water usually results in not getting it at all4 ,continued disregard of the craving of the body for water1 because it is not convenient to get it at the time1 will result in the cessation of this natural demand4 ,many persons have said1 ,i don't require that much water2 ,i never drink but a glass or two4 ,inquiry will reveal the fact that these persons are usually sufferers from constipation or some other chronic trouble4 ,drinking a proper amount of water will cure many cases of constipation4 ,to be sure that the child gets sufficient water adopt some systematic time for drinking4 ,a glass before meals is beneficial to digestion4 ,it stimulates the flow of the digestive juices4 ,drinking during meals is not injurious under one condition1 that is that no water is taken while you have any food in the mouth4 ,clear the mouth of food and then drink1 do not wash your food down4 ,be careful not to take cold water soon after eating hot food1 there is danger of cracking the enamel of the teeth4 ,a habit should be formed of drinking a glass of water when washing in the morning2 wash the stomach as well as the face and hands4 ,an average meal requires moisture equal to about five glasses4 ,this is drawn from the system if not supplied with the meal4 ,a glass of water before and one after each meal is an aid to digestion rather than a detriment4 ,make this a habit4 ,it is a convenient time to furnish the amount of water required by the body1 and more than the two glasses is better than less4 ,if the child is troubled with constipation or an approach to it see to it that he gets a copious supply of water and you will find the trouble relieved4 ,rest and ,sleep ,as long as you can continue the practice do not allow the children to get too old for an afternoon rest4 ,even if he can not sleep1 to lie down and relax will be of very definite value to health and bodily resistance of disease4 ,if you are encouraging the cultivation of the silence and periods of constructive thought this can be combined with the rest period4 ,rest and relaxation should be synonymous4 ,to be able to relax thoroughly is of great value in the strenuous years of later life and should be cultivated and become habitual when young4 ,in order that the child's sleep shall be of utmost value teach him to practice relaxation upon lying down and always doing so before falling asleep4 ,this1 coupled with a positive mental attitude1 will make his sleep most profitable4 ,never allow the child to go to sleep in anger or fright4 ,take time to change all negative mental conditions to positive ones before you leave him4 ,unless unavoidable he should not be punished before retiring4 ,the mental attitude in which he falls asleep will continue through the night4 ,experiments have proven that fear1 worry1 hate1 etc41 produce an actual poison in the blood and it affects the bodily condition1 of course4 ,blood taken from a man while in a fit of anger and injected into a rabbit will kill the rabbit almost immediately4 ,these facts are not new but they need to be taken more into consideration in training children4 ,thinking ,health ,there is no doubt in anyone's mind in these days that conditions of mind influence conditions of the body4 ,positive and constructive thinking will aid health4 ,your study of the subject of suggestion shows this to be true and the results are beyond doubt4 ,in cases of sickness suggestion will be found of great help4 ,to suggest that the child will be better in the morning2 to suggest that he is better1 he looks better1 he acts better1 etc4 ,all these positive thoughts are helpful4 ,this is a deep subject and parents should give it some careful thought and investigation4 ,in cases of epidemics do not allow the child to think that he must be taken by it4 ,suggest the opposite and induce him to think that he is not going to be sick1 this mixed with a generous amount of common sense in general health conditions and reasonable caution will prove helpful to say the least4 ,all of these subjects together with those of foods and right eating1 which are very important1 have been thoroughly covered by many experts and should have the careful attention of parents4 ,use the best methods possible to improve the child's physical condition1 which will in turn increase his mental efficiency4 ,unusual conditions of mind or body which are not understood by the parent should not be allowed to drift along or to see if they may not be outgrown4 ,seek the advice of a reputable physician and save the possibility of regret4 ,that1 ,a stitch in time saves nine is doubly true of a child's health4 ,ambition ,pulls ,from his earliest years your child is shaping his career4 ,what he does today wields a strong influence on what he will do tomorrow4 ,the sooner you realize this the better his chances of final success4 ,ambition is a great impelling force1 encourage its development in your children4 ,with strong ambition they can get farther than with greater ability but lacking in ambition4 ,a boy sat on a fence holding a kite but not watching it as boys usually do4 ,a gentleman1 in passing1 was attracted to the boy and noticed that he was blind4 ,this aroused his curiosity as to what pleasure a blind boy could get flying a kite1 so he asked him3 ,do you enjoy flying the kite8 ,yes1 sir1 was the prompt reply4 ,but you cannot see it4 ,no1 sir2 but say1 mister1 ,i can feel 'er pull4 ,so is ambition1 you can't see it1 but you can feel 'er pull4 ,,transcriber',s ,,notes3 ,italicized words are surrounded with underscores3 italics ,emboldened words are surrounded with equals signs3 bold ,there are inconsistencies in the ,table of ,contents regarding chapters and sections4 ,the ,table of ,contents is presented as it appears in the original4 ,obvious spelling and punctuation errors have been standardized4