Page:Preparation of the Child for Science.djvu/81

Rh reference to some idea already familiar to her, such as that of dividing a piece of paper in two. The normal series would seem to be of this kind: The child is born with the instinct to desire food already perfected. This instinct gradually trains and co-ordinates the move- ments of the hand; the child learns to grasp things and put them to its mouth. When this process of grasping and guiding the hand is familiar and automatic, the child associates it with a fresh idea, that of controlling and changing the condition of things; first she only moves things about; then some day, when she is grasping a piece of paper in both hands and shaking it, the paper gives way, and becomes two pieces. If you watch the little face when this happens you see how great a revelation is taking place in the mind. The fact of man's lordship over things has burst in upon the infant brain. This revelation has taken place in connexion with a series of muscular move- ments already natural because co-ordinated. When the new idea of destruction has become quite commonplace and familiar, we use it to teach the little creature the manipulation of scissors, by setting her to cut (instead of tearing) paper. We allow her to cut for mere cutting's sake, till the single thought 'I will cut ' suffices to place her fingers properly in the