Miller's Mind training for children Book 1 (of 3): A practical training for successful living; Educational games that train the sensesMiller, William Emer
Philosophy
Miller's Mind training for children Book 1 (of 3): A practical training for successful living; Educational games that train the senses
Miller, William Emer
Mnemonics; Senses and sensation
Have a handful of small sticks or matches and lay a number in a row on
the table. Let the children stand with their backs to the table and a
few feet away from it. After you have arranged the sticks go several
feet away from the table and say, "Ready!" The children then go to
the table, count the sticks, run to you and whisper their answer. 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 themselves. From a simple beginning of a straight row of a
few sticks, the game can be developed to any degree of complexity, so
that it will tax the powers of the most alert and developed mind. 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 them.
Lay the sticks in groups, make them into figures, into small piles,
double lines of different length, etc. A few different groups are
illustrated below--use matches, tooth picks, or any small articles.
[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 moment, then cover
them and let them count from their visual picture and tell the number,
rather than by the actual count as before. 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 observing.
The game of dominoes is good for small children in helping them to
count quickly and accurately. Use a row of dominoes instead of sticks
and have the children count the number of spots from their mind's eye
picture.
For variety use any objects, let the child look at a flag and count the
stars. Have him count the number of squares in a colonial window; the
number of books on a shelf; the number of sections in the radiator.
Anything of this kind can be easily used. Give him only a glance, do
not allow time enough for an actual count. In each case let the time
allowed for each exercise be less than required to count the objects.
Reproducing the Visual Picture
Show the child a vase, or the picture of one that is odd in shape, a
water pitcher, or an Egyptian water bottle. Let him have a good look at
the object, then take it away and let him describe it in detail, or,
better still, have him draw it. Drawing is an excellent exercise for
the development of muscular control and will-power.
In the same way let children observe the decorations of a building, the
design of the windows, the design and style of the caps and bases of
the pillars, and then draw them.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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