Ontario Normal School Manuals: Science of EducationOntario. Department of Education
Science
Ontario Normal School Manuals: Science of Education
Ontario. Department of Education
Education; Educational psychology
2. Through Constructive Instinct.--The child's delight in motor
expression is closely associated with his instinctive tendency to
construct. When, therefore, new knowledge can be presented to the child
in and through constructive exercises, he is more likely to feel its
value. Thus it is possible, by means of such occupations as paper
folding or stick-laying, to provide interesting problems for teaching
number and geometric forms. In folding the check-board, for example, the
child will master necessary problems relating to the numbers, 2, 4, 8,
and 16. In learning colour, it is more interesting for the child to
study different colours through painting leaves, flowers, and fruits,
than to learn them through mere sense impressions, or even through
comparing coloured objects, as in the Montessori chromatic exercises. A
study of the various kindergarten games and occupations would give an
abundance of examples illustrative of the possibility of presenting
knowledge in direct association with various types of constructive
work.
=A. Activity must be Directly Connected with Problem.=--It may be noted,
however, that certain dangers associate themselves with these methods.
One danger consists in the fact that, if care is not taken, the physical
activity may not really involve the knowledge to be conveyed, but may be
only very indirectly associated with it. Such a danger might occur in
the use of the Montessori colour tablets for teaching tints and shades.
In handling those, kindergarten children show a strong inclination to
build flat forms with the tablets. Now unless these building exercises
involve the distinguishing of the various tints and shades, the
constructive activity will be likely to divert the attention of the
pupil away from the colour problem which the tablets are supposed to set
for the pupils.
=B. Not too much Emphasis on Manual Skill.=--Again, in expressive
exercises intended merely to impart new knowledge, it may happen that
the teacher will lay too much stress on perfect form of expression. In
these exercises, however, the purpose should be rather to enable the
child to realize the ideas in his expressive actions. When, for example,
a child, in learning such geographical forms as island, gulf, mountain,
etc., uses sand, clay, or plasticine as a medium of expression, too much
striving after accuracy of form in minor details may tend to draw the
pupil's attention from the broader elements of knowledge to be mastered.
In other words, it is the gaining of certain ideas, or knowledge, and
not technical perfection, that is being aimed at in such expressive
movements.
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