Miss Elliot should have satisfied herself fully as to the motive underlying Caroline’s action before punishing her. Always delay a punishment until you have found the real cause of the misdemeanor. When a child shows a tendency to withdraw from group activities take special pains to draw him into the play circle. Take the timid child by the hand rather than the one who rushes to you. Say to the child who shrinks back into her corner, “We need one more little girl here.” Hold out your hand toward her as you speak. The gesture will reinforce the words, and be to the child a suggestion of welcome into the group. COMMENTS There is no more faulty method of discipline than that of severely punishing a child for some outbreak against moral or school law before a hearing has been given him; not merely giving a chance to confess his wrong, but going to the bottom of the matter and finding, if possible, the underlying motive or instinct which led up to the outbreak. Skillful questioning ought to bring this out. Very often the slow and timid child is longing for your friendship but does not know how to show his desire. Whether or not he is conscious of needing your aid, he, nevertheless, does need it. ILLUSTRATION (SIXTH GRADE) June Dacey was a frail city girl whose health was such that her parents feared to send her to the public schools in New York. One September morning June’s father said to her: “June, how would you like to spend a year in the country and attend school with your cousins?” June thought it would be, “Just fine!” and Mr. Dacey was not long in arranging with his brother in Massachusetts to receive June into his home and to see her well started in the country school. All went well until June’s cousin Carrie Dacey began to show signs of jealousy toward June. The two girls were just of an age, but Carrie was an unusually vigorous, strong, healthy girl with double the amount of endurance possessed by June. As a consequence the two girls received very different treatment by their elders and even in a half unconscious way by the other children who were, indeed, somewhat overawed by June’s pretty clothes and refined manners. “O, yes! of course June can have everything and I can’t have anything,” said Carrie one day in a fit of petulance. “She has all the nice clothes and I have to wear this old thing. She can ride to the picnic while I have to walk. The teacher is always doing things for her and nobody ever does anything for me. At home it’s just the same way, June gets all the attention.”