George E. Dawson, _The Child and His Religion_, chap. ii. The University of Chicago Press, $0.75. Edward Lyttleton, _The Corner-Stone of Education_, chap. viii. Putnam, $1.50. T. Stephens (ed.), _The Child and Religion_. Putnam, $1.50. C.W. Richell, _The Child as God's Child_. Eaton & Mains, $0.75. W.G. Koons, _The Child's Religious Nature_. Eaton & Mains, $1.00. III. Topics for Discussion 1. What are the special difficulties which you feel about introducing the topic of religion to children? Describe any methods or modes of approach which have seemed successful? 2. Would you regard it as a fault if a child seems unwilling to talk about religion? What do you think "religion" means to the child-mind? 3. In what ways do children's aptitudes differ and what factors probably determine the difference? What was your own childish conception of God? Did you love God or fear him? Why? 4. Is it ever right to teach the child those conceptions which we have outgrown? What about Santa Claus and fairies? How can you use childish figures of speech as an avenue to more exact truth? 5. Does the child learn more through ears or eyes? Through which agency do we seek to convey religious ideas? 6. Is it possible to make the child see the intimate relation between conduct and religion? How would you do this? 7. Give some of the characteristics of a religious child of seven years, of ten. CHAPTER VII DIRECTED ACTIVITY Probably all parents find themselves at some time thinking that the real, fundamental problem of training their children lies in dealing with their superabundant energy. "He is such an active child!" mothers complain. Were he otherwise a physician might properly be consulted. But the child's activity does seriously interfere with parental peace. It takes us all a long time to learn that we are not, after all, in our homes in order to enjoy peaceful rest, but in order to train children into fulness of life. That does not mean that the home should be without quiet and rest, but that we must not hope to repress the energy of childhood. One might as well hope to plug up a spring in the hillside. Our work is to direct that activity into glad, useful service. § 1. VALUE OF ACTIVITY The things we do not only indicate character, they determine it. Our thoughts have value and power as they get into action. To bend our energies toward an ideal is to make it more real, to make it a part of ourselves. Children learn by doing--learn not only that which they are doing but life itself.