Miller's Mind training for children Book 1 (of 3): A practical training for successful living; Educational games that train the senses — John Stuart Mill — John Shaqi
Miller's Mind training for children Book 1 (of 3): A practical training for successful living; Educational games that train the senses
John Stuart Mill · en
Parents will get a good idea of what is going on in the child's mind,
and the training he is receiving by watching the little fingers work
in all these exercises for the development of the sense of touch. Try
the exercises yourself and see what is required to do them accurately.
In this way you will be better able to help the child. Washing the
hands in tepid water before the exercises of touch will increase
the sensitiveness of the fingers. Have the child touch lightly with
the pads at the ends of the fingers. Increase the difficulty of the
exercises as he progresses.
=Exercise=--Blindfold the child and hand him articles which are
somewhat familiar and have him tell, by feeling, what they are. Have
him describe them. If a knife, what kind of a knife it is. If a box,
what kind of a box it is--about how long? how wide? how high? If
you ask the child to give these estimates in inches after removing
the blindfold have him make the actual measurements. Have the child
describe the article, giving all the details possible, and find any
peculiarities or irregularities by feeling.
=Exercise=--Give the child an article with which he is not familiar and
have him describe it. See how much he can learn by touch alone. Then
let him see if he can learn any more by sound, by knocking the article
against something to determine what it is made of, whether solid or
hollow, etc.
=Exercise=--Give the child, while blindfolded, a book which he has
recently read and see if he can identify it by the size, shape,
thickness, and quality of paper.
The Game of the Button Bag
From your button bag select a number of different buttons, two of
each kind. Let the child sort out the pairs and thus become somewhat
familiar with the sizes and shapes. Then mix the buttons, blindfold the
child, and let him match the pairs entirely by feeling. Have him lay
them out in pairs as he matches them. Then take off the blindfold and
let him see them just as he has matched them, and count for himself how
many are right and how many wrong.
Game of Matching Cards
Take a piece of cardboard and cut it into many shapes, as suggested by
the illustration below. Make two pieces of each figure exactly alike.
Let the child match them and see that there are two of each kind. Then
mix them, blindfold him and have him pick out the pairs by feeling.
There should be at least 12 sets--more if desired.
[Illustration]
Animal Cookies
A similar game to the one above can be played with a box of animal
cookies. Pour the cookies out on a large plate. Blindfold the children
and let them select pairs of animals or as many of a kind as possible.
Let them name the animals by feeling.
Game of Insets