The Frankfort roundabout., 1893-12-23
Manual Training.
DRAWING.

inferior to that OF any OF the
studies at present included in the
curriculum of the public schools.
1t is, therefore, not onlybecause Of
it's economic value to the pupil
that this study has a right to be
taught in our schools It's value
as a means of developing and
training of the mental faculties is
well established. A series Of les
sons based on geometric forms
and perspective has claims as
an educational factor which may
not be repudiated. The value of
geometry as means Of mental
culture is established. To bring
these methods and truths Of geom-
etry down to the youngest pupils
who may not have the opportunity
to learn them elsewhere is a COM
mendable act.
Drawing possesses the power to
excite the interest and to arouse
the attention of a child and is
therefore educational in a high
degree. Interest in any worthy
matter and concentration Of
thought upon any worthy object
or idea are essential elements in
the progress of any individual
young or old. Drawing places re-
suits before the child which he
has himself produced His crea
tive instinct is satisfied in degree
by these results, and this encour-
ages him to renewed effort. The
realization that something has been
attempted, something done, even
though the product be rude is ed
ucative in its influence. The
natural creation instinct Of the
child is we'll worth cultivating
This is leading feature of kinder.
garden and Of manual work. The
occupations of these departments
crafty the desires Of the pupils to
produce with their own hands and
the same qualification comes to
the pupils even in his first lessons
in drawing.
We must not expect artistic
skill to be exhibited by children.
Artistic skill is the result of ex-
tended observation, wide expert
ence, matured judgment and
heightened practice.
Crude material results are char
acteristic of early efforts. The
true test Of success is the awaken
ing Of interest in the mind of the
child of about the forms and
nature Of the objects he sees
around him, and the desire to ex-
press that interest by means Of a
drawing. Thus may drawing be
made a means Of helping to make
clear many facts found in the text
books which the children use, by
illustrating them graphically on
the blackboard or slate or upon
paper.
In the pupils attempt to repre-
sent an object by drawing it he
meets difficulties which will stimu-
late him to observe the object more
closely when next he sees it, This
memory then is engaged to retain
the form until he reproduceS it
with his pencil. He then COM
pares and contrasts his production
with his ideal and also with the
object itself, exercising other val
liable mental powers, voluntarily
and prohtably.
1t is this mental result for which
the true teacher will strive in pre-
ference to the artistic result, if
choice is to be made between the
two. 1t is a serious educational
mistake to expect uniform results
from class of pupils. Uniformi-
ty Of thought aud action is hardly
found among adults, who vary
materially in religious, in political
and in social matters We must
not expect great improvement to
occur very suddenly, for a gradual
and slow growth, in which is
assimilated the nourishment sup
piled makes better and safer pro-