The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1906-03-15

raw material out of which, by PSYCHE
cal processes, knowledge can be pro-
duced. 1t is not until perception
takes place that knowledge really
begins. Very soon after experiencing
the mind commences to at
tribute sensations to external objects
and influences as their cause. This
is the beginning of perception, which
is defined as the immediate knowledge
of an external object. 1t is very i'm
portant that perception be cultivated
in childhood for at this period are
peculiarly active. Children should be
taught to see what there is to be seen
about them such as trees, shrubs,
plants, flowers, birds and animals of
all kinds. The studies and exercises
of the primary school should be such
as to exercise the perceptive activity
as fully as possible. Mingled closely
with perception we have the repre-
sentative and the reproducing powers
whose functions are to bring into con-
seriousness something which shall rep
resent to us the things with which we
have become acquainted, the material
knowledge we have acquired, and to
hold this for our future use and de-
velopment. The Imagination is the
special representative power. 1t may
be defined as the image-making power.
The recognition of objects previously
seen by the child affords the earliest
example of representation. Memory
is the power of the mind to retain,
recall and to recognize previous &C
QUESTIONS, which would be of no serv-
ice to US unless they could be called
into consciousness with readiness and
accuracy whenever desired.
The cultivation and improvement
of the memory are little else than the
cultivation of right methods of study.
That which is thoroughly and proper
| ly learned is usually securely retained
and readily recalled. Closely allied to
this are the thinking activities; con-
ception and judgment and also reason
ing. The thinking activities begin tc
manifest themselves early in the life
of child. The activities of the judg.
ing and the reasoning are very feeble
The second step in the thinking pro
cess consists in the formation o.
judgments which examine, compare
and decide with the respect to the re
lation between things or ideas.
Reasoning is the result of compar
ing judgments. Specific rules for the
development and culture of the reas
oning activities are of little value az
the best method of dealing with one
child or class of children may not be
best for another. However, they
should be exercised in framing judg
ments and drawing conclusions witt
which they are familiar; they should
be allowed to test in practice to some
extent the validity of their own rea
sonings.
The difficulty with the reasoning OF
a child on moral questions is that he
has at his period of life no proper
standard by which questions OF right
and wrong can be justly decided. 1t
is a part of the legitimate business Of
the schools and the teachers to incul
cate the right views and principles il
relation to questions and morals.
The activities of the mind thus fal
mentioned are all concerned in some
of the knowing processes and Whe1
grouped together are called intellect
The feelings are the motive power o
the soul. We eat, not simply because
we know, but because connected will
this knowing is the impulsive force o
some emotion which excites desir
and influences the will. 1t inter
venes between the knowledge and tn
volition. The easy control of chill
dren depends very largely upon tn
power one has of exciting the RICH
emotion at the right time and of Civ
ing the impelling force of the feelin
the right direction. Only one stron
emotion can find place in the soul a
a time. One is driven out by the il
PRODUCTION of another. Enkindle a
emotion of good will, and i'll will wi
.. leave at once. The mind cannot II
main empty; and if it is full of tn
good, the evil finds no room. Emo
tions are feelings which spring up i
the soul spontaneously when certai
appropriate conditions are presented
They differ from sensations in tina
they are not merely sensuous. Emo
tions greatly intensified become pa.
sions, of which violent anger is a
example. In this way they are irrits
lions, urging one on to conduct of tn
most unreasonable character, regart
less of consequences. The disturbe
action of the heart under emotion
: a remarkable instance of the infuenc
of feeling on the movement of a