The Delta independent., 1920-07-02
TRAINING LITTLE CITIZENS
GUIDING OF IMAGINATION

nv Anna Goodwin Williams, Ma
tional Kindergarten and Elementary
College.)
"Whon my boy was only four years
old, l began to punish him every time
he told lie. 1t took great persist
ance to cure him, but now he Is the
most truthful child you ever knew.
You can depend upon his word every
time" The father spoke with great
pride, ignorant that the merry little
lad next door who was the companion
of his own sullen boy had also passed
through three years OF "romancing.
but with no punishment for lying and
consequently no unhappy memories to
carry into later life.
Every little child passed through
mental stage when he finds 1t diff
cult II not impossible to distinguish be-
tween memory and Imagination.
4 Five-year-old Harold spent very
happy day with little Jack, whose
mother had SO tanned squirrel that 1t
came to the window and ate from the
children's hands. wouldn't 1t be fun
IL It would come into the room and
play it'll us?" Yes, and get into the
dolls bed and sit in a chair aud .at
from a table" Each child ma ls his
contribution to the delightful romance.
Two or three weeks later surethirs
was said in Harold's presence ab' ut
squirrels, and Immediately there
came to his mind all the memories
Of Jacks squirrel. Memory and i'm
agination became confused so that the
little lad thought he was telling the
truth when he told of the squirrel
which had eaten from his hand, slept
in a dolls bed and sat in n chair. and
he naturally resented as an injustice
the punishment which followed.
'what is TRUTH" four-year-old Mar
garet asked earnestly of loving
friend who rebuked her for not tell
ing the truth. The friend, by definite
illustration, helped her to understand
the difference between fact and imag
nation, and for several weeks the
caild's stories were followed by the
question, "Was | telling the truth that
time?" Finally she was able to dis
tinguish the difference and her mag
NATIVE stories were introduced by,
This isn't true, but "Once upon
a time, etc" So she lived in her
make-believe world, joyously increas-
ing a very valuable mental power. yet
being saved the reproof and punish.
ment too often meted out to children
who are not understood.
Miss Elizabeth Harrison in her
book, misunderstood Children" tells
of little girl who prayed in her own
simple, childlike way that the wonder.
full gift of imagination might be taken
from her because OF he scorn and
ridicule with which the teacher OF ge-
ography treated her attempt to picture
Arabia. about which she was study
ing, instead OF merely bounding the
country. "Please. God, help me not
to see people and animals in Arabia
instead OF an old map on the WALL"
she prayed.
Fortunately, that little girls prayer
was not answered and her imagination
developed and was so guided and con.
trolled by a wise and understanding
mother that when the child grew to
womanhood she was able to use that
imagination to write stories which
have brought Joy to thousands Of 1T
tie children.
The world OF Imagination Ia really
the Kingdom Of the little child in
which he lives with the companions
we adults choose for him. Let us help
him by telling him Of the great heroes
Of history and literature, and cease
to acquaint him with the cruel villains