simple begins to grow into a desire to do things better, to learn and practise for a more remote end—­in other words, when the child begins to be willing to be taught, the transitional period from play to work begins.  It can never be said to end, but the relative amount of play to work gradually defines the life of the school:  and so the transitional period merges into the school period.  Thus we are concerned first with the Nursery School period which corresponds to what Froebel meant by his Kindergarten and Owen by his Infant School; secondly, with the transitional period which has been far too long neglected or rushed over, and which roughly corresponds to the Standard I. of the Elementary School; and thirdly, we have the beginnings of the Junior School where work is the predominant factor.  In spite of Shakespeare’s assertion, there is much in a name, and if these names were definitely adopted, teachers would realise better the nature of their business.

The following chapters seek to apply practically the four vital principles to these periods of a child’s life, but in many cases the Transition Classes and the Junior School are considered together.

CHAPTER XVII

THE NEED FOR EXPERIENCE

“The first vital principle is that the teacher of young children must provide for them life in miniature, i.e. she must provide abundant raw material and opportunities for acquiring experience.”

The practical translation of this in the words of the teacher of to-day is, “I must choose furniture, and requisition apparatus.”  The teacher of to-morrow will say to her children, “I will bring the world into the school for you to learn.”  The Local Education Authority of to-day says, “We must build a school for instruction.”  The Local Education Authority of to-morrow will say, “We must make a miniature world for our children.”

The world of the Nursery School child probably requires the most careful thought in this respect:  a large room with sunlight and air, low clear windows, a door leading to a garden and playground, low cupboards full of toys, low-hung pictures, light chairs and tables that can be pushed into a corner, stretcher beds equally disposable, a dresser with pretty utensils for food; these are the chief requirements for satisfying physical needs, apparent in the actual room.  Physical habits will be considered later, under another heading.

Outside, in the playground, there should be opportunities for physical development, for its own sake:  swings, giant strides, ladders laid flat, slightly sloping planks, and a seesaw should all be available for constant use; if the children are not warned or given constant advice about their own safety, there is little fear of accidents.

Thus the purely physical side of the children is provided for, the side that they are, if healthy, quite unconscious of; what else does experience demand at this stage?