Training of Younger Children
Up to eight years of age the child should be trained principally in the use of his senses and in making clear mind's eye pictures. The parent should have the definite aim in mind of increasing the child's stock of knowledge, and of the later value of these efforts. Show him everything you can, and take time to explain. Things are new to the child, even though they are very common to you. This is the age when he acquires his knowledge of things without being so much interested in their relationship to each other.
A great deal which is explained to children is forgotten, because they did not sense it—that is, they do not impress it upon the mind by many and varied sense impressions. Simply to hear the answer to the question is not sufficient. You can tell a child what a rectangle is, but he is very apt to forget. If, after you have explained a rectangle to the child, you have him go around the room and find all the rectangles that he can—such as windows, doors, books, etc., and then draw different sizes of them, he will never forget.