We have been slow, in our school work, to follow the teaching of children’s experience. Although we have always known and always recognized the child’s interest in pictures, we have not used them in the school-room to the extent that they might have been used, nor in such a manner as to yield the greatest advantage.
The writer remembers a class of children in whose hands were placed some new readers beautifully illustrated with full-page pictures. The new books, which had just been brought into the room, were given to the children with the brief direction, “Turn to page 85 and begin reading at the top of the page.”
“Theirs not to reason why,
Theirs not to make reply.”
The obedient fingers turned to the page indicated, and the curious eyes were allowed no moment to linger over the pages which tempted them with their fascinating pictures. Yet here was the “Delectable Land,” which might have been opened to them to their lasting advantage. Here the children’s interest was assured, and no artificial incentive needed to be presented.
Another class, under similar conditions, had a different experience.
“Here are new books,” the teacher said to the children. “You will enjoy reading these stories, I know. But you will find pictures in them as well as stories. Before we read let us look at the pictures and enjoy them.”
The children eagerly opened the books. They found, as a frontispiece, a copy of Rosa Bonheur’s “Norman Sire.”
The children talked about the picture, compared the horse with horses that they knew, admired the noble head, the fine eyes. As they turned the pages of their books they found other pictures of animals, “The Lions at Home” and “Coming from the Fair.” Their comments were free, their questions ready. Nobody thought of the picture as a picture. The conversation centred about lions and horses only, and expressed the children’s interest in animals.
It was the teacher who called the attention of the children to the name written underneath the first picture, “Rosa Bonheur.” This, they inferred, must be the name of the one who made the picture.