DEVELOPING THE OBSERVATION

The next step of development, after forming clear visual impressions, and closely allied to it, is the development of the faculty of observation. The eyes see, but the brain perceives. The sense organs bring a sensation to the brain where, by the act of perception, it is classified or identified as being like certain other objects and filed away in its proper place.

Recognition goes a step farther and places this object alongside of one particular mental image, which it resembles.

Standing by the gate in the twilight you see an object coming down the road. As it approaches you Perceive that it is a cow. As it comes closer you Recognize it as Neighbor Jones' cow. You Perceive that it is a cow, but you Recognize her as a certain cow, different from all others.

It is a fact that the eye may be perfect, and the nerve connecting it with the brain may be in good working order, and yet no impression may be received by the brain. Injury to that area of the brain which receives the impression from the eye may cause total blindness;at the same time the eye and nerves connecting it with the brain may be physically perfect.

When the brain is not injured, the same result is brought about by lack of Attention. The eye can look straight at an object and you do not perceive it. The brain does not accept any impression of it.

Attention is necessary that the sense impressions may be properly perceived and recognized; and this completed mental operation is commonly called Observation. Trained senses that react quickly make possible quick perception and recognition. The result is quick, accurate, and complete observation. Observation requires knowledge and it develops definite knowledge, but most people are poor observers. Help your children to be definite in their knowledge and to know what they know. How many can tell the different trees by name? How many legs has a spider, a fly, a bee, a butterfly?

It is a strange fact that the poorly educated are the best observers. Do not lose sight of the necessity of helping the child to form the habit of observation. It is the basis of common sense. Do not let him grow up ignorant of the common knowledge and experiences.

The faculty of observation is also the basis of science and of the success of specialists in every line. The story is told of a young man, who, having made up his mind to become a naturalist, went to a celebrated teacher in that line of study. The professor set the young man at work drawing a picture of a fish. The picture was soonfinished and carried to the teacher for inspection, who, without looking up, said: "Draw it again." This seemed foolish to the young man, but he sat down and drew a new and better picture, which he again carried to the teacher for approval. This time the professor told him to go back and improve it and to wait until he should come to inspect it. The young scholar returned, did some more work on the picture and then pushed it back and waited. The professor did not come and so he started wandering restlessly around the room, thinking he had been forgotten.

Soon he became interested in studying the fish he had been drawing; he noticed several peculiarities of the eye which he added to his picture. This led him to a more careful study, and other details were noted and added. He then decided he could draw a better picture, so started all over again. After days had passed, the professor came in and glanced at the picture which the young man then realized was still only partially complete. For one year this young scholar was kept busy studying and drawing the fish, then the old professor told him: "You have learned the greatest lesson of the scientist, observation." This young man was Agassiz, who became America's foremost naturalist.

Observation usually occurs where there is a motive. Do not ask the child to develop it, but induce him to play games and to strive to excel in contests which require observation.

This is one of the faculties which we use continuously, but have given very little thought to its conscious improvement. Every judgment rendered in business life is largely dependent for accuracy upon this faculty.

You may intend investing money in a piece of real estate. You go out to look at it. What you see on this trip of inspection is a large factor in your decision. Your ability to observe all existing conditions will go a long way towards determining whether or not your judgment in buying this property is correct. If the surrounding land is higher, and you do not observe this fact, you will probably discover, when winter comes, that you have purchased a mud hole.

Two men go to inspect a piece of mining property. Mr. A decides to invest, while Mr. B decides not to. In talking over the situation later on A inquires of B why he did not invest, and finds that B saw many things about the location of the property which he did not see at all.

In every decision of life we depend largely upon our observation; upon the things we see. A keen observation is of great help to the salesman in finding a point of contact with the prospective buyer. When he enters the man's office his eyes are keen and alert. He sees the golf bag or tennis racquet in the corner, or a book on the man's desk, the title of which he can read at aglance. These things reveal to him the things in which this man is interested.

If all faces look alike to you you will of course call them all by the same name. Your friends are all different in their appearance. It is your observation which detects this difference. You may have thought that Mr. Jones and Mr. Smith look very much alike, but when you see the two side by side you are surprised that you ever thought they resembled each other. Such cases are not at all rare, and show that the observation has not been as keen and accurate as it should have been.

Observation can be improved easily and quickly. This is one of the faculties which is used so habitually that we have overlooked its importance and almost entirely neglected its improvement. The following pages will give some tests by which you can determine the child's power of observation and which will convince you of the need of its development, and also suggest some simple games by means of which you and your children can improve this important mental faculty.

It is a great aid to observation to have the ability to place upon the brain a physical eye picture which is so clear and distinct that later, when you reproduce the picture in the mind's eye, you still see the details accurately. To develop this power of visualization will help to develop the ability to observe. The exercises in the development of observation which follow will also improve the visual power of the mind's eye.

The story is told how the French magician Houdin trained the observation of his son. They would go down the street together and stop in front of a shop window. The father and son would both take a good look at the contents of the window, and then walk on a little farther and stop and write on a pad all the objects they could recall. Then they would go back to the window and compare the lists, and go on to a second window and do the same thing. This exercise was followed until the boy had developed an unusual ability to remember what he saw.

When the father was performing his magical feats on the stage of Paris he would ask people from the audience to come up onto the stage and deposit any articles which they chose upon the table until there were forty in all. The boy, blindfolded, was then brought onto the stage, led up to the table, and, after the blindfold was removed, allowed one glance. He was then blindfolded again and led to the front of the stage with his back to the table. He would without hesitation name each of the forty objects. This was considered magic, mental telepathy, etc. Itwasmagic—the magic of practice.

Practice will work wonders for you and your children. The method followed by this magician is one of the best exercises for developing this faculty. The time you put in walking the streets is mostly wasted as far as mental development is concerned. As you and thechildren pass a store window look closely at the articles in it and as you walk along see how many each of you can recall definitely. At first you will not be able to name very many. Practice in this way several times a day will soon enable you to recall the majority of things that you see. Continual practice will result in your becoming an adept.

The same kind of practice can be indulged in on streets where there are no store windows. Look at the front of a house and see how definitely you can describe it after you are by. How many windows has it? Can you see the color, trimmings, the style of windows, doors, porches, and all the details clearly? Practice until all can do this. Then observe the yard until you can describe the approximate size, the arrangement of the shrubbery, walks, flower beds and trees. While walking with the children continuously use these ideas. Call their attention to a certain house and when you have passed ask questions regarding what they have observed.

An excellent method of developing observation is to recall the definite location of the furniture in the different rooms of the home, the articles that are on the top of the dresser or library table.

In going to the home or office of a friend look around the room once carefully, then look out of the window or at the floor, and recall the furniture and other details of the furnishings. How many pictures are on the walls, where are they and what are they?

Secure a group of pictures which have considerable detail and a variety of objects such as often appear on calendars, large magazine pictures, and advertisements, etc.

Put a single picture upon the wall for observation for a period of a few seconds. Let each child write the answers to a series of questions, each being numbered. They can be answered verbally if the group is small.

Have the list of questions prepared and numbered. If the picture is of a house and yard have questions like the following: How many chimneys? How many windows upstairs, downstairs? How many porches? What color is the house? the trimmings? How many trees, bushes, flower beds? Is there a fence? Is the door open or closed? Is there any person in the picture? Any animal?

GROUP 1.

Take a piece of paper, or a child's slate, place a simple group of small circles, as illustrated in Group One. Let the child look at this group for five seconds. Turn the slate over and have him count from his mind's eye picture and tell how many circles are in the group. Then have the child draw on the other side of the slate or onanother piece of paper the circles as nearly in the same position as possible.

See that he gets the advantage of two tests from this exercise, one the counting from his mind's eye picture and the other to be able to reproduce the group in the same positions as shown on the other side of the slate.

GROUP 2.

Make another group of mixed crosses and circles as shown in Group Two. After looking at it for five seconds, have the child tell you how many circles and how many crosses there are. Have him draw a picture of them.

GROUP 3.

Use a group of combined circles and squares as illustrated in Groups Three and Four. As the child becomes able to count and reproduce accurately, increase the difficulty and complexity of the exercises. For variety use triangles, rectangles, octagons, stars, etc., as in Group Four.

GROUP 4.

Divide a slate or a sheet of paper into four, six, nine or twelve sections. Beginning with four and increasing the number as the child progresses. Draw in each section some picture, number, letter or object, as illustrated. Let the child look at those which you have arranged and then close his eyes and look away and tell what is in each of the squares. If he is old enough, let him take a piece of paper and reproduce the squares and their contents. For variety the squares can contain all letters, all numbers, or all objects.

Have a handful of small sticks or matches and lay a number in a row on the table. Let the children stand with their backs to the table and a few feet away from it. After you have arranged the sticks go several feet away from the table and say, "Ready!" The children then go to the table, count the sticks, run to you and whisper their answer. The object in your being away from the table is to keep the others from repeating the answer of the first child when they have not finished the count for themselves. From a simple beginning of a straight row of a few sticks, the game can be developed to any degree of complexity, so that it will tax the powers of the most alert and developed mind. The children will soon be able to glance at the group of sticks and count them from their mind's eye picture while they are coming to you and not have to stand at the table while counting them.

Lay the sticks in groups, make them into figures, into small piles, double lines of different length, etc. A few different groups are illustrated below—use matches, tooth picks, or any small articles.

Take the same game described above for Quick Counting and have the children see the figure or pile of sticks for just a moment, then cover them and let them count from their visual picture and tell the number, rather than by the actual count as before. They can also have a handful of sticks in their hands and each try to arrange a group of sticks which is the duplicate of the one they have been observing.

The game of dominoes is good for small children in helping them to count quickly and accurately. Use a row of dominoes instead of sticks and have the children count the number of spots from their mind's eye picture.

For variety use any objects, let the child look at a flag and count the stars. Have him count the number of squares in a colonial window; the number of books on a shelf; the number of sections in the radiator. Anything of this kind can be easily used. Give him only aglance, do not allow time enough for an actual count. In each case let the time allowed for each exercise be less than required to count the objects.

Show the child a vase, or the picture of one that is odd in shape, a water pitcher, or an Egyptian water bottle. Let him have a good look at the object, then take it away and let him describe it in detail, or, better still, have him draw it. Drawing is an excellent exercise for the development of muscular control and will-power.

In the same way let children observe the decorations of a building, the design of the windows, the design and style of the caps and bases of the pillars, and then draw them.

Older girls should be taught to observe so as to be able to describe accurately, and to draw in detail, suits and dresses; draperies and furnishings. This is also an excellent opportunity for color study. Boys can observe, describe and draw the outlines of boats, automobiles, and furniture, and anything that interests them. An excellent book to help the child in learning to draw is one entitled, "When Mother Lets Us Draw," by E. R. Lee Thayer.

To develop Observation and Memory of location, and relation of objects, get eight cards of any size, from one to three inches square, each of a different color. Colorsof decided contrast are best. Number the cards on the back from one to eight. While the child is not looking arrange the cards in a double row, writing the number of each card on a slip of paper. The numbers should be in two rows and in the exact order in which the color cards are to be arranged. Call the child and let him look twenty seconds at these cards. The time can be shortened as the ability develops. Now mix the cards and let him try to arrange them as they were.

The one taking the test should do this by making a picture of the colors as they appear, holding them in mind as he arranges the cards. This is excellent practice for persons of all ages. Some can do it accurately at the first trial, others will have a poor record at the beginning, but as usualpersistencewill win and the ability will grow rapidly.

The Score.—The numbers, as you have previously written them on the slip, will give the original order. After they have been arranged by the one taking the test, turn the cards and check by the numbers. Each card in its correct place entitles him to one point. Any number can be decided upon as a game. The first one reaching that number of points by correct arrangement wins.

If colored cardboard is not handy the cards can easily be made by painting one side with a child's water color paints or by using crayolas.

This game will develop observation and location. Make a series of eight, ten, or twelve cards about 2x3inches in size, on one side number them as in the color game, and on the other side draw the outlines of simple objects, as a hat, tea kettle, shears, box, fan, book, owl, hen, dog, etc. These pictures can be cut from a paper and pasted on the cards; small picture cards, or picture postals may be used.

Arrange the cards in two rows. You can begin with four or six cards and later, after these have been used with comparative accuracy, add more. Keep a record of the arrangement by the numbers on the back of the cards as in the Color Game. Allow about twenty seconds for the observation of the cards and their positions, then shuffle them and arrange them in the original position if possible. Score the same as in the Color Game.

Take the child into some room with which he is not familiar, and let him walk through the room slowly, then go out and make a list of everything he can remember. Now let him look through again and see what he can add to the list.

Walk a block down the street and have him make a list or tell you of as many of the things which he saw as possible. Whenever possible return for a second look so that the child may see and realize the many things that he has omitted.

The story of the experience of the magician Houdin and the method which he used for developing the observation of his son can easily suggest a number of interesting, and as you have learned, very profitable games.

Place a dozen objects on a table and let the child look at the table from twenty to thirty seconds and then leave the room. While gone change the position of two objects. Have him return and tell what changes were made. Where there are two or more children let the one who first observes the change remain and make the change for the others. The number of objects changed can be varied. But those out of the room should know how many changes are being made. At first the objects changed should be returned to their original positions, before the second change, so that the mental picture is the same each time. Later they can remain in the position to which they were changed so that there is a new relationship to be retained in mind each time.

After a meal, while sitting at the table, let the children take a careful look at what is upon it and then close their eyes. Ask the location of different things and see how many they can remember accurately. While their eyes are closed take something off the table and hide it. See which one can first tell what is removed. Return it and next remove some other article. Let the child first telling what was removed be the one to remove the next article, and so on, or take turns around the table.

Let all the persons playing the game look over the furnishings of the room and then all, but one, go out. The person remaining can change the location of one article but nothing must be removed. When the alteration is made the others may return. The first one to detect the change must remain and make the change for the others. At first the changes should be made of larger articles as the chairs, pictures, pillows, etc. Later smaller ones can be used as vases, doilies, books, bric-a-brac.

A time limit can be placed upon the observation of the room and also upon the time allowed for detecting the change made. A score can be kept among smaller children rather than to allow them to make the changes.

Gather a group of small articles and place them on a table. Begin with not less than twenty articles and increase the number as those making the test become accurate. Have the children gather around the table and look intently at the objects upon it, striving to make a picture of the group in their minds. After they have looked at the table for thirty seconds cover it and have them write a list of all the articles they can recall from their mental impression. The one writing the longest list is the winner.

It is well to allow them a second observation of twenty seconds after they have written the first list and see how many more they can add to it. After the child has written all that he thinks he can, have him close his eyes and see the mind's eye picture of the top of the table and in this way concentrate on the picture. You will find that in most cases this will recall to mind other objects, they will gradually become definite in the picture and can be added to the list. Few people are able to write more than twenty objects from a one minute observation of a table containing thirty, but there are some who can do much better at the first trial. These are usually persons who have been engaged in some line of effort which causes the development of the faculty.

This is an excellent mental exercise and should be repeated as often as you can induce the children to play it, adding to the articles and changing some for variety. Play this at the children's parties. Older persons enjoy it as well as the younger ones, especially after they see how difficult it is.

One valuable application of the habit of attention and observation is that it develops the memory for places. The keen, observing woodsman is not easily lost. Some people can be lost a few blocks from home simply because they do not observe where they go, the objects which they pass, or the relation of one building or corner to another. Impress the importance of this application of observation upon the child. Teach him to pick landmarks. Show him how the Indian or woodsman blazes a trail as he goes through an unknown country. Teach the child to notice the roads, fences, trees, houses and buildings as he walks. Teach him the directions and how to find them.

Take the child for a walk. Tell him that the next day you are going to see if he can take you for the same walk. Have him observe the different places you go. After you have been home for an hour or so let the child go over the walk in his mind and review it visually so that he will be able to take you the next day. Review is necessary for a permanent memory, and this act will help the child to realize the importance of forming the review habit.

Take the child for a walk and double back over your track and see if he will recognize the fact that he has been there before. Take him to the same place by different roads and let him guide you back home. When you are ready to go home after a walk let the child play the game of taking you home. He will enjoy this and it will develop independence and the ability to get home alone if such a necessity should arise. Occasionally ask him what direction you are traveling and in which direction his home is located. When the corner is turned have him tell the new direction.

In your play with the child make it a point to choose some game which will develop his senses and faculties. You can amuse him as easily and at the same time be accomplishing a great good. Do not put this matter off "until you have more time." Use a little time each day, if only five minutes. You are bound to experience to some extent the same result as a friend who said: "I started in with this thing for the good of the kids, but I find the kid who gets the most out of it is dad."

Rudyard Kipling, in his book "Kim," gives an instance of the Observation Game played by Kim and a trained native youth. Lurgan Sahib exposes to the sight of the two boys a tray filled with jewels and gems, allowing them to gaze upon it a few moments before it is withdrawn from sight. Then the competition begins, as follows: "There are under that paper five blue stones, one big, one smaller, and three small," said Kim in all haste. "There are four green stones, and one with a hole in it; there is one yellow stone that I can see through, and one like a pipe stem. There are two red stones, and—and—give me time."

But Kim had reached the limit of his powers. Then came the turn of the native child.

"First are two flawed sapphires, one of two ruttees and one of four, as I should judge. The four ruttees sapphire is chipped at the edge. There is one Turkestan turquoise, plain with green veins, andthere are two inscribed—one with the name of God in gilt and the other being cracked across, for it came out of an old ring, I cannot read. We have not the five blue stones; four flamed emeralds there are, but one is drilled in two places, and one is a little carven."

"Their weight?" said Lurgan Sahib, impassively.

"Three, five, five and four ruttees, as I judge it. There is one piece of old greenish amber, and a cheap cut topaz from Europe. There is one ruby of Burma, one of two ruttees, without a flaw. And there is a Ballas ruby, flawed, of two ruttees. There is a carved ivory from China representing a rat sucking an egg; and there is last—ah ha! a ball of crystal as big as a bean set in a gold leaf."

"Kim is mortified at his bad beating, and asks the secret." The answer is: "By doing it many times over, till it is done perfectly, for it is worth doing."

Conscious and accurate sense impressions are essential for definite knowledge."He who knows and knows that he knows, he is wise, follow him."

Conscious and accurate sense impressions are essential for definite knowledge.

"He who knows and knows that he knows, he is wise, follow him."

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