Excerpt from Plan Book for Teachers<br><br>Basic Principles. This series of readers is based on the theory that the aim of education is to develop in the child the capacity to understand and enjoy the natural and social world in which he lives, and to enter into the business of society and become a useful member Of it. The basic factors in this development are activity, knowledge, and culture, and the solution Of the problem Of edu cation consists in maintaining the proper balance between these essential elements.<br><br>The Relative Importance of Fundamental Elements. Of the three elements which we have mentioned in the educative process, self activity must stand foremost. It is dominant in the physical nature of the child; it is dominant in the demands that society makes upon the adult. Happiness and efficiency in life depend upon successful doing. There has been too great a tendency to lay stress on knowledge, book knowledge, as the aim of education. Knowledge is essential, but to a very large extent it is only a means to an end. It is the material with which we work. With out it we might not be able to accomplish much; but with it we can attain our end only by employing the child's activity, thereby developing his powers toward efficiency. Culture is a result, and comes from a proper application Of activity to knowledge. The result should mean quickness Of perception, force and finenessof imagination, balance Of the emotions, and ability to give ade quate expression to one's ideas.<br><br>While we are looking toward the attainment Of these things, it is essential that we keep in mind that self-activity is the fore most factor. By self-activity is meant, not Simply the use of the mind, but the employment Of the physical powers Of the child in giving expression to his thoughts. The spontaneous method Of response in the child is through physical activity. This physi cal activity may find expression ih the schoolroom in several ways. The chief Of these are relating stories to others, writing stories, dramatizing stories, and the playing of games based upon stories.<br><br>About the Publisher<br><br>Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com<br><br>This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.