For most of the mental operations the three senses already treated are the more important ones. There are some trades in which the senses of taste and smell are also important. These can be cultivated readily by exercises of any nature that stimulate an effort on the part of the children. Many ideas will suggest themselves to you from those given for the other senses.
It is advisable to do a good deal of the practice blindfolded so as to separate entirely the sense of sight, and force dependence upon the senses of taste and smell.
These two senses are very closely allied. Try the experiment of determining the difference in tea, coffee, milk and water while the eyes are covered and the nose held tightly closed.
The degree to which these two senses can be developed is illustrated by the proficiency which is shown by experts and testers who grade tea, coffee and tobacco.
The usefulness of their development is to a large degree only of value to those engaged in these lines of trade. The opportunity for their development comes rarely except in connection with work in the trades, and for that reason will not be dealt with at any length here.
Using Two of the Senses
There are times when the ability to use two of the senses with reasonable accuracy at the same time will be of value. It is not possible for either of the senses to produce perfect attention while working in conjunction with one another. We can attend to only one thing at a time and do it well, but "Divided Attention" is possible. Under the chapter on Attention and Concentration, on page 75, you will find an explanation of "Divided Attention," which should be read before going farther with these exercises.
Exercises for Two Senses
Combine any of the previous exercises for Eye and Ear, Ear and Feeling, Eye and Feeling, etc., but do not attempt two exercises of the same sense or use two of the same order.
At first the attention will alternate between the two exercises, but by persistence the child can learn to carry on two exercises at the same time.
Watch an operator in the central phone stations, she listens to the party calling, watches the board over which other conversations are passing, and pulls and shifts the plugs, all at the same time. Operators of many machines in factories learn to carry on two and more separate operations at one time.
Combine the Insets for the sense of feeling on page 18 with the Number Game or the Letter Game on page 45, or with the exercises for visual counting on page 59. Let the Insets be held close to the body so as not to be easily seen, or have them worked under the table, or covered by a cloth.
Use a similar combination of any of the sense exercises or games. Try many variations of the idea given on page 75 under Divided Attention, using different verses and problems to suit the age of the child.
Have the child write a familiar verse while listening to the reading of a story and see how much he can tell after the verse is finished. See that the writing continues during the reading, that is, that he does not stop writing to listen, then write again.
Take the letter cards of the Letter Game, page 45, and arrange a series of six, having these covered. Give the child a paper and pencil, uncover the series of letters and simultaneously read an equal series of digits. After the reading cover the letters and have him write as many as possible, first the letters and immediately following the digits. Next time write the digits first and the letters second. The result of this test will reveal the comparative quality of the child's eye and ear memory, as memory must of course enter into this exercise. If the sounds of the digits are lost before the pictures of the letters, the eye memory is strongest. This is usually the case, but some children will retain the sounds easily and lose the picture of the letters.
The sense which proves most useful should be depended upon for accuracy, but there should be a continuous effort to develop and strengthen the weaker one.
Improvement From Conscious Effort
The child may be normal in all his senses and able to gain an average success in life without much conscious effort given to improving them. It will require very little effort, however, to greatly develop the capacity of the different senses and thus increase the success which he will gain, and greatly reduce the effort necessary to attain it. While effort and use develop, neglect causes disintegration.
The fact that the eye, for example, needs development is illustrated by the limited usefulness of this organ in infants. Professor Compayre tells us that babies see only objects in front of them, not to the right or to the left, and only objects that are at short range.
Your present capacity in the use of this sense organ, and the accuracy with which you use it, is the result of the development of past years. Conscious effort upon the part of your children will lead them to more rapid development, and to the possibility of far greater power and usefulness.
The value of this improvement is apparent to you, but not to the child. The benefits to be derived will be largely dependent upon your leadership and encouragement in making the effort. While the children are seeking amusement, see that they combine it with these games and exercises which will accomplish some improvement that will be permanent and valuable to them later on.
The Faculty of Visualization
The sense of sight has been wonderfully endowed with a duplicate power which we have come to call the mind's eye. With this visual faculty we produce some very important mental operations. We must first become conscious of this faculty and learn to use it intelligently and then to broaden its scope and increase its power to deal with details.
Visualization is the mind's eye reproduction of an impression made by the sense of sight.
When the name of Abraham Lincoln is mentioned you can see his face in your mind's eye. Hesitate a moment and become really conscious of this reproduction of Lincoln's face in your mind. See the details of the picture, the deep set eyes, the furrowed skin, the sad expression, etc.
Another Visual Test
In the same manner your mind can reproduce an unlimited number of pictures. Anything which you have once seen with the physical eye can be reproduced again in the mind's eye.
Make a few tests of this fact, if it is not well known to you. For example,—
See a pasture with a creek flowing through, willows hanging over the water, the green grass on the banks, and the stock grazing there. See several different kinds and sizes of animals, note their color, what they are doing. Add to the detail of the picture.
To close the eyes and thus to eliminate the more distinct impressions of the physical eye, will assist you in visualizing any picture.
Visual Process Natural
We are all born with this ability to visualize or see imaginary mental reproductions of things which we have seen before. By the use of the imagination we combine parts of these pictures into new ones and thus are able to construct a mind's eye picture which may never have existed in fact.
Children possess this faculty in a marked degree; they use it continuously and unconsciously. They can also see their visual picture much more clearly than their parents can, unless they have continued to use the faculty consciously. Many children amuse themselves by the hour in playing with imaginary playmates, and will talk to them as interestedly as if they were really present. To the child they are present, he actually sees them and also visualizes the conditions under which he is playing.
The child should be given a conscious understanding of the mind's eye picture and what is meant by visualization. Teach him that when you ask him to visualize, you mean for him to see clearly the mind's eye picture of the thing referred to. The first exercises in visualization are for the purpose of developing a clear visual picture.
Training the Mind's Eye
The following tests and games will reveal the lack of speed and accuracy in the operation of the visual faculty. The repetition of the tests will result in an improved ability; vary and continue them and you can quickly experience improvement in the availability of the faculty.
Exercises which tend to quicken the action, broaden the range of vision, and increase the amount of detail retained, are most valuable.
The Picture Test
Select a good sized picture which is strange to the child, in which there are several persons surrounded by the furniture of a room, or any similar setting where there are a number of objects. Allow him to give one quick glance at the picture and then see whether he can recall definitely just how many persons were in the picture? Whether they were men, women or children; and locate definitely the position of each person. The first glance should not exceed one second. Now let him look at the picture again for not more than five seconds. See how many objects he can name, check them up to see that he is accurate. Also notice how many objects are mentioned which are not in the picture.
Test for Quick Reaction
Prepare a strip of cardboard about three inches wide and fourteen inches long. Get as many colors of paper as possible, cut them into strips of unequal width and paste them on the cardboard so that each color will be from one to three inches wide, according to the number secured.
Stand across the room holding the back of the strip towards the children, then turn it over so that they get one clear glance. This glance should not exceed the length of time it takes you to count rapidly one-half the number of colors. There should not be less than six colors on the slip, in which case you count from one to three. After this first quick glance see who can tell accurately HOW MANY colors there are on the slip. Let each write down the number his mind registered without checking up to see if he is correct.
A Test for Color Reaction
Now turn the paper over again so that they see the colors about twice as long as the first test. Then have them write a list of the colors that are on the paper. After they have written all the colors that they saw, have them take the following tests, before checking up the lists.
A Test for Order
Allow a third glance at the color strip while you count ten, and have each begin at the left hand end of the strip, noting the arrangement of the colors, and see if they can write accurately the order in which the colors appear on the card.
The first test is for quick reaction of the mind. The amount that they are able to observe in a given length of time will depend upon the rapidity with which their minds react. This test is designed to determine the rapidity of the mental reaction. About thirty-five per cent of those who take it are able to get the correct number, where the number of colors is not more than seven.
The second test is designed to determine the ability of the mind to hold the color impressions. About twenty-five per cent are able to retain the impression of the seven colors.
The third test combines the power to retain the color impression with the ability to retain the correct order. Experience shows that not over ten per cent are able to give the order accurately.
Similar tests repeated will give a great amount of exercise and soon result in a perceptible increase in the power to accomplish the desired results.
The Letter Game
Prepare a series of white cards about 2 X 3 inches, larger for larger groups, on which are painted the letters of the alphabet in large black type.
For this test select a convenient spot, such as the mantel, window sill, or table edge, and place six letters upright and side by side, but do not have the letters spell a word.
Each child should be supplied with paper and pencil. All should hold the pencil above their heads. Upon a signal allow the children a five-second glance at the letters. When the five seconds have elapsed give the command "Write," at which each child will write the letters in proper sequence. When they have had ten seconds in which to write, give the command "stop." During the time for writing the letters the cards should be covered. Now the cover can be removed and each allowed to check the result.
Begin with the arrangement of about six letters and gradually increase the number and complexity of arrangement so as always to give the child something to strive for.
Only that which requires effort results in growth. Those things for which we strive are of most value to us.
A few examples for the letter game—
Later arrange some double line combinations, and increase the complexity as the ability develops.
In some combinations use letters which make the semblance of a word and later some which spell a word. Notice how quickly and easily the combination is remembered when it conveys sense or something definite which the mind can grasp. For example—
The Number Game
In the same manner in which you made the cards for the Letter Game prepare a set on which are numbers instead of letters. Follow the same rules for the Number Game, using rows of numbers instead of letters.
First use a row of single digits, increasing it until you have used nine or ten. Then change and arrange a column of two digits, as illustrated below.
Later for variety you can combine letters and numbers. In some arrangements leave blank spaces requiring the child to leave the blank in its proper location when reproducing his mental picture.
A Few Examples for Guidance
A series of squares, circles, triangles, etc., can be used. These exercises can be varied in any manner and made as long and as complicated as is necessary to keep the child striving to make an effort to accomplish more. Keep a time limit, remember the value of competition, championship scores, etc.
The Colors of a Room
Have the child look at one side of the room, then look away and tell all the colors he saw there in pictures, draperies, etc. Have him look at a certain picture for about five seconds and turn away and see how many of the colors in it he can recall.
Use a row of books on the shelf for another test. Have the child tell how many colors he saw in the row, and, if possible, how many books.
Practice With Geometrical Figures
First secure some geometrical figures. Take for example a five-pointed star, have the child look at it carefully, then close his eyes and reproduce its form and size in a clear, visual picture. Let him look at the drawing and see if he can improve the clearness and definite proportion of his mind's eye picture. Now have him take a sheet of paper and draw this picture as he sees it in his mind, and when complete compare it with the original for accuracy in size and proportion. Let him close his eyes several times and get just as definite a mind's eye picture as possible before he attempts the drawing of the figure. Practice with figures of this kind, gradually increasing their complexity.
Use Other Simple Objects
Instead of the geometrical figures of the previous exercise, take some simple object, such as a coin, a key, a watch charm, or a book. Follow the same plan as above. Have the child make a complete mind's eye picture, then try to draw it.
Color Practice Valuable
Secure a number of colored objects, such as sheets of paper, or book covers, or candy boxes, anything which is colored. Let the child study the color carefully, then reproduce it in his mind's eye. First he must work with single colors, then combine two or three in a group, and reproduce them in his mind's eye. In following this exercise he will develop an accurate color memory.
Out-of-Door Games
Select a certain tree and let the child look at it intently for a few seconds, then ask him to close his eyes, or look away, and describe the tree to you. Try to get him to see clearly all the detail in his mind's eye picture, as you did in the former exercises for the physical eye.
Use Entire Landscape
In the same way have the child visualize the landscape. Let him look at it intently for a few moments, and then, with his eyes closed, describe it. The description which the child gives will reveal the amount of detail in his mind's eye picture. Try again, and see how much he can add at the second trial.
Immediate Visualization
The rapidity of visualization can be greatly increased by effort and training. There is great value in this ability, and it can be attained by shortening the interval during which the object or exercise is visible to the eye.
After the children have learned to form a definite, accurate picture, try to shorten the time in which they see the objects. Strive until they can take in the whole at a glance. The detail will continue to develop after the eyes are closed. In the Letter and Number Games gradually shorten the time given until they can reproduce the entire row at a glance. Such effort will quicken the action of the brain area of sight.
The story is told of a woman who so developed this ability that she could secure a picture of the page of a letter in one glance and read it from the visual image. She became a well-known government agent in a foreign country, an internationally known spy.
All of the exercise given for the development of the sense of sight can be used for visualization and later for observation. These two important faculties are closely related to each other and both dependent upon the eye. Later on you will see that the most used of all the faculties—Memory—is in turn largely dependent upon all three.
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.