IMPRESSION AND EXPRESSION.
By Frederick Griggs
ANY impression upon the mind of the child can not be said to be complete and satisfactory until he is able to give expression to the same. One reason that children fail so often in turning to a good account the instruction which is given them, both at home and at school, is because it is not sufficiently impressed upon their minds. They are told something, either in the form of instruction or admonition, once, and then they are expected to remember that which is told them. But the Bible does not put it in that way. It says that it is line upon line and precept upon precept; 'here a little, and there a little;' and, indeed, it is necessary to repeat over and over again counsel and instruction which we give children. I would not indicate by this that I think we should tell a child to do a thing several times before we get him to move, but, rather, that we must remember that a child's memory is not a long one, and that when he comes to do the same thing later on, he may have to be reminded. If parents and teachers would have a child give expression, or, in other words, repeat what has been said to him, it would often be found that the impression he had received was not a correct one. If it is accurate, it will tend to remain in the mind of the child very much more permanently. The activities of the child should be employed. He is not simply a passive, receptive being. Paul puts this in its true light when, in speaking of the development of Christian energy and strength, he says: 'Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.' We are to work out what God works in. This is a vital principle of all development. The majority of men in the world do not live up to their ideals. They set for themselves tasks which they never perform. They determine upon careers to which they never attain. They day dream and build air castles. To know the right or to be impressed is one thing, and to do the right or to give expression, quite another. Thus the matter of impression and expression and their relation to each other touching the little affairs of childhood, assume great proportions in the affairs of manhood and womanhood. We see the relation of impression and expression early illustrated in children at school, who, when asked some question in reference to their lesson, often reply that they know the answer, but can not tell it. As a matter of fact, they do not know it if they can not tell it, or at least it can be safely said that their knowledge of it is of no benefit whatever to themselves or any one else. That which we know we can generally tell and perform. But this is also true, that in attempting to tell or perform that which is not perfectly clear in the mind, our own understanding of it is clarified. This is illustrated by the fact that people have begun to argue with others upon some subject, politics, religion, or otherwise, not being perfectly sure of the positions which they were attempting to maintain, or that those positions were right; but, as the argument progressed and they gave expression to what thoughts they had, more thoughts upon the same subject came to them, and before long they were exceedingly certain of that which at first they asserted with a very doubtful mind. It would seem that any parent or teacher would only have to call experiences of this kind to mind in order to at once realize this great educational truth, a truth which is full of importance to the physical, mental, and moral development of the child. No child can grow physically without activity, neither can he grow mentally or spiritually without activity; and if our education and training of the child were more a drawing forth process than a pouring in and cramming method, we would have far more effective results. A child is told to do an errand. He is not asked to tell what he is to do. He makes mistakes in performing his work, and, perhaps, is punished as the result. This is largely due to negligence on the part of the one giving instructions to the child. While he apparently gave attention, yet some other thoughts crowded themselves in with the instruction. These thoughts were, in all probability, related to that which he was to do, and yet they tended to make him confused, and consequently he forgot or interpreted his instruction wrongly. Accuracy is one of the most necessary elements in the development of character. Its lack is generally the result of failure of expression. We heard, we saw, we thought, but we did not give forth. Children have very vivid imaginations, and, consequently, imagination plays its part in twisting the instruction. Here is one cause of children's lies. They are often accused of falsehoods, when, as a matter of fact, the spirit of falsehood is the furthest from them. Their apparent falsehood is only indefiniteness,—ideas not clearly defined. Cultivating accuracy of expression overcome a multitude of these evils—accuracy in observation, description, reproduction, drawing, music, story-telling, or whatever forms of activity most nearly touch the child and strike at the root cause of his carelessness. But how are we to know that the child is accurate?—Simply by having him make, draw, or talk,—doing in all of its various forms. Disobedience and carelessness in children more often result from carelessness on the part of teachers and parents than from any other source whatever. Children are told to do certain things, and then, after the impression has been made on the mind, the instructor feels that his duty is done, and leaves it entirely to the child to carry out this instruction, instead of seeing that the child does it as directed, after having clearly stated what he is to do. We have no right to require a child to walk in a way that is not clear to him, and, as a general rule, when the way is clear to him his own natural activities impel him to walk therein.
FREDERICK GRIGGS.