e shown that the eyes, as optical instruments, are
sufficiently perfect, our efforts need to be to train the brain to take
cognizance of, and to interpret the impressions transmitted to it by the
eyes. We shall not be able to improve the working of the eye by our
efforts, but we can educate the brain.

Color and form make the earliest appeal to the child's eyes, and we can
use them for our educational play. The duplicate set of worsted balls of
the seven primal colors can be increased to include easily
distinguishable shades. The child can be sent on entertaining voyages
of discovery around the room with a ball of a certain color to find
other objects similar in color in the rugs, books, chairs, dresses,
ties, etc.

A game to develop observation of form can be made by collecting a group
of objects of varying shapes in a pile on the floor or a low table;
mother picks up some one of the objects, directs the attention of the
little one to it, and after he has observed it somewhat she puts it back
in the pile and moves all the objects about till they are well mixed up.
Ask the little fellow then to pick out the object mother held in her
hand a moment before. When he can do this by sight without difficulty,
have him shut his eyes, place an object in his little hands, teach him
to feel it over carefully, take it from him, and, while his eyes are
still closed, place it once more in the pile. Let him then open his eyes
and see if he can indicate the object he had previously held. When he
has mastered this, give the game another turn by asking him to find by
means of touch alone, while the eyes are still closed, the object that
he has been feeling, after it is restored to the pile of other objects.
Still another turn can be given by first letting him see the object,
without touching it, then having him close his eyes, and by touch alone
select it from the pile. A set of wooden forms, such as spheres, cubes,
pyramids, cones, cylinders, and similar, but truncated, forms, can be
obtained at any school supply store. To these can be added common
household objects such as small frames, vases, napkin rings, spoons,
forks, and other similar things, as well as some of the forms included
in a complete set of the Montessori material.

The Montessori weighted forms are excellent for training his muscular
recognition of difference of weight, and an excellent way is to put
various quantities of birdshot into half a dozen exactly similar lit