IMITATION

The result of the efforts of curiosity, senses and activity is a
constantly increasing store of ideas in the child's mind, relating to
these things in which he is interested. As these ideas enter his mind,
applying this term to the "intellectual function of the soul," he
immediately wants to act upon them, according to a law inborn that an
idea always tends to go out into action, unless it is held back. Adults
have fixed habits of expressing ideas that come to them, but not so the
child. An interesting activity is always a suggestion to him to
reproduce it exactly, if possible. This difference between habit and
suggestion in action is illustrated in the case of a long-suffering
kitten in the hands of a resourceful child. The sight will arouse in
another child an irresistible impulse to try the same experiment, while
it always leads his mother to attempt a rescue.

This tendency to exact reproduction of activity is the instinct of
imitation, and is a marked characteristic of childhood. As these words
are written, a glance through the window discloses surveyors at work
with tape and red chalk. Following in their wake is a five year old with
diminutive string and piece of red crayon, laying out distances and
taking measurements, in exact copy of his predecessors, a genuine
"pocket edition" of the original.

While such elaborate exactness characterizes imitation in this period of
childhood alone, the impulse to conform is never entirely lost. The
desire grows more complex and general as the years go on, and from
reproduction of definite acts, the life tries to emulate the spirit and
achievements of its hero, and later to be in some harmony, at least,
with public opinion. Brave, indeed, is the soul that dares to be a
nonconformist in regard to the standards "they" have established.

The results of imitation are profoundly important in character
building.

1. When a child re-enacts what he sees, he comes to a better
understanding of its meaning. This is one purpose of the imitation of
common activities in Kindergarten games.

2. The idea which is acted upon becomes an inseparable part of the life.

3. Habit is the outcome of repeated imitation.

4. Life grows like what it imitates.

With these facts in view, the application to the work of nurture is too
obvious for discussion.

IMAGINATION

The child is not content alone to imitate activities. He likes to
transform objects and make over familiar