Visualize a forest, into which some lumbermen are coming. See them
cutting the trees, sawing them into mill lengths, and donkey engines
drawing them to the railroad. They are loaded and hauled to the mill,
where they are converted into lumber. See as much detail as you know of
the mill processes.
The lumber is loaded on cars, shipped to the city, unloaded in a lumber
yard, sold and hauled to the spot in the city where a house is to be
erected. Follow the erection of the house, watch all the details of its
construction until fully completed and the occupants have moved in and
established their home. Furnish the house, each room separately, and
arrange and cultivate the grounds.
This exercise can be continued as far as you desire to prolong the
period of concentration. Add all possible detail which will depend upon
the amount of knowledge which you possess along these lines. Some parts
of the work you will be able to follow in detail, others you may know
little about. If there is some other kind of construction that you are
more familiar with you can use it in order to make the visualization
definite.
See to it that your concentration is complete, do not allow your
mind to wander. Keep this picture moving so as to hold the complete
attention, become interested in the development of each process.
Prolong the period of concentration as far as possible.
This and the following exercises may be too complicated for your
children, according to their age, but some of the simpler ones should
be begun as early as eight years. The length and detail increasing with
the ability and knowledge.
Remember that the children should be gathering knowledge by sensations.
Those parts of the former picture, of the Construction of a Home,
with which they are unfamiliar, should be brought to their attention.
Describing the processes to them is good, but far better for them to
get the original sensations for themselves. Take them to the forest, to
the mill and lumber yard. Let them go where a house is being built and
spend as much time there as possible. Parents should be purposefully
adding to their children's stock of knowledge.