Mental development and education . ercise 13, page 331.) The child at six months, or a year, or even two or five years,is long in gross muscle and short in delicate coordinations. Heexpends more force in the performance of such a task as threadinga needle, for example, than an adult does. One may see thisprinciple illustrated in the tension of muscles that should remainat rest when the child applies himself to delicate tasks of anysort. In all his coordinated activities in the early years, thecharacteristic which impresses one most markedly is the amount 132 MENTAL DEVLLUlMEM AND EDLCAllON oi
Mental development and education . ercise 13, page 331.) The child at six months, or a year, or even two or five years,is long in gross muscle and short in delicate coordinations. Heexpends more force in the performance of such a task as threadinga needle, for example, than an adult does. One may see thisprinciple illustrated in the tension of muscles that should remainat rest when the child applies himself to delicate tasks of anysort. In all his coordinated activities in the early years, thecharacteristic which impresses one most markedly is the amount 132 MENTAL DEVLLUlMEM AND EDLCAllON oi energy which is cX[>ciulc(l on ihcni. Even the caresses of ayear-old child, which he intends doubtless to be gentle, are oftenannoying because of their vigor. When he is attempting actsthat should be done tenderly, as touching his fathers eyes inplay, he jabs into them as though he had little control over hisbiceps. Most mothers who have tender babies in a house wherethere arc vigorous five-year-old Ijoys have occasion to learn. Fig. 10. — Gardening requires the use of the large muscles principally. (See exercise 13, page 331.) that the latter tend always to express their kindly feelings mostenergetically and crudely. As the months pass we may note that coordination increasesand mere muscularity decreases. If one tests a child of threeyears at threading a needle with a moderate-sized eye, it willbe noticed that the fingers become very rigid and soon tensionwill be observed in the face and elsewhere in the body. Scissorsare used very badly at this period, and writing with an ordinarypencil causes excessive tensions. In the use of the knife andfork and spoon at table the undue prominence of the biceps in THE DEVELOPMENT OF COORDINATION 133 the necessary adjustments is noticeable. It is not a deficiencyin crude strength that makes the child incapable; he is simplyunable to use properly what he possesses in the management ofa complex mechanism. His force is not rightly distrib
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