WAYS IN WHICH CHILDREN LEARN SCIENCE 49

vidual differences in pupils. Not all pupils learn the most eco-
nomically from the printed page, and every pupil, even the best
reader, benefits in some degree from the use of a variety of pro-
cedures and materials. Variety of procedures encourages in-
terest by its change of pace and introduction of new activities.
More fundamental, however, is the fact that variety of materials
and procedures appeals to different senses. Feeling the texture
of material, touching the smoothness of marble, lifting lead or
slag, smelling a crumbled camphor leaf, seeing the sparkle of
mica are direct, vivid ways of learning. Variety of procedure
also enlarges and refines concepts by allowing a pupil to recog-
nize the common element in different situations or under new
circumstances.

Ways of Learning Science
 Children learn science in countless ways and often from
occasions that may be unique as far as a given child is concerned.
But for the purposes of planned work in the classroom and for
the purposes of description and analysis, the major ways of
learning science may be listed as discussing, reading, observing,
and experimenting. Such activities as field trips are included
under observing. Some suggestions for teacher-pupil planning
are included in the section on discussion.

Discussion As A Means of Learning
 Values of Discussion. Discussion plays a large part in
 science education. It is probably used more frequently than
 any other one means of seeking or of transmitting information.
 It is used as children voice their problems and ask questions,
 seek information, plan for setting-up experiments, plan for field
 trips and excursions (including social planning), compare notes
 of observations, express the results or outcomes, evaluate their
 progress, and point out further interests resulting from a par-
 ticular study.
 Discussion has many values. First, through their questions
 children reveal their interests, as when a first grade pupil asks
 where the sun goes at night or when the fifth grade pupil de-
 scribed earlier asks whether people live on Mars. By their ques-
 tions a teacher can judge the special interests of individuals as
 well as the general interests of the large group. Second, through
 their participation, the children acquire a sense of belonging-
 ness, in the group. Few things tie an individual to a group as
 closely as the satisfaction of having contributed an idea which
 the group has found praiseworthy or even acceptable.
 Third, each child extends his own experiences through shar-
 ing the experiences of others. The child who picked up mica