What does this principle signify? In the first place, the
principle rules out certain practices. Activities which follow
definite prescription and dictation or which reproduce without
modification ready-made models, may give muscular dexterity, but
they do not require the perception and elaboration of ends, nor
(what is the same thing in other words) do they permit the use of
judgment in selecting and adapting means. Not merely manual
training specifically so called but many traditional kindergarten
exercises have erred here. Moreover, opportunity for making
mistakes is an incidental requirement. Not because mistakes are
ever desirable, but because overzeal to select material and
appliances which forbid a chance for mistakes to occur, restricts
initiative, reduces judgment to a minimum, and compels the use of
methods which are so remote from the complex situations of life
that the power gained is of little availability. It is quite
true that children tend to exaggerate their powers of execution
and to select projects that are beyond them. But limitation of
capacity is one of the things which has to be learned; like other
things, it is learned through the experience of consequences.
The danger that children undertaking too complex projects will
simply muddle and mess, and produce not merely crude results
(which is a minor matter) but acquire crude standards (which is
an important matter) is great.
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