EVERY scheme for art education must necessarily embrace the study of geometric plane figures and their mechanical construction.

The prescribed methods for this construction have been difficult, complicated, consuming much time, and, if learned at all, were easily forgotten.

Children would easily follow a dictation which would result in an octagon, hexagon, pentagon, etc., but were unable to repeat it independently the following day.

After various unsuccessful attempts to simplify the method of drawing these figures, my attention was called to paper folding and cutting.

The ease and interest with which the children would make the four-pointed star, the four-leaved rosette, and the equilateral triangle, as outlined by The Prang Course of Drawing, suggested that possibly other figures, such as the crosses, the trefoil, the quatrefoil, the octagon, the hexagon, and pentagon, might be made in a similar manner.

After much thought and study, I discovered the principle underlying such construction of all regular plane geometric figures. It is simple, and within the comprehension of very young children.

It is a great help in teaching simple design, inasmuch as the children make their figures from paper instead of drawing them, thus dealing with the concrete rather than the abstract thing, and by so doing they get broad, simple effects, instead of the confusing and meaningless arrangement of lines called designs. Inasmuch as it consumes very little time, the child can make a second or third trial in the same lesson, correcting the unsatisfactory parts, thus enabling them to make three figures where before they made one.

Again, these exercises will be found to be valuable in making patterns for the designs in colored papers, which are now taking the place of the decorative drawing in the drawing-books.

I have taken great pleasure in arranging this series of exercises, hoping that they may be a source of help to all teachers interested in Art Education and Manual Training, and that they may give a new impetus to form study and design, by being associated with paper folding and cutting, which is always a source of delight to the children.

KATHERINE M. BALL.