Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1891-02-20
EDUCATING CBILDREN,s BODIES.
The First Thing to Teach Children Is
How to DO Things Right,


How to DO Things Right.
From the Chicago Hsraldl
1t is unfortunately true that most
people have an idea that it is a
teachers business to look after the
child's mind, the parents business to
look after the ohild's morals, and tho
child's business to look after the
education of his own physical being.
This is dangerous subdivision of inns
portant principles between . teacher
who knows something of education
principles, a pareht who as a rule
knows less and a child who knows
nothing of them. Is there any good
reason why the careful discipline and
control SO necessary for the develops
ment of the mind and morals should
be entirely denied to the body? A
great many people who pride them.
selves on being practical have a way
OF saying "You do q thing right by
doing it," Apply this to all branches
Of education aud the latter half of q
mans life would be spent in unlearn-
ing the errors acquired in the FIRST
half. The first thing to teach children
is how to do things right. A certain
degree of physical vigor is necessary
for good mental work aud tho lorna.
ton of a sound character. More
children and young people break down
in school life from want of proper
physical supervision and training than
from any other cause, and this is more
true of girls than of boys. 1t is more
true to-day than ever before, though
physical vigor is more needed for a
successful life now than ever before,
because the pace of lite is more rapid
in every respect, and the struggle for
existence is keener.
The younger the child the greater
should be the relative proportion of
physical to mental training. This is
one Of the underlying principles of
the kindergarten system by which the
child's mind is approached and trained
exclusively by physical impressions of
such kind as to create a real interest
for the work in the child. This is the
common sense Of starting a child out
in life, for no child should be troubled
with abstract ideas until after the age
of seven years. From this period un-
til the age of fourteen the tiae spent
in physical training should be- large
in proportion to that given 10 mental
work; it should be a part Of the
child's schooling, part of his or her
education. There should be certain
sequence OF exercise. The brain cen
tiers do not develop uniformly an
simultaneously. The leg centers arr
developed earlier than the arm ccnters,
those of the arm earlier than those of
the haad, and those of the hand ear.
lier than those OF the lips and tongue.
These facts should be recognized in
the physical training of the young
child. Children should be- taught
from a very early age that there is a
right and wrong way of performing
every physical action. Especially
should they be taught how to stand,
sit, walk, carry the head, etc. The
physical forces should be subortlnated
TO the will. This may be partially hut
never completely accomplished by the
so called eymnastic apparatus.
There is one point in regard to
which there is great error. Many
people think that physical exercise is
the remedy for mental overwork. No
scheme of physical work or exercise
can neutralize the dangers of mental
overwork. The physiological laws
governing nervous and muscular work
are essentially the same; there are the
same wear and tear, the same demand
for rest and nutrition, aud the same
laws Of fatigue.