The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-11-27
SANTA CLARA TEACHERS.
"Child Study" the Theme of a
Discourse by Professor
Jones.
He Urges a Careful Investigation of
the Characteristics of
Each Pupil.

SAN JOSE, CAL. Nov. 26.-The second
days session of the Santa Clara County
Teachers Institute opened with a large
attendance. Following the rollcall Miss
Cornelia Walker gave an illustration OF a
reading lesson with the aid of a number
OF teachers selected from the audience. A
free use of diagrams was made on the
black board, infection. information and en-
phasis being indicated by reference to the
diagrams. The speaker deprecated the
interruption OF reading lesson to explain
words. This, she said, lowered the en-
thasiasm and should take place before or
after the reading.
T. P. Montgomery suggested that it
would be good training to drill pupils to
grasp the meaning of the words they were
reading. If they could not do this, even
in the higher grades, they should be given
simple monosyllabic matte. to read until
it became certain that they understood
what they were saying.
"Child study Is q new subject" said Pro-
fessOr s. a. Jones when he was introduced
to the educators. 1--WE find something of
this away back among the early Greeks.
The lie ader of this study in this country is
DIR. Hall, president of the Clark Univer-
sity, Massachusetts. He took up the study
of psychology, and was president of the
Clark University seven or eight years.
Here he fitted up psychological labora-
tory. His object was to study the subject
along rational lines.
Zone statement made by DR.. Hail during
discussion with another professor at
tracted attention. He held We should study
the psychology of child along psycholo-
gical lines. Some very bright minds have
been turned out of this laboratory. AL
though DR.. Hall has been a leader along
this line of thought, other men in different
States have come to the front.
There used to be very little attention
uaid to child study. Educators entertained
different opinions regarding the import
ance Of this subject. Child study, as we
understand it at the present time, II rightly
pursued, will present no difficulties. The
study is now being conducted by various
associations. Child study is a careful,
accurate and scientific study OF child,
1t means a thorough investigation OF his
physical, mental and moral characteristics
children OF the present time are iuil OF
energy and life. Years ago, under the old
regime, the idea was to repress. They
would say. BE quiet, Keep STILL That
was all in the line of crushing down, and
it was all wron.. Now child study Will
teach us to turn all these tendencies In the
right direction hold that all the acflv-
tiles of child are right if directed into
profitable channels. 1t is the perverse use
of them that causes trouble. 1t often
happens that some of the worst boys. as
they are termed, have capacities which,
treated in the proper manner, Will make
the best man. A thorough understanding
of a child's nature will cause teacher TO
see difficulties and remedy them in refer
ence to studies.
~ would say this, in making observa-
tons about child, study the parents-the
father, and even the grandfather. With
reference to temperament, | am nothing
if not practical. 1t is one of the hardest
phases, for the best psychologists are not
agreed as to the classification OF tempera
lnent. For our purpose | will say that
there are four kinds-sanguine, bilious,
Emphatic and nervous. Put it more sim
equable and sluggish:
Studying along these>lines you will find
some that tit these descriptions exactly
Others are neither the one or the other,
and there lies the difficulty.
With reference to constitution, this is
equally hard. Let me say right here that