New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-03-06
METHODS OF CHILD STUDY.
rrzr VIEWS OF MISS LILLE WILLIAMS
AND MISS AMY JOHNSON.
.,,-,,r.x AND ENGLISH IDEAS ANTAGONls-
r1c-D1scUssIoN By AN AMERl-
CAN AUDIENCE

rrC-DIscUssIoN By AN AMERl-
CAN AUDIENCE
~. prhl,o Education Association was addresse1
yesterday afternoon by opponents Of two YER! Oil
:eren, theories in regard TO the proper he'"ou "a
conducting child study. ,-. Normal
MIS- Lille Williams. of the New-Jersey -o'I,~
e-hool a, Trenton spoke Child STUDY loi
Sra hasi,r her remarks on her experience
IN raining normal pupils. Miss Amy Johnson u
prooklvn discussed the same subject III coi1eo
don with her recent study in knglaha - .,r.
The American and the English methoos u ~
study. il appears. are ANTAGONIST "a ,o.iora,
ence was American. it may have been ha'iona
r-e,usice that made it prefer The American theory
MISS WILLIAMS ADDRESS
....- ,o,,,i,r out that some natural aptitude
o. ,eaobine IS OF value TO the person who wishes
~ enter the field OF pedagogy, MISS Wliiiaii'' sou
that the practical problem IN norman WIN - ~
know how 10 fit people for teaching VINO are 10.
born 10 IT, Most normal pupils are s'r's )" ~
,eans who are not far from children 70 De sure
,r no,n, Of wears but who are much more removed
a. feeling than older people would be, just as 'he
fashions Of few years ago seem ridiculous 10 Us
while those OF a century past are thought QUAINT
and pretty. ., , a,sc,,-
..sos. Young teachers resolve 10 be good dlscp-
p,ar.ans said the speaker "at the sacTince OF
s,v,hing or everything. They have no sense VI
,bs Individuality Of children. but divide them mo
the good and the bad. They also have the luea
aha. the class IS there for display OF 'hel1 '@C
Ing powers. They ought 10 H4@ho '
centre OF interest" -, -,
Mes UilI,ams maintained that this could be done
n child study were pursued IN coHhe0'o'' 49,
pechology. She recommended inc '.0'.
pr,nc,pal Russell. Of Worcester Norma! sliiS a,
xra,ned TO observe children, 10 tel via. NJ
80. 70 recall incidents OF their own chldhooo -
- s.,an,,on 10 what others tell Of children ana
ro.,ca what stories have been written oil theih'
ra-ef,l records are kept Of all these oDseiN
md investigations. They aIe ciasS'leu' ~
.ber. are enough Of them they may Oe %
.,o,,s+,oal value Miss Williams tAlhAs' hO" -
maj the scientific worth OF such recofdS i 49, 49,
-, 49,, .ba. the collection OF such data uhoouDu-
ealv serves the purpose Of interes'ins ''s 80
6I-ectlv in the child. Ii makes MIN 'Ae Oe'''' ~
her work. ,... ~ renorts made
49, ,aI ,irls which illustrated the Testlesshess
- .nsre, ,,e,- acouisitiveness their fears Inc"
suners;itions their migratory Instincts me-
urlous feeling. Some OF these were veg -
and all Of them were suggestive o, forroften Il not
q vhoily undiscovered country; -, VII. Williams
"The great aim Of ms woTn. ,aneops OPERATIONS
-. nc sebnd's nina Mothers shrink from maSing
Oh Ing y scsn:idc experiment. but most OF them
eiAOorSv ~ reeord The unusual remarks OF Their
e5Y T'n@s 10 80 -. ~.oor,. .bo had
made II Httie niece and showed how ne oaiay
records had been helpful IN cis5.osni- a. csr-
the dominant interest Of the ch-ia hii"u a. . w.
a re-reading" she sad, of me lec1.us 80
me a; one time that Helen was interested III pi 'i
Tanes She easily remembered long names IN me
ATaDI , oe difcuiy Wien first read the stories
g her She knew perfectly ne myths OF heIoess
Maria Theresa Marie Antoine,;e and others ai-r9c,-
I'd her through the names; she invented fancllu
interested in the significance Of names 40,
This chaTacterisc : nJefe5iiiI C,nt.nuea Mss MSS
~. VERY chlld's lie is an ept0me q the history
IHA. e' se Thai interest IN names < allied - he
cFa
49, -, essence Of thing. Then cOnd!y. that
oeres ,r In psmes chd can be d 20 have 9r
in great characters. In great events, ia great IDEAS
Minnie niece has come 70 feel well acquainted with
fs'er' Of Troy with the Lady Of shalotl ana many
o' ren,e followed short discussion Of how 20 deal
WITH the supers;itions Of children ana how train
their religious feeling.
VIEWS OF MISS JOHNSON
Miss Johnson said that at Cambridge The study Of
psychology Is classified in three ways scientific
study which LAYS emphasis on collecting a large
number Of facts and publishing them In magazines
Casually considered the American method. as
study 70 be approached from a physicians pon, OF
view, wiki al eye 70 the d.scoEei' Oh nncrent Dis
the purpose OF gaining facts a. basis for educa-
Mis- Johnson then described the methods q
psychological study followed by DR.. Francis War
for cRndren' ana auisor Of BOOK called "Chii
dren-How 10 study Them" His observations wer-
confined 10 physical signs. MISS Johnson described
some Of his me hods and stated some OF The conclu
s!ons 70 which MS Investigations had lea him
She emphasized the point that he, like DR. Tay
lor. Of Philadelphia when addressing The Pratt IN
sutute had declared that special provision ought
70 be made for physically and mentally defective
or abnormal children.
=, The speaker then described her work under Miss
hughes a; the Tearlcrs' College IN Cambridge.
England She said tNat the English criticised the
american method % studying separate qualities
chIaren; Of deyoiing winter 10 collecting Gaia
on .ther untruthfuiness. and another winter
70 Facts about their superstitions. The English
ciaim that II teacher LOOKS for fear or truthful
hess or what not he IS likely 10 find H. The ch.li
z 4 IN. her
hunting up fear and superstition what pray IL
tyins 70 become Of the child. and his parched
thirsty little soul?
THE DISCUSSION.
FROM the discussion that followed Miss Johnson'g
paper. II appeared that most Of the audience felt
that the English too fond OF splitting hairs
one iaoy pointed out that @. Stanley Hall The
sposue OF child study In America emphasizes The
OF correating all the facts in reference
Ev,dsn, iia ahd o! looking on him individual
p Enn,y most OF the ladies' agreed with Mrs T.
." 1lcWlll Chairman O he when sba