The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-04-10

entirely of inheritance or intuition. We
expect him to sit still in school, to study
his lessons never to make the least
noise, regardless of the fact that his
whole physical being is a-quiver with
action, and that 1t is a physical impos
sibility to sit still for any length of
time without injury, unless a change of
position or occupation is given. I have
been in kindergartens and schools,
where it became almost a crime TO
breathe or sneeze, and where the child's
energ. was bottled up, almost to the
point of explosion. The nervous Strain
was 81 great that L have felt person
ally almost unable to endure it [ have
seen the children walking pigeon-toed
down the halls for fear that that sa-
cred fetch called order might receive
a shock. Fortunately, children have
habit of trying to adjust these matters
for themselves, and when the strain be-
comes uncomfortable they make excur-
saons from the room, and get the change
of position and mental atmosphere
necessary for a REIMBURSEMENT of their
energies
STANDARD. TOO HIGH.
We expect these forming brains to be
letter perfect in matters of spelling,
reading, etc, until they worry them
selves i'll over passing grade" term
marks and the like. We would stand
a pretty poor show, most of US, if the
attainment of such standards were eX-
pected of US. It seems to me that IN
til we understand the order and method
of development of the child, we must
continue to waste his time and the pub
lie money. Only the other day l heard
of a perfectly conscientious teacher,
who considers a child of 10 who misses
one word out of twenty to be a poor
speller, who keeps the luckless wight
in after school to do penance, and
learn, perchance, the twentieth word.
She gave these children geo sums to do
at home over night. One little, over
worked, earnest soul, after struggling
through fifty. went to bed with a head
ache. to toss and kick all night, spend
ing the rest of the twenuy-four hours in
dividing, crying cut that she could not
get them ALL jumping up with start
for fear she would be tardy. This is
not a fairy tale, but Il real incident,
and one of two things remain for that
child. She Will be a nervous wreck or
the methods must be modified. With the
pressure put upon the teacher by
courses of study it is easy to see how
a woman doing her duty as she under
stands it and with evidently no knowl-
edge Of child life, its possibilities and
/ limitations, could overwork her chill
dren beyond the point of endurance.
wish / could believe she is the only in
stance in these United States, but I am
fearful that she is not. 1t is also evil
dent that the trouble here does not lie
with the Individual teacher, as much
as with those higher in authority who
make the conditions, with no apparent
knowledge of the needs of the child
Some eminent psychologists and child
students have the bad habit of laugh
ing at the idea of parents doing any
thing in the way OF child study. They
may not make great discoveries and
public opinion, and when enough of
them in any one place have made a
sufficient study of their children to
know them, and what they want in the
way of school hours and curriculum,
they will get it, and the great teaching
body will be only too happy to do their
best to provide it. From this stand
point there is no possibility with a more
/ fruitful outcome for the child himself
Another discovery made by the
| neurologist and child student, which is
as far-reaching in its ultimate results
as any yet formulated, is that of the
I development Of the fundamental and
/ accessory muscles and their movements,
as they are called. At the risk of stat
/ ing what you already know, I will try
\ to put it before you briefly giving DR..
II. H. Donaldson as my authority
/ Growth takes place unevenly and I'M