The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-03-21

about TO accept the kind invitation TO
address the Mothers club / decided to
give as the title TO my paper. Child
STUD. from II -fffetht+-s-peint- Of view.
Then il suddenly occurred to me that
that would be Impossible so | changed
the point Of view TO a parents.
"The first question to consider is
what this movement in education
means
Those whose memory goes back 30
years can see the change in the minds
of the men and women who give their
thoughts TO ethical and social prob
lens. There has never been a change
so great as in those years. The change
began with the publication of Dar-
wins Origin of Spcies. This work
brought about significant changes all
along the lire
Then came the work Of Mr.. John
Tiskc showing in suggestive way the
value Of child study and tra ming.
when IL is considered that Of all
animals the period Of infancy is very
short IN proportion 10 their longevity,
and that the plastic period In the hu-
man being Is correspondingly long,
then Il may be seen that in the infant
born the most helpless. slowly develop
ing. civilization has the opportunity ~
planting It's best seeds. This child
study movement we all must see TO be
the most important of the age
"The child himself we can never see.
We only gnuge the cause by the effect.
The product OF his brain we NAV have
before us. but tho workings OF the lab
oratory are forever hidden from our
-..Lnu. Hiss senses ere all active he -
drawing in all the time from his en-
vironment But while al senses receive
there arc but two which show us what
he has done with that which he re-
cpivrd Therefore the great organs 20
devclop arc the tongue and the hand.
Parents have alwaye known the i'm
portancn of child study. This move
ment Is TO bring forward the most fruit
ful way Of developing the child. His
mental powers must be developed in
the same way as his physical powers.
We Need 20 appeal To the child him
self md although this method is met
with opposition by some. Il has some
cxtenuating points: one cr which Is n
protest against stereotvped education.
Mature has implanted selfish in
stinct I'm the child which ~ later 20 ba
trained Cor use What the child needs
is training ,ot compulsion. but guild
nrcc study his potontiallties for the
future not as he is TODAY. The whoin
problem is tho wise guidance of the
child out of his natural self into his
human self 50 that there shall he
dominant in hts characteristics all that
Is good in civilization
"Only tho parent can properlv study
the Influences that work SLOWLY Tho
pnrrnt stands closer 90 The child than
Tho teacher ever can But there Is too
little cc-operation. and the child study
movement win do move to induce this
co-opcra tion than any ono thing
I'm tho new tendency to cultivate tho
ph,siCal nature. we may lose our hold
on tho mora and spiritual side The
Ntrr1ture ~ the present dav viii have
~ uorniciora effect IN the minds ~ our
children We should 500 30 II that thev
stnrt with tho best deals FOR that start
is fhe grcatos' endowment IN ne
"'rh0 child Is n constructive being
and hc~c comes IN thc element ~ man
ua' training ir The school 20 build IN
n rhcr conceptions and ideals Here hc
iq tauvhf thnt work means something
.-r,. INV rru mere omn1-rriHi value
"yvo 1ro facing tho greatest problem
fhc world he's oyer known. To providn
work fo~ nii for rirle ae we'll as BOYS
rrc Grcd with tho ambition % tabor and
,yr hnvc ncairst ne tho mechanical
Forcee making fho human energy ~ 90
1iftfo use Therefore We muef Hnd new
vrave ~ t,tuigo fhe minds aud strength
~ our children that thsv NAV work I'm
uri son ara hsrmnnv with all"
~ C1ark was followed bv Mr. Geo
IT. church nf the Peace street school
who related his experience IN furIoins