Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1900-03-29


the work of Treasurer Roberts and Con.
trolIer Dawes, because they will deal
with men who are familiar with such
exchanges and understand exactly the
necessary formalities to be complied
with. 5a.ss~
CHILD STUDY--METH0DS AND RESULTS
DIR. G. Stanley Hall of Clark University
Talks of the Ideal school.
DR.. g. Stanley Hall, president OF
Clark University, Worcester. Mass,
lectured before an appreciative audi
ence in the High School Tuesday week
on Child Study-Its Methods and he,
suits" He discussed the several
methods, saying in part:
First, there is the study OF the indi-
vidual child. Every act and emotion is
observed and recorded; sometimes by
the mother who is capable, or by some
one especially interested for scientific
purposes. In France the life and health
book scheme is carried out In this
is recorded not only the home life of
the child by the mother, but the com.
ment of the teacher and the school
doctor is added.
After certain age these books are
returned, or, Ia SOME countries, kept
as public records, as in Belgium. The
danger of setting standard for all
children from the observation upon one
individual lies in the fact that the
child may turn out contrary to your
philosophy and SO destroy your stand
ard.
The second method is the question:
naire method. BY all analytical method
certain clearly defined characteristics
| can be tabulated as common to nearly
all children. Take, for instance, foar.
All children fear many things thunder,
] darkness, bugs, lightning, &c. From
/ the study of 10000 children, the fear
of thunder was found to be most prev
alent, while the fear of harmless bugs
and insects came second.
| The medical side of child study is
one of the most important, il not the
most important, that affects the child.
Nowadays the world over the cause OF
education is being uniyersalized. In
Madagascar, in northern Africa, in
Punjab, in eastern Russia, and in Con-
stantinople are to be found some of the
best schools ! ever saw. The school is
the only universal system in the world.
The church, during tie middle ages,
strove toward being the universal con.
eensus of agreement of all mankind.
But it has failed to realize its hope.
In China more than ], 900, 600 men ovei
25 years of age are in school, and if she
applies occidental methods in the COM
ing near future to her schools the
modern school the world over will bt
the most universal system under heaven,
and the calling of the teacher will be {
conseciated one. II we have attained
to so much of perfection it is therefore
the more imperative that We SHOULD
pause to consider whether into this en-
lightened age of education we are no
bringing the dark ages of inyalidisn
and sickness. The medical method, a:
1t looks after the sight, the hearing, tn,
light and ventilation, is doing mort
toward the development of the ohilt
than all the books in our schools. TIL,
nature of the child is activity, and j
he fails to have the proper oppcrtunit.
to let off his surplus energy his healtl
will be sacrificed.
would have every school tempt
! of health, for when health fails all i
, gone, and what profit is there If
child gains all the knowledge in tn
, world If it has not health. There i
! not enough knowledge, repeat, in tn
whole world, TO compensate for the los
of health. Health means happiness
holiness. Health brings the play in
stinct in the child. II child has no
, enough energy after his school work j
over to want to play, then it would b
better he were not educated at all, 70
something is wrong, and he is bein
sacrificed in lung, heart and brai
activity beyond his strength.
The study of childhood has don
much to unite all grades of teaching
: and We find university professors an
8 Eindergartner side by side, porting owe
8 the gradually unfolding possibilities {
the subject, and the work is especial
adapted to women.
e Men are bourd to uniformity. Th
s sooner the uniformity which weeds oil
individuality is done away with, an
: women staEd heart to heart with til
8 child in the school, which approximat,
t as closely as possible the, home. the
will our ideas be reconstructed. Ever
t child worships something and grei
4 care should be taken not to destroy i
b faith until the proper time. lake
: lesson from the tadpole's tail. Don
8 cut it off, as many people do who don
# know what becomes Of it, nut in I'll
play let the little fallaoies of the child
y mind be absorbed in its growing unde
y standing. The reverence of child fl
b its mother is far deeper than any
IF can assume for the Deity, up to
!. certain stage Let the mysteries info
n 10 due season and with the unfodir
q will come the power to discriminate.
n DIR. Clark gave his impression
j. what an ideal school should be. I'll
D. kindergarten should have air, ligh
n water, cleanliness and its teacher shou
10 be good nurse; the children shou
1t have rest and reverie, and plenty
j. animals to play with. From 6 to the
d should be no reading aud writing, b,
Ie the child should talk much, witho
IF consciousness as to particularly of la
10 guage; here the teacher should be
2 good story teller. The age from 8 to
or ID is the time fol drill, mechanic
"a ton and habituation, when readin
4 writing, drawing, piano and languas
"a may be taught. AT this period 4
ir child is to be put under disciple
Sc when DIR. Sfanks' remedy is effectiv
ii In the years from 10 to Is sentime
" begins, here the teacher should let ,
II on the everlasting examinations.
ID What is wanted istmore vitality
Ne instruction; more working for the i
Ia dividual, and less Of the uniform
1t mania. We need more teaching al
to less books. and after all Ii educati
does not fit a child for life, what is
a. use at all, and what benefit are t
a. church, the Slate, the home, t
n school, if they do not tend toward t
Ia IL development of tine man. The tn
a purpose of education is to hring ma
10 kind to a comEleter maturity, to d