Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1903-05-20
THE GROWTH OF A CHILD.
Lecture by Prominent
Educator Before Cascade Teachers.

TdllS huuTttblUB
the Cascade county teachers institute
yesterday. on THE Growth OF a Child"
Prof Preston W. Search said, in sub
stance:
The most marvellous thing In the
world Is growth. We are In the midst
Of miracle forever going on. and
the greatest miracle of all is that
which attends the birth and growth
and development OF human individ-
ual.
In the growth Of a child there are
three periods which are well defined.
The first period is from birth to the
eighth year, and may be called the
period of rapid brain growth 1t is a
remarkable fact that the brain reach
es its full growth in size during this
period. All bodily economy seems to
be centered largely in fundamentals
and particularly in the storage and
reservoiring of nervous energy for the
purpose of the future. This Is a per-
iod which should be characterized by
great physical freedom with an abun-
dance Of time for play and sleep and
with special care as to wholesome
food. From the fact the large CEN
ters Of the brain develop first. II is
not time for sitting still. for the do
ing of things in an arbitrary way. nor
for close application to matters of
small detail. Kindergarten instruc-
tion and methods have the best place
here; but. withal, the child should
have an abundance of time for play
and for doing things in a chlds way.
The longer we can draw out the child. !
hood of an individual the greater is !
the promise for ripe. vigorous AM
productive old age The gcratest |
mortgage In the world IL that which |
prematurely uses up vital forces. and
makes a child old before his time.
by the beginning Of the eighth year
the brain has reached its full size,
and growth Is now centcred In organ.
ization. in the development Of th,
smaller brain areas and in gaining
body control. This is the natural time
for beginning the formal work of the
school. Budding strengths are now
ready for the easy mastery of things
which are great difficulties when pre-
scented too soon. II is the period for
getting possession of the alphabets
of learning and for the mastery of
tables. Much can now be done in |
little. IT the work Of the school Is
now well done during this period there |
is no easy recovery arterward.
During this second period the body
slows up It's growth, so that all en-
ergy many be centered In brain or
ganization and in skillful adjustments. |
The demand OF the period is for activ
ity but II the child Is now pressed
too hard or unnaturally. when he
comes 10 the beginning OF the next |
period. when he should resume rapid |
growth, he cannot grow because his
energies have been mortgaged In ad |
vance He has been stunted and his
arrested. But II his de-
yelopment thus far has been normal,
then he is ready for successful en-
trance upon the period which is to
follow.
At the age Of 12k TO 1874 in girls
and approximately a year later in
boys. the child enters upon the most
promising but the most dangerous
period In his whole existence Before
this all growth has contributed 10 !
but now every energy
Of the physical being seems centered
in organic change. II is the period of
reconstruction and almost every or |
gan in the body seems to be undergo |
ing terrific transformation. The |
growth of the body Is now twice as
rapid as during the previous period !
and sometimes Is phenomenally great |
Because Of this the child loses par |
tial control of himself. Stair climbing |
becomes difficult to the girl and the |
awkward boy cannot easily walk |
across a level floor. II Is a time OF |
terrific stress and storm, with danger
signals on every hand, and with indi !
vidual needs which do not often find |
conservation In the family or I'm the |
school
At the age OF ~ the boy and girl |
are practically of the same weight and |
height Before this the girl has grown |
more rapidly than the boy; but after |
~ the latter begins to rapidly sur
pass the former. The girl reaches her |
full height practically at l6, but the |
boy continues 10 grow until he is 81 |
From the fact that the girl reaches
her maximum growth thus early, her
readjustment and recovery is more
rapid; and hence there is physical
reason why the girl should now sur
pass her less favored brother in intel.
lectual leaderhip. She has recovered