The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1905-06-04

College department Of biology, at the
meeting last week, In Boston, Of the
American Social Science Association, are
timely and Of local interest. in view Of
the pending proposition TO appropriate
u 100000 for the purpose Of play.
grounds for public school children:
1.-Two classes OF children in our public
schools demand special attention today.
First, the children OF the business and
professional classes. Second, the bright.
or and more ambitious children Of every
class. Both these classes will probably
enter into business or professional life,
A sound and vigorous body and tough
nervous system are absolutely essential
TO their success. Muscular exercise and
fresh air are necessary to the child To
promote growth and development of all
| the vital organs, the brain included. II
the motor ccnters are not well developed
the adult becomes an impractical dream
er. ever as President Walker has said
standing shivering on the brink of ac-
ton always planning, hoping or crit
icising never creating or realizing. he
motor centers must be developed early,
II at all.
THE average child needs far more
outdoor exercise today than century
ago He actually has far less than used
10 be furnished By the farm. In the
city he has very little, II any. The child
begins going to school younger, and the
school year is almost three times as lone
as then. We are planning summer
schools to keep him busy and TO take
him OIL our hands for the rest of the
year. We hope that the room is proper
ly warmed and ventilated and lighted,
and that the desks are suited to his
stature. But in our smaller towns and
villages one young woman or mere girl
must manage 80 or more children at
their most restless age. Order must be
maintained or chaos will result. Tho
children must sit still large part of
the time. l sympathize with the teach
er even more, If possible, than with tho
children.
Let us turn our attention for mo.
ment to the girl At six, or perhaps at
eight, she is little, if any, farther along
in her development than boy. But the
girl of fourteen of fifteen is nearly ol
quite two years in advance of the boy
of the same age, In other words, her
period of preparation, or storing up ma.
terial and strength, for the pubertal
changes, which are so great that we
might almost call them metamorphosis,
is two years shorter. 1t is shorter still
in the city, for life in the city pro-
notes early maturity. The pubertal
period of the girl is shorter, and hence
more likely to be hurried and stormy
than the case of the boy. The period
from six or seven years to ten or eleven
is the time allowed to store up the
largest possible amount of material and
strength against the trying years to
come, She should be allowed to use
them for this purpose.
In view of these facts most of our
best superintendents and teachers be.
lieve that change or modification OF
our present curriculum would be highly
advantageous, ii il is not already i'm.
perative, for the children of the lowest
grades at least. This change would
mas;s the playground and school garden
of at least equal Importance with the
desk and recitation. 1t means more
frequent pauses and more and longer
recesses, more motor activity. The ad-
vantages of such a change would be
many and great 1t means less crowd
ing and precocity. Less time used with
more enjoyment would result in more
healthy growth of mind and body, in
better habits of study, and in larger ac
usitions of knowledge"
True social life apparently begins
in the primary and intermediate grades.
Here boys and girls, with much friction
and squabbling, learn to adjust them
selves to their surroundings, The finn.
est and most enduring friendships are
made early This part of education.
whose field is the layground rather than
the desk, needs special emphasis in Om
day of small families.
"Such change has been introduced
in many of our most progressive town,
and cities, and with admirable results
It viii finally prevail in our rural school
as well. But here it will force its way
more slowly against the pejudices OF