Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-12-16
CHILD ENTERING SCHOOL.
Tendencies That Require Development
Most at This Period.

Professor John Nj. Tyler's discussion
Of the characteristics and needs of the
average child on entering school in his
Twentieth Century Club course of lee
lures in the Colonial Theatre, was very
Interesting. He said:
. We are attempting to solve the prob
lem of the development of men and
women Of power. as well as of knOwl-
edge: for we need such as leaders. We
have found, | believe. that the first
essential of power, and almost the only
one which can be realized during child
hood. is a vigorous and healthy growth
promoted by exercise of the right kind
and amount. We have seen that such
growth of the internal organs, and of
the brain to a large extent, is best pro-
NOTED by muscular exercise.
We will now study the physical con-
ditions and characteristics of the child
entering school. Our first question is:
What organs are in the stage of growth
when they most need exercise? Then
we will ask what kind of exercise will
best foster the growth which we So
much desire. The boy at six weighs
about forty-five pounds; the girl is a
little lighter. They have increased six
fold in weight since birth, and have at
tanned about one-third of the adult
weight. Their height is about Al
inches, twice that at birth. and two
thirds of the height at sixteen. Trunks
and legs are both gaining in length, the
legs somewhat the more rapidly
Chest-girth increases rapidly at six.
but soon slackens. The stretching
| period has begun.
Since birth the heart has gained in
weight only one-half as fast as the
body. which is taller as we'll as heavier
| 1t is not keeping pace with the work
| demanded Of it. The heart is small in
| capacity and the arteries are large. the
blood pressure is low. This favors
| growth rather than energy. The lung
capacity is gaining rapidly, but this
| increase also will soon slacken. The
brain has attained nine tenth Of its
adult weight. The sensory areas and
those controlling the heavier muscles
are fairly mature. Those for the finer
| muscles are less advanced. The asso-
citation areas are very immature hard
~ beyond the stage % pure growth.
The muscular strength of arms and
| legs is abount one-fOurth or one-fifth
as great as at sixteen. The legs seem
to be gaining somewhat faster than the
/ arms.
| The child Of six requires for its food
about one-haif as much albumen, and
| starch, and about four-fifths as much
fat as the adult takes for three times
his weight. Thus the child needs;
nearly twice as much food and water,
| and produces twice as much carbonic
dioxide and heat per pound weight as
the adult. He has one pound of weight
for each inch of height, while the boy OF
nineteen has two; and the ratio of
chest-Girth to height is not much more
| favorable Expenses are gaining on
| tne income very fast. Between six and
n'ne the strength of squeeze with the
hand increases much more rapidly than
the area of the cross-section of the
muscles of the forearm Bryan and
Gilbert have both noticed a marked in
crease at six and eight in the power to
tap rapidly on an electric key Gilbert
observed that the liability to fatigue is
greater at eight than at seven or nine
christopher had also called attention to
TINS 1act. Hence it has been called the
fatigue year. by several careful OBJ
servers. All these facts suggest the
recent addition of new material some-
wnere in the motor portions Of the
!. nervous system. but in a part control
ing the forearm. If this view Is cor.
rect II gives us useful point Of depar-
tur' for reckoning the time of rand
growth of other centres. Those NJ
shonlder and thigh are almost certain
" more precocious. those of the fingers
less so.
Mortality is steadily declining. Nor.
o oey is low at six, rises sharply, often
hlty per cent. at eight, and CONTINUES
20 rise with one or two fluctuations IN
~ .nirteen or fourteen in the boy. and
even later in the girl. a'''
Inc child at seven ID N the ,are,