The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1906-09-06
SCHOOL Of DETECTIVES
Children Grow Toward Nor
NAL Through Exercise.
EASY METHC DFOLLOWED

limited Patience Required-Med-
ical Treatment Has Resulted in
Improvement Mentally and Phys
icaIIy.
In the educational world Springfield,
Mass, is known as the city Of special
school for feebleminded children, "the
cludes eight or nine schools devoted TO
special training. But perhaps the
most interesting experiment is its
schoo for feble minded children, 'the
special preparatory" as it is tactfully
called. This has threefold aim-tO
rid the ordinary public school rooms
of pupils who are a. drag on both the
teacher and the normal children; TO
benefit the child himself, and to make
him a more useful member Of society,"
70 teach these children is slow
process requiring unlimited patience
on the part of the, instructor, as moth
ing so confuses and bewilders feeble
minded child as cross word. The
instructor is careful to act as if she
regarded the children as normal, ana
their devotion to her is pathetic.
The first principle in training these
children is to quicken their muscular
action. They are invariably sluggish
and muscularly lazy, and therefore
fully one-half of the school session
is given up to physical exercises. AS
detectives have difficulty in thinking
and moving at the same time, special
exercises are given to cultivate this
power.
The teacher gives two children each
a ball, placing them about six feet
apart, one with his back to the 9TH
er. One of the pupils then throws the
ball and turns around quickly to catch
the ball, which is being thrown to
him. This seems simple. but for new
corners at the school it is an impos-
sible feat. In fact, simply bouncing
a rubber ball is beyond the skill of a
newcomer. Another feat is to walk
through the rungs Of a ladder placed
on the Hoor. A newcomer is told to
skip one or two rungs, and he always
makes hard work Of it.
Balancing helps to steady the mus
cles, and new pupil is asked to walk
q broad beam placed on the floor. This
achieved, he is then asked to walk
higher, narrower beam, which he
tries with much fear as a normal per-
son does a narrow plank over brook.
Another feat is to throw balls to
one another between the rungs OF
ladder placed on two chairs. At first
the ball, nys widely about the room,
but finally the pupils learn to catch
them quickly and deftly. The ten
dency to giggle during these games,
or, in fact, at all times, as one of the
most difficult things teacher has to
overcome in the children.
In the winter the boys and girls
are encouraged to slide on the ice and
coast, and to run hard. that they may
breathe deeply. The boys have made
ID sled (for manAL training is one OF
the most important parts of the IN
struction), and this is used for all
sorts o. mad rides in the school yard.
Every child who goes into the school
has to have special attention One is
high strung to fearful degree, an
other is anaemic and lifeless, heavy,
and stupid, and fifth is as quick as
lightning in grasping certain things
and totally deficient in learning 9TH
ers. To quicken their sense of sight,
they receive packages Of many colored
sticks, which they are required to di-
vide into little piles of the same color
To cultivate their sense of form they
have blocks in the shape of cubes,
cylinders and balls, which they must
string in this order: Firt a ball,
then a cube and last a cylinder. Nine
times out of ten the blocks are piled
higgledy- piggedly, and it is only al
ter trying again and again that the
proper arrangement is made.
Medical treatment of these pupils
has resulted in a. wonderful improve
ment, both mentally and physically.
One little girl, who appeared helpless
~ stupid, was operated On twice for
adenolds and soon became bright
enough to go back into the school for
normal children. Ears are inspected
for deafness, and often it is found that
childs dullness is largely caused by
inability to hear half that is said to
him. Properly fitted glasses have re-
suited in frightened intellects, and po-
erations on the nose have also been
beneficial.
The school has paid in every way,
for many of the pupils after a lew
years in the special preparatory GO
out to work in the mills and factories,
earning from 60 cents to 81 a day.
Those who never develop far enough
10 be wage-earners learn habits OF