The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-01-07

school desk. And, too, the teachers
seem to take special delight IN giving
the child work to do during these two
years that tend to develop the access
sorry portion of the nervous system at
a, time when the fundamental or neces-
sary part OF the fundamental is as yet
undeYeloped. There IS no surer way TO
produce instability OF the nervous sys-
tenn and SOW the seeds that later bring
forth ST. Vitus dance, nervous efrrita-
bility, sensitive nervous organizations
and general decrease in normal aCtiv-
ity of vital organs.
What the child should have at this
time is a free life In the open air, de-
veloping the fundamental neuro mus
cular actiVities-in contact with nature
in company OF those of his own age
developing his sense organs, and eIigag-
ing in such games as he has shown an
instructive and inherent desire for.
Writing sewing, practicing on piano or
any other exercise which requires deli
cate muscular combinations, bringing
into play large brain areas are entirely
out Of place during this period.
When He Must Be Shown.
ten years. there is rapid growth in
height and weight. The muscular and
bony systems develop rapidly. The
child becomes a youth or a maiden.
This is the period when the youth de-
mandS reasOns-he must be shown.
There can be no driving at this time
he will not permit It. He can be led,
persuaded, induced, but never driven.
During this time. too there is great
danger OF permanent injury through
/ bad nutrition, undertaking, lack of ex-
erctse, or improper exercise This is
the time when rational physical educa-
ton has an opportunity. Games and
simple gymnastics give splendid re-
suits If properly selected and well Civ
en-, during this period Of active mus
cular development.
Boys should not be permitted to en-
gage in strenuous contests and feats Of
speed, strength or endurance Of an un-
usual character. To subject the boy
to such when his nervous and muscular
/ systems are just reaching full deveI-
opment and growth would certainly be
inJudicious. The time for these things
| comes later.
Now fl all the work that we do for
children there is one matter to be kept
| constantly in mind--a matter which
tF9shtly apprehended viii have much to
do with our success, and that is the
! fact that we are educating an individ-
ual who is to become a seIf-gOverning,
! self-cOntrOlling, independent citizen of
| the world. Since one thing to be ac-
u.
/ we must begin the work as early as
| possible. If we were educating an in
| dividual to be q slave, the sooner we
| accustom him to the attitude a slave
/ should hold toward a master the bet
! ter; but since self-control is sought.
| the sooner ne begins to control himself
| the better.
Muscles Must Be Trained.
| One purpose Of the work in physical
| education is to develop self-cOntrol of
! the muscular system which is funda-
| mental to self-cOntrol mentally and
| morally as we'll.
HartWell says: ''Since physical
| training aims at perfecting the body
as an instrument and at rendering it
| the willing, prompt and efficient serv-
| ant Of an intelligent mind and a SEN
/ sittVe and enlightened soul, il cannot
| be gainsaid that physical training lies
! at the foundation Of mental and moral
| training, or that it enters and must
/ enter as more or less prominent fac
/ tor into a great number of our educa-
| tional procedures. The full success or
| failure of physical training, therefore,
! does not relate simply TO the size or
| strength of the red meat we call mus
cles, but IS measured in part by our
achievements in the domain Of mind
and the domain OF conduct"
Again, you can do something toward
the regulation Of the time when chill
dren should enter school. 7 have al
ready referred in an incidental way
to this matter, but it is worthy Of fur
/ Their attention. From what has been
said concerning periods of growth you
Will be prepared TO agree with me
when I say that in most cases chill
dren should not begin school work be-
fore they are years old. To begin
4 sob col -Ff l. 70
the artificial condition and the restraint
of the school room at a time when ma
tuTe has ordained that he should be
out in the open air and sunshine de-
yelOping the fundamental portion of his
nervous systen-just growing There
is too gre"t tendency to precOcity,
anyway. mean mental precocity.-
A -tardy IN antal- develepfne4t ~fs-net
nearly so much to be feared as a tardy
physical development If parents gen
orally were as sOIicitous concerning the
development Of fine. sound bodies in
| their children as many are concerning
! their advancement in the grades. it
would be better. How frequently we
| hear mothers bemoaning the fact that
l-Johhhy was not promoted, or that
I Nary VIII be a year behind her class
/ In graduating. From personal observa-
ton I feel quite sure that the avera ge
I child v'OHld be very much favored by
! beginning mis- school work at In pref
! erence to s, which is the requirement
Of the present law.
Crowds the Bright Child.
| Again, it is q very difficult thing for
the average teacher to become inter-
| ested in the dull or backward child,
and shs sdevOtes her attention to the
I ffortght;-- nervous child, the child who
takes special promotions and seems to
take special delight in increasing the
number of special promotions in her
grade. AS a matter of fact, the child
who takes special promotions is gen
erally The. one who should be kept out
Of school half a year for each such
promotion.
have in mind now a boy who was
kept out Of school till he was 8 years
old In order that he might develop a
good body and become somewhat TO-
bust. After beginning school he made
such rapid advancement that he
gained special promotions, and each
time that this happened, on my advice
he was kept out Of school half a year.
Now 1 am satisfied that had he been
permitted to go right on with the work
| his health would have been ruined.
Parents should be on the lookout for
GforY1E Of hao~fravasracr