The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-03-29

that he learns. al
Anotaer infant unusual prodigy who
mas lately made his parents and ad.
mlrers IN New York city open thair
eyes is known in his ne~ighborhood &C
the sleep walking kid" because he ie
often found at he piano in The doaa
oi iilsht' with eyes tightly closed.
paying an air from some musical
which he has heard. This hov
Is oloheS Cohen, age four, and while
his parents claim hat he n,ays tho
piano IN his sleep a physician who
mas made a study of his case does not
agree with them, but feels assured
that the boy is 50 strongly inclined
toward music that he is likely to get
out of bed at any time of the night.
when awake, and sit drowsily at the
piano for an hour or two. Sidney's
parents have not allowed him to have
q eacher n study music, as they
think he may become over-deyeloped
mentally and under-developed phvsi-
cally.
h long accepted theory of hold
ing children back for fear of their
p~recocity ending in later setbacks has
had several shocks recently not the
least among them being that adminis-
tered by DIR. Sidis, father Of Willie
Sidis, a professor in the Harvard Med
lca1 School. and a psychologist and
S(itltiS1 VI IISIcSt reputation. 1JT.
Sidis discounts the idea that his son
is a genius, or that his ability to grasp
abstruse and difficult subjects is in
herlted or abnormal. He attributes it,
on the contrary, to his own system of
education, which follows lines similar
to those aid down by Professor Will
liam James, the noted psychologist,
Another famous scientist who IS in
agreement on this subject is DR..
Charles Sedgwick Minot. who has
made special studies in the relations
of youth, adulthOod and old age. Their
theory is that h child Is more capa-
BILE of SraSping new ideas than the
man, that IT is much easier
for him to learn many and varied
subjects while extremely young than
it is for the person who has reached
adult years. A child learns languages
more easily than a grown person, and
this is equally tru Of other branches
of learning. DR.. Sidis in referrlnSg
to his plan of education recently said:
you must begin u chiid's education
as soon as he displays any power TO
think. Everybody knows how hard
it is to learn a new language late III
acquisitions, The earlier they are ac-
quired the more truly they become
part Of US.
A the same time keep alive with
in the child the QuickenIng power OF
curiosity. Do not repress him. An
swer his questions; give nm the III
formation he Graves seeing TO 1t al
WAYS that he understands your eXpia-
nations.
you need not be afraid Of over
straining his mind. On the contrary,
YOU will be developing it as it should
be deVeloped-WiH be habltuatln2
the child to avail himself Of the srea
cl - Y-%~-+ nnro> which 1nnGf OF
rs. to our detriment, SO seldom use.
Another advocate Of early and teen
nicallv correct teaching OF the Spcclal
studies that are sometimes uelayeu
unnecessarily is Ralph l.. Flanders
manager Of the New England conser-
yatorv of Music. The oldest and pes
known of American music schoois
aoee not ASPIRE to the title of a school
for prodigies or abnormal chiioieii
bpt its management believes on the
basis of experience that chllotei
learn much more quickly ana accu-
ratelv when they begin studying music
at an early age. There are many eS-
ampIes Of the truth Of this con1enlloi
among little Bostonions whose parents
have taken advantage of the oppor-
tupities afforded by their proximity tt
this institution and have sent the Gun
dren TO the primary department "he't
advanced students teach lhehl 'Ht
early principles OF pro1e9Sioha 49,"
and bring them, at ages varying IRON
five wears upwards, to the point where
they are ready, if they so choose 1ol
the professional course.
Infant prodigies are popularIa
looked upon as destined lof one y
tbraa fates-an early death, the IN
sane asylum OF az extraord'nar1l
st,nid adult life. That this noro1
is not true, however, IS proven o.
a1naot ipnumerable instances OF mu'
;Iia,. urho showed the marks OF sc
Mus early n retained them through
ant their careers. Notable among sucf
&c the case of Ignace Padere"skl' "n'
played the piano for dancing al q emu
dren's party when he was three year
If age A Boston boy, Carlyle Peter
si1ia whose father was one of the pro
neers in the piano profession IN I'M
country. was instructed by ms lails'
utIa, he was very Young, and on ar
living at the age of seven years nt
began to teach, appearing in punil'
/ IN Nh