The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-07-11
Wide Range of Subjects Was
Covered by Speakers Be-
fore the National Educa-
tional Association.
MANY INTERESTING
FACTS ARE RELATED
Work with Predetermined
as Explained by Henry H.
Goddard, Was Very In
structive Address.
(National News Association)


San Francisco, July 11-Great inter.
est was manifested by those who at
tended today's sessions of the Nation
al Education Association. in the spec
ches delivered by a number of experts
In education from different parts Of
the United States. These speeches
covered a wide range of subjects in
cluding "The Measuring of Childrens'
Mental Capacity by the Binet Scale. y
delivered by Hnry II. Goddard of the
New Jersey School for Predetermined
Vineland, N. j.; Requisites of the Ef-
ficient Teacher in Industrial Schools, "
by George w. Gerwig, Secretary of the
Board of School Controllers, Allegh-
any, Pa: Sex Hygiene" by Frances
M. Greene, NJ. d., Cambridge. Mass
"The Potentially of the School Gar
den," by Cyril A. Stebbins, Instructor
in Agricultural Education, University
of California. and elementary Sci
ence for the High School" by Prof. w.
c. Morgan, University of California.
The addresses that most interested
those attending the convention were
the ones measuring childrens' mental
capacity by the Binet Scale and the
Doctor Greene's paper on Sex Hy-
giene" In discussing the efficacy of
the Binet measuring system, Mr.. God
dard said in part:
Feeble Minded Children.
"The research department Of the
New Jersey Training School for Fee
ble-Minded Children, has carried ont a
systematic testing of an entire school
population of two-thousand children
by the Binet method. The results
amount to almost mathematical
proof of the accuracy of this system.
1t shows that there are per cent of
children who are precocious or better
in mentality than the average child,
IS per cent are normal, Is per cent are
backward and 3 per cent feeble-mind-
ed This ratio probably holds almost
universally.
I'VE should therefore have schools
or special classes for these precocious
children in order that the natural ad-
vantage with which they are born
should not be lost and that they should
not learn bay ways and bad habits,
from being in classes that go so much
slower than they are able to go. The
Is per cent taat are merely backward
should be in special classes so that
they may be coaxed and helped along
and enabled to get through as much
OF the school work as is absolutely
necessary to make them useful The
3 per cent that are feeble-minded
should be in colonies or institutions
where they are cared for and nabled
to be happy and partially useful as
long as they live. but if this is impos-
sible they should be cared for in a spe-
cial classes in Public schools where
they're not asked to learn reading,
writing and arithmetic, but are taught
to do these things with their hands
which they can do. and the doing Of
which makes they happy. They must
never marry because the studies at the
Nineland Institution have shown that
65 per cent of feeble -mindedness is
hereditary. Therefore If these children
grow up and marry they will perpetu-
ate the race of feeble-minded persons
ut has also been shown in this test
ing OF an entire school population that
some children are in classes that are
way ahead of their mental capacity
These children run all the way from
one year to three years ahead of their
capacity for learning. In other cases
children are behind what they ought
to be from one to three years Two
tendencies are shown to prevail. in
teaching. First, to keep all children
as near as possible at an average keep
ing those that are dull up to the av-
erage, holding those that are preco-
cious down. The other tendency is to
let those children that are very back
ward so, and not give them the atten-
tion they need. They are. as result.
farther backward than their mentality
really warrants, or on the upper scale.
children who are little precocious
are encouraged, spurred on and placed
In classes that are even higher than
their mental attainments can reach
This is an injustice TO both cases.
Cause Of Truancy.
I'm this misplacement of children.
getting them too high or too low for
their mental capacity. lies the reason
iCpNtipueI nm pare Eiubyl