New Ulm review., 1912-11-27
Prof. Heman Helm Talks instruct
On Physical Training

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last week.
Eve find great diversity Of opir
ion on this subject. Some say tina
school gymnastics ought to consis
simply of games, while those who 8
larthest in their demands, cite the re
nOwned physiologist, Prof. Virchow
who says, It is my belief that onl
one-half of the school hours should b
devoted to study and the rest to ply
sical training and games. and other
declare that, 1t is necessary to lii
all physical training, or whatever goe
by that name at present in many o
our school systems from its presen
inferior position to a higher level, ant
place it on assound foundation as
truly educational department
These latter claim that the frs
and foremost requirement of any sys
TEN of physical training for the public
schools is, that it has for its Object
the harmonious development of the
child's body according to we'll defined
physiological, psychological, and peda
gogical laws.
ITO arrive at q correct solution OF
the problem what the objects of school
gymnastics must be, it becomes nee
essary to inquire, first: what are the
conditions of modern school life
which must be taken into considera'
ton when choosing exercises, and Sec
ond, what are the physiological de-
mands of a child between the ages of
and IL as to its growth and develop
ment.
up to it's entrance into school a
child has led comparatively free
life. In general, it has moved about
wherever it pleased, sang, played, and
ran. It was out of doors, in the sun
shine and fresh air, most of the time.
With its entrance into scnool all
these conditions are Immediately
changed. It now must remain in a
closed room five hours day. The
school requires that it be quiet The
demands of writing, ciphering, draw
ing, sewing, etc., keep the child in un-
natural positions for hours. Its time
for play is greatly restricted, and the
lungs instead of developing and ex-
panding, suffer because of the child's
long sitting. Heart and circulation
also suffer from loss of action. Then
the air in most schoolrooms is i'm
pure. The eyes often suffer from poor
light, too much work, or incorrect
seating. The desks and benches are
often ill-ftted. In short we find that
school life gives the child conditions
which are radically opposed to those
needed for its bodily development.
Modern physiology tells us that
the necessity of muscular exercise be-
comes greater the more the demands
for mental Development grow, and the
more artificial the lives Of city chill
dren become. But the modern school
does not recognize this. The school
work itself If of more intense char
acter, all leading away from muscular
work.
"The life of normally developed
child is one of continual activity, dur
ing all its waking hours. It seldom is
quiet for any length of time. and many
a teacher has found one of her hardest
problems boy, or girl, so full of vi.
tality that he cannot be quiet for a
minute. Yet school life asks that
this child remain quiet for hours. We
are not only supposed to suppress that
activity which is an integral part of
the life of every normally developed
child, but we are also asking the child
to pay close attention to processes
which develop the mind.
I'VE will now ask, what does physi-
ology teach us is going on in the bod
les of our pupils during the first eight
school-years? Children enter the first
grade at about six years and leave
the grammar schools at about fourteen
years of age. During the first three
years the child accustoms itself to the
physical conditions of school life. A
great development of bones, especially
of the head, takes place. The next
years, that is up to the beginning of
puberty, bring about Strengthening
of the skeletal frame and the muscles
continue to grow more enduring.
IF we now remember that every or.
gan will reach its highest develop
ment, If it receives its proper exer-
else at the time of it's greatest
growth, these investigations have CIV
en- us guide to lead us in the selec-
tion of exercises that are of the great. |
est value at certain periods of child's
life. They show us that during child.
hood the heart is comparatively
small, and the arteries wide: that a
rapidly working heart finds little re.
sistance and can send the blood
quickly through the whole body. The
normal development of the heart dur.
ing the period of its greatest growth
is of prime Importance for the main
tenance Of health, as we'll as for
and preserving the greatest
bodily power and resistance. ., To
choose exercises that promote heart
growth must at this period of a |
chnd's life, be one of our chief aims.
;. Next in importance is the develop.
ment of the lungs. Experiments have
proved that only about one.sixth of
the air in our lungs is changed dur
ing ordinary breathing. When great
est inhalation and exhalation take |
place, this amount is increased S to 6
fold. Children from to IA years of
age average "a respirations per min
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