El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1915-11-04

the number of pages read in the low
first grade averaged 1OO- in the high
first 10; in the low second $50, in the
high second 22t- IN the low third 26O-
in the high third 222. etc. These are
averages for the city. The greatest
number of pages read in the various
grades range from 2OS to 500. This is
a much higher average than we have
hitherto been able TO attain. The work
in the other subjects. so far as known
is fully up with the course, too. except
in a few cases, so that there seems to
be gain rather than a loss in the
socalled regular subjects. and a very
distinct Improvement in all OF the spe-
cial subjects.
More Time for Work.
So far as the upper grades are con
cerned, there has been no change in the
plan of organization Of work, except
that now there is more time for both
regular and special subjects Hereto
fore, music, drawing and manual arts
were taught by special teachers This
is still the plan, but now enough time
is given to these subjects to accom-
plish more than formerly
Makes for Health.
Under the new plan more attention is
given 70 the physical wen being OF the
child And this phase OF the plan was
TO me one of its most attractive fea-
lures from the beginning because I
believe that the childs health and
physical development should have our
first consideration at all times There
is nothing to be got from books that
can make up for loss of health or loss
in the physical development Of any
child
The old plan Of organization did not
lend itself well 10 program for or
ganized physical exercises educationa
games, etc. The recess plan has always
been largely a failure for the mass Of
the children. The grounds were mo-
nopOlized by a feW-a plain appIica-
ton Of the law Of the survival Of the
uttest There were no play leaders,
or if there were they were not special
lists IN their work but merely regular
teachers who were paid extra compen-
sation for recess work am speaking
now Of the country at large
Teachers Are Police.
Teachers were on. the grounds, but
they were usually there for police pur-
poses only There was usually some
teacher who had the direction of such
games as volley ball and basketball for
the older students, but the little ones
who most needed direction were usu-
ally left to shift for themselves Where
there were from 500 to 1000 children
on the grounds at once there was not
room for all 10 play. so the large ma
Jority OF them merely sat around If
they were not doing anything worse.
So 10 most of these children the edu-
catiOnal value Of play was lost. Under
the new plan all this has been changed
The children now enjoy thmselves on
the Fairgrounds because they have
room, they are taught new games and
they seem to have more aim in their
play Visit the grounds and become
convinced II you are skepticaL
Time Is Test.
However. it is too much 10 expect
that a change Of this kind could be
introduced and made to work TO per-
lection all in two months. especially
with the crowded conditions which eX-
ist in nearly all the schools. Time is
needed to adjust programs to the needs
Of each school and to accustom both
teachers and pupils to the new order OF
procedure In some Of the schools we
have not had room enough to carry on
the work under any plan, and in those
schools we are simply doing the best