The Washington times., 1915-06-24
Scientific Attempt Being
Made to Regulate Advance
ment From Grade to
Grade by Test of lntelli-
gence.
the child is going to do or how much
he knows.
Attitude of Child.

' he KNOWS.
Attitude of Child.
"All of this advice concerning the
necessity In using care in the choice
OF a teacher who can give the tests
in the correct manner is one of the
first things which Is impressed upon
students of child psychology and
upon those who wish to take up this
new pedagogy.
In all cases must the examiner
get down to the attitude Of the
child and try to understand Just
how and why a simple question
could be confusing or could be an
swered In seventeen different ways
from the correct one. Not every
person or every teacher by any
means qualities for this position. A
child for instance should never be
credited with a question because the
examiner feels sure that perhaps he
miCht be able to answer better some
other time The probabilities are
very great that the present result
is better than any preconceived esti-
nation of the examiner.
Each child to my way OF think
ing has his mental level. and In or
der to find that level and approach
him Is the purpose of the Binet
tests
The tests Themselves. are merely
n series OF questions. five In num-
ber. for every age. except the age
OF five years. when only four uues-
tions are used. In every instance II
is necessary to get the uncon-
scious truth and maximum effort
from the child.
in which to obtain the best results
are excellent. If possible the test
should he made in the spirit OF a
game. A child should never be told
that he is wrong. He should al
ways be told that he has done well:
and II he has done nothing at all
pass Il bv as easily as possible.
Nothing should be done to arouse
the spirit OF antagonism.
Estimate of Results.
Some children II they have failed
once and are made conscious of II
will not try again. on the other hand
the examiner should not insist upon
an answer. Just because II seems i'm
possible that the child could fall to
see the answer. He may not know It.
When a child fails to respond. the
examiner should try to understand
why and act accordingly.
"If child succeeds in the tests
for his age he Is normal. II he can
succeed only In those given for a
child a year younger than he. he Is
backward to the extent of one year.
and similarly for two or three years.
If he is more than three years back
ward he ts mentally defective.
To allow Cor some unevenness In
development Binet has found IT sat
isfactory to adopt the following esti-
mates In estimating results. A sub
tect has the mental development for
the highest age for which he has
succeeded in all of the tests.
once a child's intellectual level Is
fixed he Is to be advanced a year for
every five higher tests that he sue
ceeds in. and two years for every ten
tests that he succeeds In.
This eliminates entirely any guess
work on the part of the parent or
teacher as to whether a child should
go on or stay back in the same
grade. He makes his own decision.
This also places direct respons!--
bility upon the child in the way OF
study, for should he fail to concen-
trate and keep up his educational
work In the school II would show at
once in the tests. even though he
had qualified as a normal child at
five years Of age.