The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1919-05-16

This j. the main under-current that
i'd shaping education today. The
feeling that every child merits an
individual study. The condition OF
children being taken a. . whole must
be remedied. The following case
shows how important it is to do this:
A child came to school and could
not learn to read. At the end Of the
first year the question came up,
what shall be done about promoting
the child? 1t was decided that he
had lived the life of the first year
and should be sent to the second
grade. Every method to teach read
| ing was tried and failed to assist him.
This continued until the end of the
fourth year. The child's mind had
been tested and he was declared nor
NAL. His eyes were being treated by
one of the best Oculists in Baltimore
Fluent reading depends upon things
recognized a. an old friend; things
seen before. 1t was thought that
this boy did not see things only i'm
parts. Acting on this a test was
given and it was found that the boy
could not see more than four letters
at once. We sent him to a specialist
outside the State. We got the right |
treatment and he is cured. Let me
emphasize this fact. Twenty years
ago this individual would have been
! termed feeble minded, thrown out in |
the world with no preparation for |
life. He was saved by mental ex-
aminations.
:'How early to put child. to bed. |
Every parent should see to these i'm |
portant things. The child's teacher
can tell how early he should retire |
The question Of school ability l. an
interesting one The developments |
i'm the last five or ten years have
been most remarkable. Tit isn't very
long ago that you were just as likely |
to find the class on the west side Of
the room as on the east side. All |
classes should be put on the east side. |
The south and north sides are I'M
desirable. South side used for a |
kitchen, north side not used except |
where children are only for a little |
while. 1t is very important how far |
the light carries across the room. |
We know about the temperature of |
the room. Rooms formerly were kept |
| too hot. Schools should be swept !
with an antiseptic to kill all germs. |
The question of school furniture is |
receiving attention. Every individual
child should be fitted with the desk.
Chairs should be movable.
THE ideal teacher knows the sub |
iect from every phase and can be a
co-worker and discoverer. The bust |
mess of the teacher l. to help them
to think, to guide them. A modern
class is a discovering laboratory
class not an examination period
What is it to get an education? 1t
means that the person has the ability
to know how to find out things, who
knows where to get it, who. can bring
it together and study it over and can
act upon what decision and pass it
on to someone else. That is what
our schools must do, teach children
to get the Information. Show them
how to get it. Teach them how to get
it in the best way. Let them argue
it out among themselves, then give
them a chance to use it. The child
rem frSm the Park School were taken
to see ships un1oaded They were
simply fascinated. It was a lesson
i'm Geography, Arithmetic, and His
tory. Open school work and let i'm
the light outside il to- be a big part
OF the education Of the future. Get
lessons everywhere else but in the
school room
1--WE are in democracy. How
much are we giving children to teach
them to carry on a democracy? They
have been in the home and in the
school but know nothing about self
government. The place to start self
in this talk will cost lot of money.
and you have to develop it from year
to year. They should be made to
feel that they are a part Of the com
munity. Self-government may 60
wrong one day but what Of it?
"All these things mentioned by me
i'm this talk viii cost lot of money
Conditions must improve one hun
dred per cent. Where does it pay
better to spend money than on our
children? What is our legacy Ii ii il N
not our children? We do not know U
what possibilities there are in the
future. We must come forward and
cav we want thn hest IF aan 1oavo