Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-02-17

Leaping abruptly back TO the TWEEN
fieth century, ws have the distinctly
robust example Of Joseph Hoffman,
famous pianist. who clearly demon
sirstcd his remarkable musical talent
when no was but two and a half years
old, and was on the concert stage at
the age OF eleven.
Super Children In Two Classes.
There are and alwAps hays been
beriain wonder children" Professor
Edward l.. Thorndike. Of Teachers
College, Columbia University, tells
us, "and they have turned out 70 bs
great men and women later. II -
evident that child geniuses may be d.
yided into two classes those who are
creative and inventive and those who
have exceptional memories and abb
sorbing powers
The child OF creative ability n tbs
real wonder child. There are many
children who have exceptional nnefnor-
les. and while II is true that some Of
these children have greater capacity
than others. the faculty is not IN
dicative Of as high development, az
the creative or invenflvs gift"
Professor Monroe also OF the Teach
ers' College, declares that our present
system OF public school education -
/ greatly 20 be censured because II
makes no special provision for chill
dren OF superior ability. We IN this
country are so democratic that we
I look out for the noss." he says Our
entire educational system is gauyed
/ TO mediocrity. We need some new wsy
lof scaling our classes so that persons
OF exceptional ability will not be held
/ back-to the level Of their mediocre
companions Sometimes this lack oe
i Occupation in school while they arc
I waiting for their slower brothers ard
/ sisters 10 catch up Is harmful 20 the
4 children Of superior talent. They be-
come restive or Indifferent.
Wider recognition should 10 given
TO the child prodigy. The hope Of
education is TO bring out all the native
! talent and ability each child has Ma
4 tura1iy some children will have more
10 show than others, but each child
\ should have a chance 70 develop 20 It's
|, highest point.
II DO not believe in TOO much fres-
dom or too much superfntendencs Of
the child's education There 10 a
, medium which offers encoura cement
10 the child 20 use his own instAtiv.
and at the same time furnishes guild
ance without which he might beconl4
!, one-sided."
: United States II Stage for Prodisies
The United States has provided the
exhibition stage for large number Of
child prodigies in the past two years
In fact, almost every European ma
: ton and several South American re.
publics seemed 10 have two or thre-
ready for US as soon as the war wal
:, over. We have rnarveied ST the abfi-
u ity OF the little chess wizard Saraue
= Rzeshews<i: Of the little girl PamsH
. Bianco; OF the young girl dIaryist IN.
u troduced by Herr Freud, ard ions
y list Of youthful musical artista And
e recently we have been asked 70 ad.
rnirs our own American prodisies fl
Z groups-so fast are they developing
Last year little Miss Bianco held al
e art exhibition Of her own which wa.
{, we'll praised By sstonfshed ART CRITICS
: but, lol this year q whole group o'
d New York children are exhibiting
b work just as good
AS the prejudice against pefrnfttfrl
Is children TO assert themselves dies on,
's we seem TO be developing greater ant
:; greater numbers OF super-norYna
: children. II the increase continues aus
Of il the day ever comes when the publ,
el schools adopt special measures To-
is developing individual talent. geniu
ID may possibly become common anon,
lour population.