The Pioche record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1908-1925, 1922-11-10
FACTS ABOUT
THE BACKWARD
CHILD IN SCHOOL

Probably the grayest problem of
the public school. and the sorest
rial to the average school teacher
IS the backward child. Every
school class has one or more of them.
fhis backwardness may be due to
an apparent dullness, TO nervousne
20 lack Of interest, to fits of temp.
and 10 physical ailments or to same
indeseribahle something that no one
is able to diagnose.
in The past We hayed expended up
on the standard cures to correct the
ailings and failings of the backward
child. Foremost among these cures
are extra study, which means long
hours of drilling and cramming
white the other chidrentare at play;
discipline; sympathetic guidance;
special classes; rest; medical atten-
ion and general tonics.
Almost every conceivable plan and
idea is tried by the harrased teachers
and the suffering parent. for the
knowledge that ones child Is back
ward is not as bright and active and
apparently not as intelligent or
strong as other children, is harrow
| ing to say the least. Often, in fact
the cure has merely tended to aggra-
vate matters, to make bad situation
worse, as In the case of extra study
and "tonics" To deny a child sur
ficient rest and play in the open air
is wrong, and to fill its system with
a miscellany of patent medicines and
tonics is objectionable.
Additional hours of study will not
help; for the trouble may be re-
suit of over-fatigue, of the lack of
enough play and fresh air or of a
physical defect
The average parent or teacher
does not know that the sickness, un
, der erdevelopment, backwardness, anC
general 'off color" of children is us
: ually due to improper nourishment
that correct feeding can prevent 81
per cent of these troubles and tina
, corrective feeding can cure 10 pc
7 cent of the cases that have developed
T Tha fnrapnut nyparto in marion ~,
$ proving this, and proving 1t in hun
| dreds of schools throughout tn
0 country They have called our at
8 tention to the fact that very few O
s us realize that less than one-tent
+ the time and thought is given tn
3 problem of proper feeding that Is re
d quired to correct the troubles result
l, ing from our failure to observe tn
/, simple rules of child nutrition.
y At the recent visit of Mary Stilwe
Nutrition Specialist of the Universit
Extension Service, the school chi
dren of Caliente and Panaca wer
he advised to drink at least Quart I
O. milk daily, cooked cereal each NOR
n. ing and two vegetables besides pot
ar toes day. With this diet lari
O. part OF the proper feeding of Il
lp child will be taken care Of.
" The schools of both communiti
III have been interested in the prop
'i' nourishment of school children al
al are outlining with Miss Stilwell
10 method of taking charge Of some
h- this work. Cooperating with t
iS schools are the Parent Teachers 4
" sociatlons of both communities, a
Homemakers clubs. These agenc
are furnishing milk to the schools
ri, be distributed among the childr
~, of the first grades where the grea'
~ evidence of underweight conditi
:, was found. A cup Of warm VIII
milk Is being given these children
- the morning recess each school d
-, With these agencies working for
better health of the school childl
and with the gradual awakening
- the parent to the causes and resi-
of improper nourishment the gene
- health OF the children OF the coun
will be ipmroved.