The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-05-16
Childsen Learn Most Rapidly
 Before F Foln

M LSIIc JANIS and I were taking < L q walk with some friends on Sun
 day near her place at Tarry- town, N. Y. Suddenly a clear little voice piped: .
 Have. you by any chance seen a brown dog with white spots and one car flat and the other standing up?s
 In front of us stood a fine1ooking little boy. He seemed so tiny, to speak so clearly and describe so accurately. He was so adorable in appearance that we naturally stopped and talked with him.
 In the course of conversation he in formed us that he was four years old. For fiftene minutes we were held en, thralled by the little fellows imagina- tive suggestions as to how we could in duce the dog to come back to him. FpR1ly we tore ourselves away and CQhtinued our walk, but his extreme naturalness, lack of shyness and his in. telligence started q discussion on ithe question, of the average behavior and intelligence. of children of this little boys age. {,
 I think there is no denying that many children arcs extremely shy at four, and as yet do not use their minds Independently and have not commenced to become personalities that is to say, they, give most people thar impression.
 We became interested in discussing whether or not this was the fault of the parents and the older people with whom the child is associated, Do, not most older people take it for, granted that children have no capacity for in, dividual thought, and do they not gen ff, T, ,afx <1tt Sva. stead of stimulating them by talking, if anything, a little ahead of. them ? Il am afraid they do. 's
 have noticed many people who seem to endow their dogs even at the age of six months, with more intelli- gence and understanding than they would grant to their children of four or five years. How many times do we see parents try to divert their chil- dren's attention to some babyish game, rather than take Sthe trouble to. answer their questions. I do not mean when they are inquiring on subjects that we would prefer them not to know about but when they are seeking perfectly ordinary and valuable information: Ia the reason for this that parents, as a rule, want to keep their children babies, or is it merely that they think they will be wasting their time at tempting to explain? It seems to me that both of these reasons would be foolish. I can understand perfectlg the feeling of a mother who wants to keep her child a baby, but that is, ap emotional feeling which she knows is not reasonable, or good for the child. She is only retardipg the instincts, as well as the intelligence. and personality of her child. sE as
 It is amazing to me sometimes to watch an amusing little child and It's niother--the kind Of mother, for in. says. 'Igisten to that;,' or IsssWatch that" firmly convinced that the child has no idea that it is being shown off, Nine times out of ten, not one by-play escapes the child, and itsis perfectly in. telligentiy playing a game for its mothers benefit. Child specialists as sert that very young children's emo tions and power of observation are strongly developed. It must be so, as it is during the first four or five years of their lives shat they learn more than they ever learn again. But, unques. tionablg, they need the help. and belief of their parents, just as much as we need the help and belief of people later on in life. ,
 If you make children feel that you believe in their capacity to understand what you are talking about, instinctive. ly they will be inspired to greater eff fort at comprehension, and will often Surprise you with their. unexpected un- i derstanding.
 "Sold before noon--the usual report following n 'tFor Salav Went Al ev,