San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1925-11-13
LOVE C0NQUERS'
K|DD|ES' LOW
MENTALITY
Public Schools Work Out
Problems and Benefit
Humanity.
Love conquers all things.

AoVc COuQuctb dll Things.
Human love, sympathy and a ten
der understanding of a child's per-
plexities. A purpose to aid in oil
ways possible, Installing of self-re-
spect through knowledge of a capacity
to accomplish undertakings. Awaken
ing and leading dawning conscious
ness, step by. step, to its fullest de-
velop9ent possible that those who
have not been blessed with a mental
ity equal to that of other childrra
may in after life, be partially, if not
wholly self-supporting, is the loved
and life work of devoted teacher
in the public schools of San An.
tonic.
What to do with the sub normal
child has been and ever will be one
OF the gravest and perplexing prob
lens of education. Not merely the
SLOW pupil" who by coaching and
harder work may keep I'D with his
studies, but the child whose mental
lty is years behind his physical age.
TEACH THROUGH PLAY.
This problem has been met and is
being worked out in the public schools
OF this city. Quietly and unosteDta-
tiously women with vision, with all
encompassing love and compassion, pa.
tiently, day by day, hour by hour. is
leading onward and upward CHILDREN
from IL to 16 years of age with the
mentality of little children of 8 or
q. toward the goal of better men and
women.
Never for moment are these chill
dren aware that they are different
from other boys and girls. They have
their problems. their tasks and their
studies, each in regular periods and
they play just rs wholesomely, just
as joyously as other children, minglins
In the games and activities on the
school grounds.
BOYS HAVE TOOLS.
They are being taught, unconscious
~, through play. Each task a game.
Here a boy shows a natural love of
flowers and trees. He is taught how
to plant, tender and care for flowers,
shrubs and trees by being allowed to
care for those on the school grounds.
He Is proud of his responsibility.
Praised when he has done right Gent
ly shown the right way to do his
task when he has erred.
Here girl evinces a desire for
sketching and q love of color. She is
encouraged to make various designs
and work them out in colored yarns
in embroidering inexpensive children's
clothing for which she is paid n nomi-
nal sum by the manufacturer. An
other is taught sewing or the cutting
out of garments. A boy turns in
stinctiyely to tools. He is placed at
a work bench and taught to fashion
flower boxes, small chairs, chests and
shelving: to put them together sub
stantially and neatly and to paint
them in harmonious stains or colors.
And between these tasks simple
words and figures are explained and
visualized to the children so that they
may comprehend and remember them
easily. So day by day they are ad-
vanced little further on the path
way OF knowledge, learning self-re-
lance and self-respect by being made
able to do something well.
1t is not expected that these boys
and girls will enter offices, industrial
plants or become clerks and take po-
sitions the normal person may expect
to attain. but it is intended that they
may Mt least serve as yardmen, gar
dcners, plain carpenters, day laborers
seamstresses. child nurses or cooks
and thus never become a liability on
the community.
This is the vision Of woman. This
is her love for humanity. This is
the humble side of the public schools.
SO little known, yet so pregnant with
hope, as they are pressing onward to
fhe goal of better citizenship through
= IL