Evening star., 1928-06-03
Continued from First Page.)


It is from this group that the states
men, the military leaders, the artists.
the scientists and the outstanding
business men of tomorrow will be re-
cruited. Upon the direction and train
ing given to their minds today VIII
depend the quality Of leadership which
the community and the county can ex-
pect 25 or 30 years hence. Small as
Is their comparative number, they con-
stitute the most important factor in
the school population.
Fair Cross Section
The relati:s percentage Of gifted
children probably is fairly constant
throughout the United States. Only
few of the larger cities have made an
effort to classify their children. The
great rural areas with their thousands
OF frame schcolhouses and their nun
dreds of thousands Of children have
remained untouched--and 1t is from
such sections, past experience has
shown. that the most notable leaders
emerge. But a city like Washington
affords a fair cross section Of the coun-
try as a whole In some communities
the ratio would fall off because of racial
characters combined with unstimulat-
ing environment, but in others 1t would
rise above the half of l per cent basis
which has been taken as a standard.
Now Just what is a Child genius"
ard is there any need to do anything
about it?
The larger cities and States are pro-
viding special schools for the feeble
minded, the morons and children who,
because of some sort of mental def
cheney, are unable to meet the require
ments OF the average schools. They
are given individual treatment and spe-
cial methods of teaching are applied
to them Everything possible Is done
for them in order that they may be-
come useful citizens instead OF eco
nomic and social losses. The COM
munjty doesn't expect a great deal
from them. 1t Is interested only In so
eguipping them with education and
character that they will be able to
earn their own living and not become
public charges or criminals.
Gifted Child Differs.
Now the gifted child differs just as
far from the standard in a positive
direction as the deficient child in a
negative direction.
Special training for this class would
not be a means of staving of heavy
social profits. Yet very few cornmuni-
ties have seen At TO provide any special
educational treatment for such boys
and girls. The community in this re-
spect is somewhat in the position OF a
farmer with two fleldS-one o. fine,
rich loan and the other Of sand and
rockS~-who uses all his fertilizer on
the latter and let's the formr take care
of itself
The deficient child can't keep up with
its class The gifted child can't go
slowly enough. Time Is wasted In notn
cases. But an hour Of the genius
time. In terms Of social values. may be
worth more than lifetime OF medl-
oerity or moronity.
Washington, says Miss La Sale, as
yet has made no provision for TINS
select half Of / per cent whose brains
will be responsible in large measure for
the future advances of the race. Not
all Of them, of course. viii become lead
ers. Environmental factors which might
be controlled advantageously for them
will ruin their chances in life IN spite
Of the exceptional minds with which
they are equipped. II Is not likely.
tests have shown, that the exceptionally
gifted child has more inborn neurotie
tendencies than the average. The
queer genius" Is the result of misflts
in the clothing of environment which
the social order wraps about him He
Is not born that way.
Danger of Day Dreaming.
Now the exceptionally brilliant child
in a class of average children certainly
is a "misfit." His or her mind Is far
ahead Of the others, craving for addi-
tional nourishment and stimulation
which Is not supplied The average
child can learn the prescribed lessons
only by honest work and study. The
genius can learn them with a minimum
Of study, or none at all. The mind Is
left for a good part Of the time with
nothing to do. There are empty days
and hours when the boy or girl must
turn inward for stimulation. resulting
In unhealthy introspection, Such chill
dren are given to day dreaming-to
building up tor themselves worlds OF
fantasies They are In danger of cut
ting themselves loose from Teality-of
becoming mere dreamers who never
accomplish anything. Even the moron
kept close to reality with scientific pre-
eision by the educators, may go ahead
Of them In the practical affairs Of life,
At present Just such child Is Afford
the National Child Research Center
recently established under Rockefeller
Foundation grant at 1928 Columbia
road. The subject Is 4-year-old girl.
q foster child one Of whose real parents
Is a person of national reputation. The
other parent Is university graduate
above the normal In intelligence.
Case Of an Unusual Girl.
The little girl shows the mental de-
velopment Of a child OF T~-well within
the genius class Her mental age is
nearly twice her real age, giving her an
7. @. close TO iS0 She is remarkably
pretty child winning the hearts OF all
the specialists who have been called
into consultation on her case. Al first
sight she seems entirely normal, but
once the inside Of her mind has been
uncovered dangerous neurotic tenden-
cies are revealed which promise tragedy
In later life unless they can be correct
ed At some point or other in her short
life--just where 1t is hard to say--a
serious mistake has been made in shap-
ing her environment. Probably 1t can
be corrected, for the child has been
taken In hand while the mind still Is
very plastic. But lot OF special train
ing will be necessary 10 assure society
OF full return from the capacities OF
such mind.
The child lives In q world of danger
Gus fantasies. some of which she Is able
10 conceal quite cleverly. But just be-
fore she falls asleep she talks To herself,
and dictaphone records Of her converse
tion have betrayed some Of her mental
processes to those who are trying to
help her. With other things, she Is
obscssed with death" urges She inn
aglneS herself Lindbergh---but her flights
always end in a crash where she Is
seriously hurt and obtains much SYM
pathy. 1t Is such conditions, accen~