Evening star., 1936-12-08
of dry ,nincemeaf.
Efficiency
Test Often
Worthless
Very Seldom Gives
Child Fair
Rating.
BY ANGELO PATRI.

INTELLIGENCE tests. achievement
tests, all the tests that are so fash
ionable today, are useful tools for the
teachers use. They are not the actual
child, nor the actual state Of the child.
They are but the faint glimpse Of some
phase Of that child at special hour,
in q special circumstance. He may
be that child again, and he may never
be. Tests, to be anywhere near accu-
rate and useful in judging q child's
ability or lack Of 1t, his powers and
his weaknesses, or their absence, must
be given by experts, and repeated over
q period Of time, before their results
are in any degree dependable. And
then, one must remember, they show
only part Of phase Of the child.
There is always a side of the child
that a test does not reach. That is
the actual child-that hidden, intan-
gible being who eludes all effort to flx
him and draft his pattern upon him.
Nobody ever sees the real child. No
body ever knows his actual strength,
ability, and possibilities. These are
hidden from any investigator. even
from the child himself.
This is why the child with the high
I. @. fails, and the one with the ordi-
nary one succeeds, at times. and 50
upsets the scheme Of education and
training provided for them. The test
that gave the children their standing
did not touch some hidden quality in
each. But that quality was so strong
that 1t Influenced all that the child did,
and the results showed in the failure
of one who was expected to succeed,
and the success Of one who was ex-
pected to fail.
Tests are informative, but they
ought not to be absolute. Experience
with the children at work ought to
count as much, because any test Is al
ways open to proof and the proof Is
shown In what the child does to verify
or disprove the findings. II q child
with a low I. @. gets high marks in
school work with regularity and ease,
his intelligence Is unquestioned re-
gardless of the marks for the test.
Teachers accept this and proceed ac-
cordingly.
The trouble comes when the teacher
or parent is shocked by the poor show
ing of q high I. @. pupil. "You have
the finest intelligence in the class, I"
says the mother. why don't you do
the finest work2 You could, II you
would, make me the proudest mother
In town, but instead you disgrace me.
Why do you behave like this? Why
don't you work." The child can say
only, II do the best I can"
The teacher, anxious to hold to the
strength Of the child II it Is possible,
tries again and again to bring him up
to the standard Of the I. Q. When she
fails repeatedly she knows that the
fundamental qualities Of the child are
making themselves felt, and sets about
helping him adjust himself to them.
If parents would accept the I. @. for
what 1t is, tentative suggestive rat
ing Of phase Of child, and not de-
mand that . child live up to the high
est rating he can receive, 1t would help
. good many worthy children who are
charged with genius when they have
ordinary ability. And II they would
do the same for the slower child they
would lift load from their shoulders,
too. Read the !. G., and say, Maybe. !"
Mr.. Patri win give personal attention
to inquiries from parents and school
teachers on the care and development
Of children. Write him in care Of this
paper, inclosing Scent stamped. SELF
addressed envelope for reply.
(Copyright. 1861