Evening star., 1937-03-06
Coordination
Takes Time
N OF Speed
Penmanship Ruined
by Teachers Who
Stress Hurry.
BY ANGELO PATRI.

WE WOULD all feel better and do
better if we could get over the
notion that we have to hurry. In
truth there is no hurry about any
thing We do. We deceive ourselves
into thinking that if this or that
errand is not done right now some
thing awful will happen. 1t won't.
Life will go on just the same II the
letter is not mailed on the instant,
if the wallpaper is not bought this
morning. if the child does not do so
examples in so seconds. Life will go
on and in better quality If we COM
pose ourselves and leave life to carry
on by itself for little
Children in the schools are the
worst victims Of ou4 speed error. We
want them to graduate sooner than
their companions. If IL is the usual
age we want them TO arrive by their
tenth birthday and so glorify us and
surround themselves with the bright
lights of celebrity. And just what
would that do for anybody, child or
parent? 1t is likely to cost the child
precious hours of happy growth in
leisure. happy memories of days spent
with pleasant work and CHEEKY class
mates. 1t may cost them growth and
health, and the loss may exact pen
alties all down the years. I have
never seen anything good come of the
hurry-up scheme any time, any place.
Then there are the speed drills
Children. whose minds are still haZy
about the sum of six and seven. are
put through a speed drill that would
strain the nerver of any Army serg-
cant. The room is still in the strained
silence OF nervous tension. Each child
sits rigidly upright pencil in his
hand, a sheet of paper on his desk. a
glazed eye fixed on the teacher who
stands rigidly, stop watch in hand.
At the fixed instant the signal is
given and the children bend to the
| task Faster and faster their fingers
fly il a vain effort to beat the signal
which never can be beaten for the
tests are set so that there Is always
margin beyond success. What good
is such proceeding? None whatever
in my experience. There is no hurry
about adding six and seven. They
will be l3 today, tomorrow, forever
But the overtired nerves of a growing
child will not be the same which.
to my way of thinking. is a highly
important matter to teachers and
parents.
Penmanship is another lesson where
speed drills are used in excess. Faster
and faster the teacher counts. faster
and faster the pens move over the
paper To what end? Usually to the
spelling of child's handwriting.
There is only one reason for writ
ing, and that is that some one may
read what is set down. II it cannot
be read there is no sense in writ
ing it.
Children have to coordinate nerves
and muscles, make very nice adjust
ments to write legibly. They are not
born with these adjustments; they
require time. practice and more time
to make them. Until they are made
the writing will not be accurate, can
not be legible To speed up such CO.
ordinations before the, are formed
is to ruin them utterly. This explains
why We have so many poor writer's
graduated from our schools. Give the
children time to form their letters
accurately, make them clear, make
them beautiful If they can.
We have machines for speed Hands
are for careful craftsmanship. Give
the children a chance. Give them
the time that nature ave them What
else can you do with 1t?