Evening star., 1937-04-28
Children
Who Fail
Need Help
Build Up Physical
and Mental Health
First of All.
BY ANGELO PATRI,

n
"YoU don't mean to tell me that
you have another note from
the teacher? Poor in reading; weak
in arithmetic. Well, you'll just have
to stay in and study. That's all.
Change your clothes and sit right
down at that table and learn your
lessons"
I'm tired of lessons. Teacher kept
me In all recess time. She made me
write all my tables five times over.
My head aches. want to go out"
III you want any play time you'll
have to learn your lessons. The
teacher can give you extra work and
you can do it Saturday, too. If you
don't work you'll be left back. You
have to study. I mean it."
1t is bad enough for child to fail
in school. He wishes he could sue
ceed and do as we'll and better than
the others, but try as he will he can
not come up to the standard. He feels
bad about that. The other children
will smile at him and call him Dum-
mie and the like behind his back.
They pass the word along from home
to home until the whole community
knows that Tommy Arkley doesn't
know anything. Teacher said so.
Adding to his humiliation, the pun
ishment of more work which he can
not do, depriving him of fresh air and
exercise which might make him more
fit, sends him deeper into the slough
OF despond. He grows duller under
the cure instead OF brighter. Such
treatment doubles his grief, insures
his failure. 1t is unjust and it is
cruel. One would not put a double
load on lame horse, but a failing
child is the most overburdened of all
the children.
Lessen the load Of the failing child.
Give him fewer and easier examples
than those given the other children
Give him more time for play in the
open air. Relieve the pressure of the
classroom from him as often as pos
Sible. Give him five minutes Of cor
dial, intelligent help every day.
Praise him for what he can do, and
do not punish him for what he can
not do. He will take heart and try
again and succeed to a greater
degree.
The first thing to do in helping q
failing child is to build up his physi-
cal and mental health. Feed the
failing child. Give him plenty Of
happy play with cheerful companions
See that he gets enough rest. Look
him over every six months or oftener,
and correct any defects that show
Poor vision, slight deafness, OBJ
structed breathing passages, malnu-
triton, bad teeth, are all contributing
causes to backwardness.
Equally important Is the mental
health Of the child. Good mental
health Is shown in the child's atti-
tude. If he is mentally we'll he Is
happy. He wants to work. He accepts
failures, faces them and overcomes
them if aided little by help and
encouragement, particularly encour-
agement. Mental health Is marked
by an absence OF all forms Of fear
such as meaningless movements, self
consciousness, stammering, retreat
ing from difficulties, trifling COM
plants about illness, dread Of the
dark Fear is an unmistakable
symptom OF poor mental health. How
to cure it?
Physical and mental health are 50
closely bound together that 1t Is not
possible to treat one without treating
the other. Building up sound physi-
cal health helps mental health.
Teaching child to think whole
somely, to feel himself adequate, ap-
preciated. useful, will help his mental
health and reflect strongly upon his
physical condition. Build up the fail
ing child and forget about the
punishment drills.
Mr.. Patri will give personal at
tention to inquiries from parents
and school teachers on the care
and development of children.
Write him in care Of this paper,
enclosing 4 three cent stamped,
self-addressed envelope for reply.
Copyright, 1870