Evening star., 1937-03-03
InattentiVe
Children
Need Care
Youthful Glass Room
Failures Require
Medical Advice.
BY ANGELO PATRI.

THIS is the time Of year when
teachers need to call for protec-
ton tests. BY that mean tests that
may disclose the cause of classroom
failures. The first month of the term
the teacher has to feel her way. The
pupils are strangers to her, and to
each other, for the most part. They
react slowly to the new conditions.
Along about this time in the term
they have about settled down to be-
ing what they are. The strangeness
has worn off, the stimulus of newneSs
has worn itself out. The teacher
knows who is doing good work and
who is failing.
Now, instead of accepting the
grouping, the teacher needs to sort
out the failing ones and make the
protection tests. Have every pupil
who is failing examined by physi-
clan, the family physician, if possible.
because he is the one who knows best
what his group need. Failing that.
the school physician Is called in. All
defects must be attended to as soon as
possible. When the teacher tells the
parents that she is asking for this ex-
animation because she hopes it will
show her how to help this child sue
ceed in school, they will help.
If a child is failing in spelling and
reading, tell the physician so and have
him study the handedness of the child.
Have his vision tested, his hearing
also. We have many spelling and
reading failures based on poor vision,
poor hearing and mistreated handed
ness.
If the teacher thinks the child's
failure is caused by inattention tell
the physician that, and ask him to
test for these defects and also for mall
nutrition. Well-fed children, those
getting three good meals day, can
be suffering from malnutrition be-
cause the diet is wrong. This fact is
important for all inattentive children.
Underfed or wrongly fed children can
not pay attention long because they
have not the sustaining power Of good
blood.
Those children who are absent fire.
quently and fall behind the class need
physical examination. It may be that
the class program demands too much
needed, or a shortened school day,
more time than other children re-
quire, may be needed. These ques-
tionS the physician can answer. The
teacher can then proceed with more
certainty
Children who have annoying habits,
annoying to the extent of taking their
time and attention from their work,
or taking time and attention from
other children, need these tests. If
a child leaves the room once every
hour or so that child needs immediate
attention from his physician. If he
bites his nails to the quick, if he
shrinks from class room contacts, if
he cries easily or laughs too easily or
too loudly, If his body twitches, if he
has any strong popularity that seems
to handicap him In any way, have
him tested.
These mid-term tests and examina-
tions by the physicians and specialists
are essential to the fuller achieve
ment Of the teacher. It is more i'm
portant to the children to discover
the cause of their failures than to
list the failures in the books. This
is the season for checking up on the
failing ones.
Mr.. Patri has prepared a leaflet
entitled Lying" in which he tells
parents the causes of this habit and
how to help children to overcome it.
Send for it, addressing your request
to Mr.. Angelo Patri, child psychology
department af this paper. Inclose
self-addressed, stamped (3-cent) en-
velope.
(Copyright, 1877