Evening star., 1938-05-10
.lnattentiOn
To School
Studies
Usually a Physical
Defect in Child
Is the Cause.
Photo Courtesy of the Public Library
By ANGELO PATRI,

CHARLIE is going to be left back
again, and his teacher says it Is
because he Is inattentive. She calls
on him and he doesn't know the
question; he doesn't keep the place in
reading; never knows or cares what
is going on. I've punished him every
way I know how. What can be done
with him to make him pay attention."
You cannot make anybody pay at
tention. That Is a personal matter.
Only the one concerned can turn his
mind and fix it to the point of atten-
ton. Attending is mental process
stimulated into action by something
that attracts the minds interest. One
attends to what one is interested in.
How can We interest a child in what
does not interest him, such as school
lessons? Certainly punishment will
never do it.
All children are not attracted by
the same things. Some respond i'm
mediately to a story Of any kind;
some will respond only to a story
that tells Of their particular love
dogs, the sea. heroic action, inventions.
Touch the idea to which the child's
mind responds and he sticks to 1t
like a leech. But how to find what
attracts the markedly inattentive
school child Is problem.
Perhaps he has not the ability to
attend to any idea. That ought to
be looked into first. Is he mentally
healthy? Is he physically At? Are
you certain that he has no major
sense defects such as defective hearing
and poor eyesight? What does the
doctor say about his nutrition? You
cannot judge Of child's nutrition by
the amount of food he eats. The doc
tor has to investigate. Proper nour-
ishment of the body is the first re-
quirement for good mental health and
for sound physical health. Give the
inattentive child thorough examina-
ton; repeat it every three months or
so until you are fairly assured that
there is no need for the doctors care
Is the child fatigued? A tired child
cannot attend to anything for longer
than few minutes, two or three at
the most. Fatigue may be caused by
lack OF sleep, overwork, bad health,
fear, defective vision or hearing. Test
the inattentive child for fatigue and
If it is found to any degree above nor
NAL, rest the child even though he
has to be taken out Of school.
Is he properly graded? Nothing is
harder for conscientious teacher to
accept than the promotion of an mat
tentive, disorderly child. How can I
promote him when he is such an indif-
ferent pupil and have others who
are doing their very best and cannot
make the pext grade? 1t would be
unjust to the rest of the class"
That is not the basis for grading
children. We put them in grades in
order to give them association with
their own groups, and allow them to
stimulate each other into greater &C
tivity and consequently into faster,
richer growth, and for the convenience
and economy of administration. This
latter is the least important. The
growth Of the child Is what counts
first, and always. II the inattentive
one Is found able to carry the work
OF the next grade. send him up. If he
Is found unable to do the work Of his
present grade, try him in the lower
one only If his mental age suggests it.
Whatever is done with him and for
him must be done in the spirit Of
helpfulness, which will win his CO.
operation. Punishment will work the
other way.
(Copyright 193S)