Evening star., 1938-06-02
Failing Pupil
With hVery
High |. O.
Exceptional Child
Needs Special
. Treatment.
BY ANGELO PATRI.


TEACHERS are familiar with group
of children whose tested intelli-
gence assures them they are bright,
but whose careless, inattentive, disin-
terested attitude toward school and all
that belongs there is 80 marked and
so effective for school failures as to
overshadow the brightness OF the 10.
IT she would only pay attention. If he
would only concentrate. II that one
would only take q little interest; and
If this one would only settle down to
work instead OF star-gazing and day
dreaming" But nothing the teacher
can do, and nothing the parents can
do. helps. The failing pupil with the
High 10. rates with us.
Why doesn't this bright child sue
ceed in school? Why cannot the teach
er interest him? Or make him work?
Why doesn't he remember that failure
means punishment and discomfort and
unhappiness generally? For the same
reason that makes fish struggle back
to the water If he Is taken from it. He
feels comfortable there and nowhere
else. The failing child with the High
10, is comfortable in drifting with the
current of his mind. He will return to
that comfortable state the minute you
release him because he is uncomfort-
able; does not fit into the place you
are trying to get him to hold.
But shouldn't he be comfortable
in school, getting good marks. work.
ing happily and playing joyfully with
the other children? We wish he could
be, but the truth is that he cannot be.
He is different for some reason or
other not disclosed by the test that
set his Ia. There is more, much more,
to child than any standard can
measure. The unmeasurable part
counts, and counts largely in his power
to adjust himself successfully to the
life that is offered him in school or
anywhere else.
Nobody can teach child to do any,
thing and keep on doing it until the
doing becomes part of him until the
child wants to do it. We call that
wanting to do something a purpose.
Having purpose, creates a will to
accomplish the purpose, to make the
wish come true. That requires work.
Work continued to its required end is
success. How can we induce the child
with the high 10. to harness his INTEL
hgence to the wish and 50 create the
purpose and the will to work?
That Is the most difficult OF tasks.
1t requires first, the services Of an ex-
pert child specialist who understands
the growth of children. Next, the
services of the skilled psychologist who
understands the peculiar workings Of
children's minds, as far as 1t is pos
sible for any one to understand the
mystery Of mind. Next, the skilled
teacher who knows how to apply the
information the physician and the psy-
chologist gives her. Then the parents
who accept the decisions OF these ex-
perts and do their best to help carry
them out. Last, and equally important,
a school program that permits the
teacher to give the exceptional child
the treatment his situation demands
Each of these social forces is essential
in the training Of the failing child of
the high 10.
Some Of these children are poten-
tial geniuses; some are mentally made
quate to meet school requirements,
most Of them are valuable to society,
If they are educated. All Of them
should be the special charges OF school
and society.