Evening star., 1939-05-02

Child
Gain His Attention
If You Want Him
To Understand
By ANGELO PATRI.

Sam, put your book away and
get your hat and coat We're 60
ing to grandmas In the car. Hur-
ry. We're ready"
Sam looked up. then resumed his
reading of Mother Goose pictures.
Sammy. I said something" The
tone was a bit louder Again Sam
looked up, dreamily; again he re-
sumed his reading.
Sammy! Did you hear me? Put
away the book. Get your things
We're waiting for you. You hear?'
This time it was shout that raised
the roof. The only heed Sam gave
was blink at the noise. He studied
Jack Horner intently, tracing the
lines with his finger and saying the
rhyme over to himself.
Sammy" roared father. Sam
my, get up. Rise! Get yourself up.
Sammy"
Sammy bnnked again. The noise
evidently troubled him, but it car
ried no message to his brain and he
did not change his position. Father
exasperated, strobe over to him,
pulled him up by the arm, sent the
book flying. gave Sam spank on
the seat. and roared louder, If pos
sible, Get your hat"
BY this time Sans mother ap-
peared, ready for the road. She
had Sans hat and coat in her
hand and she said in the meekest
voice. Come, Sam. Get into this. "
Sam shook himself together. slid
his arms into his coat, and followed
his mother into the car. Once seat
ed there he looked up at his mother
and asked, What was the matter
with daddy? He hollered at me so
loud"
HE wanted you to get ready.
Why didn't you mind him2"
II couldn't hear what he said"
said Sam.
HE couldn't hear what I said
and I was shouting so loud you
could hear me down the street. Is
he deaf or what?" said father.
Deaf to the noise, yes. When
you want a child to hear you keep
your voice within range Of his
hearing. He will hear normal
tone easily. He will not hear what
you say half so well when YOU
shout Shouting is not what makes
a child understand. It is the at
tention he gives you. That is the
important element In the situation
Sam was deep In Mother Goose
his attention centered on Jack
Horner. What father needed to dc
first was to catch Sans attention
and that was what he did not do
If he had gone close to Sam, spoken
his name, repeated it if necessary
caught his eye, told him what to do
slowly and clearly, while he at.
tended to listening, Sam would have
understood what was wanted anc
he would have obeyed. AS 1t wa.
he never heard what it was all about
because his mind was on his book.
Shouts should be kept for emer.
gency, which comes rarely. If 8
child is used to being shouted a.
he will wait for the last loud shout
before obeying. Another thing Il
remember is that the noise con.
fuses or frightens a child 80 thai
he cannot think clearly and SO can
not act promptly and correctly
Speak gently and he will hear bet
ter, and do better. His intelligence
gets a chance to work when hi
nerves are not shocked by noise.
Loud voices in the home, con
tinual din of shouts, yells ant
shrieks makes a confused, disorder
ly, disorgahized family whose chill
dren are disobedient, disorderly ant
bad hammered. Keep the voic'
within the range Of q chjlds hear
ing and things will be better for al
concerned.
Mr.. Patri has prepared = leailet
entitled, Poor Readers," In
which he gives parents many
suggestions on how to help chill
dren to improve their reading.
Send for 1t, addressing your re-
quest to Mr.. Angelo Patri, Child
Psychology Department Of this
paper. Inclose . self addressed,
stamped (3-cent envelope.