Evening star., 1942-04-28
Playtine
Teaches
Child
Games Should Have
Important Place
In School Day
By A ngeio Pafri .

Children have strong interests
in things usually outside lessons
learned in school. Those interests
are as important to them as the
duties of grown people are to them.
Play is the business of child's life
and the basis of his attitudes and
skills later on in his growth.
A game of marbles, kite-fying,
building and sailing boats, singing
in a glee club. playing in. a band,
dressing dolls and playing harmoni-
cas- are all interests of childhood
and all worthy of place in school.
Whatever gives a child pleas
ant experience forwards his edu-
cation, for education means the
process of drawing out his powers,
training and strengthening them.
A game well played, a project car
,ried to happy completion, are edu-
cational experiences and the school
should make place for them.
When marble time comes around
the playground teacher ought to
make room for it on the schedule
and dignity it by holding practice
games, picking champions in groups,
holding final contests and distribut-
ing ribbons as prizes.
Kite-f1ying time ought to have
enthusiastic appreciation. Kites
can be made by boys and girls in
school, each making one that he
or she thinks good enough to enter
the field contests. Again groups
and teams are formed and trial
flights arranged and one fine breezy
sunny day the whole school goes
out to fly the kites and decide for
the champions and the ribbon.
Don't count that time wasted in
a faddish frill. There is skill in
volved and discipline and training
in the making and flying of a kite.
There is great fun along with the
learning and the skill, and the COM
bination is an ideal expression of a
child's interests carried into the
school.
Some boys, most boys in their
early teens, like to get together and
sing. Yowling is the term some
people apply to that music, but to
the boys it is lovely sound. If
there is teacher of music about
he can gather the boys into a glee
club. They like to sing rollicking
glees and rounds. The singing re-
heyes them of feeling that other
wise demands shouts and yells and
screeches for its expression. The
time used in this joyful noise max
ing is well spent and will be repaid
many times in the happy co-opera-
tion of the boys in the rest of the
school work.
School is place where children
are sent to develop their powers
and grow their strengths. They
ought to find there the materials
they need for their purpose. but
usually they find what adults think
good for them.
Adult interests are foreign to
children for the most part. They
have no appeal and call out no
interest. 1t is like the crane in
viting puss to dinner and serving
the milk in a tall narrow-necked
bottle. The crane can eat with
comfort, but puss must look on.
catching what stray drops she can.
Bring the child's interests into the
school and use them for his educa-
ton and he will take to the rest
Of the curriculum with better grace.
Mr.. Patri has prepared a leaf
let entitled, Trouble With Num-
ber Tables" in which he ex-
plains an easy way to help chill
dren improve in arithmetic. Send
for it, addressing your request to
Mr.. Angelo Patri, Child Psychol-
ogy Department of this paper.
Inclose q self addressed, stamped
l3-centl envelope. Leaflets can
not be mailed unless self-ad-
dressed envelope bears correct
amount Of postage.