Roanoke Rapids daily herald., 1948-12-28
Teaching
Tot to Pay
Attention
By GARRY CLEVELAND MYERS, phD.

Dy OAhkI (LEtELANU MfEkS, Ph.D.
YESTERDAY we considered the
child Of the third grade who dawdles
over written work at school, a IA
miliar type of annoyance to the
teacher. We advised against scold-
ing and Furnishing him at home for
any such lag at school. We suggest
ed study (probably by an expert)
Of the causes instead of just calling
the youngster stubborn and lazy
Of his hearing, vision, spelling abil-
ity and handwriting skill.
Today we wish to consider what
the parents Of the child three, four
or five might do now to prevent such
problems. In the kindergarten and
early grades, children at school will
be set to coloring, drawing and MAX
ing things in accordance with some
directions by the teacher.
May Not Attend
Some Of these children may not
attend to what the teacher says or
may rarely choose to engage in what
the other children are doing. While
individuality is important, learning
to conform at the proper time is in
dispensable to success at school.
AS you can see, the child who has
enjoyed coloring, drawing, cutting,
pasting and creating things, for fun
at home, and often has done such
together with other children near
his age; who has been read to a
great deal at home and has learned
to conform to few home regula-
tions, has had very valuable train
ing for getting on well at school.
Rich Training
The child read to at home from
the time he began to toddle has had
rich training in learning to listen
and to concentrate. my bulletins,
"Books From Which to Read to
Baby and Young Child" and "Teach-
ing Young Child to Concentrate"
may be had in a stamped envelope.) |
He has been prepared to listen when
his teacher tells or reads stories to
his class at school, or when she |
gives the class directions for doing
things. He has gained much to think |
about and talk about and has had
his imagination stimulated. What
he will hear later at school will,
therefore, be more meaningful and
interesting to him.
1t is not enough for the little child
at home to have proper playthings,
tools and materials for making
things. He also needs parents who
stimulate him in the best uses of
these things, who greatly appreciate
the things he makes. When your lit
tie child knows you like the picture
he has drawn he goes on drawing
more pictures. Then or when much |
older, if he knows you appreciate
what he has made, even the yarns
he has spun out of his head, he goes
on creating more and more. All the
while he is practiced at concentra-
tion, at sticking longer and longer
at doing things for fun, even till
they are finished.
You can also see how valuable it
will be to this child to have played |
freely in his pre-school years with
other children of his age, especially
to have enjoyed doing and making
things with them. You can see, more
over, how early home training of
cooperation and obedience in this
child and Of conforming to some
regulations will prove useful to this
child later at school.
Answering Parents Questions
@. What do you consider impor-
tant in dealing with the young child
who shutters?
A. Acting always as if all is we'll,
being serene and cheerful, setting
the stage so he will be, too. Ny bull
letin on suffering may be had in a
stamped envelope.