Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1962-08-12

Question: I have q question
which has had me puzzled for
some time. How concerned
should parents be over chill
dren who make poor test scores
or primary mental ability tests.
but who are relatively high
achievers throughout the year?
Their grades average in the
Alb bracket.
Answer: I wouldn't be con-
oerned If q child does consist
emily well in school, but does
not register high test scores.
Just what Is the purpose Of
the various mental tests? There
are dozens Of these, and some
times ! am convinced we are
simply testing our children to
death. Many become nervous
wrecks Just at the thought Of
taking test after test.
Actually, the 70 tests, and
the various so-called achieve
ment or ability tests. are de-
signed to predict the intelli-
gence Of your child. But some
children are poor test-takers.
They freeze up, or simply are
unable to work to their best
level under pressure. Or, the
tests themselves may not be
suited to their particular needs
or abilities.
Therefore, II q child does
well in school. getting. as you
say, marks in the A and B
bracket, I would forget about
the mental tests completely. I
know many Ivy League colleges
place great emphasis on test
scores. This is particularly
true for students who take the
college entrance examination
board tests. But I hope that
this attitude will in time
change. Certainly. the grades
received over the year in school
or college are more indicative
Of the true ability Of a child
than the result Of a single one
or two-hour test.
II I had my way I'd declare
q moratorium on all mental
testing for 10 years. I'd like to-
see at least one generation Of
youngsters go through elemen-
tary and high school without
the constant barrage Of haras-
sing tests they now receive.
Question: There are probably
hundreds of mothers in this
area with a question like mine.
We live in a school district
where there is no kindergarten.
My 5-year-old son is getting in
creasingly curious about shapes,
sizes, numbers and letters. He
has five friends his age. Do you
think that by bringing them to-
gether for about Ia hours
three days a week we could &C
complish something on the kin
dergarten level? What would
you advise we try to do? I have
never taught anyone anything
so I am fearful of trying.
Answer: Please don't be fear
full. Active, alert 5-year-olds
enjoy playing and having fun
together. What you propose
would enable the boys to do
just that. Now. If you want to
add a little school work, such
as block printing Of their
names, finger painting, or in
formal reading, so much the
better. But this, to my mind,
should be incidental. not the
major objective Of the project.
You cannot substitute the
get-together Of the youngsters
for q formal kindergarten pro-
gram. But you can give the
children an opportunity to play
together, to learn how to live
with each other, and in other
ways to develop socially and
ernotionally. After all, what
more can we expect from even
the finest kindergarten classes?
Now, if you can throw in a
little music-perhaps you play
the piano - or some form of
rhythms. you will do just about
what any kindergarten teach
err expects to do.
Why are mothers so fearful
about doing the wrong thing
I was born and raised on a
farm in the rural part of Mas
sachusetts. We never had any
kindergarten, either. But we
sure had fun, as 5-year-olds