SUGGESTIONS FOR STUDY OF INDIVIDUAL CHILDREN.

USED IN MOTHERS' CLUB, BUFFALO, N. Y.

PHYSICAL GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT.

I. FORMATION OF HABITS.

Name of child; age, place of birth; weight; height.

1. Is the child impulsive? Constantly trying to perform some new feat? Active and restless? Always so? Or is it retiring and slow to make experiments in doing new things?

2. When did you first notice that it began to form settled habits? What seemed to lead it to form these habits; did it imitate some one? Does it discover some new movement and, being delighted with it, try it over and over again?

3. Does it form habits readily now? Does it easily give up old habits for new ones? Give some examples.

4. What seem to be the sources that lead to the formation of new habits-imitation, instruction, command of parent or teacher?

5. Whom does the child imitate, parents, brothers, or sisters? Teachers, companions, or heroes in stories? Does it copy the actions of people or their dress, manner, and tone of speech, facial expression and the words they use?

6. Is it slow in forming unselfish habits? How often does it have to repeat an act, in order to make it habitual? What kind of actions seem to be hardest to become habitual, courtesy towards superiors, promptness in performing duties, cleanliness and carefulness about dress, etc.? Has it been required to obey superiors promptly? In forming a new habit has it been allowed to break over once in a while?

II FATIGUE.

1. What diseases has the child had? How long did they continue? Did they leave any apparent effects? Does it sleep well? Does it have dreams or talk in its sleep? Does it walk in its sleep?

2. Does the child use tea or coffee or stimulants of any kind? Does it eat nutritious foods, such as brown bread, meat, and so on? Does it dislike any special kinds of food? Do digestion and nutrition seem to be good?

3. Is the child nervous? How does it show it,-in uncontrolled movements of the face, hands, or any part of the body? Note especially if there is any twitching of the eyelids or of any part of the face, grinding of the teeth, muscular restlessness.

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4. If there are signs of fatigue, notice when these manifest themselves, after a day at school, upon rising, or when? To test the child further at such times, ask it to extend its arms above the head with eyes olosed, and notice if there is swaying, sinking, or twitching of either band. Ask it to stand quite still for one or two minutes, and notice any twitching movements.

5. Is the child irritable after a day at school? Does it get weary? Cry easily? Does it get angry whenever it is crossed? Give any other signs of fatigue that you have observed.

6. If these evidences of fatigue are present, what effect does a good play have in restoring the normal condition of things? Does the child show signs of fatigue more easily when it does not eat well than at other times?

III. KEENNESS AND LOYALTY OF THE SENSES.

1. Has the child any defect of vision? Does there seem to be a strain about the eyes, as though an effort were being made to see clearly?

2. Has it any defect of hearing? Has it ever had trouble with its ears? Can it distinguish the tones of familiar musical instruments; distinguish slight differences in pitch; appreciate melody and harmony in sounds? 3. Does it seem keen in distinguishing things by touch; tell different kinds of cloth by touch; seem sensitive to slight differences of temperature?

4. Does it seem to breath easily through the nostrils? Has it any catarrhal affection?

IV. PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS.

1. Give the form, size, and carriage of head; height and breadth of forehead; shape of nose, mouth, and jaw.

2. Are the shoulders carried erect or stooping? 3. Is the chest expanded or contracted? breathing?

With full or imperfect

4. Have you noticed any abnormal conditions of the arms, legs, hands, or feet? Is the child self-conscious in their management?

5.

6.

7.

walk?

Does it sit and walk erect with chest prominent?

Are its movements vigorous, languid, controlled, or nervous?
Did it learn to talk early and readily? At what age did it begin to

8. Does the child resemble father or mother in certain physical characteristics? If so, in what? Does it resemble any remote ancestor? (NOTE. Continue answers on back of page or on separate sheets when necessary.)

DR. M. V. O'SHEA.
University of Buffalo.

TOPICAL SYLLABI FOR CHILD STUDY.

(New Series, School Year 1895-6.)

III. THE BEGINNINGS OF READING AND WRITING.

N. B. In all cases state age, sex, and nationality of children observed. I. Parents and teachers are requested to send in collections of papers from home, kindergarten, or school, illustrating the following points in children learning to write:

1.

Earliest attempts at writing (or drawing) before any regular instruction. Also specimens of writing by the word or sentence methods before the child is taught the separate letters.

3.

2. Specimens showing handwriting of same child at different ages. Collections of children's spontaneous drawings to illustrate stories, especially of children from two and one-half to seven years of age.

4. Specimens of mouth-writing, foot-writing, writing with the eyes closed, writing upside down and backward, mirror writing, and any other unusual forms of children's writing, especially such as they spontaneously use, whether from defect, caprice, or interest.

II. Describe (a) any spontaneous or untaught manner of holding pen or pencil, or of placing the paper in position for writing; (b) accessory, automatic movements of tongue, lips, hands, eyes, head, legs, feet, or body, while writing; (o) ditto while reading. Describe cases in which the eye-motor-adjustment is slow in developing, so that the pupil has difficulty in following the line and helps himself by putting his finger on the word, sliding card along, etc. Does large print help such cases?

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III. Children's early interest in reading. Cases in which children have early shown an interest in writing, playing, or pretending to write and mail letters, pretending to read," interest in books, inscriptions on monuments, coins, etc.; expressions such as "Read the picture," "What does the picture say?" and other doings, showing their appreciation or lack of appreciation of the nature of written and printed words. Early cases you have observed of a child recognizing when the book is right side up.

Cases of early discrimination between print and writing. In which does the child at first show most interest? How early do you observe "the idolatry of the printed word?" e. g, "the book says so."

In what order does the child learn to recognize the letters? Which ones does he pick out first and most easily? Give his favorite and disliked letters. Instances of anthropomorphization of letters or numerals (e. g., "B is a fat butcher with a large white apron on "), or other mnemonic or sentimental associations of color, feeling, form, etc., with the shapes of the letters printed or written. Early interest in circles, triangles, squares, etc.

Cases of unusual slowness or inability to learn; (a) to read or (b) to write or (o) to spell.

Cases of early or very rapid or spontaneous learning of (a) the alphabet or (b) reading or (c) writing. The same of musical notation.

V. Children's games or plays which give exercise for spelling, reading, writing, or drawing. Describe early or pronounced cases of the passion for scribbling and of the autograph oraze; interest in rebus, charades, acrostics, puzzles, ciphers, puns, etc. Secret languages in cipher by substitution of other symbols for the letters; systems of shorthand, whether original or learned."

VI. When do you first observe a difference between the handwriting of boys and that of girls? What are some of the early differences? Can you identify the bandwriting of a seven-year-old child as readily as of a ten-year-old? What are the early signs of individuality in the handwriting?

Send samples, if possible, to

Clark University, Worcester, Mass.

G. STANLEY HALL,
OR HERMAN T. LUKENS.

TOPICAL SYLLABI FOR CHILD STUDY.

(New Series, School Year 1895-6.)

IV. STUDIES OF SCHOOL READING MATTER.

I. Will you kindly note the title and author of any book, article, piece of prose or poetry that distinctly impressed its mark upon you as a young child, or before you were twenty or twenty-five. What are some of the lines, proverbs, phrases, incidents, or ideas that your memory still retains most vividly and that you most heartily believe in? Try to tell just how, and, if you can, why it affected you, specifying your age at the time. Have you repeated anything from this to children since, or advised them to read it, and, if so, has it impressed them as it did you?

II. Have you either observed or read or heard of any book, author, or piece, good or bad, leaving its special mark on any child or youth? If so, name it and describe its effects as above, not forgetting to state age, sex, and general physical and mental traits.

III. Can you describe cases of excessive passion for reading that bas kept a child too much in doors, injured eyes, or caused precocious or excessive bookishness, and its results?

IV. Can you give cases of too exciting reading that has affected nervous system, sleep, or made daily life seem dull and uninteresting by comparison?

V. Do you know any specific case of bad moral consequences due to bad reading? If so, please describe it. What are the worst and what the next worst books or classes of books for the young?

[VI. Have you observed any sudden change in reading habits, as silent reading without lip motion and increased rapidity, or sudden changes in the class of books preferred and why, or transition from excessive reading to none at all? Give your habits and belief as to course versus more desultory "preference" reading.

VII. Look over the following topics and see if you can name a poem, song, story, declamation, recitation, book, article, or chapter, bearing upon one or more of them, that you think has rare and exceptional merit or virtue for children and youth, stating how and at what age its culture power is best made effective:

1. Celestial phenomena, as sun, moon, stars, sky, clouds, rainbow, northern lights, wind, rain, snow, eclipses, aurora. 2. Seasons, their characteristic phenomena and occupations. 3. Inanimate terrestrial objects and scenery, as rooks, hills, vales, gorges, magnets, crystals, fire, water and its various forms and bodies. 4. Animate nature, as flowers of each common variety, shrubs, plants, and trees, actual or mythical, forest, lower and higher forms of animal life, pets, domestic animals, food products. 5. Primitive man or savages or child life. 6. History -ancient, contemporary, or modern. 7. Biography. 8. Travel and adventure. 9. Standard literature-ancient or modern, especially good journal reproductions of these. 10. Mythology. 10. Mythology. 11. Art and invention. 12. Practical daily life and events. 13. Moral and religious.

VIII. Will you select some part of Dante, some play of Shakespeare, part of the Niebelungen Lied, a Greek drama, or any other standard or classic literary work suitable for the purpose, or, if you prefer, something suggested by the above topics, and treat it as follows: (a) Read it till it is very familiar, and read about it till you are at home in it; (b) select several grades or classes of children and tell it to them in the best and most effective way you can; (c) have them reproduce it in writing for you; (d) study these reproductions till you see what incidents and phrases stuck most effectually in their minds, or impressed them most deeply; (e) tell it again and again with ample poetic license, enlarging on the appreciated points and abating those less interesting, and so on, long and patiently, till you are past master of all the arts, gage, or points you can possibly bring out of your piece, and till you are clear for just what grade and age you can make it most effective; (f) write it out carefully so that n form and substance it shall illustrate all you have learned, and be thus edited in the best possible way so every point will tell and can be reproduced by the children.

IX. Name the best book or article on the subject of children's reading you know. Will you be one then to contribute this to what has been called the school canon or reading Bible of the future, to be made up of the best literature, which we have no right to let the children leave the grammar school ignorant of, properly adapted and graded?

Get children to cooperate by questioning collectively and talking individually with them, and note age, sex, grade, and nationality, as is desired in all cases, and send returns to

Clark University, Worcester, Mass.

G. STANLEY HALL, OR JOHN C. SHAW.