WORK WITH THE HANDS

Hokitika Guardian, 11 February 1927, Page 4

WORK WITH THE HANDS

FOR SUB-NORAIAL CHILDREN

l' Hlt I STCHTj Ti C IT, Feb. S. High above ilio playground, in a little second-storey room at, the East Christchurch School, there rare eighteen tiny tables each with a cosy chair, and there are blackboards and easels, and chalks of every colour, boxes and boxes »l them ; and there are tools with which all manner of things may he made, and straw from which baskets will he woven, and pretty papers and dove-tailed card-hoard—a thousand delights for any hoy or girl. To-day eighteen sub-normal children children who through sickness and consequent absence from school have not made (lie customary progress will) their duties—will ho working there, turning out a hundred products calculated to please the youthful mind. it was yesterday that the spechd class was to have started, hut due to the f.aet that all the eighteen children, who are to occupy those eighteen httlc chairs, did not arrive, it, was denied not to commence the work until today. Classes of the kind have been ionducted in various parts of Vow .''cabin t lor several years now. and 'hat at the East Christchurch School nil! he an extension of that already m existence at the Xormal School. Children from the Hiclnnond. Wools-, ton, T.inwood and Must Christchurch Schools will attend the new class.

' which is ln'iii;: confined to oitrhlooji in i | tin*111)01* so that the pupils will rpcer>\ ' | adequate a t tout ion. ' ■ Aliss l{. (.'lorls will lie in charge ol tlio ( lass, and silo was busy yesterda* morning inquiring why tlio ohihlroii. who worn to Imvo coiiio from ;lio tl'ioc l suburban schools did not irrivo. I “Wo Imvo eleven children lor -tin class from this school,” said Air If. (!. Wake, .M.A., headmaster of tlio Must Christchurch School vector lay. “Bill lie fore ! put in my eleven. I want to ensure places for the outsiders iicst. It is essentially a small class. Wo a-lit. to .see tlio children tret plenty of indiv- ; idual attention. Many of these subI normal children are backward because ,of their absence from school due to I .sickness, and they need .special help, which run only he pi veil if the class is a. small one. “Children attending the class must ihe seven years iff ago or over. They will do a minimum of number work | and a maximum of hand work. It I has lioen found that, with some children, development is much better when

LI M* V «i l L Ul'v’ll JIIJA L'» Ui» their hands tli.i ll when {liven some theoretical subject. There is no doubt that this is the most hopeful line to pursue. One cannot make it box without. thinking, and one cannot think without developing the brain. “These children will have a lot to do with their hands. There arc carpentry tools and weaving 'apparatus for them. The aim is to cut down the theoretical work. There is no sl-igina attaching to the class. It is simply a class to help children who have been unfortunate in school life.” Miss Clark has just finished it refresher course .it Wellington, where all the teachers, who have had charge of classes of the kind, and who were about to lake over classes, were given special training in the work to ho carried out.