Weights and School Progress
The Psychological Clinic Copyright, 1916, by Lightner Witmer, Editor. Vol. X, No. 2 April 15, 1916 :Author: Felix Arnold, Ph.D., Principal Public School No. 80, New York City.
What does it profit a child if he be classified and grouped, aided and supervised, studied and investigated, and still is unable to progress, may, in fact, be able to do little more than mark time? No matter how elaborate a school system, no matter how elegant a curriculum, the fact must be kept in mind, as Dr Johnson pointed out, that a child can be taught no faster than he can learn; and, to a great degree, he can learn only as fast as he can grow, not only mentally, but also physically. Before anything else can be done for the child, he must be properly nourished and fed.
We prate glibly about the sound mind in the sound body, but shake our heads when the feeding of children in school is suggested. We prepare overage tables and praise or condemn accordingly, but we fail to inquire whether or not the hand of fate has not been laid on a field over which we claim to have full control. No matter how we may strive to improve the school standing of the child, there is a check which says, “Thus far shalt thou go,” and this check is the physique of the pupils. A casual glance at the weights of children of the same age in the different grades will convince one that almost automatically, the place of the child in the school is determined by his physique, and that a child will progress more rapidly according to his increase in weight.
In any examination of grade-weight tables, a few cautions must be kept in mind, and a few popular fallacies must be disregarded. It is a common experience in the classroom, that usually the smallest pupils are the brightest. This does not mean that therefore the pupils most underweight are the brightest. The pupils may be small for the grade, but when compared with other pupils in the school who are of the same age, it will be found that relative to pupils in the lower grades, such pupils are heavier. The larger pupils in the grade may be dull, but (1), they will be found to be much older than the rest of the children, and (2) they will usually weigh less than chil(33) dren of the same age in higher grades. The small bright pupils are small for the grade, but large for the age, while the large dull pupils are large for the grade, but small for the age, this rule holding in almost all cases. A second point may not be so clear. The light pupils who are usually undergrade are variations from the normal. They are variations in the minus direction. They are lighter than they should be. In the same manner, the huge, ox-like children found in the lower grades are also variations from the normal. These are variations in a plus direction. Using the wider category, variation from the normal, it may be said that pupils who vary greatly from the normal in weight, will usually be found to be undergrade. Where larger averages are in question, these overweight pupils, however, do not occur in sufficient number to overbalance the number of underweight children. ‘ Where the numbers are large, the underweight pupils will, 011 the average, be found in the lower grades.
In 1909 I began to weigh the children of one school, and was able to continue the work in three other schools. These schools are designated schools A, B, C, D, the letters signifying simply the order in which the weighing was done during a number of terms. The letters are not ratings. I measured the weights and the standing heights of the pupils, and tabulated them by (1) grade, (2) sex, (3) nationality, and (4) school year. The measurements were taken in each school at relatively the same time, so that for purposes of comparison, the figures hold. The parentage of the children was recorded as Italian, Irish, German, Syrian, and miscellaneous.
TABLE I. WEIGHTS (IN POUNDS) OP ITALIAN BOYS, BY SCHOOLS. School 10 yrs. 90 15 yrs. 94.1 102.7 14 yrs. 87 100.8 84.3 13 yrs. 81.6 92.1 73.6 12 yrs. 72 79.8 69.2 11 yrs. 67.7 S.6 63.9 10 yrs. 65.1 65.5 61.3 9 yrs. 57.9 57.3 59 58.8 8 yrs. 52.2 53.1 7 yrs. 4.77
If it is true that the school progress of children is determined in large measure by their weights, it must follow that the school which has the heavier and better nourished children will show the best results in the matter of school progress and instruction, other conditions remaining the same. It must follow that unless the physical bases in the two schools are the same, results of similar value can not
TABLE II. VARIATION IN WEIGHTS OP BOYS IN FOUR SCHOOLS. School A School B School C School D Av. M. V. % Av. M. V, % Av. M. V. /o 17 yrs. Av. M. V. 108 2 2.0 16 yrs. 15 yrs. 89.5 0.5 0.5 114 8.0 7.5 128.5 5.5 4.2 123 0 0 91 9.9 10.9 103 15.4 14.9 14 yrs. 12 110.8 11.4 10.3 10.7 12.1 98.0 12.1 12.3 84.3 12.2 14.4 13 yrs. 12 yrs. 81.9 11 13.4 102.1 15.8 15 4 .5 14 15.6 73.6 7.0 9.5 84.5 10.9 112.9 11 yrs. 71.7 6.5 9.0 81.6 8.2 10.0 69.2 6.3 9.1 29 80.9 10.0 12.3 10 yrs. 9 yrs 67.1 5.7 8.5 70.7 6 8.5 64.3 35 7.6 11.8 42165 7.2 11.1 65.7 5 7.6 74.8 7.5 10.0 61.3 4.7 7.8 67.9 5.9 8.7 58.1 7 12.0 62 6.3 10.1 8 yrs. 58.4 4.8 8.2 62.3 5.8 9.3 52 4.7 9.0 7 yrs. 52.9 2.5 4.7 54 5.2 9.6 i 47.7 3. 7.3 49. 4.
TABLE III. WEIGHTS?PERCENTAGE DISTRIBUTION BY GRADES AND AGES?BOYS. Age School Wt. No. 8B 8A 7B *7A 6B 6A 5B 5A 4B 4A 3B 3A 2B 35 Below Percent 14 yrs. 84.3 40 11.4 8.5 17.1 17.1 11.4 14.3 28 22.5 10.0 25.0 15.0 7.5 7.5 2.5 7.5 2.5 11.4 5.7 7A 100 102.1 7A 27.5 26 7.7 15.4 7.7 15.4 7.7 15.4 11.4 3.8 7.7 3.8 3.8 13 yrs. 49 42 33.3 4A 100 7A 69.0 16.3 10.2 24.5 12.2 22.4 8.1 2.0 4.1 4.7 4.7 14.3 14.3 19.0 7.1 7.1 9.5 4.7 14.3 73.6 84.5 6B 83.5 6B 29 6.9 13.8 13.8 17.2 6.9 20.7 3.4 33.3 10.3 6.9 66.6 4B 42.7 100 6B 65.4 12 yrs. 71.7 81.6 53 46 3.7 5.6 13.2 11.3 22 15.1 13 3.7 11.3 92.2 14 6A 90.4 6A 90.9 2.1 2.1 4.3 8.7 13.0 28.3 13.0 10 2.1 10.8 4.3 35.7 7.1 11 yrs. D A 67.1 29 38 3.4 10.3 17.2 6.9 10.3 6.9 17.2 13.8 6.9 6.9 57.1 4A 41.0 100 6A 70.7 64.3 74.8 26 15.8 2.6 42.1 7.9 18.4 5.2 5B 4.5 6.8 15.9 11.3 1 31.8 11.3 1 51.7 84.0 26.6 11.1 3.7 3.8’ 5B 65 27 42 10 yrs. 65.7 42 7.4 11.1 18.5 25.9 3.7 3.7 28.5 23.8 34.6 14.8 35.7 28.5 34.6 4A 61.3 100 11.9 16.6 14.3 5B 37.0 2.4 5A 92.8 9.5 7.1 21.4 61.3 67.9 35 4 12 12 12.C 20.0 12.0 22.8 12.0 22.8 28.0 8.6 8.0 5A 68.9 4A 5A 80.0 72
be obtained. It is extremely convenient for a supervisor to apply to the schools the political formula, “All men are created equal,” and to hold that there is little difference in pupils, and that where results or progress are not up to some arbitrary standard, the teacher must necessarily be at fault. But let us see. If we consider only the physical bases, and compare the weights of only the Italian boys in schools A, B, and C, we find that school B has the heaviest Italian children. We should be led to infer that school B has also the better Italian material, and will show greater progress. If we look at table III we see that this is so. In this table I have distributed the number of pupils for each age-year by grade, and noted the percentage of such pupils in the grade. For example, take the elevenyear-old boys in the three schools. School A has 38, school B has 44, and school C has 26. The first group averages 67.1 pounds, the second, 70.7 pounds, and the third, 64.3 pounds. The percentage distribution shows that the heaviest group has 61.3 per cent of the pupils below the grade 53, while the next group has 84 per cent below this grade. The lightest group is not in the running at all: it shows all of its eleven-year-olds below the fifth school year. As school D contains mostly Syrian pupils, a comparison involves the added factor of nationality, and is vitiated to that extent, but even here the comparison holds in most cases. The heavier pupils fill the higher grades, and the school which has the heavier pupils has most of these pupils in the higher grades, when compared with the other schools.
Comparing the girls of the different schools, one finds the same state of affairs, namely, that the heavier girls, on the average, are in the higher grades, and that the school which has the heavier pupils has a larger per cent in the higher grades. Detailed figures are given for the girls in table IV.
In this connection the tables issued under the direction of the Hon. J. A. Hogue1 are worth reprinting for the benefit of American readers. The results obtained by him in Sydney, New South Wales, show with convincing regularity that the lighter the pupil, on the average, the lower is his school grade. As over 30,000 pupils were measured, these results can not be questioned. They appear as tables V and VI.
1 Report upon the Physical Condition of Children Attending Public Schools in New South ArVales, issued by direction of the Hon. J. A. Hogue, Sydney, 1908, pages 56 and 57.
TABLE IV. WEIGHTS?PERCENTAGE DISTRIBUTION BT GRADES AND AGES?GIRLS. Age School A 10 School B 10 School C 12 10 School D 12 10 No. 28 49 46 45 27 16 24 35 59 32 23 27 25 Wt. 87.1 77.9 60.1 53.1 2 88.2 82.7 71.8 67.4 62.1 82 74.2 71.8 60.9 56.4 3 76.9 71.2 68.2 57.5 8B 8 A 7B 7A 6B 6A 5B 5 A 4B 4A 3B 3A 2B 2A E 28.5 14.3 16.3 4.8 15.7 14.3 19.0 21.0 23.8 15.7 14.3 4.8 19.0 9.5 4 14.3 10.5 5.3 10.5 5.3 15.7 7.1 10.7 10.7 21.4 7.1 7.1 7.1 10.5 10.5 47.4 15.7 15.7 5.3 10.5 10.5 26.3 21.0 21.0 15 14.3 14.3 57.1 10.7 10.7 14.3 13.0 14.3 14.3 7.1 10.7 14.3 3.6 16.3 12.2 6.1 21.7 10.8 15.2 6.1 6.5 2.2 2.2 4.4 24.4 13.3 17.4 20.0 13.3 3.7 3.7 7.4 22.2 25.9 37.0 22.2 35.7 64.3 100 37.5 37.5 25 33.3 16.6 4.2 4.2 41.6 31.4 28.6 6 8.6 11.4 11.4 10.1 11.8 23.7 28.8 13.6 11.8 7.1 21.4 15.8 15.8 5.3 7.1 10.5 7.1115.8 21.4121.0 21.4 10.5 14.3 9.4 3.1 15.6 12.5 12.5 18.7 6.2 12.5 3.1 3.1 3.1 4.3 8.7 4.3 17.4 8.7 8.7 7.4 22. 25.9 12 30.4 22.2 7 8.7 11.1 11.1 Below Grade 7A 6A 5B 5A 4B 7A 6B 6A 5B 5A 4B 7A 6B 6A 5B 5A 4B 7A 6A 5B 5A 4B
Percent 100 8 40 78.4 89.3 78.8 71.4 50.0 34 6’29.9 60.7 j 62.9 64 3 100 100 100 100 100 100 71 3 52 6 59 2 65 2 70.3 8.4 38 THE PSYCHOLOGICAL CLINIC. TABLE V. Weight in Pounds. School Year and Age. 133.2 Boys 20 yrs. 19 yrs, 7th yr. 6th yr. 5 th yr. 4th yr. 3d yr. 2d yr. lbt yr. 18 yrs. 81 138.0 1 128.5 17 yrs. 128.8 123.5 16 yrs. 130.2 21 2 121.2 111.6 108.8 15 yrs. 173 154 107.6 100.4 14 yrs. 103 100.1 117.0 25 101.9 439 98.1 94.3 92.6 129 91.6 13 yrs. 103 413 84.0 76.6 S4.0 570 82.1 12 yrs. 166 682 75.8 77.5 79.7 265 49 76.0 72.3 63.3 812 570 119 16 76.6 73.6 11 yrs. 73.4 37 71.1 66.9 74.6 10 yrs. 309 71.9 838 928 290 39 68.6 67.3 65.1 62.2 55 447 1087 67.2 62.8 9 yrs. 8 yrs. 7 yrs. 6 yrs. 5 yrs. 4 yrs. 3 yrs. 591 61.1 145 59.7 671 64.0 61.1 2 58.3 1 53.5 59.6 125 57.0 5 52.4 1 61.0 983 447 57.3 721 54.5 129 51.8 1 40.5 55.4 1141 52.0 1787 48.6 1504 44.8 706 40.8 4 7 37.1 4 35.6 Girls 7th yr. 1 121.2 3 117.7’l5 6th yr. I 2 5 th yr. 4th yr. 3d yr 2d yr. 1st yr. 119.8 109.2 112.6 110.9 109.0 110.2 105.8 107.9 80.0 135 108.0 102.9 100.2 95.2 119.5 102 102.7 97.5 94.2 91.9 91.4 57 93.1 90.0 87.7 85.5 82.5 75.7 95.9 78.7 83.5 77.7 76.2 74.8 73.9 69.0 76.4 71.8 68.9 67.2 65.4 63.6 64.9 62.4 60.3 59.9 58.5 2 55.1 58.4 107 54.8 3 55.6 56.4 703 53.0 139 49.7 5 45.8 53.9 1025 50.9 1506 47.4 1286 43.4 595 39.7 40 36.1 4 36.1
TABLE VI. Height in Inches. School Yeah and Aoe. Boys 20 yrs. 19 yrs. 18 yrs. 17 yrs. 16yrs. 15 yrs. 7th yr. 1 66.5 8 67.0 27 66.8 62 65.2 173 62.2 6th yr. j 1 64.0 9 65.5 4 9 63.5 154 61.6 5th yr. j 3 66.9 21 62.6 103 61.5 14 yrs. 162 61.0 60.3 60.0! 13 yrs. 58.8 57.8 57.4 12 yrs. 14 56.1 56.3 55.8 11 yrs. 309 55.6 55.4 54.4 10 yrs 55 53.2 9 yrs. 8 yrs. 7 yrs. 6 yrs. 5 yrs. 4 yrs. 3 yrs. 50.0 4th yr. 2 63.3 25 61.8 3d yr. 4 61.6 7 59.8 58.5 570 56.9 265 56.8 55.8 812 55.0 838 53.7 447 52.4 72 51.0 2 51.0 1 47.5 570 54.5 928 53.3 1087 52.1 671 50.6 125 49.4 5 48.8 1 51.5 2d yr. 53.4 49 54.8 119 54.1 290 52.9 591 51.3 983 49.8 721 48.5 129 47.5 1 44.7 1st yr. 58.5 53.3 53.4 39 51.8 145 50.9 447 49.1 1141 47.8 1787 45.9 1504 43.9 706 41.7 47 39.1 4 38.1 Girls 7th yr. 1 63.5 3 61.7 15 63.3 47 62.2 89 62.1 135 61.7 102 61.1 57 59.7 56.3 6th yr. 2 62.3 12 61.1 52 61.9 146 61.5 5thyr. 5 61.1 17 62.3 122 61.1 2d yr. 1st yr. 303 60.6 338 59.2 110 57.4 13 54.9 361 59.9 741 5S.5 579 56.4 240 54.7 28 53.6 51.5 4th yr. 14 59.9 3d yr. 1 57.2 1 54.5 141 j59.2 49:58.8 e!56.7 508 57.9 795 55.9 57.1 433 55.9 59.9 713 53.9 55.3 746 53.2 52.3 55 50.2 2 48.2 55.1 54.2 52.6 52.2 51.8 51.0 50.7 557 50.4 107 48.7 3 47.5 49.5 703 48.0 139 47.0 5 45.8 48.7 1025 47.3 1506 45.5 1286 43.6 595 41.2 40 38.3 4 41.0
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