The Physical Education of the Mentally Defective Child
- Author:
Mary Harrison
Late Assistant Lecturer in Physical Training, UniversityCo liege, Reading.
J have purposely used the word education in the title of this article rather than training, as I wish to get away from the prevalent idea that physical education means nothing but a training of the muscles of the body; the sole aim being increase of function of the muscular system and all-round physical development. These two results are wanted but they do not stand alone; and in the case of a mentally defective child, the mental effects of a thorough system of training can plainly be seen. As to whether these effects are permanent or merely transitory I submit no proof, for my own work has not been continuous or even carried on for any length of time with the same children; but I think that teachers who have followed certain definite lines and aimed at a tangible improvement in the response ?f the children under their care, will bear witness to the permanence of this improvement.
For the purpose of this article I shall deal only with the average mentally defective child found in a special school or institution; and the methods referred to a^e those used only with a class or group of children. Individual cases, of special physical or mental deformity will not be included, as they need individual attention and cannot come within the limits of this article. Broadly speaking, the methods can be applied to all types of girls and boys, big or little, weak or strong, provided that each class or group contains children of more or less the same level of physique and intelligence; in fact as much uniformity as would be found in an ordinary elementary school standard.
As in other subjects, one of the most important factors in the success or failure of the physical education of the mentally defective child is the attitude of the teacher. If his mind is obsessed by the abnormality of the children he will fail. He should face the class filled with the conviction that they are just children who require more than ordinary care; and their subnormality should only be remembered when preparing the lesson. If he then carefully adjusts his lesson to the child’s needs, remembering the particular difficulties and stumbling blocks of his own class, and introduces movements to assist or correct these, he can put their abnormality out of his mind entirely during the actual lesson, and as far as is possible for a self-conscious grown up, enter into the spirit of play and exhilaration with his class. It is impossible to obtain good results with even the Normal intelligent child if the teacher remains outside the lesson in spirit, and merely directs affairs from a pinnacle of high authority , and this is doubly so with the children under discussion. Simplicity should be the keynote. The needs of the child should first be thought of, and then the means to satisfy those needs.
The question whether a good or indifferent standard of work will be obtained must be ignored for the time being. That will come later. The more simply and easily these needs can be satisfied, the more successful the lesson, and the more appreciable the result.
What are these needs? They will be found to differ very little from the needs of the normal child in some respects, though generally speaking they are greater and more pressing. The normal child can usually be trusted to find his own means of employment especially if left alone, whereas the mentally defective child requires an external stimulus or suggestion; there is no fund within himself. This ‘’rousing of the child” can, however, be supplied in some small degree. Briefly the aims are:?
1. To improve in power, speed and accuracy, the child’s response to external stimuli, and to encourage concentration on the matter in hand. 2. To help the child to express his emotions, and to provide an outlet for exuberant high spirits and physical energy. 3. To teach the child obedience, and the necessity at times for it to subordinate its will to that of another. 4. To give strength to the muscles and joints, and to increase the working capacity and endurance of the body. 5. To give the child the joy and exhilaration experienced when working vigorously with others.
G. To endeavour to obtain a certain amount of control over the body and the muscular system, and thus lead on to control of emotions and passions. Given normal conditions and an enthusiastic teacher, these aims are within sight. By normal conditions I mean a sufficient floor-space, sufficient time?at least one lesson of twenty minutes a day, and a moderate amount of apparatus: bean-bags, balls and ropes. With a sympathetic authority, green fields, unlimited fresh air, and suitable clothing, better results can be obtained in a shorter period. No lesson should last more than thirty minutes, and if a certain amount of time out of each week is allotted to physical work, short periods occurring frequently are the best. The method advocated in the Board of Education syllabus for “Children under Seven Years” can well be applied here. Two lessons each day are given, the morning one containing the sterner elements of the work, with plenty of free activity and games, lasting from fifteen to twenty minutes, and the afternoon one devoted to singing games, nursery ryhmes, musical games, and the more recreative side of the work.
It sometimes happens that any response, however slight on the part of the child, is hailed by the teacher with a glee totally out of proportion to the value of the response obtained. Appreciation of response should always be tempered in the mind of the teacher by remembrance of a high standard and the possibilities of improvement. Otherwise, it may happen that the fullest demand is not made upon the child’s resources, and the latter, realising this even though perhaps unconsciously , does not put forth his maximum effort. It should always be remembered, that the highest ideal is not too high for anyone, and the striving after perfection must continue, however far from perfection the result of the effort may be. It is the amount of effort put forth that matters, far more than the result achieved. Progression should take the form of increased facility and improved movements, aesthetically as well as muscularly, rather than the substitution of more difficult movements. The children should be encouraged to do the things they know how to do well, better every day, rather than attempt more advanced exercises and games.
Although it is not first in the list of aims, it is generally acknowledged that the teacher’s first effort should be directed towards increasing the physical powers ?f the body, and materially aiding its efficiency. First the body is warmed; the blood flows more rapidly; more nourishment is carried to the tissues and waste Matter more speedilv excreted. There is a general sense of well-being and happiness, a feeling of fitness and a readiness to meet anything; all of which must be encouraged. If this occurs as often as once a day, the permanent effect of a general increase in health and well-being will be marked. Ihe child s carriage will improve, and the movements of the limbs in walking and running will be freer and easier. A beginning is made to rid the child of the feeling oi clumsiness and awkwardness which is so hampering and so depressing. The clumsy and awkward bearing of the mentally defective child often marks him clearly from his fellows, and any improvement in this is a decided step forward.
The mental results are not so easily seen; also the possibilities suggested open UP a large field of conjecture and doubt. It is impossible to ascribe any definite improvement to physical education alone, and it would be decidedly unfair to the other work, as in a properly regulated scheme all patrs work together as a complete whole, and none can claim priority. I do not think however, that I claim too much when I say that the feeling of well-being and joyousness produced by a successful lesson seems to liberate emotions and impulses which are otherwise blocked. Few things excite the child as much as a jolly, brisk and well directed Physical activity lesson. Self-expression in its usual form seems unknown to these children; they do not go out to seek means of putting forth the motive power within them, at any rate in the recognised channels, and they require to be shown aud taught these methods. On the other hand, the smallest increase in the feeling of happiness is easily noted, as they are as a rule free from self-consciousness and do not fear to show their emotions; and largely because they do not discover for themselves physical channels through which to dissipate them, these same emotions appear more uncontrollable when aroused. This can be utilised in Physical work, by helping the child to feel, to realise his feelings, and to desire to express them in a way which gives pleasure to himself, lo take an example:
the exhilaration felt after a succession of jumps in the air is politely restrained by the child who has been repressed or wrongly trained; it is freely expressed by the normal natural child; and is almost exaggerated by the mentally defective child.
A new avenue is discovered for the physical energy, and here the teacher can step in to direct it. The direction of any impulse, however small, marks a step forward. It is something which recalls pleasurable feelings whenever it is remembered , so the desire to return to it is sharpened; a definite impulse is controlled and directed and so much is gained.
To come to practical details; what is the best kind of physical work? I have already said it must be simple, and I cannot emphasise this too strongly. Its appeal must be direct, and all work which demands a complex mental effort with only a slight obvious result must be avoided. Get the maximum movement for the minimum mental effort at first; later improve the same movement, beautify it, show the class how well it can be done and leave it to copy it. Until the movement itself shows definite improvement do not add any extra frills. Let us take the movement of jumping. (I choose this again for its suitability as an example as it gives exhilaration, shows at once the amount of effort being put forth by each child, and requires strong muscular work. A jump successfully tackled gives a feeling of accomplishment to the child, something to show for his labour). After the first clumsy efforts, when the whole attention is concentrated on lifting the body weight off the ground at all, the height can be increased, and gradually the whole jump improved, until it is light, free, effortless, and finally controlled, as far as the class can understand these qualities. The important thing to remember is that the maximum effort must be demanded and the highest jump possible made before the controlling and restraining factors are set in motion to produce a beautiful jump. It is useless to attempt to control a movement if there is no movement present worth controlling. Encourage the child to jump high, and forget to speculate whether he will land on the earth the right way up. If he is warned beforehand that he may land on his head or his hands, he will be obsessed by that fear to the exclusion of any big effort.
I have already said that the teacher should remember that his class is subnormal only when preparing the lesson, and should let this remembrance influence the choice of type of movement. Big massive movements, movements of throwing and catching where the class is older, movements increasing suppleness of joints and elasticity of muscle, such as quick bendings and twistings; to pick an object off the floor; to turn round in a hurry, to catch another; all these should predominate. After the lesson is prepared and learnt by heart the teacher should entirely forget their subnormality and identify himself as far as possible with them. Except in individual cases of weakness or disability, which should be taken separately, there is little fear of overtiring the class: the fund of energy is almost inexhaustible. The lesson must flow quickly, easily, with little pause except literally to take breath when necessary. The maximum effort must be demanded throughout the whole period. The crisis or highest point should be reached about three-quarters of the way through, the last quarter being used to soothe and quiet the class and restore it to its normal state. It should not be left highly exicted, but should certainly feel better and more alert. The teacher can easily read the signs. Games of all kinds are invaluable, and the beneficial effects, both physical and mental, are obvious. Difficult games involving co-ordination of limb and eye to any great extent should only be introduced gradually after the way has been carefully prepared. The same holds good here as in movements: it is better to teach the class to play a simple game well, than to attempt a difficult one and do it badly. There is little fear of monotony, especially if every time the game is taken one point is elaborated and improved. Where possible, and this is easily so with older boys, ball games can be used: first the simple throwing and catching over a small space, with perhaps one team pitted against another in speed to add interest, and later over a bigger distance, even throwing at a particular target. Examples of this are “dodge-ball” where the player must be hit below the knee, and “ball-touch” in which one player endeavours to hit the others who are running anywhere in the room.
I should like to say a little on the use of music in physical education. The methods of use are so diverse that it is difficult to single out any particular one for criticism. My own experience has been that mentally defective children, especially boys, were extraordinarily susceptible to the rousing influence of a jolly skipping or running tune. Generally speaking their sense of rhythm was excellent and their enthusiasm a pleasure to behold. Such music, used for running, hopping, skipping, and any vigorous movement, has an excellent effect, and is of great value. So also have the airs of nursery rhymes and simple singing games, as long as the movements are kept simple and have a direct bearing on the words and meaning of the rhyme. It is also quite possible and indeed most helpful, to take a simple tune, say in common time, and made up in the usual phrases of eight, sixteen, or thirty-two bars, and make a simple combination of running or skipping steps to fit the rhythm. In its simplest form this can consist of running m a circle, with hands joined, keeping time to the music. Next a definite number of steps, say sixteen, can be taken to the right, then turn, and sixteen to the left. Or a square can be made and a definite number of steps taken to progress from one corner to the next. These can be done in circles or loose lines, one child leading, and the others following with hands joined, or in couples. The simpler the tune the more direct its appeal, hence the greater value in its perfomrance. This use of music must not be confounded with Eurhythmies, which is a scientific method of teaching music by movement, and one demanding skilled teachers and apt pupils. It is intended merely as a relief from or alternative to the ordinary game. Its usefulness depends chiefly upon the selection of suitable tunes, with no attempt at interpretation of the composer’s possible meaning, and no attempt to build up new rhythms, or means of expressing them. It has one point only of similarity with Eurhythmies, namely that the child endeavours to keep time to the music and to modify or increase his movements to fit it. Its value lies in the necessary adaptation of muscular effort, and also in the attempt to express the spirited or restrained nature of the melody, by large and vigorous or small and quiet movements. This is done more or less unconsciously by the child, who responds directly to the stimulus.
The question of suitable clothing must not be overlooked, and its effect upon the lesson is obvious. No child, however intelligent, can be expected to move freely and beautifully if hampered by heavy boots or clogs, and thoroughly unhygienic and unsuitable clothing. It is not of course possible to lay down any definite rules upon this vexed question. Much depends upon the teacher, who will find that tact, patience, and above all a never-failing good example, will work wonders. Where circumstances permit and the floor-space is suitable, the class should work bare-footed. Boys should always remove the collar and coat. The ideal costume for girls is not yet designed, but a simple one consisting of a sweater or a jersey in soft material, dark woolly knickers, and a tunic, is practicable and always looks well. This should be worn throughout the day, and the tunic removed for physical work.*
There is a large field open for investigation and pioneer work in physical education for the mentally defective child, and there is plenty of room for fresh ideas and experiment. If a fully-trained gymnastic teacher who has also had a course in psychology and the methods of dealing with these children, were to devote herself entirely to a definite number of them, and keep a record of the work done, the result would probably be astounding. Perhaps before very long the right, one will come along.
This of course can only be a counsel of perfection for ordinary Special School children. -Ed,
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