PALMING FOR CHILDREN

Palming has to be sold to little children as carefully as to the nervous adult. The palming period should not an ordeal to be ordered at parental command but a of pleasure to which he looks forward. To order, I'll "Go and do your palming, Johnny, I' tell you when minutes is up," is useless. Ten whole minutes of activity is like a prison sentence to a nervous child, and children with defective vision are nervous.

The parent will make the ten minute palming period, time to read to the child a thrilling "continued" story reserved for these times only, Johnny will look forward to palming in order to find out what happens "But Johnny doesn't want to leave the children and in for ten minutes," is the parental complaint. Why not have the children come in too? Or, better come out of doors when the weather is favourable would be no more trouble. Most youngsters are over formulated these days and play too violently. It would a boon to any neighbourhood to have one mother would read during a short rest period each day then the children come home tired from school and am at the end of the-afternoon when over-excitement too strenuous play brings tensions, tears and quarrels. If there is no one to read to the child, he should be in to hear regular favourite radio programmes, preferably of the less stimulating variety.

The rule for palming is: short, happy periods and frequently. If teachers in the early grades would have class palm during story periods, there would be less fewer spitballs and more rapt attention.