several days before classes began. The chil
dren got to know the new school building and
met their teachers as they would old family
friends. They met their future schoolmates,
too, and discovered them to be not frighten
ing, but exciting.
"Most of these children," says the teacher,
"took the first awkward days of school in
stride. The pity is that only half the parents
troubled to take advantage of this help for
their children."
Each year this teacher and thousands of
others contend with the same parental
apathy. They face scrubbed little faces, fresh
clothes, shiny pencil boxes and a sea of
children totally unequipped emotionally for
the transition from home to school.
Janie, stiff and wet-eyed in the corner, has
been told by her mother that she "must be a
big girl now." Yet, up to this moment Mother
has never let Janie even button her own
clothes. And Matthew, restless in his front
row seat, was instructed by his mother, "Be
nice now." But why should he? At home he
was never required to observe even the rudi
ments of politeness or respect.
There are others, too, whose parents have
forgotten that education begins at birth and
that learning should be regarded as a privi
lege, not a terror. These children will find
first grade a misery, and probably all the
grades that follow.
But it doesn't haye to be that way. Hazel
F. Gabbard of the U. S. Department of
Health, Education, and Welfare points out
that the normal child will have no difficulty
in school if he already is used to learning
as he should be. But home learning, she
adds, no longer means memorizing the ABCs
or counting up to 10. It is the ability to get
on with others socially, adjust to youthful
emotional problems, and take an exploratory
interest in the world around us.
The parent develops these basics of edu
cation; the teacher only polishes them.
Rather than shelter the preschool child, for
example, parents might encourage his social
growth by holding parties or opening the
basement for rainy-day "get-togethers." A
classroom, no matter how crowded, will hold
no fear for the child of such parents.
By age five or six, a youngster also should
feel confident enough to meet the outside
world without clinging to Mom and Pop.
Visiting overnight with playmates or spend
ing a week end with a favorite aunt and
uncle will dispel' the strangeness of those
first school hours far from home.
It's up to parents, too, to instill an appreci
ation for the wide horizons opene'd by
education. They can whet a child's appetite
for learning through trips to the airport,
farm, and museum. For the youngster who
has seen a zoo, the primer tale about ele
phants is not a collection of dry words but
a stimulating recollection of an exciting
moment in the child's life.
Certainly the first grader should be able
to dress and undress, pick up after himself,
and take care of toilet needs. Many can't,
however, and they find themselves helpless
in a group that can be cruel to the helpless.
Experts remind parents that school is active
participation, not passive acceptance. Even
this is impossible for some untrained chil
dren. Miss Gabbard cites the case of a four-year-old
girl who would plead, "Let me help
you, Mother." Mother was too busy to let
her child "help," however, and the result was
a school child who was always on the side
lines, unable to perform ordinary tasks and
without confidence to try them.
Comes September and many parents re
alize they've failed to prepare Junior and Sis
for school. It's too late for a complete rem
edy, but at least some groundwork can be
laid for a happy school life.
The time has come, for instance, to drop
the remnants of baby talk once and for all.
Now begins a daily routine of life geared to
make the school schedule more understand
able. Family .discussions begin to include
school and teachers ' in terms that make
learning the adventure it is but parents
should avoid making school sound like a
picnic; teachers have enough disciplinary
problems already.
School authorities recommend that parents
walk their children to school and back home
several times before classes begin. The
youngster thus learns the route and the safety
rules; equally important, he can be left on
his own more quickly. This is a good time to
meet the school staff, too, and learn how
modern schools operate and what teachers
expect from the home. Most parents will be
surprised at the changes in education since
their own school days.
For one thing, the teacher hopes each
parent will take an interest in what happens
to his or her child during his school day.
Helping him with reading and other studies
may be helpful in some cases, but every
parent should take time to notice his young
ster's achievements and express pride in his
continuing efforts.
As for failures well, they happen to
everybody, and the remedy is always the
same: kind encouragement. Teachers stress
that every child is an individual. He will
develop at his own pace, and comparing him
with other youngsters helps nobody.
Even the right clothing can help the child
in those first days. Simple, sturdy togs are
. the most practical, and they won't cause run
ins with other children. Clothing should have
large buttons and buttonholes, allow freedom
for active play, and not bind legs, arms, or
waist. In addition, clothes should be labeled
for identification and easily managed for
toilet habits.
Clothing problems can be adjusted over
night, but not those that stem from neglected
preschool training. Yet parents who wake
one bright September mom to the realization
their children are ill-equipped for school life
still can correct the shortcoming.
As Miss Gabbard says, "Each age brings
different phases of growth and requires un
derstanding adults to help a child over the
bumps. As children grow, parents also grow
in planning for their offspring."
The guidance lacking in early years often
can be adapted to school needs with the
teacher's help. With more understanding and
interest at home, the child who falters will
catch up and prove what teachers mean when
they say a child's success is really the
parents' success.
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