Medford mail tribune., February 16, 1958, Image 44

yfe Need Our Besl
More than ever, in this era of satellites
and space travel, America must mine its most
precious resource its gifted young people.
. by Evelyn Laufer
Linda was a wriggler. She twisted and turned
and sat sideways in her kindergarten
chair so she could look out the window.
What was happening inside the classroom a
reading-readiness test didn't interest her.
Linda had been reading fluently for more than
a year and she was bored.
Though just five, she was moved up to first
grade with the six-year-olds; but there was
little change in her behavior. The rest of the
class was glued to the Look and See primer, but
Linda had reached the 12-year reading level.
She developed a strange, faraway look, a kind
of detachment, and soon she had the reputation
of being an "oddball." The first graders went on
their merry way after school, leaving Linda
strictly alone.
For future Lindas in this country, there's good
news in the establishment of the National Coun
cil for the Gifted. The organization will sponsor
programs of research and advisory work in the
education of superior students to prepare them
for positions of leadership.
At its central office in West Orange, N.J., the
Council will maintain a clearinghouse for col
lection and distribution of materials and infor
mation. It will provide consultant service on the
educational needs of the gifted, and as the pro
gram develops it plans to arrange regional and
national conferences featuring leaders in the
field of education of the superior student.
Once the. Council's program is well under
way, there will be few like Linda who, by the
time she reached fourth grade, caused a general
strike among her fellow students. They refused
to participate in a spelldown because "Linda
always wins." Since the children felt as they did,
Linda was made monitor of the spelldown. She
was to read the words to the class, instead of
participating in the contest. Her popularity fell
to a new low, for now she was teacher's pet.
Linda went through high school a lonely,
frustrated teen wanting to be liked and ac
cepted, but bearing the scars of her early social
failures in grade school. When the other girls
went to dances, Linda stayed home writing
Latin sonnets.
Her senior year brought Linda rich rewards
academically, of course. She won a state-wide
Latin contest and a four-year scholarship to an
outstanding Middlewest university.
Today, as a college freshman, Linda is still on
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Girls are grouped according to in- Recent stress on science has not Tomorrow's leaders must know world's
dividual needs, never are hurried, obscured importance of the arts, languages. New devices aid teaching.
top academically, winning substantial victories
the only way she knows how. Socially, she still
has a long way to go. At 17, part of a more
mature group, she is just beginning to know
the satisfactions of being accepted.
When George Douglas Hofe, owner of the
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idea of a foundation for the gifted, he
sought out Dr. "Cyril Woolcock, principal of
Hunter College High School and professor of
education at Hunter College in New York.
Mr. Hofe, now president of the new Council's
board of trustees, studied at Columbia's Teach
ers College but went into nis lamily s cosmetics
business instead of teaching. His interest in
education persisted, however, and it was Hofe's
endowment that made the National Council for
the Gifted a reality.
Dr. Woolcock had initiated the program for"
the gifted students at Hunter all brilliant, all
special, and all requiring the individual atten
tion to mold them into well-adjusted people who
go on to college to be educated to full capacity.
With an advisory board of top-ranking edu-
the Council will
" 1
help schools and other groups to identify out
standing students early and to' develop pro
grams for their greatest possible development as
individuals and socially responsible persons.
nfpd to do more
for talented and intellectually able young peo
ple when he set up the Hunter program.
While the school's entrance requirement is
an I.O. of 120. trip averaee runs between 141- and
147. Every year 3,500 girls compete in a stiff
exam and 1,500 are selected as students. The
nni ,.,.,.,,;.., Viof tVip student
show a strong academic or other type of talent,
that she live in New York, and that she be a
citizen of the United States.
Of the number selected, 50 percent go on to
Hunter College, 25 percent to other colleges in
New York state, and the remaining 25 percent
to other schools, usually on scholarships. But
ii -ii j n
uiey cui go on xo college.
In line with Dr. Woolcock's belief that early
detection is important, there is a nursery-scnooi
program for three-year-olds whose abilities are
brought to light in individual tests given at
16 Family Weekly, February 16, 1958
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Dr. Cyril Woolcock and members of Hunter College High School's student council -discuss
the special problems of the gifted child. Woolcock and other educators
hope America can develop more fully the abilities of outstanding students. ' J
Many experts believe our position ; as a world . power will depend on them. i
Columbia University and New York University.
The top toddlers are brought to the school for
a committee interview and a series of tests.
Sixty are selected and put into groups of 20
each. There are 47 national, religious, or racial
groups represented in the broad social and
physical program which is constantly relating
every aspect of balanced living. As Dr. Woolr
cock put it, "We don't want monsters running
around without any social relationships."
In the high-school program, the student is
' carefully watched from all sides. Psy
chiatry, counseling, and parent education
combine to turn out exceptional human beings
who otherwise might be overly sensitive and
often misunderstood.
Because Dr. Woolcock believes that unless
parents are helped to understand the child, the
whole plan will collapse, fathers and mothers
must attend three study groups yearly. They
are advised to discourage too much outside
work; dancing lessons, music lessons, and other
pressures are held to a minimum.
The girls are placed in class groups according
to their needs, but acceleration or "skipping" is
frowned upon. Only one-fourth of the top one
percent are generally mature enough to go be
yond their age group. Over a seven-year period,
only 10 of the students were found to be ready
to undertake college work a year or two ahead
of their age group.
A girl like Linda would have stayed with her
age group, but her program would have been
enriched in areas where she showed superiority.
She would have been just one "brain" in a
community of "brains" and therefore not sus
pect. She would also have had the warmth and
companionship of childhood friends, instead of
the years of isolation she experienced.
Working alongside the academic program are
the psychologists, whose solution to the problem
of Glenna R. illustrates how they function. The
girl was admitted to Hunter High School
through a placement service. Her parents were
separated and she had lived in a foster home for
five years, but her mother wanted Glenna re
turned to her.
The Department of Welfare supervised a trial
period which was nearly disastrous for both the
girl and her mother. Glenna was badly neg
lected her mother offered no supervision, kept
late hours, and refused counseling. The girl
could not adjust and asked to be moved. Tests
showed her problem in school resulted from
anxiety and guilt feelings.
A special family one that could offer stimu
lation and a kindly, secure environment was
found for Glenna, who was to remain there until
she was 16. Today Hunter feels Glenna is on her
way to a happy life. Anxious to become a physi
cal therapist, she was worried about having to
go to work at 16. The school is cooperating with
a social worker in trying to get a college schol
arship for Glenna.
(Continued on page 26)
Family Weekly, February 16, 1958 17