7 8 



THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 



of the white children. The definitions were often not better than terms 

 of use, and frequently stated in the language of a younger child. 



In general it may be said that the colored children excel in rote 

 memory, e. g., in counting, repeating digits (but not one was able to 

 repeat 26 syllables), naming words, making rhymes and in time orien- 

 tation. They are inferior to the whites, however, in esthetic judgment, 

 observation, reasoning, motor control, logical memory, use of words, 

 resistance to suggestion and in orientation or adjustment to the insti- 

 tutions and complexities of civilized society. 



To what extent these differences are due to difference in racial in- 

 tellectual ability, and how much to environmental influences, differences 

 in physiological age, or other subtle factors, can not be dogmatically 

 stated. They are certainly not due to difference in school training. In 

 order, therefore, to make the comparisons as just as possible, and at 

 the same time ascertain the extent of the influence of environment, the 

 white children were divided into two groups — city children and mill 



City 



Schdl. 



a. 



4& 



is 



^ ! 



StlaJ: Sfri. 2y* lyr. Ata^e. lyr. 1ft%. dyrt.Aio*. 



Colored 

 School 



iv 



& 



X 



Mill 



School 



fg 



9 



ZL 



Btlow. 3yrt. Zyn. lyr-Atty IjtAo*vo.. Bfa4 r i~.'fr7^?S.~lfr.Mty h/. 



Attn. 



children. The economic, educational and environmental conditions of 

 the cotton-mill children are but little, if any, better than those of the 

 colored children. The results of the comparison showed that the pro- 

 portion of colored children who are satisfactory is less than that of the 

 mill children, which in turn is less than that of the city children. Less 

 than 6 per cent, of the city children are more than a year backward, 

 18 per cent, of the mill children, and 26 per cent, of the colored chil- 

 dren. None of either the mill or colored children test more than one 

 year above age, while 10 per cent, of the city children do. 



These facts and the figures upon which they are based appear more 

 vividly in the following graphs: 



Another table of statistics showed that the colored children made a 

 better showing in the first five grades than in the first seven, but their 

 inferiority to the whites existed throughout the school years, contrary 

 to the widespread opinion that colored children are as well, if not better, 

 endowed during the first school years. Again, according to the Binet 

 scale, a larger number of white children are in a school grade below 

 their mental ability than above, whereas the reverse is true of the col- 



