THE NORMAL CHILD 565 



cases of skipping a grade. In the fourth and fifth grades the hoys and 

 girls are approximately the same age, but in the last year in high school 

 the boys are older on the average. 



Expressing these tables in school standing in graphic form where 20 

 millimeters in the horizontal equals one year in age and 30 millimeters 

 in the vertical equals one school grade, the two variables, age and 

 school grade, may be expressed in the form of a continuous line. A 

 third variable, or the average mark for each grade, may also be ex- 

 pressed, assuming the first 6 millimeters in the vertical within a grade 

 to represent a standing between 50 and 60 per cent., the second 6 milli- 

 meters, between 60 and 70 per cent. ; the third, between 70 and 80 per 

 cent. ; the fourth, between 80 and 90 per cent. ; and the fifth, between 

 90 and 100 per cent. Thus it will be noted in the chart that the upper- 

 most curve represents the most precocious child and the lowest curve 

 the most retarded from standpoint of age and grade. No. 6 is the most 

 precocious from the standpoint of age until he reaches 16J years, and 

 No. 11 the most retarded throughout his school life. On the contrary, 

 comparing the average marks within the grade, No. 11 has higher 

 marks than No. 6, as may be seen by noting the height of the circles in 

 each grade. 



Pupils who are relatively poor in the first few grades are relatively 

 poor in the upper grades ; that is, poor marks in the early school course 

 are indicative of low standing throughout the school course. Boys and 

 girls of normal school age or under maintain a better school standing, 

 both as to grades and marks, than those over age for grade. The age 

 of entrance after six or seven years determines the age for completing 

 the elementary and high school. With very few exceptions these chil- 

 dren progress through the elementary school at the rate of one grade 

 per year, regardless of the chronological age at entrance. 



What is the relationship between these two? Accepting the peda- 

 gogical age as a fair equivalent of mental development, the first note- 

 worthy fact of general significance is that among these children those of 

 normal school age or younger maintain a better school standing both 

 as to grade and mark than those age for grade. These are the physiolog- 

 ically accelerated or normal pupils. Those above median weight com- 

 plete the last grade of the elementary school at 12 years, 9% months of 

 age with an average of 84.35, and those below average or of retarded 

 physiological development complete the elementary school work at 13 

 years, 7%2 months of age with an average of 81.72 per cent. Check- 

 ing the individuals whose curves have been plotted for age, height, 

 weight, lung capacity, school grade and school mark, and giving the re- 

 sults graphically, it may be seen that the majority of children above 

 median height are in or above normal grade and above the average in 

 marks. Of those below median height the majority of children are be- 

 low or in normal grade and below average mark. 



