232 RURAL SOCIOLOGY 



hibition is one of the needs of the child, but all inhibition and no 

 relaxation makes of the child a nervous wreck. It is not a ques- 

 tion of whether the school program affords time for this relaxa- 

 tion through activity, it is a matter of changing our school pro- 

 gram if necessary to meet the needs of the child. We are begin- 

 ning to get away from the obsolete idea of fitting the child to our 

 system of education. In the rural communities, this idea makes 

 way very slowly. In making our education satisfy the needs of 

 the child the first need which appears is his physical need. 



Traditional school life has a harmful effect upon the normal 

 posture of the body, and poor posture in turn works great havoc 

 with the health of the child because of the crowding of the vital 

 organs of the body. Muscular weakness, fatigue and the occu- 

 pations of rural life are common factors of bad posture. The. 

 rapid growth of children which saps the power and efficiency 

 of the muscles, the excessive fatigue of supporting muscles which 

 results from hard labor, and long periods of sitting and standing 

 are other common causes of bad posture. The need of postural 

 exercise is apparent. The natural tendency to avoid the fatigue 

 of holding one fixed position is one cause of the restlessness of 

 children. 



Rhythm and grace of movement is a need of the child. Ob- 

 serve how one moves, walks, and talks and you will learn a great 

 deal about him. The habitual rhythm of motion is fundamental 

 for full intellectual development. There is a profound and close 

 relationship between our muscle habits and thinking. The rural 

 child is conspicuously wanting in spontaneous graceful move- 

 ments. We know, now, enough about the developments of chil- 

 dren and adolescents to know that the powers of activity are 

 always developed before the powers of control. A great many 

 people live and die undeveloped. They have no control. No 

 phase of our education can train the individual in this respect 

 quite as well as can games, athletics, rhythmic exercises, exercises 

 to response commands, and other branches of physical training. 

 Nowhere will boys and girls receive this type of training if not 

 during the years of school life. 



The children of the soil need physical, mental and moral cour- 

 age. Exercises and games which require nerve, daring, courage 

 and skill should be given. Through the appointment of leaders 



