ON MENTAL AND PHYSICAL FACTORS INVOLVED IN EDUCATION. 213 



Seven-year-olds. 



21. Not tried. 



22. See under Writing above. All sevens should be able to do this 

 unless pen and ink have not been allowed, and then pencil could be 

 substituted. At six and a half infants move to senior departments and 

 learn to use ink. Of mentally deficients one-fifth utterly failed, many 

 scrawled, and half were scarcely intelligible. 



27. See under 13. 



28. Of mentally deficients a quarter failed outright, and another 

 quarter made a mistake. 



Eight-year-olds. 



29. Much too hard a passage for most eights in elementary 

 schools, but varies directly with the home surroundings. Too hard 

 for most mentally deficients who are leaving. Time certainly longer 

 than given. An absurd test for imbecility as understood for school 

 purposes. 



30. Some younger mentally deficients could count two simple 

 coins ; the older ones varied. It is a good differential test of a border 

 case. 



31. See previous notes. Most mentally deficients passed. 



32. All mentally deficients failed, turning round and going back to 

 twenty at some stage or other. I should not use it as a test ; too many 

 normals fail at even older ages. 



33. See previous notes. Children of eight can do more than this. 



Nine-year-olds. 



35. Known earlier, except perhaps (4) the year. Mentally defi- 

 cients very variable at later stages; beyond them at earlier, i.e., seven 

 to ten. 



36. Mechanically in order from Sunday very much earlier. Many 

 passed as mentally deficients could do this. See note on ' What is 

 to-morrow ? ' 



Beyond this point Binet's tests pass out of the mentally deficient 

 range, ■ or my experience. Some, as 47, 49, and 51, could be easily 

 tried but ? diagnostic. 



The tests included in this series closely resemble those we actually 

 use; they may test school results more than intelligence, perhaps, as 

 some allege, but that is one factor to be borne in mind in deciding 

 whether a child needs a special school education. The best of them 

 from the school medical officer's standpoint will be included. The 

 real point, I suppose, is whether the series should be used in prefer- 

 ence to others. If so, I should not care to give up the three types 

 of writing, the last of which I believe Binet does not include, or the 

 question of response to a written command. The last is very useful, 

 as where present the child does not need special school training in the 

 terms of the Act, excepting a rare condition, as word-deafness, and this 

 needs a modified deaf training. 



From the account of the various methods which have been from 

 time to time suggested and tested in the course of examinations, it 

 might appear as if these were lengthy and very detailed inquiries, 



