Mentally Defective Children By: Théodore Simon
First Page: Transcriber's Note: Inconsistent hyphenation in the original document has been preserved. Bolded text is marked =like so=. Obvious typographical errors have been corrected. For a complete list, please see the end of this document. The opinions contained in this e book are no longer considered valid. MENTALLY DEFECTIVE CHILDREN BY ALFRED BINET AND TH. SIMON, M.D. AUTHORISED TRANSLATION BY W.B. DRUMMOND, M.B., C.M., F.R.C.P. (EDIN.) AUTHOR OF "AN INTRODUCTION TO CHILD STUDY," ETC. WITH AN APPENDIX CONTAINING THE BINET SIMON TESTS OF INTELLIGENCE BY MARGARET DRUMMOND, M.A. AND AN INTRODUCTION BY PROFESSOR ALEXANDER DARROCH FOURTH IMPRESSION LONDON EDWARD ARNOLD [ All rights reserved ] PRINTED IN GREAT BRITAIN BY BILLING AND SONS, LIMITED GUILDFORD AND ESHER INTRODUCTION The Binet Simon tests of children's intelligence have been the subject of much discussion during the past few years, both in this country and in America. Much of this discussion seems to have been carried on, at times, without any knowledge of the original aim or purpose for which these tests were devised, and as if, so to speak, they were invented as a means for ascertaining the relative intellectual powers of all children, and so of affording to the teacher a ready and sure means of accurately classifying and grading the children under his charge. As a consequence, there is a tendency, in some quarters, to search for and to endeavour to establish some absolute standard or criterion of intelligence which shall be valid, irrespective of the nationality, or the class, or the particular environment of the child. It is hoped that the publication in translation of the work of Binet and Simon in which these tests first appeared, along with the complete series of tests as extended and revised during the lifetime of the former, will tend to remove this twofold misapprehension, and make the educationalist, as well as the wider public interested in social questions, acquainted with the real purpose which underlay the devisal or invention of the tests, and so enable all to perceive that their relative value, as measuring stages of intelligence, must be judged by the purpose for which they were devised. Now, the main purpose of the authors in the devisal of these tests is to furnish to the teacher a first means by which he may single out mentally backward children, who, upon further examination, may also be found to have some mental defect or peculiarity which prevents them from fully profiting by the education of the ordinary school, and who probably would benefit more by being educated in a special school or in a special class. But the final selection, it is contended, of defective children for special education demands the experience of the doctor and of the psychologist, as well as the knowledge of the teacher, and the aid of all three is necessary in the devisal of courses of study for the mentally defective. Especially important is the division of mentally defectives into two main classes the feeble minded and the ill balanced. The latter, as a rule, are easily marked out from the normal child, and, if not specially looked after, may in later life become a menace to society. The feeble minded, on the other hand, may easily escape the notice of the teacher, and may pass through the ordinary school unaffected and unimproved, enter into society, and propagate their kind... Continue reading book >>

Mentally Defective Children By: Théodore Simon

First Page:

Transcriber's Note: Inconsistent hyphenation in the original document has been preserved. Bolded text is marked =like so=. Obvious typographical errors have been corrected. For a complete list, please see the end of this document. The opinions contained in this e book are no longer considered valid.

MENTALLY DEFECTIVE CHILDREN

BY ALFRED BINET AND TH. SIMON, M.D.

AUTHORISED TRANSLATION BY W.B. DRUMMOND, M.B., C.M., F.R.C.P. (EDIN.)

AUTHOR OF "AN INTRODUCTION TO CHILD STUDY," ETC.

WITH AN APPENDIX CONTAINING THE BINET SIMON TESTS OF INTELLIGENCE BY MARGARET DRUMMOND, M.A.

AND AN INTRODUCTION BY PROFESSOR ALEXANDER DARROCH

FOURTH IMPRESSION

PRINTED IN GREAT BRITAIN BY BILLING AND SONS, LIMITED GUILDFORD AND ESHER

INTRODUCTION

The Binet Simon tests of children's intelligence have been the subject of much discussion during the past few years, both in this country and in America. Much of this discussion seems to have been carried on, at times, without any knowledge of the original aim or purpose for which these tests were devised, and as if, so to speak, they were invented as a means for ascertaining the relative intellectual powers of all children, and so of affording to the teacher a ready and sure means of accurately classifying and grading the children under his charge. As a consequence, there is a tendency, in some quarters, to search for and to endeavour to establish some absolute standard or criterion of intelligence which shall be valid, irrespective of the nationality, or the class, or the particular environment of the child.

It is hoped that the publication in translation of the work of Binet and Simon in which these tests first appeared, along with the complete series of tests as extended and revised during the lifetime of the former, will tend to remove this twofold misapprehension, and make the educationalist, as well as the wider public interested in social questions, acquainted with the real purpose which underlay the devisal or invention of the tests, and so enable all to perceive that their relative value, as measuring stages of intelligence, must be judged by the purpose for which they were devised.

Now, the main purpose of the authors in the devisal of these tests is to furnish to the teacher a first means by which he may single out mentally backward children, who, upon further examination, may also be found to have some mental defect or peculiarity which prevents them from fully profiting by the education of the ordinary school, and who probably would benefit more by being educated in a special school or in a special class. But the final selection, it is contended, of defective children for special education demands the experience of the doctor and of the psychologist, as well as the knowledge of the teacher, and the aid of all three is necessary in the devisal of courses of study for the mentally defective. Especially important is the division of mentally defectives into two main classes the feeble minded and the ill balanced. The latter, as a rule, are easily marked out from the normal child, and, if not specially looked after, may in later life become a menace to society. The feeble minded, on the other hand, may easily escape the notice of the teacher, and may pass through the ordinary school unaffected and unimproved, enter into society, and propagate their kind... Continue reading book >>

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