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to their eyes, but should be encouraged to sit erect with their books propped up
before them.
The print should be large and distinct. Their writing must be done at arm's
length.
(5) The children must not work facing the light, which should always fall from
the left side. When daylight is poor, blackboard work and handwork must be
suspended, except such as can be done w:th the eyes shut. No reading or handwork
may be done by artificial light.
(6) The cultivation of thought and memory is of prime importance to
these children. They should be helped to strengthen "association" memory,
e.g., by mnemonics, and should be encouraged to invent mnemonics for
themselves.
(7) Since reading for long at a time is dangerous, and reading by artificial light
more so, and since the temptation to read at home is severe, the school must cooperate
with the home in providing interests and occupations for the hours of
artificial light, e.g., knitting with the eyes shut, learning tunes, etc., from the
gramophone, making relief maps on browD paper with plasticene or paste, gardening,
being read to, "listening-in."
(8) Frowning is a sign of strain. Any child noticed to be frowning should
be told to close its eyes and rest a few moments.
(9) It is essential that parents and friends of short-sighted children (and the
children themselves) should be instructed that a secondary school regime is not
for these children a step to a subsequent career of clerical or sedentary work, or any
work requiring habitual close application, for such work is injurious to short-sighted
eyes and risks serious breakdown.
Particular.—(1) Physical exercises for myopes may include all those taught
to normal children except such exercises as involve the body being fully bent downwards
and forwards. All drill and dancing may be taught, but no jumping on both
feet should be allowed. Skipping may be practised when this is done with regular
alternation of the feet: skipping with both feet together must not be done. Swimming
may be allowed, but not diving. Ball games may be played with a soft ball,
but not in the company with normal children unless specially permitted by the
school doctor: it must be remembered the short-sighted children see slowly, and
so are handicapped and run an extra risk. Sufficient exercise should be taken
to keep up the bodily health, but overstrain, such as may be involved in
competitions, reacts injuriously upon the short-sighted eye and should be
avoided.
(2) Reading.—Books with small print should not be used. The book should
be held at least 15 in. from the eyes, and at an angle of about 15° from the perpendicular.
It should never be horizontal. For continuous reading or reference
it should be placed on the special book-rest provided. Unblinking fixity of the
eyes must be avoided, and rapid and frequent blinking encouraged.
(3) Writing.—All writing should be done at arm's length, on the blackboard
provided or paper pinned thereon. The letters must be 1 in. without tails, and the
chalk marks must be thick and heavy, not spider lines. The blackboards should
be used when the rest of the class are using rough note-books, class-work paper
or doing any written work which is not for permanent record. The half-hour limit
must be strictly observed, and it must be remembered that worry is to be
avoided. Children who are bothered by the work in hand should be specially
helped. In all written work neatness is of trime importance as an aid to
clear seeing. A limited amount of written work may be done for correction, and
is to be kept in portfolios. Probably two portfolios (large size) will be enough for
each child, one for English, French and history, the other tor mathematics, science and
geography. The size of the writing must be not less than ½ in. including the tails