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62
The scheme to help children who are backward in reading continues
to work well in the Leyton Junior schools and is rapidly expanding in
the Forest Division. The larger it becomes, the less is the psychologist
able to take a personal part in it, and the testing and selection of the
children for the remedial groups is now almost entirely in the hands of
the Head teachers. Inconveniences of accomodation are numerous but
are made light of by the remedial teachers, whose enthusiasm for their
work is of great benefit to the schools in which they work. At the end
of the year, Leyton had six remedial teachers working in 9 Junior schools
and 135 children had received special help during the year (112 boys,
23 girls). The Forest Division had 10 remedial teachers working in 13
Junior schools. Meetings were held during the year for both groups of
teachers, when the psychologist explained some of the difficulties in
remedial work and showed new books, and there was a general discussion.
In the Forest Division the teachers who do home and hospital teaching
were also invited to the meeting.
Work of the Educational Psychologist in the Child Guidance Clinic.
As a result of this remedial work in schools, the psychologist has
taken fewer children for remedial teaching in the Child Guidance Clinic.
Six children were given this remedial help during the year, and there
were 187 sessions. (Leyton 53, Forest 134).
Of the 445 children tested during the year, 114 were also referred to
the psychiatrist for further investigation and treatment. Enquiries about
52 children referred to the psychiatrist were made in their schools
during personal visits by the psychologist and their problems were
discussed with the teachers.
At the end of the year, there were 40 children on the psychologist's
waiting list and there were outstanding requests from Head Teachers for
visits to at least a dozen schools.