Diagnostic Teaching: William

I first saw William at the Saturday morning clinic when he came by appointment for a second examination. He is a commonplacelooking American boy with a pale freckled face, light tawny colored hair, dull blue eyes, and thick expressionless lips. His frontal regions are slightly depressed. Though he is thirteen years eight months of age, he looks about eleven, undersized and under weight. There were no other noticeable abnormalities. At that examination he passed the second grade reading test and the third grade spelling test. The examiner drilled him on the word "expedition," which William wrote " expetion," omitting the syllable di. He was then compelled to spell it aloud three times, before making the second attempt to write it. This time he wrote "expedtion," omitting i. His work in numbers indicated that he had a good memory span, a normal ability for mathematics, but a lack of efficiency training. The final diagnosis was postponed until after the attempt to teach had been made. From the case record I gleaned some of the following information: William's first examination at the University clinic was March 22, 1920. He had been brought by his mother and his teacher because of backwardness. He is in the fourth grade A when he should be in the seventh grade at least. Family History: William's birth was normal, but his mother, while pregnant, used to worry about him and prayed that he would not be like her husband's feeble-minded brother who was living with them at the time. She herself has been in Kirkbride's asylum twice; the first time was following the birth of the first child. William's father has been drinking since he was fifteen, but not to excess. He goes on sprees there or four times a year. He is not interested in the educational or physical welfare of the children. His father was a heavy drinker and died of Bright's disease when sixty years of age. His mother could not read, because she had never gone to school, but was "bright in managing the family." She supported her children and her drinking husband by taking boarders. She had been married before, and had had thirteen children, all but four of whom died. Only one of the four remaining was really good, and that one was William's father. William's maternal grandmother was a Swede. She was accidentally killed. His maternal grandfather was an American Indian.