Children begin school life at an age which is, unfortunately, one of the
greatest importance in their physical development. It is a truism that
no mechanism, whether animate or inanimate, can do two things at once
and get as good results as when all its efforts are being directed
toward one object. So it is obvious that any vital energy used in
developing a young child’s brain must be taken away from the amount that
had hitherto been entirely devoted to physical growth. Too often this
fact is lost sight of both by energetic teachers and ambitious parents.
Instead of being delighted with the rapid development of the child’s
mind, parents should receive any evidences of abnormal advancement with
some suspicion of its true worth.