(2 of 2)
> Three years: This is the mellow age of infanthood. The child is "good company and likes to please." He walks with a destination in mind, is rather sure of himself, asks questions about social requirements ("Is it right?"), feeds himself without spilling, sleeps through the night without bedwetting. He would take full responsibility for the toilet if not for the "awkward posteriority of buttons and buttocks." He holds a crayon in his fingers, names what he draws, copies a circle, matches three color forms. He can run, ride a tricycle, put on his shoes ("not always on the correct foot").
Rhythm of Growth. Drs. Gesell and Amatruda believe that standard Intelligence Quotient tests are rigid and artificial. Instead they have invented "Development Quotient," obtained by dividing a child's maturity age (determined by his reactions to tests at key ages) by his chronological age. The result is then multiplied by 100. For instance, if an eight-week-old child can pass only a four-week test, his D.Q. is 50. Normal rating: 90-100.
According to the doctors, the rate of development is likely to remain quite constant throughout childhood. A child with a D.Q. of 50 at four weeks will probably be a whole year behind at two. A level below 65 usually indicates serious trouble. D.Q. tests may ward off tragedies by spotting insidious diseases that often go unnoticed until too late.
For the parents of average children, a D.Q. rating is a key to the type of education they should receive. Those who are lagging in social tests, for example, should be sent to special kindergartens as soon as possible. Most important requirement for full flowering of personality, say the doctors, is a happy home. Life in an orphan asylum, no matter how well equipped, retards even the brightest children. For every infant needs to be the center of his own private universe.