Let us quote another example to show the application of the arithmetical test.
_Ostrow_, twelve and a half years, replies correctly to questions 1, 2, and 3. At the fourth he hesitates and begins by multiplying 7 by 89, and obtains as answer 783, which is doubly inexact, because he ought not to have multiplied, and the multiplication is incorrect. Then he draws back, and tries a division of 89 by 7; he obtains an incorrect answer (11), which does not satisfy him. Finally, he tries a multiplication: says 7 times 10 makes 70. He next adds 7 several times to reach 89, but he becomes confused, and finishes by finding the number 13, which is almost correct. This child is therefore at stage 4; he does not clear it, but he attempts it. Look at the scale. We give him full points for Problems 1, 2, and 3, plus 2 points for Problem 4, or a total of 8, which puts him at the level of children of eight and a half years, which amounts to a retardation of four years.
=Spelling.=--The test of spelling is a piece of dictation given individually or collectively. The scale contains the first phrases of the dictation. We reproduce them all here, pointing out the grammatical difficulties which they contain, and the scale for marking faults which seemed to us most fair. [We quote the phrases in French, as a translation would not indicate the real difficulties. It will be observed that in many cases correct spelling implies grammatical knowledge.--TR.]
_Phrase 1._--To write phonetically, without liaison, a phrase dictated in the ordinary vocabulary of the child.
_Example._--Émile est un petit élève bien sage; il écoute son papa et sa maman; il va à l'école.
_Phrase 2._--To put the _s's_ of the plural to words chosen from the vocabulary of the child.
_Example._--J'ai une tête, deux bras, deux jambes, une bouche, vingt dents, une langue, et dix doigts.
_Phrase 3._--Plural of qualifying adjectives in simple cases; verbs to the third person plural, present indicative.
_Example._--Le soleil brille déjà de ses plus _gais_ rayons. Les hommes _partent_ en chantant. Les bergers sont _heureux_ de la belle journée qui se _prépare_: ils suivent au pâturage le _grand_ troupeau des vaches _pesantes_.
_Phrase 4._--Feminine of the qualifying adjectives without phonetic indication; verbs with the plural endings _ons_, _ont_, _ez_, _aient_.