Alternative Test 1: Naming The Days Of The Week

PROCEDURE. Say: "_You know the days of the week, do you not? Name the

days of the week for me._" Sometimes the child begins by naming various

annual holidays, as Christmas, Fourth of July, etc. Perhaps he has not

comprehended the task; at any rate, we give him one more trial by

stopping him and saying: "_No; that is not what I mean. I want you to

name the days of the week._" No supplementary questions are permissible,

nd we must be careful not to show approval or disapproval in our looks

as the child is giving his response.



If the days have been named in correct order, we check up the response

to see whether the real order of days is known or whether the names have

only been repeated mechanically. This is done by asking the following

questions: "_What day comes before Tuesday?_" "_What day comes before

Thursday?_" "_What day comes before Friday?_"



SCORING. The test is passed if, within _fifteen seconds_, the days of

the week are _all named in correct order_, and if the child succeeds in

at least _two of the three check questions_. We disregard the point of

beginning.



REMARKS. The test has been criticized as too dependent on rote memory.

Bobertag says a child may pass it without having any adequate conception

of "week," "yesterday," "day before yesterday," etc. This criticism

holds if the test is given according to the older procedure, but does

not apply with the procedure above recommended. The "checking-up"

questions enable us at once to distinguish responses that are given by

rote from those which rest upon actual knowledge.



The test has been shown to be much more influenced by age, apart from

intelligence, than most other tests of the scale. Notwithstanding this

fault, it seems desirable to keep the test, at least as an alternative,

because it forms one of a group which may be designated as tests of time

orientation. The others of this group are: "_Distinguishing forenoon and

afternoon_" (VI), "_Giving the date_" and "_Naming the months_" (IX). It

would be well if we had even more of this type, for interest in the

passing of time and in the names of time divisions is closely correlated

with intelligence. One reason for the inferiority of the dull and

feeble-minded in tests of this type is that their mental associations

are weaker and less numerous. The greater poverty of their associations

brings it about that their remembered experiences are less definitely

located in time with reference to other events.



The test was located in year IX of the 1908 scale, but was omitted from

the 1911 revision. Kuhlmann also omits it, while Goddard places it in

year VIII. The statistics from every American investigation, however,

warrant its location in year VII. It may be located in year VIII only on

the condition that the child be required to name the days backwards, and

that within a rather low time limit.