A general study of testing with special focus on, and analysis of, tests being used in the primary grades by selected cities; the controversy concerning aptitude and intelligence testing as it applies particularly to genetic factors and race; and the identification and selection of ideas which would be of value to a first grade teacher seeking diverse and unusual ways to discover abilities and aptitudes in first grade children. Study covers in detail some of the controversy about racial intelligence as it concerns black and white Americans starting with interpretations and controversies that occurred after World War I, and also with current controversy about the same topic (racial intelligence)and the relative importance of genetic and environmental factors in the interpretation of test scores. Agreement among various authorities who have contrasting ideas of genetic factors and their influence is discussed along two basic lines of agreement: the belief that almost all children can learn basic skills, and that this learning can best be accomplished if diverse learning approaches are used. Study concludes with an identification of, and detailed description of teaching techniques which could be used by a first grade teacher who sought in diverse ways to discover aptitudes and abilities in her children.

The problem of the present study was to determine the self concept of selected Negro boys and girls and to study the relationships of their self concept to their intelligence and academic achievement.