The Portland daily press., 1866-03-19
The Kinderparten.

I M 4H Iuo hInuergarten. -a.He
H A few days since we had the pleasure in
company with gentleman of this city who is
warmly interested in the enterprise, of visiting
the Kindergarten school now in successful op-
Grafton in the old City Government Building
on Congress street. The school is now in its
second term, and its success thus far has been
of the most encouraging character The pres
ent is, we believe, the first attempt to intro
duce this peculiar system of instruction here,
| and perhaps some of our readers may not be
familiar with the ideas upon which it is found
ed. Believing that it is only necessary to have
the system properly understood in order to Sc
cure it not only the cordial approval but the
support and patronage os all interested in the
instruction of young children, we propose to
say a few words upon the subject M Ia ID
The name, Kindergarten means, literally a
garden Of children, and it indicates the lead
ing idea of the system. The method pursued
is the method ofnature. A skilllul gardener un-
derstands the fact that the form of the future
plant is predetermined from the first, that its
germ is enfolded in the seed, and his task is
not to change its nature, but to foster its nat
ural and healthful development, to provide the
nutriment which shall best nourish it, to re-
move from it all choking weeds and hurtful
insects, to prune and train it into fair and
noble growth. The plan of the kindergarten
is analogous to this. It aims to treat the
mind of child as gardener treats rose, not
to thwart it, or make it over into some new
form which nature never intended, but to pro-
mote that natural development which is con-
summated in the perfect flower. Into the de-
tails of this system it is impossible for us to
60, but in its complete design it comprehends
the training Of the moral, mental and physi-
cal faculties of the child in harmonious pro-
portion. OF course, in a system designed to
apply to young children very large place is
given to what might be called amusements-
These, however, are selected with especial
care, and it is intended that they shall serve
not merely as an outlet for the irrepressible
physical activity of childhood, but as means
of developing some faculty of the mind or
body. States and pencils for drawing, blocks
for building, the implements of various merry
games, abundance of room to romp in, and
music to harmonize and refine the different
sports are provided, land a great variety of
plays are invented in which children are
taught to initiate the habits of different ami
mails, the labors Of the sawyer, the cooper, the
miller, and so forth, the movements of ma
chinery, and other processes which serve the
double purpose Of bodily exercise and of stim-
ulating the imagination and quickening the
observation of the child. 32iii9im oi s9lsJ1s
The lessons are very largely oral, and the
system known as "object teaching" is employ
ed with much success. The idea first of all is
to catch the attention of the child. to excite
his interest and lead him to desire and
seek the Information which the teacher is
ready to impart. Reading and spelling are
taught by the powers of the letters as well as
blythe names-w1iting and drawing lessons are
given with the blackboard and the slate; and
and great use is made of pictures and stories
for the Illustration of lessons in geography,
natural history and many other things. The
exercises are constantly varied that the atten-
tion of the child may not have time to grow
weary. No single lesson is expected to occu-
py over quarter of an hour; and care is
taken SO as to alternate the exercises that each
shall bring into activity different set of fac
ulties from the one which proceeded it. The
| governing law of the kindergarten is the law
of love. Prominent among its objects is that
OF developing the pure and true affections OF
the child, and checking the growth of those
which are evil and selfish; and so leading him
by the gentle influence of love into harmony
with all that is elevated and pure. The first
and Indispensable step is of course to make
the child happy, and when that is done he
yields himself willingly to the influence and
guidance of the teacher. .,- ,4 ,..-s l,..
We might, did time and space permit, say a
great deal more in relation to this very inter
esting theme, but both these considerations
forbid. We advise all those who have any
interest in the instruction of young children
| mothers especially who are often half crazed
by the quick, inquiring intelligence and the
ceaseless bodily activity of their little ones to
visit the kindergarten, and we feel sure they
will soon be eager to avail themselves of its
advantages. The ladies who have this enter
prise in charge are enthusiastically interested
in their work, and seem to possess peculiar
adaptation for it. The system which they are
trying to introduce has been received with
the greatest favor in nearly all our large cities
and we feel sure that it only needs to be under
stood to secure its adoption everywhere.