The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-07-31
American Institute of Instruction.

At a meeting of this body, held recently,
paper on ''Kndergartcning the Gospel
for Children" was read by Miss Elizabeth
p. Peabody, of Cambridge. After review
ing the origin of the kindergarten and Civ
ing various theories in reference to it, Miss
Peabody exhibited specimens of the work
executed by children i'll school at Dres-
den, and gave very interesting description
of the method of education there in use.
She closed as follows: r
If all teachers had the philosophy of
Froebel, and children, before being sent to
the primary schools for instruction, were
prepared in the kindergarten by moral
discipline involving the experimental know
ledge that they must needs gain by the
well-thought-out exercises that engage their
activities, affection and thinking faculty,
and also by that use and understanding of
language which must needs come from the
entirely oral teaching of the kindergarten,
the whole fabric of education would very
soon feel the influence, for it would be alive
from the foundation.
Then and not till then would education
be worth all the money it costs, and more
would be gladly appropriated. Horace
Mann said twenty years ago: 1.-The minds
of the incoming generation are as free from
the possession of positive error as OF posi-
tive truth, and they have capacities that
may be qualified to discriminate between
them. lnstil into them the love Of truth,
as the supreme good teach them as a mat
ter ofconscience and duty never to rehearse
what is not understood; lead them from
antecedent to sequence, from cause to eff
al. n, .tYnt nd
minds will be healed which will discover
truth, not because they were originally
stronger or better minds, but because from
their position it will be more easy to dis
Germ it." ,..
Now kindergartening will effect this end
because the child is conscious self-educa-
tor and moral agent from the beginning pro-
vided the kindergartener is competent to the
conversation. The nature is set into opera
ton in selfpreserving and even selt-re-
newing instead of a self-destructiye way ;
and every child born may become bene-
ficent factor in human society. And GER
tainly this is the pressing necessity of our
time for to quote another impressive pas
sage from Horace Mann-"Our republican
edifce at this time, in present fact and
truth, is not sustained by those columns Of
solid and ever-enduring adamant-intelli-
gence and virtue Its various parts are
only Just clinging together by that remark
able cohesion, mutual bearing and support
which unsound portions of a structure may
impart to each other, and which, as every
mechanic we'll knows will for time hold
the rotten materials of an editce together
although not one of its timbers could sup
port its own weight and unless, therefore,
H new sub-structure can be placed beneath
every buttress and angle Of the boosted
temple of liberty it will soon totter and fall
and bury all indwellers in its ruins"
This sub-structure must be moral edu
cation. AS the gospel preached to mel
who have grown up i'll world lying II
darkness and sin, was repent and reform
and be forgiven, so the gospel for chitdren
whom Christ pronounced already of thu
kingdom of heaven, and set in the midst o
his disciples, to show them that before they
could enter--much more take the highes
places in it--they must become as littl'
children is, to keep the heart diligently, fol
out of it are the issues of life, and form
the mind in the light of that wisdom which
makes life blessing to ourselves ant
others. .s.. ..- ...i..
The reading of this paper was followed
by discussion, which brought out man,
facts concerning kindergarten schools ii
Germany.