Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1871-08-12
What jOhuny Thinks Of Kindmgarssna
NJ EnEA c. wHIPPLE.


cation by the latter Of the natural traits
ahd activity Of young children. Froebel
seems to have made discovery of Ger.
tain laws which govern the develop.
ment Of childred, and to have, in a most
wonderfully beautiful and simple method,
adapted means to this end.
The "irrepressible infant" the terror
and charm Of the orderly circle of proper
and staid elders, under Froebel's moth
ods becomes harmonious and orderly,
and finding food for his activity in the
series Of occupations advised by this
benefactor, ceases from destroying
everything within his reach, and learns
to create forms Of symmetry, to enjoy
exercises of skill of hand in many
various ways, and al this without con.
straint having been imposed direction,
it is true, is given, and the true meaning
Vf the word kindergarten expresses Just
the sort of direction, for to give each
plant culture fitted to its best growth
and development, and to prune and
train into orderly and beautiful growth
the plants Under her care, is the function
ot the Kindergartener.
Froebel seems to have thoroughly be.
lieved that the all-wise and good Father
knew what these little ones needed to
enable them TO attain the harmonious de.
velopment which is the birthright of all
who are born of woman, and SO Froebel
has provided for the education of the
whole being of the child from its earliest
conscious existence, carefully directing
that in the earliest months only "cear
impressions" Shall be presented of objects,
in order that afterward "cear ideas"
may be formed. While yet in the arms
of the loving mother or faithful nurse,
the study of the new world into which
the child has been ushered commences,
and upon the wisdom and faithfuncss OF
those in whose love and care it rests,
will depend in a very great degree the
quality of mind and heart, as well as the
healthfu growth of the body of the
child. That SO large portion of the
children born die within the first few
years, proves that neither parental love,
nor skill of dec 3, nor science of phisio
logists, has been OF avail 20 ful out the
rue methods for it seems an insult to
our Father to believe that such hosts of
chiltr n are born, at srch lavish ex-
penditure of hopes and love, of pain
and sorrow, only to wither and die
That SO many children are imbecle,
ldiotic, or in any manner abnormal, is a
stern fat which procla inns that all the
wisdom of the past has not sutficed to
teach us how to rear sound minds in
healthy bodies. Those whose eyes have
been anointed are confident that in the
system and methods of Froebcl is cou
tained new element, a promise of
paradise regained."
The child Is three years old, and it
may now attend Kindergarten but
we must, however, say here that the
furniture and arrangements for Kinder
garten must have special adaptation to
this method OF teaching.
The desks are covered with lines
which make squares of an inrh , this
teaches the child to arrange his materials
in an orderly manner aud as rules are
given Cor each occupation, in few days
you will see the little three.year-old as
intcntly counting the squares, to know
on which to place his blocks or sticks, as
if he had been born to do nothing else ::
this enables the child TO comprehend
direction 'up' and down. right and
left are illustrated by means of these
squares,
but do you teach such distractions to
child of three years old P perhaps you
ask ; is it not cruel to compel such
mere baby to sit at desk and learn
things !! Were this common primary
school of the usual kind, this would be
pertinent inquiry, and it might, perhaps,
come within the scope of the investiga-
tions of Mr.. Bergh. But Froebel has
found that, by combining knowing and
doing, very young child is made capa.
bic OF receiving impressions, which be-
come, by degrees, the basis OF ideas, and
the chasm from the unknown to the
known, from the concrete to the abstract,
is bridged over successfully by the va.
rions occupations of the Kindergarten.
From the first happy hour that the
child enters this Paradise of Childhood
as the Kindergarten has justly been
called, hands and brains, in work and
play, preserve happy equilibrium and
II becomes apparent to all who observe
that many law OF high significance to
the child's future development has be-
come part of his consciousness, and
that, too, without any strain OF the mind,
any WEAKNESS of The body, bit with
only the joy which use gives in the ex.
ercise of all the faculties given us by the
| Creator
How is all this accomplished p do you
inquire.
Your little pet of three years old, who
has never passed morning out OF the
light OF his mothers eyes, has been de-
posted in the Kindergarten the GENIAL
Kindergartener, whose skill has been at
tanned through the teachings OF her
heart, whose tenderness thrills in her
voice, and whose sincere love for child
hood has led her to devote herself to
this work, can not fail to attract the
little ones and after the gentle murmur
OF subdued voices repeating the prayer
to the "Father in heaven who loves
little children so WE'LL" followed by a
little song or story, the days lessons be-
gin. Lessons ! you say what lessons
can be given to such baby as our