Omaha daily bee., 1883-01-26
PEEpING AT PUPILS.
Items CLEANED Prem a Brief
Visit to the BlOOmor
School.
Some Of the Peculiarities OF the
Methods Of Teaching.
How Study Il Made Just Fun For
tho Little Ones.

ceive little attention from o large class
of people, who neither visit the rooms
in perron nor do they make any spe-
cial effort to learn what 10 going on
therein Many, even of thoss who
have children to educate, seem to be
thus %listless about 30 important feat
ure of society, and IL their actions are
allowed to speak louder than their
words one would conclude that they
look upon the public school as q sort
of convenience only, q place to keep
the children during the day 30 az to
have HON, quiet and allow housewives
and mothers to keep their rooms in
order without the annoyance Of muddy
feet and noisy voices.
There are others, however, who
take more interest In educational mat
tiers, but the press Of other duties and
the weight of other cares cause them
to postpone visiting the schools, and
t. cut short their inquiries concerning
the progress being made.
There Is no place, however, which
affords more interesting points to tho
visitor than the schools of the city.
Yesterday, by invitation of Judge
Aylesworth, who is one of the board
of education, The BEE, through one
of it's representatives, peeped In upon
teachers and scholars In the Bloomer
building. The short space of an hour
was altogether insufficient to welt
many CT the rooms Or get any very
adequate idea of the general work, yet
it was all-suficient to get q sample Of
the progregs being made, and to sug.
gest some 81 the peculiarities Of the
work ard indicate some OF the advan-
tagss.
Probably the most interesting room
In the building to an ordinary visitor
Is tho kindergarten, " which Miss
Eddy prenides. She Is thoroughly OK.
porienoed In this peculiar work, and
added to experience Is a natural apt
ness and great tact. Here were found
about forty little ones, averaging
not over five years Of age. This
cold weather has out down tho
attendance about one.third. Thoue
little ones seemed as happy and Inter
ostsi - . play horse. They were sest-
cd In little chairs aroNnd low tablss,
upon which were blocks, pretty color.
cd papers and var!oss httls toys and
appliances. Tho chief aim Ia the in
ssitution ssens to b. TO dsvslops tho
ideas Of form, color, dhtanse, etc.,
and TO render the Eve sonaes more
acute, and their use nors ready. At
one table were seated come of tho
children, playing VITA little oubos of
wood, while the tables were marked
| off Into squares If equal Aixes. Tho
little folks arranged these blocks In
various forms, soms quite ingenious.
At another table thu little folk had
pieces Of paper, Of various oolor,
which they wore QUITTING into triangles
and squares, aud forwards pasting
together In different foms aud de.
Agn. At still another table the little
ones had sheets Of paper ruled into
squares. and which they we're puuo.
turing with q neodls.liks awl, follow
Ing . particular design. The general
exercises at the slose Of the
hour were particularly interesting.
The children were formed In q circle
about the room, while one stood In
the center blindfoldsd and a wand In
his hand. To the accompaniment Of
q piano the children sang and moved
about In q circle, until the close Of
the song, when the blindfolded child
In the center pointed with his wand,
the child thus selected retired to an
adjacent wardrobe, the door of which
stood ajar. The blindfold being taken
of, the child looked about the circle
to see II he could tell who was the
missing one. If not able to thus de.
termine, he was allowed to call out
three times "Who are your In re-
Spouse to which each time would come
the answer, "Guess who / am" Then
he tried to recognize the voice, thus
developing the memory and training
the ear. Another closing exercise OF
pastime was "the birds nest" the
children forming u circle supposed to
be the nest, while other children In.
side the circle we're the birds. All
squatted close to the floor, and while
singing the birds would hop along out
of the nest and In again, making
much merriment and giving
considerable muscular exercise as we'll.
Such are but imperfect glimpses OF
the work being done by the kinder.
cartons Of this city. They certainly
combine the play room with the
school room admirably and make the
development Of fundamental ideas
rapid, yet tireless.
Stepping across the hall one finds
the primary room, over which Mrs.
Cooper presides. Here was found a
reading exercise. 1t was peculiarly
interesting from the fact that all
seemed to read as they would talk,
without any of that iron.olad parrot
style mannerism, or nasal twang
which characterized the old. fashioned
school, and many of the new. When
reading about some rabbits. the little
ones read as though they were really
telling you about them, with intons.
lions perfectly natural, and n little
girl reading about a robin, Initiated
cheer up" of the bird, as though she
had a bird's voice. Even in this grad
there was a minpliug of instruction In
language, such Ns was formerly called
grammar, suggestions being made
and questions asked about the
correctness of tho uee of words. And
their relations, so that the little oner
I are taught to use language correctly