River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1885-03-19

or directed, healtn1ul play. Sprouts
within him the model citizen by help
ing him to regard the rights of his
little fellows. He learns, but learns
by way of observation, experience,
imitation and invention.
The methods and means for carrying
out this theory with little children are
many, varied, and peculiar. They are
divided under three general heads
GIFTS, Games, and Occupations. 1t
is impracticable to try to give an
idea of their use in limited space
of time.
Walking to rythmic measure; GYM
naStic exercises generally; learning
songs, singing and dramatlZing them;
practising the senses with definite
purpose; observing the properties and
qualities of objects; getting notions of
color, form, and number; drawing;
building, both 10y imitation and free
invention, with cubical blocks; mod
cling in clay; painting; braiding slips
of various colorad paper after pat
tern; perforating sewing, and cutting
forms in paper; folding paper and
gaining elementary notions of geome-
try; learning the resources of language
by hearing and relating stories; IA
bles; guessing riddles, etc. These are
some of the exercises which develop
in the child the mechanic and the al
fist; love for work and a desire tor
knowledge.
Such is tine ideal Kindergarten. The
greatest tribute 30 its merits is the
fact that no woman ever gives it pa
tient, candid observation and inveSti-
CATION without becoming its ardent
advocate.
Is it not a good foundation for the
Primary school to work upon! Does
its philosophy and system apply only
to extreme childhood, or do they APP
ply to all stages of education! If the
former the kindergarten can hardly
be said to have any direct relation to
what is usually called Primary school.
If the latter, it is separated from the
Primary school as the Primary is sep
arated from the intermediate only by
an imaginary line. Not only is there
no ditch that divides them, but no
seam marks their union.
Iildb JIG
lies kindergarten as the philosophy
of all stages of school training among
modern educators hardly needs argu-
ment or assertion. A more natural
treatment of children and youth is
gaining ground; it is coming to be re-
cogniZed that school may have its
enjoyments and yet not be place Of
idleness. The old notion of the In.
separableness of school and misery is
fast fading away. The old idea that
the child was made to serve the school
and its interests is now changed to
the idea that the school is for the child
and his greatest good.
An endeavor is made to impress
children with the dignity of labor,
when that labor is we'll done. Moral,
physical, manual, and artistic training
is given and not an intellectual de-
velopment alone. School is coming
to be more of laboratory where chill
dren learn by experience-by doing
and not by instruction alone. A GER
tain amount of acquisition is neces-
sary, but to spend all the years of
school life with acquisition only, or
or mainly, in view is the mistake that
has made too many tramp. Too
many a man at twenty-five thrown
upon the world without any idea of
how he is to earn livelihood, with
Il great amount of acquisition but with
no ability to use it, no knowledge of a
trade, no means for a business. In
stead of this type of character the
world wants men and aComen. Are
not the schools changing to supply
this want! Are they not developing
more of this ability to use whatever
and all that is at hand! More ability
to be something and do soneth IN g?
Should not the final question be. when
a pupil leaves school, rOhdt are yoU and
What can yoU do, instead of how much
do you kRoW? AS a first step in the right
direction are not the schools, also,
coming to recognize the fact that the
golden days of childhood should large
~ be spent in awakening and training!
In creating a hungering and thirsting
after knowledge?
With sixty or seventy little pupils
under the care of one teacher it is
impossible TO do the best individual
work. In fact out Of pure self de-
Tense the teacher has somewhat to
hold down the individuality and nat
ural impulses of the child, instead of
allowing them vent and thereby hay
ing an opportunity of directing them.
This is difficulty which all teachers
of little children will have to contend
with until those in authority are con-
WINGED that if curtailment has to be
had any where, the greatest good can
be done to the greatest number by
cutting off some of the time and ex-
pense spent in the higher grades and
adding it to the lower.
However, with the aim of our work
ever before us and being thoroughly
imbued with the true educational
spirit, means and methods for bring
ing about the desired end will present
themselves. They may not be exactly
kindergarten methods, but If they
are born of the kindergarten spirit
and idea, they will be good ones. The
Kindergarten means you understand
are adapted to the play-period, or ex-
IRENE childhood. As the child grows
older his play should be gradually and
more and more transformed into work.
But work at no point in his whole
school course should be allowed to be-
come distasteful and burden. 1t
should bring to him good results; he
then sees some object in his study,
some purpose in his effort. '1llumin-
ate his course at every step by some
informing thought and instead CT
WEAKNESS his way will be marked by
buoyant happiness and an eager in
terest.
A French writer on education says:
sit is generally towards the end of
the seventh year that the child begins
to analyze the impressions he has re-
ceiyed before, and which hitherto he
had confined himself to accumulating;
his superficial questions take a more
reflective character; he manifests an
inclination for more serious occupa-
tions; and he shows desire to learn
and to acquire information, except
indeed, when premature c0estrdt1t
has extinguished and stiiled in him all
curiosity.
No arbitrary line can be drawn be-
tween the play period and this more
serious and reflective stage. The child
gradually merges from one to the
other. and, adapting the means of
education to his advancement and
needs, the play-period, or Kindergar-
ten means should also gradually merge
into those better adapted to the older
ob;Id Tho child dOae NOT leave at