The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1886-05-07
TIE MON @ r
" oan.roa-s fnll.Ar. MA4 !. IS
I.rrrI.r srlcas AM STRINGS.

Ina very f.w days NOR, in all tie gar
deus therc will be setting Of littlc sticks
by the side Of tender young plants az d
fastening Of strings 10 the fences and lattice.
Making garden is delight 70 tlie most
inexperienced. Thrifty moihcrs already
send the young folks ont to the street dust
heaps(one little fellow 90 Thursday was
seen digging the rich, black deposit from
the enrbstonc line and carrying it ia an old
coal seltttle into the front yard to spread 1t
over the flower beds. .Wood-ear;h' is
not more desirble than the street earth, if
city people only knew it. But they do
know enough to plant their sticks and
train the strings fDl the growing and climb
ing little sprouts Of green. IN the house,
perhaps. the tender little growing things
are running about wild, moi Taught or trained
except By repression until they are old
enough to 90 To school. From tie
moment the child begins to run about and
ask questions and pull things 70 pieces its
real education has begun. Yet how many
people there are who SLAP or shake 1t he's
it tries to find out what things arr
made OF OF made for, and give cross
answers to its constant questions. The
years from four 10 six years old. except n
very wise family are two years that are
usually wasted in a chld's life. Here
is where the Kindergarteu-tl4e chic gag-
den. really-comos in with It's wholesome
training 1t is too early to teach child
ta read and cipher, bat none too soon ia
teach it 10 use its eyes. u let it find Oat
the shapes and names Of things: 10 use
It's hands. in making, instead of breaking
pretty things: to amuse itself: to occupy
itself; TO play ana sing with some purpose
and. above all, 10 take notice and be GU
rious. The enterprise which led one active
little girl, wholiyed inahoasc where there
was a parlor carpet figured over with velvet
peaches. to goto the preserve closet, take
down jar, carry ii to the parler when the
family were at meeting and deposita -rooE-
ful of peach syrup directly on the pink
side Of each carpet peach, no doubt was
punished when those folks got nome from
that weekday service. It was mischief.
bat it showed great Imagination. and the
.'lceling" as artists would say. that
peaches should rest in syrup ana not in
wool alone The kindergarten would have
given thai child 50 much 10 do, so much
to think about, that she would probably
have been content to make peach ont Of
clay, and to make out the lines Of the clay
peach stone with hairpiu. and plait a
basket for them out Of pink paper strips; 81
she would have got some real leaves from
the garden and, comparing them Will the
velvet ones Of tha carpet. have pro
nounecd the woolly ones not right at all, as
most likely they were not. The kinder
garten scholar is Taught 50 many uses for
the hands that they have little time To get
into mischief It's plays arr not aimless
nonsense. 1t is taught to see tue things
it looks at, to walk straight and speak
straight and think straight It is cncour-
aged to ask the reason why. II viii be
readily seen that tile two years before
the ordinary school age. under careful
supervision Of young woman who under
stands how to train the child's faculties
fas over so many strings and Sticks, really
give that scholar great advantage when
it comes to The primary class in the public
sehool-room. 1t learns to read faster, il
takes an interest in everything the teacher
says and docs; it is quicker at figures and
facts, too. than the neglected child who
has been let alone to he as dull in its play,
as careless in It's ways, and a. imperfect
in its speaking az children, even Of good
fathers and mothers, frequently are by SIS
years old. Three hours day, from nine
to twelve in the kindergarten are spent
in play and occupations suited to littlt
children. with wise teachers putting III tho
right guidance at the right moment foi
poltencss. for sentlencss for truthfulne>s
for reverence; giving self-respect with
out Dragging chow school children 4,
.brag'' in the street; Il must be surviya
of some savage tribes boastiDg) Th'
Kindergarten teaches better levels ofFrid,
and the little one is taught in its own small
way 10 judge and to have sense Of it,
obligations 10 Others HiIa. LeGgcr