Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-01-05
KINDERGARTEN.
ABLE ADDRESS DELIVERED Ry
MRS. COOPER
before the State Teachers Conven-
ton, at Sacramento, on De.
cember %, 1888.


lne vigorous, earnest and inspiriting ad
oress OF Mrs Sarah B. Cooper, at the Teach
ers Association, will recall the fact tina
much OF the address was extemnore an5
iairly bristled with argument and scinhI
lated with telling illustrations. At its clos,
vote of thanks was passed to Mrs. Coone,
Tor the able address, and it was requested
Ior publication. a resolution was alsc
passed that the best interests of the publie
schools demand that the kindergarten
should become part Of the regular course
and that children should be admitted ar an
earlier age.
at our request Mrs. Cooper has kindly
added as much Of the extempore portion OF
her valuable address as she could forum.
late from memory, for the readers of the
RECORD UNION:
,., Inc subject given me tor discussion 10
should kindergarten Work be Pursued
Alone, or IN Connection With the Ordinary
o.u1les OF the Primary School ?" What /
VS. 70 snow, dear friends in the time al
ioued me, Is the intimate connection there
ms ruction. N-'>' az ia'ei
=, Leading kindergartners all contend that
the primary school should breathe The
same spirit as the kindergarten: but II
deals with children who are not ACTING so
much under the direction of instinct. Thew
are beginning to be self-directive from the
reason or Judgment side of their natures
ana not from the intuitive side. To carry
lne hetnods OF the kindergarten into the
primary school and not carry the spirit of
tue great master Froebel, will not ADVANTAGE
the primary school. The foundation prin-
Glple on which the kindergarten rests is
lnis that the highest type of humanity
Whlch education can produce is reached by
the equal and simultaneous growth ri
every faculty. Hence, the kindergarten
provides for the nourishment of every
root IN Its earliest STAGE, on the ground
10 1nat all are essential to a perfect growth.
Inc epocns OF educational growth follow
sne oivlheiy ordained epochs of vegetable
groWtn-there is the root-life, the stem.li
and the blossom-life. That the blossom
VIII depend very largely upon the care and
nurture gwen to the root, no one will deny
30, then, the germs of every faculty. must
nave their appropriate no,.Ishment at The
earliest possible point of time. and there
must also be simultaneous growth. Again
ieI US note carefully that all branches of
later instruction grow out of this root cult
~, DO not simply follow upon them.
Jhe real kindergarten thought is constant
development, but not change. From one
point should follow a progressive course
without breaks and changes. That is to
say, the radical, root idea is all the time the
same-nemely: embodiment, development
growth. The fact is, the public school
teacher has a right to Judge
OF the value of the kindergarten
ualning, which has been given to the
pupils that come from these schools, By the
power OF learning possessed by these chill
dren-not by the ability TO read and write
but by the facility for learning how to read
and write. In other words, what power of
observation, of comparison, of Judgment
40 the pupils manifest? Is there Quick
ness ana accuracy of eye, ear, hand. and
limb? tendency to take on education :"
so to speak. You have a right to expect
the careful training and development of
the active powers and of the senses. The
yocanon OF the kindergarten is TO train and
develop the very aptitude required for all
branches of school work. The kinder.
garten, if it fulfill its m ssion, must train ali
the senses to be keen and quick in action.
and to be faithful ministers and in,
terpreters between the soul and the outer
world. True growth is the equal
aud constantly increasing DEVELOPMENT of /!
every faculty. That is not genuine growth |
winch Is developed only on one side. That |
IS more proper bullying and misshapen
oohuitloh. III order TO proper growth. |
tnere must Dc freedom, coupled with obe- |
cienee to tie innate laws Of life and being,
exactly as IN the vegetable kingdom. Said
an eminent teacher: " If education IS NOT
only to give instruction, but to unfold and /
discipline faculties, and bring them into fit |
condition Tor observing, learning and think |
Ing arlsht, 1t IS very obvious that the whole |
OF this work cannot begin at once. The child !
must learn to use his mental powers. as |
he has learned to use his bodily powers, by !,
patient, persistent training and effort-.ne
must use his faculties as he does his limbs
The art OF training Preccdes the art of |
learned By his own experience as a teacher
what we seq verified every day. that N
pressing curriculum of daily school lear &c
scanty time for this gradual developme =. re- IS
all the faculties of the little child. | ? ~.
believe that we begin to understap 40 nor
IS included in that expression, -. u wn .h
faculties of little child All ths
believe, dear friends, the :. :.
range of '.unmapped countr g Sc -. !. 'as Is
awaiting discovery; vast Jo,,a;,, - -. 49,
explored territory, as yet r on "a ~,
E.o 49, sonaIa which the eve of
caIn,nhns 30, 800 az. " 4et great educational
6ivining GO IT .cted with steady and
;ns sin11g 81 "a e saw with true spiritual
u,Ia, ,,r;oaia.s .ernal continents of truth.
No.; stores of hidden-awav posi-
CO.., H. ~ are in the human mind He
tbe c loo h loan of faculty, needing only
,he iat. ing away of underbrush and briers
shon. .ing in of soft sunlight and gentle
4efs, to beekon forth the sleeping
ms. Frederick Froebel saw it ali in
,rophetic clarity of vision and having con-
secrated himself TO the heaveu-inspired
work while he lived, with perfect faith in
its ultimate triumph, he babe brave fare
well to the few true friends who stood by
him in his work, knowing that what is ex-
cellent as God lives, is permanent. And
SO it has proved for to-day the great educa-
tional principles which he discovered and
laid down are going forth in every direc-
ton. conquering and to conquer. The
kindergarten is his enduring monument
The kindergarten concerns itself more
with the development OF faculty than with
the mere impar;ing OF knowledge. 1t rec.
ognzss the tact that all true education is
learning, transformed to faculty. Ii does
not ask so much, What does the child
know ?" as, Has the child learned how to
learn ?" 1t looks less to mere acquire
ments than TO the capacity to acquire. II
is teaching the little child to teach himself
1t is controlling the little child that he NAV
learn the art of self control. The kinder
garten devotes itself more to ideas than tc
words; more to things than TO books. Il
begets within the child the power of assim.
lating knowledge for the highest uses o
life.
The senses are sbarpened, the hands ar,
trained and the body is made 1.-THE anC
active. The gifts and occupations repre-
sent every kind of technical activity Tn,
children must work for what they get
They learn through doing, They thu
develop patience. perseverance, skill ant
will.power. They are encouraged by ever,
fresh achievement. What they know they
must know thoroughly and accurately
Every element of knowledge is transforme,
into an element OF creation. The min,