The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1891-01-15
What Education is the Best ?

question becomes practical and
therefore doubly interesting. To
those of us who look back upon ear
ly school days as a weary waste OF
intellectual inactivity, the blessed
transition through which the schools
of to-day are passing should be a
source of supreme satisfaction. The
schoolmaster is abroad with higher
ideals and a better understanding of
his vocation than ever before. To
him education of the masses means
training Of the individual into the
power of thinking and doing wisely
and well whatever the circumstan-
ces of his life may require, He be-
lieves with Emerson that 1.-THE
great object of education should be
commensurate with the object Of
life"
How to prepare the children to
enter into their best possible inherit
ance, to give them all that not
harms destructive individuality is
the problem that he must now have
to solve. Through a gradual evolu
ton of thought came the discovery
that the child was an an entity
a little human plant, that to be
beautiful must be symmetrical, that
body, soul and spirit must all grow
in harmony. And so the kinder
garten, the children's earthly para
disc, was instituted, the games, oc-
equations and gifts provided food
for the nurture of the three fold ma
ture of the children and they began
to develop naturally and BEAUTIFULLY
as their Creator intended they
should. Then the question arose,
Glow is the transition to be made
from the kindergarten to the prim-
AIRY school-from the concrete to the
abstract SO gradually and skillfully
that the change shall not be felt.
To the primary teacher who under
stands the kindergarten system this
has not been easy. To those I'M
trained in its principles and meth
DDS it must have been very difficult.
Thus far the transplanting has
rested with the individual primary
teacher, it's measure Of success de-
pending upon her tact and talent in
selecting and adapting such kinder
garten helps as the circumstances
Of each case have made possible or
desirable During the last year,
however, the presentation of Prang's
system Of form and color has opened
to Undergraduates and primary
teachers such a rich mine of posi-
bilities capable of being worked out
in endless detail that it contains in
itself adequate material for a con
secutive course that may be carried
without break or interruption from
the kindergarten through the senior
collegiate class Of our college pre-
paratory schools.
A model beginning has been made
and carried sufficiently far in one at
least Of our city private schools to
convince those who have watched it's
progress that the movement is
along right lines and can be made a
most valuable addition to it's curri-
culum.
The course of paper cutting and
clay given by Miss Locke and
adopted in the kindergarten has
been followed in the primary de
partment by a water color course
and lessons in modelling, which
though more advanced, embody the
same principles and grow out Of the
same suggestions.
Free hand drawing also has been
given in connection with it's kindred
occupations. This system extends
to the intermediate classes, while in
the collegiate department historic
ornament is found most fascinating
and educative, especially when it's
wealth of meaning is revealed
through the study of symbolism.
The technical skill thus gained is
worth a great deal, as those realize
most keenly who have none of it.
1T is by no means the most valua-
bic result obtained.) Who of us
have not heard otherwise accom-
plished persons regret their inabili-
ty to draw. the simplest object !?
An ideal kindergarten, no longer
in the ranks, will, I am sure, for
give my little story for the sake of
the cause. We were together tax
ing course of blackboard drawing
with view to Illustrating our
school work. Her efforts, were most
heroic completing the figure Of a
horse, drawn according to certain
geometrical rules. She submitted
it to little girls inspection with
the question, Do you know what
that is /? After looking at it earn
estly for q moment she SLOWLY re-