Los Angeles herald., 1891-05-10
SCHOOL METHODS.
HOW LITTLE TOTS ARE TAUGHT
THEIR LESSONS.
A Variety of Kindergarten System Some
Incidents Which Were Noted by a
Herald" Reporter.

In accordance with the announcement
made last Monday, the HERALD proposes
to'give its readers an insight into the
way the little ones are taught in the
public schools of this city and state. and
the various surroundings OF the school
room of today. Commencing with the
school at the bottom of the ladder, a re-
porter recently visited the primary de-
partment of the Spring-street school,
and spent a morning in the lowest room
of the first grade. The room is called
the receiving room, and is devoted to
caring for the little ones who are taken
into the school at all times during the
term, and if quick and intelligent they
are soon transferred to other classes and
higher grades. The room is under the
management of Miss Helen Henry, a
teacher of nine years experience, and
we'll qualified to take charge of a class
composed of such heterogeneous ele-
ments as receiving class necessarily is.
| An arithmetic lesson was in progress
when the reporter entered, and the lit
tie ones were as eager and interested as
though story was the attraction, in
stead of the dry study of mathematics.
! The figures 5 and were under dis
cussion, and how do you suppose those
little ones were impressing the numbers
upon their minds? Why. each child
was furnished with box OF gaily color
ed beads, needle and thread, and they
were stringing the beads, of one color,
of another, alternately. Then, when
the work was done the teacher went
around and examined the strings, and a
child in each line acting as collector
gathered up the boxes and strings of
those who did the work correctly.
Next, as sort of interlude, came on
lesson on measures. A little table had
upon it tin pail full of water and three
tin measures-a quart, pint and gill,
respectively. Before commencing the
teacher asked: "What do we call those
things we can pour?" One little fellow,
mistaking the question, called out "soda
water" There was laugh among the
wiser children, Just as there would
have been among older persons,
but the teacher kindly repeated her
question. This time there was a shout:
Liquids !" and the next question came:
"What are those things that are not
liquids called?" Little Willie redeemed
himself this time by supplying the
proper answer.
Now, two little ones were called up to
the table; one was told to act as store
keeper, the other as buyer. The little
girl who came to buy said she wanted
pint of milk, and the storekeeper pro-
ceeded to supply her with measure
which he filled from the pail. Unfor-
tunately he took the wrong measure,
and in moment the room was dotted
with waving hands of those who wanted
to correct the error. The little store
keeper was retired and another took
his place who was better acquainted
with the sizes. After this pleasant lit
tie play, with different actors, had been
enacted several times, the rule: "Four
gils make one pint; two pints make one
quart" was repeated in concert several
times and the class returned to its
arithmetic lesson.
Little Amanda and Bennie were called
out. Amanda was given four sticks of
candy and told to give half of them to
Ben. She did so. Then the children
were asked how many she had had, how
many she had given away, and the fact
impressed upon their minds that was
half of and that and make 4. Then
two more little ones were called up. One
was given four flowers, the other one
flower. 4he one flower was added
to the four and the children required to
tell how many they made then they
were required to repeat the rule "a and
make s."
Next the teacher drew upon the black
board with colored crayoDs, a picture of
a vase containing four flowers, while an
other one lay beside the vase. "Now,
children, tell me story about this pic
ture." Instantly two or three little
ones were waving their hands in air.
"Roy, you may tell the story"
''They were five flowers in the dish
and one of them fell out. That left
four"
''That is good, Roy; only you might
have said there were five flowers, in
stead of they were five flowers
Roy obediently repeats the words, and
thus incidentally gains little lesson in
grammar. Then came a picture of five
hats on the blackboard. A little girl
| puts one of the hats in box by draw
| ing square about it with the chalk.
A story is told about the hat also. Then
| the teacher drew with the colored
crayons numerous simple forms in
groups OF four and one, which the
children were required to copy
upon their states. Now came the words
OF command. ''Slates, one." Every
child grasped its slate in the desk.
'Two," and the states came out with a
rattle. "Three," and the states were
laid upon the desks. Then little lad
went in and out with bottle of water,
sprinkling few drops upon each slate,
clean rags appeared from somewhere,
and the states were soon black and clean.
The class was left to copy the pictures
upon the blackboard, and the arithme-
tic lesson was over.
The reporter next paid visit to Mrs.
Ponds room, where children little
further advanced were being. taught.
They were doing little sums upon strips
of paper, the sums being placed upon