The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-09-21
FOR THE LITTLE FOLKS.
The Term Begins To-Day At the
New kindergarten on Benton
Avenue
Miniature World Wherein the
Child Meets His Peers and
Learns
Importance OF This Instruction to Moth
rs-Elizabeth Harrison's Work
In Chicago.

10 There is much misconception in regard
a the kindergarten. IA Miss Harrison sal
in a recent lecture, "People who kno'
nothing about it regard it as a place whel
b children are sent to be amused, and natur
: ally enough sensible ones object that til
child might better DO with its mother
Z They do not understand that u child and it
p" mother grow closer to each other by bein,
, separated n part Of each day. This is nc
cordinR to the great law Of alienation
which demands individual life IA we'll as
life of participation, eyon in the early year
9 Of a young child. As to the objection t
the kindergarten on the ground Of over
stimulation, no true ~kindergatener over
! stimulates the child. The reverse is rather
the result. The truth is, tho young brair
+. 10 constantly taking on impressions. anG
the question is shall those impress.
sions be vague, confused, haphazard, or
shall they be clear. definite and Of such q
nature as shall be easily digested? Again,
the kindergarten Is a miniature world.
wherein the child meets his peers and learns
to bear and forbear; to serve and command
by turns: to adapt himself to the wishes
and pursuits of others and win to his de-
sires and plans" Several attempts have
been made in Helena to establish kinder
cartons, but not until lately has this
system of instruction been favorably
received. In 1885 a kindergarten was
started in connection with st. Pc
ter's Episcopal parish school. It met with
very little encouragement and it was given
up. Mrs. Glenn, of Livingston, who has a
kindergarten in that city, opened a similar
institution here last spring. There was a
largo enrolment and interest was awak-
ened IN the movement. Mrs. Glenn, how
over. was obliged to return to Livingston.
From present indications it seems that
Helena will now have a permanent kinder
garten. 1t opens to-day under the man
agement of Mrs. Benjamin in the Bohm
block on Benton avenue near Lawrence
street. Mrs. Benjamin has succeeded in
awakening considerable interest lin the
Frobel system Of Instruction ana has en-
listed the aid Of q number of mothers. She
has been with Elizabeth Harrison, of
Chicago, who has done SO much to
build up the system in that city. The Chi
cago Post gives an excellent sketch of Miss
Harrison's work in Chicago. The under
developed from a small beginning to its
present proportions. Finding tina her
work with the children without the cooper
alton of the mothers fell short of the de-
sired aim, Miss Harrison addressed herself
to them. She began the mothers training
class in 1885 with five teachers and two
mothers. Now it is one of the Chicago in
situations which attracts the attention of
educators throughout the country. Through
the instruction it has afforded hundreds of
mothers have been enabled to understand
how to successfully discharge their duty to
their children. Another department of the
work which grew out of the demand for it
is the training class for nurses. Thus all
who came in contact with the child are 80
instructed as to enable them to work in har-
mented and carried forward by the other.
In this way the Chicago kindergarten
Training School was developed, and as time
went on began to send out teachers as struts
by which it might be known. Soon it was
demonstrated that. like the proverbial
while, unlike him, she was also valued at
home. The teachers trained by her and
her colleagues went forth to successful
effort, and for more than a year the demand
for teachers graduated from this school has
beer greatly in excess Of the supply. This
but has been from the Atlantic to the
Pacific coast. ',
The changing of the kindergarten Train
ing School to a college, recently announced,
has been in response to a demand for a more
extended course and more widely differen-
instruction than has previously been
given. Neither the aim of the work nor the
method of instruction will be altered. The
motto of the Chicago kindergarten College
is the quotation from Froebel which says:
THE destiny Of nations lies in the hands
of women" This is the keynote of all the
instruction included in the curriculum of
the reorganized school, as it was in the in
stitution from which it sprung. To awaken
women to q sense of their responsibility
and to fit them to intelligently discharge
the duty OF properly training children is
the theme of all the work done in the
In the prospectus the statement is
made that the training of children, correct
ly understood, demands of woman her
endeavor, the broadcast culture, the =
most complete command of herself and
understanding of her resources and en- |
vironments. 1t demands of her that she '
beoo me a physician, an artist, a teacher. a
poet, q philosopher a priest. To furnish
for this high standard of edu- b
cation is the aim of the college, and some n
the ripest and best known scholars in d
the country are connected with the lecture i.
course. |
Fifteen charity kindereartens we're con-
lucted by the Chicago kindergarten train :
lng school in different parts of the CITY. ]
This work will be carried forward by the
college. It is q part of the course Of in q
WV .uop VnSA puPlA Ocluk ubt0O TOE Il =
shall give instruction in these {
schools, that they may understand life G
rom every point OF view in order to enable :
them to successfully teach tho indissoluble a
Inter-dependence of nll classes. 0
An illustration of tho strong influence d
which the kindergarten training has on the :
children of the lowest and most degraded =
was seen a few weeks ago in n y
school where there are over thirty brothels
in one block. When the school was first
established the officers said that the younp =
lady teachers simply could not with safety
there, but Miss Harrison states that
hey could not have been treated with more
and consideration if they had been
The usual instruction was
gwen the poor little humans who had
heir abiding place in this locality,
n the recognition Of the beau
'lful by means of pictures Of
'rees, and OF flowers in pots. Many of them
lad never seen u treo growing. Arrange
nsnts for II picnic having been made, on
heir way to Washington Park they saw n
orlorn old tree at Harmon court and thew
9ere electrified with delight. A popcorn
nan who stood on the corner was ipnored
nd they delightedly called tho attention OF
heir teacher to the beauties they had been
anRht to discover. Further on O pink lam
made stand did not incite even n LONGING
glance, while II live COW. something thev
never seen before, excited the most In
ense delight and interest. When the park
vas reached and they saW real lower prow-
ny under tho open sky their delight knew
10 bounds. Not once on their way to THAR
,iCnic or when they ware retnrpip, IN .hn,