St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-11-08
LITTLE TOTS LEARN.
An Interesting Chapter on the
kindergarten System Of
st. Paul.
Multiplication Table Gilded
So the Little Tots Cry
for 1t.
Fractions Sugar-Coated and
Swallowed Like Lolli-
pops.
Information Gradually Alb
soPbed Through a Course
Of Play.

ullil0u. OCIlOOl kept oil udy III
those days of our dawning in
tellects. and often times we trudged
off home deep into the twilight with
knuckles very sore from sound raD-
pings by the masters ferule, and feel.
ings very much hurt from being kept
after school," We were shaken till our
teeth came loose. We had to stand on
the floor and hold books in our mouths,
We spelled up and spelled down, and
lost our places III the line If once a toe
crossed the chalk mark. That is how
we went to school. We went as young
as any one wanted to send us, and
learned as best we could.
To-day little children are taught the
principle that happiness comes first.and
that child cannot learn intelligently
unless he is happy. Floggin G went out
of use in city schools some years ago.
and among the little children even
seedlings are forbidden. The kinder
garten system prevails among children
from three to six years of age, and a
kindergarten is a most charming pace.
The room is almost Invariably large and
sunny. Around a long table marked
off into small squares are little
chairs. The walls are COW
cred with bright and artistic
pictures, notices and the gay colored
work of the little kindergartners-
chains of paper links, woven paper
mats, cards with animals worked in with
gay zephvrs, and other articles of child
ish manufacture innumerable. There
is piano. and to a chance visitor it
seems as if the children were
Always Playing Games.
There is one game that is always a
favorite. A half dozen or more children
are chosen to be little leaves. and stand
10 one side, while the others join hands
IN circle and sing song about the
coming Of winter, ana the winds invita-
ton to the little leaves to come and
have frolic. The little leaves hear.
and with rush dance into the circle.
skipping and hopping and laughing till,
as the verse of the song relates. Jack
Frost nips them all, and down on the
floor huddle the bright-eyed, giggling
little leaves.
That Sentimental game known to lis of
old as Drop the handkerchief is
moderniZed, and becomes the Cat and
mousie." 1t is wonderful to see how
prettily the little ones initiate the
stealthv step of pussie stealing along
after mOusie, and how delighted they
all seem when mousie hears the pur-
suer and runs away around the ring
and back to place. The games have all
the interest of the old-time favorites,
but each is calculated to teach some
fact in life. and the words always mean
something. The kindergarten work
is really just play for the chill
dren. but uncOnsciously they learn
the numbers, aud the elements of form,
size and comparison. The multiplied
ton table, that ancient bug-bear. is
taught. or at least the simplest part of
it is taught, before the child is aware
that he is learning at ali. Fractions are
made most alluring, so deeply are they
sugar-coated, and the ideas of things in
general the infant mind abSorbs are
innumerable.
There are private kindergartens in
Vulnerable in st. Paul. At at least a
dozen different residences from four to
ten children gather every morning. with
a governesS or teacher. Most of the
private schools have kindergarten de-
partment, and it is no uncommon sight
to sc carry-all. drawn by the most Sc
date of horses, going from house 10
house to collect the children and carry
them to school. Mrs. Brown, on lyle
hart street, was the pioneer kindergar-
ten teacher in st. Paul. Her assistants
have changed from year to year, but
Mrs. Browns school has always been d
favorite. At the Freeman school. on
Mackubin street, Miss Dennis presides
over a score or more of little girls from
the aristocratIc neighborhoods in the
vicinity of the school. At st. Agnes
school for girls, at the corner of Oakland
and Grand avenues, with the Misses
Morton in charge, Miss Kitty Davy
teaches the little ones. Mrs. lamar is
assistant.
Private kindergartens
there are galore, but as their ork is of
necessity among the weather. classes,
the free kindergartens are of more pub
lie interest. At the Peoples church
Miss Lott has a kindergarten which is
free to those children whose parents can
not afford TO pay the small tuition asked.
Miss Carrie Gilfllan is assistant, and
the school is growing rapidly.
There is an enormous amount of
work for then free kindergartens.
They take in the children of the streets
lust at the time when their minds are
most easily impressed and their tastes
formed. and give them a touch of refine
ment the neglected little ones would
otherwise never have. Department is
no small part of the system. The creche
receives babies, but the free kinder
gartens take care of little ones from
three to six years old all the morning.
and keep them safe from the evil infiu-
ences of the street, besides giving them
a liking for cleanliness and innocent
amusement. Their minds are started in
the right direction.
The Free Kindergarten association is
about four years old. Rev. E. c. Mitch
ell is the president of the board of fif-
L -
and Miss Ludden treasurer. The head
Relief building, on Ninth street, where
there is a free Kindergarten in charge
of Miss Clarke. The school is doing an
excellent work, and is carried
OH in connection with the tain
ing school for kindergarten teachers
of which Miss Clarke is principal. The
training school graduated a class this
year. of which four are employed in
the city, one in Little Rock, Ark. and
one in the feeble-minded school at Fari-
bault. The largest Kindergarten in the
city is on Chicago avenue, on the West
side. and is taught by Miss Sue Green.
1t is fairly Oyer-crowded, but the ener-
getic young teacher manages admirably
with the limited means at her COM
mand. The school on East Seventh
street, near Hoffman. is taught by Miss
Berry. The other kindergarten of the
association was on the Bohemian flats.
and has been closed for lack of funds.
Lack of funds! That is the cry of the
free kindergarten board. The schools
are supported entirely by subscriptions,
but while people Will subscribe freely
to alleviate the sufferings CT South sea
heathens, they are very moderate in
their pecuniary sympathy with the
heathens of st. Paul. The school in the
relief building will be closed at
Christmas for tie lack of funds.
No institution in this city is
so needed as the free kinder