The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-09-26
MR.. RIDGLEY'S LECTURE
THE KINDERGARTEN MOVEMENT
ITS AIMS AND ACHIEVEMENTS.
The Kindergarten the Greatest Dis
cOvery of the Nineteenth Century
-DivineIy Appointed For the Re-
formation of Man.

The audience that assembled in the
Sunday school room of the First Con-
lgregation church last evening to wit
ness the games of Miss Robinson's kim
Idergarten and hear Rev. L. B. Ridg-
lley's lecture on the aims and achieve
ments of the kindergarten, was a large
as well as appreciative one.
Miss Robinson. the charming and eff
ficient head of the Rowland Hall kim
ldergarten, illustrated many of the
principles of the work with a class of
itwenty-one children, ranging in age
from to years. The little ones were
under excellent control and showed a
quick intelligence and initiative pow
ers that delighted the spectators. Miss
Robinson was assisted by Miss Helen
Waddell and Miss Marshall, the latter
presiding at the piano.
Mrs. E. H. Parsons introduced Mr.
Ridgley, and also at the close of his
lecture, thanked him in behalf of the
kindergarten association.
Mr.. Ridgley said in part: Too many
parents are like the mother who di-
Irected the nurse to 'go out and see
what Charlie is doing. and tell him,
whatever it is, to stop it." A great err
ror in education is the effort at repres-
Ision of natural tendencies Another is
1.-THE forcing of a childs activity into
lines for which he is not adapted. Both
are pernicious. Don't do that" is the
only piece of advice some parents give
their children,and that is too frequently
heard. AS we'll tread on the plant Just
Ipeeping from the ground as to con-
istantly repress the tendencies of child
mature.
Bright DEVELOPMENT implies guidance
or direction. also restraint, to some ex-
tent. A child has superabounding en-
iergies. His disposition is to do some
thing, If it be only to break, hit or
kick. This comes from the child's
sense of power. Tell a child to "keep
still" As we'll bid Niagara be still
Better do for the child what is being
done at Niagara: make a conduit con-
|ducting the surplus power where it can
be propely utilized. In the kindergar-
ten a child is never told to keep still. -
All his surplus energies are used in the
direction of his own DEVELOPMENT
Every game has purpose of it's own
in impressing some truth, which the
child almost unconSciously imbibes as
he plays.
The inquisftiveness of a child is
turned to account. The speaker had
never seen a child who was too in
Iquisitive, but he had seen children
whose inquisitiveness was allowed to
run riot in forbidden paths ''The man
who does not ask questions dies A
fool Inquisitiveness, properly direc-
ter, is the secret of success Mr.. Ridg-
ley laid stress upon the training of the
power of observing received in the kim
dergarten. He pointed out the notable
lack of the exercise of said faculties by
ladults. He touched upon the wonder
full mimetic powers of children. and
showed the necessity of right models
of conduct
The kindergarten trains the social
instincts as they should be trained.
You may keep person away from
human association, but you can't keep
the devil out that way. a man is quite
as likely to become a moral failure.
perhaps more so, if he leads a retired
life, than if he mingles with his fell
low men. The social amenities are
taught in the kindergarten. The chill
| dren are daily taught to put aside
| Their own interests and seek to CON
| tribute to the pleasures of others In
| directly they learn the fund amenta1
principle of family unity. Family life
| God knows, is lily enough deyeloped in
America and especially in the far west.
Club life and hotel life sadly interfere
WITH II, SdlQ the speaker.
| The accuracy of observation and d.
rection of power acquired in the kind
| ergarten are valuable in the business
world.
| The acts of imitation in the devotion
| al exercises develop faith
p F'roebePs grand aim is carried out in
the kindergarten: The natural activi-
| ties are trained in the direction indi-
Gated by divine law for the develop
ment of the perfect man.
| 1t is said that teachers in the public
schools found kindergarten pupils troub-
| lesome. He would consider this rather
a criticism of the public schools. but
he believed the objection quoted was
not common one. The alertness and
receptivity of kindergarten pupils more
than outweigh their dissemination to
follow the more formal rules of the
schools.
| The speaker characterized the kim
dergarten movement as the greatest
discovery of the Nineteenth century
and IAN institution divinely ordained
for the reformation of man.
/ NTnRRUSnN