The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-05-08
Miss CLARK'S able Paper
1t Was Read at Meeting Of Kinder
garten Association.
OBJECTS THAT ARE IN VIEW
Lucid Explanation of the Work for tho
Human Family That Is Being Done
at the Training Schools
for the Children.

Below IS the complete text of the ex-
cellent paper read by Miss Katherine
II. Clark at Monday evenings annual
meeting, in Albright Memorial hall, Of
the Scranton Free kindergarten asso-
citation, upon ''The Kindergarten Move
ment:"
"In the beginning is the sublime key
note of success" Here Is the theory OF
the Kindergarten We kindergartners say
Give us the children in the beginning,
while they are yet mere babies, and
through the natural and happy medium
of play we will give them Impressions of
the true and beautiful and good, and
Will awaken ideals which will become their
standard of life, and will lay the solid
foundation of a. social, moral and indus
trial life" These first years, say from
three to. six, are the most impressionable
In the life of an individual. The kinder
'garten recognizes this fact, and urgently
appeals to parents and educators to i'm
prove to the utmost the opportunity
then afforded as to preventive and up
building work. Miss Angeine Brooks,
professor of kindergarten methods, in the
Teachers college, New York. says in this
connection:
"As no other educational institution has
ever done, the Kindergarten provides for
the most impressOnable period of the
child's existence. Tho schools do not or
dnarily accept the child before five years
of age and frequently not before six, but
all acquainted with children know that
his practical education Is well advanced
before that age, and that he has already
received the bent which determines not
only what his school life will be, but fire.
quently also what his whole future char
acter will be"
Miss Brooks goes on to speak of the
great value of the kindergarten as a prep
aration for the primary school in the fol-
lowing words
"a child five years of age may have
been so wen started in life that when he
enters the school. he may have a receptive
mind, docilc, reverent and trustful
spirit, habits of truthfulness and obed-
fence, refined tastes, gentle manners. a
cheerful disposition, and n will go trained
to regard the rights of others that he can
easily adapt himself to the social condi-
ton of the miniature community into
which he has been introduced"
To Grow Symmctrically.
The kindergarten aims to teach the child
to grow symmetrically. He has a three
fold nature, physical, mental and moral,
and the true idea is to cultivate this three
fold nature harmoniously, and develop all
the possibilities of each individual child.
The games and gymnastics educate the lit
tie body from the ends of his fingers to
the tips of his toes. He learns lessons of
politeness and to regard the rights of 9th
ers. His powers of imagination, memory
and perception are greatly strengthened
and quckcned, and the benefits of the
habits of courtesy, punctuality and self
reliance thus unconsciously formed by
means of play in early childhood will be
lasting and incalculable.
Music Is a powerful factor in its influ-
ence upon the imagination, mind and
emotions of the child. therefore the sys-
TEN of the kindergarten circles around its
songs and games. We teach the chill
dren simple songs about birds and flow
ers and such things as they can readily
understand, and the first principles of
music. But the kindergarten seeks to do
more than this. 1t seeks to teach the
child to feel, hear and see the deep lying
harmonies of nature-and through ma
ture's harmonious work to lead up to
natures God. The book of nature, the
only book that infancy can read, is filled
with beautiful pictures for eyes trained to
see. The glowing sunrise, the brilliant
sunset skies, the autumn woods atlame
with gorgeous colors, the peaceful rural
scene. ocean views and rugged mountain
scenery, are few of the pictures mother
nature spreads out for the delight of her
children.
Her stories are equally wonderful aud
beautiful, but how few hear the stories
the sunbeams tell the flowers, the rain
drops whisper to the grasses and Jack
Frost traces on the window pane. Every
thing in the world has a story to tell
and we teach the children to listen with
their inner ears, for the stories the
brooks, the flowers and the birds can tell
them. The kindergarten trains the little
ears to hear music everywhere in nature.
There is music in the murmur of the little
rill, in the splash of the rain. the crash of
rapids and the boom of breakers. There
is music in the rustling of the wind
through the trees. and all sounds of out
door life.
Nature Made the Guide.
Thus II Is that we make nature our
guide and no normal training can be bet
ter for the teacher than a study of ma
ture's plan for the development of man.
| once heard a celebrated clergyman say
that the world was Gods great kinder
garten. God himself has shown us the
value of object teaching. Longfellow pre-
sents this thought in his beautiful little
sonnet TO nature:
As fond mother, when the day Is DER,
Leads by the hand her little child to bed,
Half willing, half reluctant to be led,
And leave his broken playthngs on the
floor
Still gazing at them through the open
door.
Nor wholly reassured and comforted
BY promises of others in their stead,
Which, though more splendid may not
please him more:
So nature deals with us, and takes away
our playthings one by one, and by the
hand
Leads us to rest so gently that we go
Scarce knowing If we wish to go or stay,
Being too full of sleep to understand
How far the unknown transcends the
what we know.
The question may be asked: what Is
the use of this?" In reply l would say
that 1t benefits the child permanently in
many ways, not the least of which is that
1t prepares him to appreciate what is fine
and elevating in art and in literature, and
to see with the poets eyes and to hear
with the poets ears. After a child has
been in the kindergarten short time
his powers of observation have become so
quicSened that he can match Zephyrs, or
select harmonious contrasting colors ac-
curately, and leaves. grasses, flowers:
everything that has color Is noticed and
remarked upon. Everything in nature
has new beauty and meaning to him.
THE heavens declare the glory of God,
and the armament showeth His handi-
work. so through studying nature the
child learns of God, who is the author
and giver of all.
Influence Of Noble Examples.
The stories told in the kindergarten are
all simple, tender and elevating. Each
one is selected with a definite purpose,
and is designed to convey its own special
lesson, the idea being in every case to
bring before the child noble examples,