The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-12-25

do for himself He is not only taught
what objects are. but he is taught to
produce them. He is taught to create.
Self-dependence and self-reliance are thus
cultivated. He is thrown upon his own
resources, Just as much as possible. 1t is
a maxim of the kindergarten that all help
which smothers self-help, is disastrous in
its results upon the child. Educate the
children for action, for work, for industry;
cultivate their powers for creating and
organizing, and then the desire for doing
and accomplishing will take the place of
the desire for having and for getting.
The kindergarten devotes itself more to
ideas than to words; more to things than
to books. Children are taught words too
much, while they fail to catch ideas. Give
child ideas. The world does not need
fine rhetoric-valuable as that is-half as
much as it needs practical, useful ideas.
That is exactly the aim of the kindergar-
ten-to make the mind creative, to stimu-
late thought, to beget ideas. Habits of
observation are carefully cultivated. Oh
serving is more than seeing. The child in
the kindergarten is taught to observe-tha at
is, to notice with attention, to see truly.
What he learns in the kindergarten is
calculated to make him keep his eyes wide
open to the world about him. He is taught
to think, and that is the primal thing. The
senses are sharpened, the hands are trained,
and the body is made 1.-THE and active.
The heart, as well as the head and hand,
comes in for a large share of training.
The kindergarten occupies itself very
largely with the cultivation of the Leart.
1t not only tells the little child to be good,
but it actually helps him to be good. 1t
thus makes moral education, more than
moral instruction. To keep children from
wrongdoing you must keep them wisely
occupied. The secret of managing these
irrepressible little folks is in keeping them
busy. The occupations of the kinder
garten do this very thing, and in doing it
the pupil acquires skillful use of his
hands, habit of accurate measurement of
the eye, that will be a life possession to
him. 1t is the idle brain that is the devils
workshop. The child in the kindergarten
learns to hate idleness, as nature abhors a
vacuum.
The aim of the kindergarten is, also, to
teach little children to govern themselves
at the earliest possible period.
Let me now summarize the practical re-
suits of seventeen years work in the free
kindergartens of San Francisco.
First, as to the children A vast heaven
land of happiness, never dreamed of be-
fore, IN which the powers and graces of
body. soul and spirit symmetrically I'M
fold, just as do the plants under the genial
and entreatlng rays of the sun.
Second-The perceptible growth and de-
velopment of the creative powers, the
moral and athletic sense, and love for
that which is pure, true, honest and of
good report.
Third-The growth of love to God and
love for each other, which is 'the fulfill
ing of the law" and which will fit them to
be manly men and womanly women, doing
we'll their part in the work of life and max
ing the world better that they have lived
in it.
And as to adults:
First-It cultivates a deeper, wider and
more far-reaching sympathy between the
top and the bottom of society. The rich
and the poor meet together, and the Lord
is the Maker of them all.
Second-An evident moral uplift, slow
but sure, in the localities where the kin
dergartens are located.
Third-An increasing self-respect among
parents, more affection in the households,
and decided tendency to place higher
value upon their children.
Fourth-A slow and steady growth in
moral quality and in the substantial vir-
tues OF practical daily living-such as So
briefly, industry, economy, thrift, self-de-
pendence, good manners. kindness and
temperance in all things.