The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-10-19
KINDERGARTEN IN THE HOME.

In these days of kindergarten training
classes for mothers, it seems almost a
presumption to offer few suggestions
for home work in this line. Froebel set
the kindergarten age at three years;
practical experience proves that very
little can be done with class of child.
rem OF this tender age, while the mother
may then aid materially. We have heard
recently of one very enthusiastic parent
who had begun in the seventh week of
her baby's life to hang balls upon his
cradle. The balls were to be changed
weekly, until all of the first gift colors
were exhausted. Poor crammed little
budding intellect! AS intelligent moth
ers you can readily see why ball finds
place thus early in the child's world.
its brightness, its motion, catching the
eye and holding the attention. You can
also see that as the child grows older
the ball will become real playmate-a
living toy, if you aid in making it so.
Then, if you are preparing for the kim
dergartner, as she is to do for the school,
you will assist her greatly at this one
point. The colored wool ball, because
of its simplicity and perfection of form,
its power Of motion, it's bright dress, its
familiarity, is our first gift-our link be-
tween the home and the kindergarten.
1t is one of our thought to
the child. AS your baby grows older. be
sure that you provide yourself with
copy of Emile Poulsson's Finger Plays.
OF course your mother brought you up
on This Little Pig" and her mother
and he's before her clapped hands to
"Pat-a- cake" but you need more rhymes
and here they are supplied. Even
should the children be perfectly familiar
with these before coming to US, they
will be delighted to say or to sing them
over and over again for "what novelty is
so sweet as that monotony where every
thing ia known and loved because it is
known" You could not, if you would,
exhaust this book for some years, and if
you never send your child to kinder
garten, follow the finger plays with little
talks. Find into what broad fields
these will lead you and the child, and
for how long period of his life he will
find them entertaining. or course you
will tell stories to your child-what
mother does not? But when you do,
proceed to the work not only with love
for it and pleasure in the effect, but be-
cause you are convinced that stories are
one of the great means of education.
Select the stories as you would your own
reading-guided by a good literary
standard. Remember that you are at
the beginning of that chain of educators
the mother, the Kindergarten, the
teacher. and that you are to begin the
cultivation of the child's imagination,
memory and powers of language. Never
grow weary Of repeating story lit is
the child's prerogative to demand it
many times over. and let him aid you
by suggesting now word, now SEN
tence, until finally he is able to tell you,
briefly, in his funny little way. the
whole thing. When you wish to keep
him busy. use some of the simplest kim
dergarten occupations. At first, put
large sheet of paper over cane seat
and let the child-furnished with dull
pencil-punch holes. This is charm
ingly successful. Simple books Of col
ored square papers may be kept and
bound by the mother. Straw chains.
first straw, then paper square or
circle or a melon seed) are very enter
tanning. If you work with the child.
you may teach him to count in this way.
Making soldiers with colored pencils on
checkered paper is easy and practical,
when the soldiers are merely vertical
lines. AS the child grows older sewing
cards and mats for weaving are in order.
In all this work however, do not lose
sight of the educational advantages to
be gained. Amusement it will surely
bring but just as surely il carefully
guided. mental concentration, persever
ance. manual dexterity. These results
are invaluable to your child, to you, to
us.
Space is not given to enumerate the
simpler gifts and the mode of work with
these nor the occupations of which you
may make use. These are indeed but
suggestions. II you care to follow them,
spend, if possible. one day in some good
kindergarten, where you can see the ma
terial. and then apply all your natural
wit and ingenuity in working to bring
about good educational results.-Lilian
Chambers, in The Home.