The Washington times., 1895-06-19
Th8 Kindergarten
In Operation
FR0EBEL'S GREAT PLAN GETS A
CHANCE IN THE SCHOOLS.
A Bright Michigan Girl In
troduces 1t in the Eastern
Section of the City.
tCome 20 me, oh ye chile-en!
And whisper in my ear
What tho birds and the winds are singing
In your SAMMY atmosphete'


In yours sammy atmospheie'
T7HEREhaslately been foundedin wash
ington an organization known as
the Columbian Kindergarten As
sociauon' Its object is TO
introduce into the public schools OF
the District the beautiful and perfect sys-
TEN OF Kindergarten which its members
advocate. a step in this direction was
taken on the 9Th of March last, when the
scaol officials kindly gave the use of a
room in the Eastern High School building
for an experimental class.
Miss Josephine Ewing, of Grand Rapids,
Mich, was placed in charge, and opened
with class OF thirty-six. She had nearly
200 applicants for admission, proving con-
clusively The need and popularity of the
kindergarten branch of education. Miss
Ewing is a pupil OF Miss Lucretla Willard
Treat, who has a laTge training school in
Grand Rapids and was for six years an
associate of susaE Blon. For the last
three years Miss Ewing has assisted Mrs
Treat in the Summer University kinder
garten OF Bay View, Mich, and viii this
summer be principal of that Institution.
While all the kiGdergartens teach the same
=
Froebel, the methods adopted vary in ex-
cellence. Miss Ewing's is considered by
the best authorities as one OF the most
beautiful and thorough eXtant, and TO judge
by the results she has accomplished in
less than three months. it is as the French
would say, ''HOrs concours.
The age of children admitted TO the kinder
garten is from three TO seven years. The
first lesson on assembling new class, is
simply the teacher getting acquainted with
the children, the children with the teacher,
with each other and with their surround
lngs
Next, they learn to observe nature in the
usual order OF the day. They see that the
sun shines in the morning in the east, at
noon overhead, and in the evening ii goes
10 sleep in the west II it is gloomy and
they can not see The sun, the teacher eX-
plains that it is shining somewhere else, TO
make other children happy, and they must
keep the sunshine of c0ntentment in their
faces. They learn different parts of the
body, their functions and their usefulness,
and incidentally, the vigilanJ teacher i'm
presses on theirminds habits ofneatness and
cleanliness.
Music is taught from the first lesson, with
the object OF cultiyating the idea of rhythm.
They are taught TO walk in correct time, to
AGlh anu 10 hlile " 4Al anu ilitNllOl
The entire work of tie day, although di-
vided into many different parts. is always
q connected whole The idea Of continuity
and association is dwelt on with great eX-
actness The thought which is being de
velOped is the connecting link.
All lessons are called the gifts, the oc-
cupations, the games, the songs and the
stories or talks, and are taught consecu-
lively each day.
The gifts are the material given 10 the
children to be returned unaltered. They
begin with a soft ball. Through the law
of recognition, il is like the child-pliant,
active, suggestive OF motion, the ball
means unity, and being a circle conveys
the idea of the mind power-boundless and
immortal. 1t is used, like all the gifts,
as a key to the outer from the inner con-
sciOusness.
From ball children learn form, color
number, and direction. From the soft
they go to the hard ball, mediated by
cylinder. These are called undivided
whules or solids.
To meet the needs Of the child al the in
vestigative period, when no longer satisfied
with the external part he Graves to know
what cOmposes the inner parts, divided
whole is Giyen-that is a cube divided into