The evening times., 1896-02-12
WHITE HOUSE CHILDREN
Miss frieda Belhmann to Teach
Them in a kindergarten.
A CLEVER BOSTON TEACHER
The Cabinet Little Folks Also VIII
Benefit by the Arrangement t-some-
thing About the System by Which
the Minds of Little Ruth and Esther
VIII be Trained

Miss Frieda Bethmann, of Boston, is WIS.,
iting Mrs. Cleveland, whose acquaintance
she formed at Marion five years ago, and
she Is to conduct u Kindergarten at the
White House.
Mrs. Cleveland first intended that Miss
Bethmann should tutor the Presidents
children exclusively, but quite a kinder
garten has been founded, COMPOSED of
little Ruth and Esther and the children of
the different Calumet officers, some ten in
number.
hiss Bethmann is regarded as one Of
the brightest Kindergarten teachers in
THIS country. Sne has mad ever advantage
Tor advancement in her work, as her
mother, Mrs. Emile Bethmanu, is one of
foremost kindergartners, and ha ) been en-
ployeI Ill the SCHOOLS OF Boston ever since
the inception OF the system, being the first
teacher selected by Mrs. Quincy A. Shaw
eighteen years ago, when she inaugurated
Kindergarten teaching a S 4 purely phIau-
thropic venture.
Miss Bethniann is a personablc young lady
OF about twenty-five summers. perhaps
Just the ordinary height-five feet orunder-
and has a clear. dark complexion, and
brown hair. She began teaching eight
years ago as an assistant TO her mother.
but she is now principal instructor, in
charge OF the kindergarten department
of the Thomas y. Hart School, at south
Boston. with a class OF sixty children
ranging in age from three TO five years.
She has been granted leave of absence that
she might instruct the Presidents chill
dren. She comes OF an excellent family
which, previous to reverses, was wealthy.
She is OF German extraction. and has
a pleasing personality and natural kind
ly way which seems to draw the chill
dren toward her and inspire them with
confidence.
WELL PREPARED FOR HER WORK
Miss Rethmann is well prepared for
the duties or instructor OF the children
or the first family in the land. for the
has passed through the several grades
OF the public schools, the girls high school,
and has taken special courses OF study at
private schools, including a course under
the noted kindergarten. Miss Lucy H Sy-
monds.
In securing her certificate to teach in
Boston she has. after passing the regular
teachers examination, TO show that she was
proficient in the studies OF noiher-play and
nursery songs, Frocbefs system OF games,
CUTS and occupations. clay modelling aud
dra wing. Froebers and Grubeis number
aud form system, and plant aud animal
life.
METHOD OF INSTRUCTION.
only play, apparently. She teaches the
little ones to sing motion songs. sitting
on a low chair which forms part OF the
ring OF chairs about her. so that all can
se. her, and SO bright and animated does
she become that the veriest dullard
would get inspiration from her.
She sings very sweetly, and exenplifies
sowing wheat by an outward motion of the
hands and 4 graceful swaying Of the bIdy,
and Immediately each little kidlet goes To
wisgling fingers and feet. and swaying till
two or three drop off their chairs, then
they ali laugh and begin over again.
Miss Bethmann believes that one may
grow, no matter what the art that one
works at, but in the main Frucbel is her
guide. She says that she uses the gift
lessons, occupations, movement plays,
games and talks with children just az
the mood seems to be upon them to do GER
tain things.
II their fat legs get tired and want to be
twisting she sets them dancing In some mo-
ton song IN which feet play the most promi-
nent part. If their small hands want to be
clutching at something she sets their fingers
to work. II they want to talk she says to
them: Tell me a story. Tell me what you
saw when you went riding today
And then they cuncoct the TlOst woLder-
full tales in the most babyish language.
which she is careful not to prune down too
quickly, only guiding their tongues over
hard words and supplying one now and
then W hen they seem at j loss for 1t.
When each has told a story she sometimes
tells a very little one herself in short
words and shorter sentences and has one
OF them repeat it. and the Others listen to
see what the repeater leaves out. That
trains their retentive faculties and their
memories. III the laugh and tendency 10
shout becomes irreprcssibie she sets their
voices to melody ard lets them shout 1t out
in song.
TRAINING THE MIND.
"we must not work too fast" she says.
.sfor that would tax the expanding intel
lcct and do an injury that would be time
lost. Many children are stunted in intel
Iect and taught bad habits by not giving
them employment. Child life, like mature
manhood. must needs be employed unless
you would have it getting into mischief.
Men who must work, women who have not
time to gossip or talk cantals, are the men
and women who make the word better
.'Childrcn are only fainter types with
much more energy, and II they are prop
erly employed and their expanding minds
directed rs you train a tender vine to grow
upon a trellis instead of grcveling upon the
ground, you make useful citizens OF them.
Just as you improve upon the lowly habits
of a vine whose Ioveliness must be lost II
you neglect it even for few weeks"