Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-07-12
ELEMENTARY EDUCATION
Interesting Views Expressed at the First
Session,
FroebePs System Rest for Guiding
Young Minds to the Proper
Conception of Study.

| First Congregational Church. The many
| interested in the important subject had
| concluded their sightseeing and were at lib
| erty to give themselves up entirely to the
| business in hand. The exercises were COM
menced with an address by Rev. W. n.
! Hailmann of this city,, PRESIDENT of the de-
| partment, who said that in order to reach
| tn, real life of the child and it's growing
| character the school must eliminate from
| organization and method certain traditions
| of mediaevalism and enter upon certain
| new paths pointed out by FroebeL
| The traditional school draws it's material
| chiefly from the past, ignores thu present
| and the future, is stranger to the real
and actual in life. OF these drawbacks
| Froebel would rid the school. For author
| ity he would substitute insight; for the wor-
| ship of the past, the control of the present;
| for the book, life with It's experience and
| opportunities to do. Yet he would not dis
card authority, the past and the book. In
| deed, he would impart to them even higher
value than they enjoy now, by using them,
| not as ends in themselves but as means to
| higher ends.
The Value of FrOebeI's System.
In his method it is the pupil who does the
| work Of quarrying knowledge and purpose.
| Every new insight gained by the pupil en-
| riches his life and enlarges it at once and
| leads at once to growing efficiency. Hence,
he makes much use of manual activity,
| play, the pupils interests and needs but
he leads manual activity to work. fancy to
| art, play to social coordination, interest to
| devotion
The applicability of Froebel's educational
| principles to practice was shown by him,
| both in the kindergarten and in higher
| work The eminsntly practical character of
| his scheme In connection with elementary
| work has bean further proved in number
| of schools, more especially in the United
| States. Indeed, this scheme seems to be so
| fully in conSonance with dis tinctiyely
| American life that its spirit permeatss
| more or less helpfully every department of
/ the American school.
| On this account and in order to lift an in
stinctiye tendency into purposeful leader
| ship, 1t was decided at Milwaukee that the
| essential phases of Froebefs educational
| scheme in their relation to elementary
| work be discussed at this meeting. The re-
| suit is the program before you.
| The Value of Hand Work.
Mrs. Mary F. Hall, supervisor of primary
| work in the Milwaukee public schools, read
the first paper, her subject being Value
of the Hand in Acquisition of knowledge
and Expression of Thought"
Mrs Hall said: The principle of self-activ-
| ity, the most important result of education
! al evolution, was first systematized by the
kindergarten, then adopted by the manual
| training school. 8 3D.
Hand work is to be considered a mode
| of studying what is, already In the course,
| not an addition to IT; therefore it should ex-
tend through the grade course.
| Our traditional courses of verbal instruc-
ton are criticised by the press, parents
| and practical people-as mechanics, farm
| ers, manufacturers-for their impractical
ness and the failure of our graduates in
| habits of work, motor energy and other of
| the most valued products of the new edu-
| cation.
| Teachers are conservative, but those who
| make courses and manage schools are re-
| sponsible for their results.
| Education by Doing.
| The demands of the reformers and prac-
| teal people are in harmony with modern
! psychology. 1t says that a child by what
| he does during the period of brain-growth
| becomes the architect of his own brain as
| well as his fortunes; that the child needs
| to use the large motor area belonging to
| the hand and arm if the man Is to do
rather than dream, that doing Experienced
precedes knowing and expression
| The laws of mental science would make
| education q series of experiences and i'm
| presslons regulated under law; but the reg
| ulations of the school board may disregard
all this.
This education by doing is demanded by
| present American conditions. The ward
| SCIloolS Oh c1tleS snow the extent to which
| we are working up heterogeneous elements
| into national type. Great industrial and
| social changes have lowered the average of
| intelligence, thrift, moral earnestness and
| varied industry of the homes. (These quail
tiles once supplemented the defects of
| schools OF the humanities.) The widening
| OF SUM areas, with their low: standards,
| Senuinbed powers and clumsy triggers ma Ike
| peculiar demand for learning by doing
That hand work mode of investiga-
| ton shall be made an organic part of the
| common school course is indicated alike by
| sound pedagogy and by social and indus
The Factor of Play.
After the discussion of Mrs. Halls paper.
| led by Superintendent George Griffith Of
| Utica, Miss Allie NJ. Felker critic teacher
in the California State Normal School at
San Jose, considered play as means for
1dealizing and extending the childs ex-
perience.
| Play, she said, was a determining force
| IN national development and progress.
The double meaning OF play Is directed
thought along the line Of the child's ac-
| tlVittes, and action without special hind
| rance, opportunity to work out ideas
Right conditions for play normal chill
dren, model school homes and professional
| ly trained teachers
The function of play is ito educate the
| individual for his life work in net work
| of social relationships ".t'-
| To understand people child must initiate
| them; to understand stories he must dra-
| matize them; to develop true ideals he must
| create. -.'
The errors to be avoided in training chill
| dren are too much instruction, over ques-
| tionfng, helping children until they become
| helpless, giving surfeit of work or play
| and not supplying conditions for growth.
| The teacher of the future will inspire the
| child to do for himself, fan the God given
| powers within him until they glow with the
| spirit Of Usefulness, burn with the steady
fire of talent, or burst into the living flame
| Of genius.
Should be FOstered at Home.
| The play spirit should be fostered in the
home. Experience cansbe gained and ideals
| established through imitation and dictation
exercise. leading to invention; music,
color play and drawing, leading to art;
stories, the ethical basis of history and lit
| erature: and social indoor and out of door
| games, resulting In the. all-round develop
\ ment of the child.
Happiness is the proper condition for the
| reception of knowledge II play is the le-
climate business Of childhood. then ito
turn work to play is the teachers highest
| Schools where children Are given freedom