The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-01-20
MANUAL TRAINING.
Subject Of Professor Rich
ards Address at the
Free kindergarten
Yesterday.

Education was we'll represented at the
Jersey City Free Kindergarten yesterday
afternoon. 1t was guest day" in the
educational department of the Woman's
Club. Professor Richards, director of the
Manual School of Training, New York, adj
dressed the ladies on sManual Training"
Illustrating his subject with samples of
the work accomplished by the institution
of learning he represents. He spoke OF
the Importance of manual training as a
means toward the development of char
aeter more thar as to a mere study.
THE only way said he, ito develop a
power is through activity. That is the
kindergarten idea. 1t is the idea OF
learning by doing. and, it is the idea of
manual training" Then choosing a spool
case from among his Illustrations, and
roughly classifying manual training into
four elements, senses, reason, will, emo
ton. The first thing is the stimulation OF
interest. The desire to make the object.
That is the foundation. In making the
article the pupil must use his senses. He
must see. Next he must think-reason
out the execution. This compels the exer-
else of great patience and care. It is
training the will. The object mad must
be something which stimulates the pupils
interest. Something which comes into
healthful relation with his life. When
the object is completed he has the salts
faction of having contributed, while we
have trained the senses, trained the rea-
son. and trained the will.
I'm the second place the kind of work
done must be adjusted to the power of the
pupil. 1t annot be too hard. 1t must
be something the child can do well. On
the other hand it must not be too simple
or you will not get the application" 2
The professor then spoke of the cost
of the art as a regular study in the
school, saying it would have to be
brought down to the expense or other
studies before it could become popular
and said he, The most important fector
of all is the teacher. 1t is the spirit in
which the work is done that tells. There
are cases where manual training has
gained a foothold and then lost on ac-
count of incompetent teachers"
when you hear manual training
spoken of you nearly always hear an
objection to it as a trade The idea
ought to be thrown out. 1t makes a boy
go from school with a better chance to
step into his proper sphere. Where in all
The reason as here? Where can you train
him in self reliance, to do for himself, as
here, and where better can you train
him to do for others?"
At the conclusion of his address Pro-
fessor Richards conducted a sort of Dues
ton box, wherein the ladies asked many
questions and the various objects made
by the professors pupils We're passed from
hand to hand for examination. They con-
sisted of such articles as wooden match
boxes, tool racks, picture frames and
calendars, all of which displayed the work
0 fthe artisan. In this way the professor
was kept busy for about half an hour,
until the light began to fail and the
ladies scented supper in the air.
The three eachers of the kindergarten.
Misses Lillian Fuller, Holland and Soper,
formed themselves into a committee and
received the guests. Mrs. Marvin,
Chairman of the Education Department,
also acted on this committee. The rooms
were still trimmed with the pretty greens
left over from Christmas.