The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-01-10
AS TO KINDERGARTEN METH
obs.
Some Suggestions by the President OF
Clark University.

Some Suggestions by the President OF
Clark University.
| would like to see organized work
of rescue to deliver the modern kinder
garten from the neutrality-suspicious., and
to give it over to the philosophical ny
gienists, who should make it everywhere
and first of all palace Of health. The
needed reforms in the kindergarten
must, of course, come with deliberation
enough to be sure. A committee of ten
or more might help, provided they were
not Undergraduates, but were wise and
competent, although a badly appointed
committee would do harm by confirm
old practices. Let me confess frankly
that L do not, myself, know at pres
ent just what should be done or just
how this grade of education should be
best organized. One of my dearest
wishes is to have. adequate means
placed at my disposal to experiment a
scheme of detailed work. That this
could be done from data that are access
sible is certain. Great improvements
are entirely practicable.
A few things / shall venture to indi-
cate. The body must be strengthened.
The activities should involve more body
movements, and the strain upon the
hand and eye should be reduced. The
very high educational value of dancing
should be expoited; it cadences the en-
tire sould as almost nothing else. Build
ing should be done with much larger
blocks. Catching throwing and lifting,
plays and games should be selected
from Mr. Johnson's, or some other con-
venient, repertory. Imitationor "do as
/ do" activities should have a larger
ulace. Bean-bags, and, if there were
room, perhaps the hoop, the jumping
rope, and the kite might have some
place
Certainly the doll, with all it's i'm
mense educational power, should be
carefully introduced. Much might be
said in favor of the color-top, peg board
soap-bubbles, and such old plays as
jack-straws and knuckle- bones All the
proceedings of the toy congress- and the
contents Of the toy-shop, should always
be studied and used. Walking sideways
and backways, and sorting out very he
terogeneous blocks and cards and laying
like to like, might be tried; while pop
corn, play with, chalk, shells, spools,
pictures-perhaps cut and pasted-milk-
weed pods, potato work, possibly the
whip and all possible contact with ami
mate life should be carefully expert
mented with-always remembering that
the child's interest in animals culmin-
ates before that in flowers or trees and
that the latter reaches its apex before
interest in inanimate things When we
reflect for moment on the richness of
the possible symbolism that might be
developed out of objects like the above,
we realize that the intellectual pabulum,
even according to the current Froebel
philosophy, would be condensed and en-
riched rather than otherwise.
The intellectual method of kinder
garten thought needs readjustment. It
must be made accessible to the scientific
movement of the age, which has hardly
touched it, 1t must study the marvel
Gus school of infancy, which Comenius,
long before Frohel, and no less wisely,
devised, and profit by it. 1t should Gull
tivate children, not in pots but in gar
dens. 1t must study the nature of the
child. and abate its cult of an attenu-
ated symbolism. Every child should
have opened and kept for IT, during its
course, a life-and- health
book
There is needed for the kindergarten
a definite curriculum. with loyalty to
the genetic conception, and in friendly
rapport with with the new psychology.
There should be less attention to re-
suits and a closer interest in and SYM
pathy with educational work and or
ganization for other grades. More col
lege women are needed. There is need
ed also more sentiment and less senti- |
truer conception of the |
child, not as trailing clouds of glory and |
family understanding everything, but |
as lovely little animal. full of help |
lessness and incapacity, but also of |
boundless personalities. Every educat-
or, even the university professor will |
profit by careful study of the kinder
garten. The enthusiasm and love of |
children on which it is based are the |
very greatest needs in the higher grades. |
Froebel should lead the present marvel
Gus movement Of advance, and not be
dragged at its chariot wheels
/ would invoke our wisest mothers
who, most glorify the home by the light
IF their life and example, to let 1t shine
into their institution, which is nearer
to the home than any other. I would
invite girl graduates, seeking vocation
where they can bring to bear all the
pest that an academic career has taught |
hem, to consider whether the need of |
more educated leaders her does not con-
stitute a call to them. I would like to
,all the attention of literary women
and of leaders in all the reforms that
end to the development of a sphere for
as complete and fitted to her
as man-made institutions are
% his, to shed the light of their sympa-
HES and intuitions upon the kinder
yarten which has a development in
his country far beyond that of any 9TH
n; and I would urge my professional
colleagues in my own department, seek
ng a field where philosophy can be APP
,lied, to consider ths-President G..