The Frankfort roundabout. [volume] (Frankfort, Ky.) 1882-1908, 1900-10-13
THE KINDERGARTEN CHILD
AFTER THE KINDER
GARTEN.


In the first place let me say that
] am not q kindergartener and
never have been; neither have /
any relatives or near friends who
are kindergarteners. But have
been privileged to send three of my
children TO q thoroughly good kin
dergarten, and have been so much
helped and inspired in my own
work by kindergarten thought and
literature that / feel impelled to
make some answer to the article
on 1.-THE kindergarten Child"
which appeared in one of our lead
ing magazines some time ago. The
kindergarteners and many leading
teachers have ably defended the in
stitution, but as far as / know the
mothers have not been heard from.
The article in question made very
interesting reading, but many of
the statements are misleading and
calculated to do great harm to the
kindergarten cause.
Certainly all kindergarten chill
dren are not like Freddie" and
"Agnes;" and if they are typical
of those whom Miss Carter saw
during two years she must have
been peculiarly unfortunate in her
experience. Not only must the
children have come from kinder
garten inefficiently managed, but
they must all have been well
spoiled at home.
1t would take marvelously bad
kindergarten to make all the chill
dren so self-conscious. so self-satis-
fed and so lacking in all habits Of
industry and accuracy as she rep
resents them to be, if they had
formed any correct habits at home.
If the kindergarten child does not
always exhibit all of the desirable
characteristics of courtesy, obedi-
ence, promptness, patience and per-
severance under difficulties why lay
it TO the kindergarten?
/ have been occasionally an inter-
ested visitor to the kindergarten
which my little ones attended, and
have noticed a great difference in
the restlessness, the carefulness,
the general reliability and accuracy
of the children. A kindergartener
can not change the Unborn and in
bred nature of a child during the
few hours that the child is under
her care, especially if forces i'm the
home are not working in harmony
with her for the same object. The
child should learn u measure Of
self-control, industry. ETC., in the
kindergarten; but if this is not sup
plemented by home influences the
kindergartener's work is all uphill.
Earnest, thoughtful mothers and
teachers certainly have right to
expect that the kindergarten shall
be a help to them in their work.
They have a right to eXepct thf
the children shall be not perfect Y
accurate, perfectly obedient, etc,
but that they shall be more aC-
curate, more thoughtful, gentle,
courteous and obedient than they
would otherwise have been. If
these results are not in any degree
apparent then mothers and teach
ers should certainly investigate the
cause. 1t is not fair TO take it for
granted that the kindergarten prin-
ciples are wrong. 1t should be re-
membered that there is as wide
difference i'm kindergarteners as i'm
ministers, lawyers, or the members
of any other profession. If, how
ever, any mother or teacher has the
mistaken impression that kinder
garten training better fits children
| to be like little tubs that shall pas
sively receive the sap of wisdom
which she is prepared to pour into
them she is likely to be disillusion-
lied. For kindergarten children are
inclined to- ask questions, and some
times disconcerting questions at
that. They have been encouraged
to do some thinking and observing
on their own account.
Miss Carter fails to see how the
occupations sewing, weaving, fold
ing and paper-cutting can be of any
practical value. These occupations
give the children skill. For myself