The Opelousas courier. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1852-1910, 1901-12-28
Kindergartens.
THEIR VALUE TO CHILDREN AND
TEACHERS.

WudU uOcS IL llChI ~ w q AAiaANAcH
gartner? These are questions the
Overwhelming interest through the
South, in the new education, make
pertinent. "The Kindergarten,
tightly understood, contains all
the germs of modern education,
as the acorn contains the oak,
says DR.. Lyman Abbott. 1t is a
place where little children, be-
fore they are ready for school, are
started in right directions; where
they are helped to lay for them
selves the foundations for future
right thinking and doing; where
they begin the formation of good
habits of mind and body. The
Kindergarten is a place where the
little child can receive the training
which his mother has not time to
give him, were she competent to
do so; a place where he is thrown
with his equals-children of his
own age-as is not possible in his
own home; a place where every
day for three hours he is helped
to be his very best self IN all his
relationships-his active, helpful,
loving self,
The Kindergarten aims to pro-
vide the child with the best and
most helpful experiences, and to
lead him to get the very most out
of them.
The Importance Of the Kinder
garten rests largely upon the fact
that it is at this early age that the
child is most keenly y alive, his
senses most alert, and his mind
most plastic to receive Impressions
from either good or evil infiu-
ences. 1t. is through play, the
natural instructor - God given
; means for the child's develop
ment-that results in the Kinder
garten are reached. Through the
; work there seems to be only play,
and is often criticised for this
very thing. It is play based on
our insight into the needs Of child
nature, and an understanding of
the laws governing his develop
ment. Shiller has said the test of
any act is that sit appears as
: play"
What does it mean to be Kin
dergartner? Elizabeth Peabody
once said: ''To be Kindergart-
ner is the perfect development of
won1anliness-a working with God
at the very fountain of artistic
and intellectual power and moral
character. It is therefore the
highest finish that can be given to
a woman,s education to be edu-
Gated for Kindergartner.' A
, good Kindergarten is one who is
! thoroughly trained in her profess
;, sion. She has studied the history
of education and has a knowledge
of the progress that has been
made along this line. She has
studied the history of primitive
5 man that she may have an under
: standing of the factors which
have brought about the progress
of nations from savagery to civil
ization, as all child students agree
that in his development the indi-
vidual passes through approx
{ mately the same stages as does
the race. She has studied the
!, child's nature-and continues to
study 1.-THE laws of his growth.
mental. moral and physical, that
she may, in her training, conform
: to them, and not through ignor.
anee force upon him what he is
not ready for, nor require of him
more than he, at his stage of de-
velopment can give. While she
has been acquiring an insight into
the science of education and the
Z art of teaching, she has been fit
> ting herself not only for Kinder.
gartner, but for fuller, freer, and
nobler living. She has been gain
ing knowledge which she can use
in many directions; has been put,
9 ting in practice daily principles
Z. which underlie all educationa
. systems. The Kindergarten has
= = been doing all this for herself
!, while at the same time by hel
: daily work she has been helping
many a little one along paths
which will lead to his future hap
) piness; has been bringing bright
ness and JOY to many whose live
but for her might have remained
unhappy and neglected.
10 The influence of the training
Il school of the New Orleans ire
q kindergarten Association i
spreading through the South, an
lit is hoped that in the future
III will be still more widely felt
There are in all thirty-nine grad
ea of the school. Of thes
ire 1T work III the city