Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-04-16
TRAINING OF CHILD
Supt. Hayden Heard on Kinder
garten Work Before
Mothers Club.
AID ON THE PART OF PARENTS
Miss Clara Woltmann Speaks AIso--
Instructive Meet-
ing.

into the rooms of the Lincoln school
building Yesterday afternoon TO see
If the pupils had all escaped into the
spring sunshine, il was surprising TO
find the desks nearly all occupied by
-grown-ups." The members and
friends of the Mothers club met for
consideration of The kindergarten
in its Relation TO the Public
Schools"
If the little ones could have heard
and entered into the spirit of the oc-
casion they would have found their
cause well championed. Superintend-
ent Ii. Il. Hayden delivered the adj
dress, handling the question with the
ability due to careful thought com
bined with experience in other fields
of labor, and an attentive mind
ready to grasp the best thought of
other educators. Prof. Hayden's
quiet. earnest manner of speaking
added much TO his success i'm discuss
ing the points of interest.
Interest of Mothers.
Liberal catholicity of spirit toward
every phase of educational activity,
and the interest of the mothers in
anything touching the welfare and
training of the little child-these
were offered by the speaker as the
basis of mutual interest in the sub
ject of the afternoon. 1T is not my
purpose" he said. Ito discuss the
principles or theory of the kinder
garten. only so far as To show their
relation To the regular work of the
schools" \ very beautiful accounr
was given of the way in which the
name kindergarten was chosen by the
founder Friedrich Froebel. He was
one day walking over the Steiger
Pass. saying TO himself. 20. if | could
only think of Il good name for my
youngest born Blankenburg lay
spread out in the valley below as
beautiful as Il picture. the valley as
lovely as garden. Suddenly he
paused. and his eyes grew wonderful
ly bright. Then he shouted To the
mountain 50 that it echoed to the
four winds. Eureka, kindergarten
of nature and of man
Strong emphasis vas placed upon
the definition of its scope and work
given by Froebel himself, Ito employ
the awakening mind, and to make it
of anture and of man
Senses Alert.
Froebel's strongest characteristic.
and perhaps his best quality. was that
he loved children tenderly. To him
childhood was beautiful. The work
of education through play was hap
PLY touched. upon. and the thought
broadened TO cover all school work.
even geography. history and gram
mar. All the senses of the child are
on the alert. and all the objects which
his sight or his hand encounter at
tract him. interest him.. delight him.
and the function of the school in each
and every grade is TO SO meet and
satisfy these, instincts as To secure
the highest development.
Another characteristic of FroebefS |
work was his belief that the child has
rights. and to altogether too many
teachers today this tenet of his faith
comes as a new gospel.
To the great value of kindergarten
work as foundation must be added
its need as transition period be-
tween home and school. and also it's
work in the early training of the
nurseries LOT Shiil III hidhbdi u dhiihS-
drawing, etc.
The speaker held the interest of his
hearers closely TO the end. the care
full and successful work that is being
done by him in the schools of the
city giving weight and force to his
words. He was followed by Miss
Clara Woltmann. kindergarten
teacher, who spoke of character
building and self-faith developed in
the child. and by several teachers and
mothers. who spoke from actual ex-
perience.
Needs of ChIId-Life.
Many an earnest mother who is
half-hearted about kindergarten
work. makes use of IL, all uncon-
sciousI,. in her own home training of
her little ones. She may have no
definite knowledge of gifts. of spheres
and cubes. of the ring and games,
but Froebel's great principles under
living il all are based on the needs of
child-life recognized by every true
mother. who thinks and strives to
carry out her thought Misunder-
standing. or wrong conception on the
part of few careless teachers, has
done the work an almost irreparable
injury. Because some kindergarten,
ignorant or careless of her work. has