The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-09-07
TRAINING A CHILD.
Police Matron Writes Concerning a
kindergarten.

To the editor of the Eagle
want space in your PAPER to urge
upon the philanthropic people of Wichita,
the benefit Of the kindergarten work
now being urged by the West Side ladies.
! honestly believe that if we could have
four free kindergarten schools in Wich-
/ tia, in five years, poverty, crime. filth and
! disease would be decreased at least one
/ hundred per cent.
We cannot have four at present, but
the West Side people have made such
wonderful progress and success in theirs,
that dare TO hope that theirs may be-
come the nucleus, out Of which greater
/ ones may come.
II it is true give me the first six
years of a child's life, and I don't care
who takes it after that" said by a
learned divine). and also that every
brain cell in formed before a child is
SIX years old" then it is indeed most i'm
portant how that child is trained at
that period AS free nursery" would
be a god-send to Wichita-but so is a
free kindergarten. have in mind several
families with children from . to years
OF age-four perhaps. in that limit where
the mother washes for their living Can
anyone estimate the good TO be done
III such cases. by giving them an oppor-
tunity to have those little ones spend
several hours day in warm, clean, we'll
ventilated rooms. fed "A good wholesome
lunch, laugh that cleanliness is a virtue,
and then taught to see and use beauty
in everything. We can calculate the re-
ferF -,
ard body, free kindergarten affords.
Little ones are being trained to earn their
! bread in an easy way, for us the twig
Is bent, the trees inclined" and baby
fingers represent the twig.
Ii is for the laboring peoples children,
the widow woman's children. I urge the
need of the free Kindergarten. with its
! teachings OF observation, industry and
practical application.
1 quote the following sent me by an
experienced kindergartener. asking my
opinion of the work
At one of Iypatia's meetings. not long
since. a statement was made something
like this. There were Washington. JEFF
derson. Lincoln. Grant. Gladstone and
others who never had kindergarten ad-
vantages Made 100 with the rising in
| fectionl
Which was true, If one thinks only OF
the picture of many happy busy little
people from two u six years Of age col
lected in bright pretty room with
materials of every kind and quality that
viii DE conducive to the chnd's best eth
zeal and creative culture but il is the
tritest truism u say that their early life
of industry. ana unceasing economy OF
time and things. was the best possible
preparation and education that these men
could have had. All ont Of doors they
found The kindergarten Of God
Al Ee when all parents VIII SOY:
81 ven- ruy child 70 have all of tie
+ advantages that have had and ali that
I did uot have
The very th.ncs that made George II.
+ Pullman n srea- man. were regarded by
+ him as the unkir5 conditions OF his boy
( hocd Ar that he gained for the world
+ was lost in his boys
Like hir2-with the things We have done.
we can recount the many better things
We might have done had we in the form
( ative yeors had The advantage of O men
+ tal. normal and physical director Of our
No energy that was left dormant too
I long has been subsuued.
I IN almost every column ~ cur daiiy "a
+ rers We md accounts e every imaginable
+ crime-which means lack Of mental.
moral az lhysical balance that could have
been poizsi ay risht direction of self
actrtty during Tie 6rst six years.
Durins these years TIRE tutGre life may
be read- NOT os me casual observer. only
ay tAe 1iase child student with the light
90 ihe new psychology
To be able 10 look into every little
ehiid's face and see the possibilities
| there and 70 be- denied the privilege OF
| Developing thar embryonic p0lentiality.