The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-09-06

though it be, of the law of interdepend-
ence. From these homes, so intimately
connected with his everyday life. he
may easily be led to see the necessity
FOR shelter to fit all needs. School
houses, engine houses, churches, public
buildings, etc. In the construction of
each form, he will live the life connect
ed with it; and in living the life around
MN, 1t becomes a part of his own life.
In working out with the child this
llne OF thought, higher thought comes
TO US, the dim presentment of which Will
reach his simple understanding, to some
day burst out into full knowledge; the
thought Of THE House Not Built With
Hands,. Eternal in the Heavens"
But what materials" say you, "can
De used through which such impress
slons can be made upon the child's I'M
developed intellect" Very simple ma
terials assure you, so simple that you
VIII wonder why Froebel chose them
for such purposes; so simple, yet so
fraught with thought and meaning,
that their educational possibilities are
almost boundless.
OF all the gifts which Froebel in
vented for use in the kindergarten, the
third, fourth, fifth and sixth are the
only ones whose building possibilities
amount to anything; therefore, they
are commonly called the constructive
gifts.
1t is the value of these gifts as a
means of education that 1 propose to
prove.
From the third gift, which, in its
ehtlrety, resembles the cube of the sec
ond' the child may learn much. Its
divisions are three-lengthwise cross
wise and perpendicularly through the
center.
thus making eight smaller cubes, it's
form is such that it lends itself to
many different uses. 1t may be con-
Verted into stools, tables, boxes. loaves
OF bread, cakes of soap, or even a
traln of cars; but no matter what form
the GIT takes, in the child's play it
may be made to mean just as much to
MN as the real object does to a per-
son of mature mind.
Inc fourth gift, which, like the third.
resembles, in it's complete form, the
tWo-lnch cube, is composed of eight
oplong or brick-shaped piece. Its pos
slbilities for building are greater than
those of the third, owing to the form
OF the blocks; therefore, it is a step
higher educationally.
IL is sometimes made into stove for
cooking, an oven for baking or else if
is converted into benches. sofas or heds
Again it is lumber with which to buiId
mousse or fence, or bricks with which
10 lay a pavement, or stones to con-
Struct a wall. In initiating all of these
OBJECTS the child's experiences are nee
essarily enlarged. But that is NOT all
ne sees the difference in form and dI-
InenSlon between the parts of the third
ana fourth gifts, yet he finds that thew
bulld back into the same form: this
ledus MIN TO observe and compare other
OBJECTS around him. His interest in
family relationships may be aroused
through the medium of these gifts bv
leadlng him to make chairs, trunks
tables, etc.. for mother, father. grand
parents, brother, sister and baby In
1act, do not think that there is a.
relation in life which cannot be brought
TO the child through the medium of
these gifts. The boxes, loaves of bread.
CAKES or soap, etc, bring him in rela-
lion 10 the trades, the beds, tables.
chairs, stoves, etc, relate him to his
nome and trains and boats to COM
1t may be said that it is impossible
Ior child to get all these impress
sions through mere play with the
blocks and. SO it is. We do not ex-
pect to teach him with the blocks. We
SIMPLY use them as Il means by which
ne may learn through. his own self &C
tlVlty, through his own experience. as
gained through his play with them in
working out the forms.
The gifts are of no value education
ally, If given to a child haphazard or
simply as a means of amusement. but
If, when they are placed in his hand.
line of thought is suggested to him.
which he may work out to a definite
end, and if that thought is given to
him in sympathetic manner, so that
he will become absorbed and interested
in working it out, then and only then.
they become a factor in the child's
development.
Observe a child who has played with
the gifts long enough to have be-
come familiar with them, see how much
more readily he handles them, how
much greater the facility with which