The Savannah morning news., 1904-03-06
which make for immortality and law


which make for immortality and law
lessness.
The kindergarten endeavors through
the agency of habit, that trusty serv-
ant of education, to develop the pro-
moral tendencies and thus fit the child
TO become a responsible member of a
good and virtuous community. For
while men have been called bundles
of habits" children are bundles of
tendencies" and the tendency to be-
come fixed must be repeated until the
organism grows to that mode of use.
From this habit factory. the kindergar-
ten strives to send out only the best
results. The question is asked how
can these be attained? To rid a room
of darkness the windows are opened
and the room flooded with light. A bad
habit in a child is often the lack of
virtue, the want of some good quality.
Nature abhors vacuum and so in de-
veloping moral habits the question up
permost is not, how shall the bad hab-
it be removed, but what good quality
must be inspired in it's stead. The
kindergartener realizes that to COM
mand child nature is to obey it. And
knowing from the physiological study
of the child that nerve force is being
generated constantly-the wise teacher
in discouraging aimless and wanton
activity does not command the child
to keep still, causing him to feel as
one little fellow expressed himself,
when asked what it meant to be good,
said: ITO be good on earth is to be
quiet"
In the formation of moral habits
the child must act for habit is an
individual thing. He is aided in fash
ioning his character by an environ
ment of industry, both mental and
manual in the kindergarten. This en-
vironment in turn being built on the
interests of the child. Many people
cry out against this doctrine of in
terest, saying it is dangerous and like
ly to deteriorate into mere summing
of child whims. This is true when
used unthoughtedly, but DR.. Herrey's
baw of interest is exclusive rather
than inclusive. He says give the
child nothing that is not interesting,
not everything that is interesting, and
nothing merely because it is interest
ing. Desire is the basic force of life
and what one desires most that is
what he works for most increasingly.
Therefore working through the child's
interests in people, In nature and in
construction is the safest and sureSt
way to develop the pro-moral tenden-
cies. Habits of cooperation and Serv-
ice may be grounded in the child by
encouraging him to perform some
service for the group. constructing
some article useful in the kindergarten,
picking up papers or removing chairs.
And in this way he conceives of him.
self as a member of the social group
with certain obligations to fulfil to the
group. The moral habit of service
has been fostered by such actions
which the child performs cheerfully,
for he feels the social use for the deed.
Remembering the power of sugges-
ton in all education the thoughtful
teacher, in inspiring a moral quality,
reinforces that instead of dwelling on
the negative of the virtue. For ex-
amples in eradicating deception, it Is
unwise to dwell upon the horrors of
lying, and the better plan is to en-
courage the confidence of the child
and see to it that deception is never
a means of self-preservation.
That self preservation is the course
of much deception is proved by the
story of the child who when asked
if he did a certain thing, answered:
IF you re going to whip use 1 didn't,
if you're not going to whip me I did,"
The force of example cannot be over
looked in child training, and the teach
er should be what she desires the child
to he.
In all the wrong actions of children
it must be remembered that the child
is neither moral, unimmoral. but i'm
moral. Early education must take
this into consideration, and view the
child's act in this light.
the act may be immoral, but the
motive back of 1t may be immoral
This fact does not lessen the respon-
sibility of the education, and it is
the duty of the teacher to check such
actions-by the substitutions> of moral