The Savannah morning news., 1904-10-02
Progress of the
kindergarten
BY A UNDERGRADUATES.

The Kindergartens of the Kate Bald
win Free Kindergarten Association are
again OPEN Woman was admitted
long ago to the ranks of professional
workers, but the kindergarten was
looked upon merely as an improved
sort of nursery and kindergartners as
more or less competent nursery maids.
That period is rapidly going. People
at large begin to realize that in
work to which hundreds of women are
each year devoting their lives-many
of them the greatest scientific and phil
osophic NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. must of
necessity be something living. They
realize now better than ever before
that every woman, no matter her sta
ton or the circumstances of her life,
is destined to come into contact at
some time and in some capacity with
little children and that training is
necessary in order to meet that con-
tact well.
So often we hear a mother say, Il
am completely exhausted from a strug
gle with my 6-year-old daughter. She
would not do as l told her. She ar
gued and plead and leased until 1
could stand 1t no longer, and"-in the
tone of a confession-'i the end l
gave in just to keep from being wor-
ried." How easily this might have
been avoided, and the wear and tear
on the nerves of both have been saved,
IL only the mother had understood the
material with which she was dealing.
had she only known a little more of
child-nature, it's demands, its needs!
A confirmation of the increasing APP
probation given 10 kindergarten train
ing, both by young women who value
II chiefly from an educational stand
point. and by those whose first inter-
est comes from the necessity of self
support is shown in the marked prog
ress made in the work in our own
city.
The Kate Baldwin Free Kindergarten
Association was established five years
ago. Each class thus far has shown
O steady increase. The number Of
young women who have been graduated
has averaged eight each year. Nearly
all of these are now at work, and all
graduates. without exception, have
been offered positions. Some have been
unable to accept because the particular
places opened to them were in other
cities Others have gladly gone forth
TO spread the work abroad, and there
are now representatives in Augusta,
Waycross, Griffin, Jacksonville, Fla,
Columbia s. c.. and Opelika, Ala. Be
sides these cities, applications for COM
petent kindergartens have been received
from Montezuma, Ga, Houston, Tex,
and Tallahassee, Fla.
In Savannah alone there is scope for
a sufficient number Of free kinder
gartens to employ all graduates for
several years to come. If only adequate
funds for organizing such kndergartcns
were at the disposal of the associa-
ton.
Progress has. so far. marked each
year II is evident on every side that
n thers with small children are urging
with increased vigor. kindergarten in
struction for the little ones, while par
ents and friends of young women are
pointing out more than ever the broad
ening, developing influence afforded by
study in kindergarten training school
There u.s. therefore. every reason to
believe that the coming year. through
the efforts Of the kindergartens ana
the encouragement and support Of the
public. will be one Of growth In every
department Of the Kate Baldwin Free
Kindergarten Association.