New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-06-10
LITTLE CARPENTERS.
Children of Fiue and Sir Make
articles of Value to Themselves.

Boys and girls Of five and six years OF age busily
working at diminutive carpenters benches with
such supposedly dangerous tools as real saw and
plane is a sight II a New York school which rare
ly fails TO draw expressions Of surprise from Wis
fling strangers. one Of these visitors, woman
said to an instructor Aren't you afraid to give
such dangerous and complicated tools 10 little chill
dren? Why don't you give them something sim
ple--lIke a knife2"
"A knife said the instructor. why, a knife is
one Of the most dangerous and complicated tools
you can give q child If the knife IS sharp enough
10 work with child Is liable to cut himself acct
dentaIly To cut himself with q saw he must place
his fingers deliberately under the blade and saw
for some time And with a plane don't helleNe
he could cut himself"
This belief that saw and plane are proper tools
for little children. girls as well boys is the re-
suit Of long Investigations by the manual training
faculty of tie Ethical Culture School the hrst
10 Try the experiment with such children And
the results Of the use OF simple tools have been
so satisfactory that bench work has been made
regular feature of the curriculum. II fact, a por-
ton OF the large workshop has been devoted 10
the children and for them =. ". Richards the
director has designed and had built a dirninutive
WORK bench. fully fitted up for the kind Of work
boys and girls Of this age are allowed 10 do
At this work bench as part OF their regular school
course these children saw and plane wood ana
by means Of nails make all sorts Of toys OF real
to them in their games The articles FASHIONED
this way exceedingly simple IN CONSTRUCTION
TO make them the child must plane or saw wood
INTO a given length width and then nail, with
out any effort joinery, the several pieces to-
gether. A block Of wood with strip nailed 10 1t
lecoraes a chair. a handle and a fat piece make a
shovel: three pieces similarly nailed make sled;
a handle a cross piece and some nails for teeth
give rake: pieces saved from curtain pole
make wheels for a simple cart which really goes.
The children Of six and seven years of age in the
first grade take ordinary wooden box, cut win
dows IN it and finally build tire top Of it a
simple santing roof which makes Of It a complete
y playhouse. All OF these things are made without
tf the use Of a knife.
The educational advantage Of teaching such
little children these tools. saws 1nsrruc-
tor. Ties IN fact that only simple broad mus
cular movements and adjustments are needed by
the child and that tangible results he obtained
which are actually Of value 70 the small worker
When TIE childs work is through he has some
thing Of value 10 himself show for it, because
The process always leads 10 some concrete object
The motions Of saving. planning and hammering do
not require anything ike the degree Of skill that
The simplest use OF knife makes necessary The
saw can cul only IN one general direction. the
l1ae a1l"t S'iaEe OF -oIs s.i! e'l Gun mick
ETssps large handle. the blade OF which is fixed
II given angle In the case OF a knife the child
would have &C. hold on TO a small handle and then.
IN addition 10 directing the general stroke OF rl.
bade 70 the wood The slightest variation Of angle
OF this blade varies the The knife is made
Tor al sorts If cutting. curved. an angle or
straight, depending entirely on The nicely Of mus
cular adjust nent Of the user Such attention and
skill are not 10 Dee expected Of tiny fingers and 20
child make impossible any enjoyable products Of
us "ork ana 90 substitute for exercise ia broad.
Eee movement ana broad muscular control
inlnutlse OF advanced muscular action. The saw
and the plane with their simple action do not re-
cure Tor elementary results The finely differeuti