The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-01-27
History and Growth OF
Kindergarten System

No greater stride has been taken
along educational lines in tho last
twenty-five years than the introduce
ton OF tho kindergarten into public
and private schools, for It is the cpl
tome OF college course fitted to the
tiny child wherein he Is introduced TO
the world as II Is ands as IL ought to
be. AS II Is, for lie learns nature at
first hand, her devices for self produce
ton and seIfpreservation. her prac-
tica and estlietic value. He learns
of the ayocatons OF man, and In many
ways through his play is shown how
solidly society is built upon mutual
lelpfuness. AS 1t ought to be, for
he learns through the stories he hears
of the great deeds of history, and In
the worlds literature. and thus Is led
to aspire to the same achievements
to express his feeling in loving kind
ness to all about him and to overcome
his own selflshness, and thus become
an ideal citizen.
A kindergarten of the right kind is
truly world in miniature where the
sunshine of love warns into life ali
that Is highest and best in chld's
nature, and life is lived as Wordsworth
SO beautifully describes in his ode TO
Immortality. wherein the inward desire
of the growing boy to understand
what is going on around him causes
him to initiate all he sees-good. bad
and Indifferent. For that reason, II
for none other. the kindergarten de-
serves high rank among educational
methods. for, taking account of that
universal practice of childhood 1t fur
nishes worthy patterns 80 that the
mind may assimilate these and be filed
with lofty ideals before it is corrupted
-, u tl,t- M
But the special value of this edu
cationaI reform lies In the new atti-
tude 1t assumes toward all education
No longer now from kindergarten 10
college anywhere is the child regard
ed as q passive receiver--a recepta-
Gle for the learning OF his teachers
but he is stimulated and urged to go
and get 1t for himself. Every sparif
Of originality is cherished Ky the mod
ern educator. and the child is en-
oourngrd to exert every power of body,
mind and soul in proportion to his
stage of dcve1opm ant ard by this a.
fort these powers expand daily. In
the kindergarten there Is no dosmatic
teaching. for the child from four to
six years has time TO wait for conven-
tional learning, but in his ideal sur
Ioundings lie lives out the a y G OF
what will later be his actual expert
ences. Few people realize that with
The very young ohiid the most in
portant element in his education is
the formation of good habits, which
habits are the paving stones of char
acter. What he actually knows is only
secondary at this tender age, but that
lie should form the habit OF obeGi-
ence, industry, honesty. courtesy, OF
telling the truth. q self-control help.
fuIness and doing things at the risht
time, these are vital principles tia.
cannot be inculcatad too soon
History of the kindergarten.
The kindergarten was founded in
Germany about seventyfve years asu
by FIR sderic F'roebel, who began to
teach much older children. de soon
found all who came to him so poorly
prepared thai lie chose younger atd
younger children until he found he
must begin with Infancy, IL he would
make a permanent impression. Be
fore he formulated his ideal system,
he travelled throughout his native land
/, to obseIpn .'rEEdren and go get some
general inclusive ideas regarding their
development and If possible to find
the common ground as 1T We're. upon
, which all childhood should be met.
This, he decided. was play, play in
which the child copied his elders with
unflattering fidelity to the least detail.
Why not take play then which appeals
TO all children, and make it the basis
of an educational system-ordered play
, wherein the mind might be stimulated
to observe carefully, to concentrate Its
powers upon given subject, where
the body might receive heaithful hap
ply exercise; play wherein the ioeal
citizen takes his place in the ideal
state where the true Christian loxcs
and helps his faliowman, where fol-
lowing his divine example he becomes
courageous and loyal protector OF
what is weaker and more dependent,
than himself? This rev plan he called
child-gagden, for he wished the chilli
to grow from an inward impulse as
the flower does. and these We're his
ideals for the child to grow toward.