The Washington herald., 1908-03-30
BY FREDERIC J. HAsKIN.


To-day in New Orleans will be held the
fifteenth annual convention of the Inter
national kindergarten Union, an organiza-
ton that IS working zealously for the in
PRODUCTION OF kindergarten methods in all
public schools in all countries for the
early education Of children During the
six days convention there will De many
interesting discussions relative to the ad-
vancement of kindergartens. The song.
the story. the game. occupation. gardens
and excursions Will be AL absorbing topics
for A while, for on these things the mod
ern kindergarten teacher depends greatly
for the success Of her own labors, Re
ports will be made on the achievements
OF the Congress Of Mothers, Of the Play
grounds Association of America, of the
National Child Labor Association. and of
the Southern kindergarten Association. as
we'll as on the International kindergarten
Union itself for the end and aim of all
these Is one and the same-the uplifting
Of childhood along all lines toward the
plane OF good. helpful and enlightened
citizenship. The delegates in attendance
viii represent L. 600 members. living in the
United States and Canada. and in many
foreign countries. including India. Japan.
Australia. England, the South American
republics, and the Sandwich Islands.
Not half century ago the general idea
obtained among parents and teachers that
children were perverse by nature, that
every natural impulse was wrong and
must be checked. that force was essen
tial to secure obedience. and that an end
less list OF "donts'' was a necessity in
the dispensation Of knowledge. The kin
dergarten has come to dispel this illusion.
and has been so effectual so far that the
old theory is becoming as obsolete as the
belief in witchcraft. There are no people
in all the world so full OF enthusiasm
over their chosen work as are kinder
gartners. and il is 70 the nations loss
that there are not more Of them busy
among the nations little citizens.
There are 100000 children in the United
States between the ages Of three and six
years-the age at which the kindergarten
should take them in charge To give these
the proper start In life. the nation needs
! 600 kindergartens and 10000 teachers.
Figures show that in cities of 400 in
habitants and over. where nearly all the
kindergartens are 70 be found. there are
approximately go 900 pupils, $500 kinder
gartens. and 5000 instructors. The scat
tering numbers in mill and mining towns.
rural districts and villages bring this
total very little higher. This is serious
thing when II has been demonstrated be
yond a doubt that the greatest POSSIBLE
ties for training a people IN good citizen
I ship lie in the kindergarten. The earlier
the seeds OF patriotism, morality. ambi-
! ton. and honor are soWn, the better the
citizens. and the fewer the reform schools.
poorhouses, and penal institutions
One can always point with pardonable
pride 10 the achievements Of California
in her early work for good citizenship
through kindergartens. In 1873 Prof Felix
Adler. OF New York City, went out TO
San Francisco and established there the
city's first free kindergarten. The idea
took and kindergartens grew up more
rapidly there than in any other city
Open-hearted people like the Stanfords
and Sutros contributed TO the work. and
the writer. Kate Douglas Wiggin. was
one Of the earliest promoters. Record
was kept Of the children from all walks
Of life who entered these kindergartens.
OF 1900 pupils who attended in the first
twenty years. only one became law
breaker. and this sole offender was feeble
minded and irresponsible. What better
evidence does one need of the preventive
measures the kindergarten offers the
country where indulgence, crime and dis
content are concerned San Francisco
! soon made the kindergarten part Of the
public school system. and seeing the Cal
/ ifornia success. other Western Common
wealths. notably Utah. Oregon. Wyoming.
and Arizona. adopted like measures
Others cities have records that compare
favorably with that Of San Francisco.
but the universal trouble is that the chill
dren are not sent early enough. and that
there is not a sufficient supply Of schools
and teachers TO meet the growing de-
mands. American children. as A rule.
leave school life before reaching the high
school. In thousands Of instances they
are put 10 work 10 help support the fam
lily. Had the education begun earlier.
character formation would have been bet
ter. and the years Of primary and high
school stpdy would have been more ef-
fective. In Chicago less than one-twen-
tieth Of the children Of primary schools
enter the high schools; they usually leave
at about thirteen years Of age. In St
LOUIS lHey ledNt at fourteen, IN Boston at
fifteen.
1t is not only the gospel Of mental Gull
ture that the kindergartens bring. That
is the least part. 1t is the learning to
do by doing idea Of Pestalozzi and Froe-
bel that must have its exemplifcation.
and 1t is the actual reformation in per-
sonal and moral matters that counts.
When the Chicago Ethical Society estab-
iished a free kindergarten in that city's
Ghetto In 1898. they did not receive a very
warm welcome from the parents Of their
charges. but by and by, as the gospel of
cleanliness began to penetrate home life.
enthusiastic mothers rounded up all their
other children and brought them down
with the polite request that the teachers
please wash these, too! Parent-teacher
meetings brought both sides into an IN
Outstanding. and soon the gospel found
its application at home.
II Is wonderful. this influence that kin
dergartens have on home life. That is
where It counts most. The Society for
Ethical Culture in New York opened kin
daroa vfans IN New York N{4N A 1875