The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1910-09-01
LAYS BASIS FOR FUTURE WORK
Educational Value Of These Schools for
the Smaller Children Shown by SUI
perintendent of the Kenosha City
Schools.
(By Mrs. Mary D. Bradford.)

u
According to the laws of Wisconsin
any child who has passed his fourth
birthday is entitled to begin his edu-
cation at public expense. School at
tendance during the fourth, fifth and
sixth years is not compulsory, as it
is between the ages of seven and four
teen; but If schools of the right kind
are provided by the community, parents
who cannot give their four and five
year old children home training equiva-
lent to that furnished by good kinder
garten, are depriving them of part
of their rights, not to send them to
school.
Although kindergartens have been for
years an established part of every good
school system, it may not be out of
place at this time, to state briefly what
experience has proved to be their value
in the education OF children.
In the autumn of 1908 it was sug-
gested TO the primary teachers of Bos-
ton and surrounding towns and cities
that they make and write comparison
of kindergarten children entering the
first grade of school, along these lines:
I. Are kindergarten children better
prepared for the work of the first
grade than children directly from
home?
Ii. If not--why not9
III. Can you show that the kinder
garten children are promoted any more
quickly than the home children?
". Do you do the same amount
with each9
One hundred and thirty three ans
wers signed by the teachers were re-
ceived. Of these one teacher preferred
the home children. All the others, one
hundred and thirty wrote that the
kindergarten children were much better
prepared for the work of the first year.
Ny own experience endorses this last
statement.
First. Kindergarten children have
more ability in oral expression and Jan
guage work, coming from the story
work of the kindergarten, and they
have a greater fund of ideas through
which to appreciate what the first grade
has for them in that line.
Second The activities of the kinder
garten have developed their notions of
numbers so that the first regular work
in arithmetic is helped.
Third. The kindergarten children
have through the construction Of many
things acquired considerable skill with
their hands, and are thus prepared to
take up writing, drawing and manual
work more quickly.
Fourth. All their senses have been
quickened, among them sight, with pow
er to discriminate differences in form,
hence they learn to read with greater
ease.
Morally, they have for two years
been trained to respect the rights of
others, and to think of giving pleasure
to others, and, in consequence they en-
ter the first grade better prepared to
become good citizens of that little child
community.
The Boston Investigation showed in
answer to the third question, that a
larger majority of kindergarten chill
dren were promoted than of those di-
rectly from home; and in a few in
stances the more able kindergarten
children had skipped the first grade
Upon the last point further comment
suggests itself. Before boy has to
earn living we want to give him
the best training we can; to keep him
/ in school as long as we can, and during
/ his school life, to lead him as far as
his developing powers will permit, in
to knowledge of those things that will
help him most in his life. The training
given by kindergarten saves child IS
time in the elementary grades. What
ever his future vocation, this saving is
worth vastly more to the pupil than the
sum we spend on him.
| 1t is not uncommon to hear people
disparage the kindergarten, saying that
''the children do nothing but play. =
True it is that the natural activity and
love of play in the children is rather
encouraged than repressed, but this self
activity is directed in such way that
the children are unconseiously forming
habits of body and mind which are the
/ foundations of education.
Plans have been made for the open
ing of kindergartens under trained
teachers in all of the schools of Keno
sha except the Central. Children of
four and five years in that district will
go to the nearest kindergarten in an
other district. Children of six wears
who are immature for their years may
also enter the kindergartens. But as
a general thing the kindergarten does
its best service to younger children. We
are planning for two years of kinder.
garten training for those who enter at
i