The Forrest City times., 1913-02-28
The Importance Of the Kindergarten
in Our Public Schools.

/ shall confine this article to few
of the most obvious and practical rea-
sons for Kindergarten becoming part
OF our public schools, and shall not
attempt to state the deeper values
and larger truths upon which these
practical merits rest.
1t has been my pleasure and profit
for several summers to see demonstra-
ted and hear discussed this important
subject.
The Kindergarten should not be
Judged by few of its exponents, who
might be better engaged In any work
rather than the work Of dealing with
real live boys and girls.
First, the kindergarten forms a
natural bond between the home and
the school.
1t bases its very first work upon the
home and the child's capital of expe.
rience, and gradually extends the
home interests to cover the larger So
cial group and more extended actiyi.
ties of the kindergarten, and then on
10 the spec,a. interests OF the school
The Kindergarten considers the whole
nature Of the fundamental, physical
and moral-and gives every aspect OF
that nature chance for exercise,
training and growth 1t is urged
upon every Kindergarten teacher the
value OF knowing and remembering
and that the whole child needs oppor-
tunities for exercise, training and
growth.
Is not the child who has had special
opportunities of kindergarten train
ing for the all sided development OF
his nature, better product for school?
Some OF the watchwords OF the
teaching are:
.'Self activity ''learning to do by
doing" education by development.
IAN real growth Is from within
out" A Child properly taught by a
Kindergarten teacher gets special
training for his lower nerve centers
He gains control of his physical organ
ism. He learns to obey promptly and
carry out instructions. He acquires
the ability to concentrate and to car
~ his own ideas into effective action
Kindergarten work furnishes men,
tai background for the formal study
Of reading, writing. arithmetic and
geography. The child comes to school
familiar with selected groups of the
best stories and poems, and Is there
fore at home with the subject matter
OF reading and his mind more recep-
tive TO the symbols of reading.
In teaching the child to write the
following processes are involved:
l. Hol ding and directing the PEN
Gil.
=. Observing the copy.
3. Reproducing the copy.
4. Connecting the symbols with
the idea.
The kindergarten child has had ex-
perlence and much practice with
chalk, crayons and brushes, which
have trained the muscle of his hand
lie has training in drawing from ma
tural objects, therefore he can put
down with his hand what he sees
With his eye.
All of the educational material
used in the work Is developed accord.
ing TO mathematical plans. Then the
use Of these materials the child learns
TO count, to deal with simple combl-
nations OF numbers, and becomes ia
miliar with such forms as the cube,
sphere, triangle, etc.
Thru the use Of sand tables in lay
ing out streets or illustrating the
scenes in their stories, the child gets
the best possible foundation for
geography.
The kindergarten promotes the
happiness of the child. They delight
in its activities, which are based up
on their natural misunderstood as to
construct, seek playmates, inyesti-
gate self expression, to sing, and to
listen and reproduce stories. This
association OF happiness with organ
lied activities, under the direction OF
we'll trained teacher, sends the
child TO school eager, expectant, anx-
lous TO cooperate, and to marked
degree teachable.
The time is here when people who
have had erroneous ideas concerning
kindergarten work must be shown
lhau the reasons for the work In our
pubic schools are Just the same as
The reasons that might be given for
teaching Arithmetic in grades before
Algebra in High school. The step
from the home TO the primary school
Is 100 sudden, and not in keeping with
the nature Of a child. Most OF the
children have never done anything
Systematically in their lives but to
eat and sleep. Their hours have been
spent at play in which they used any
means at hand for entertainment or
perhaps pet in the family who has
never been allowed to do for its self |
These children who have had no sys
tematic responsibility, are placed in
primary rooms where quiet. order and |
attention are necessary, also self con-
trol, self reliance and concentration, |
out the home training has not made |
special point OF these things. Even |
II the mothers had the knowledge and |
aeslre to develop their children, the
majority have too many cares and in
lerrnptions. AT this point the Kin
oergarten teacher comes to the as
ISSUANCE OF the mother. The things
winch the mother cannot find time |
20 90, Is the things that a good Kin