Saturday news. (Watertown, S.D.) 19??-19??, 1914-07-30
KINDERGARTEN IN WATERFOWL

terror OF the circle, like drop the |
ndkerchief, !"
Another pastime, following a per
iod at the tables, was the {. gaIloping
horse, each in turn gailoping within
the circle and hopping over an ex-
tended pole, a few inches above the
door, in hurdle style.
Paper Elephants and Mud Pies.
Mud pies? No, not exactly mud
pies, but what amounts to the same
thing. Seated about the tables one
class was busying itself with clay,
each little tot trying to shape an ele-
phant out Of It's ball Of mud. In d
fewjust a feWinstanc the form
more nearly resembled that of the
old mud pies our mothers talk about
but all were greatly interested, and
some evinced superior talent. We
recall that, sitting twenty feet away.
we beheld one elephant, with rider
astride, that was quite Iife-like.
While this class was making clay
elephants the other, under Miss Reich
ert's direction, was cutting out paper
elephants and using colored pencils
to put on the finishing touches.
This was all 'play, of course, but
1T was developing dexterity of move
ment of both hands and fingers, and
educating the eye and fingers to ac-
curacy, and cultiyating the little in
tellects.
Stories and Songs.
Then there were stories and songs
and questions and answers, and indi-
vidual and collective doings that held
the attention Of all from the moment,
of opening to the close.
One of the features was a discus
sion" OF the menagerieno, the cir
cus-and what each little one wanted
mos 70 see-whether bear, or lion,
or seal, or hippep epotamus, or what, or
why.
s,oilss and stories intermingled,
here and there, and now and then.
Sometimes the stories are merely
humorous something to pleasebut
for the most part there's moral
The concluding story on this occas-
ion was one having neatness or tidi-
ness as the lesson to be driven into
the little minds. 3s
The complete paraphernaIia EN-.
braces an equipment for a two years
course of instruction. s ~,
Preparing for Future.
But what does all this accomplish !?
Well, for one thing, it begets conf
dence. Men learn more from asso-
citation than otherwise. The finish
ing touches in manners and per-
sonal movements and in conversation
| are acquired, not from study. but
from association.
One little girl, it was noted, took
no part whatever during the first
hour. She merely looked on, In q
sort of semiindiffere rent manner, seem
Iingly wondering what it was all
about, but before the hour for dis
smissal she began to eyince personal
| interest, and even Joined the circle,
and we doubt not but that she will
be as eager and as active as the
average within q week Awkward
ness is largely eliminated the alum-
bering gait gives way, to some ex-
tent at least, if not entirely, to ease
il not grace Of movement.
Something New.
We learn through repeti tsom we
must have the same thing over and
over again. But there Is somethin
new every day, something differing
from the routine OF the previous day.
BY stages, gradual stages, the little
pupils are led on and up, and while
they have not been given book =
learning during the period of their
Kindergarten days they have beer
thoroughly prepared for it and have
acquired fund of information that
will be useful and helpful.
Some one has said that IL you will
give him the first seven years OF a
child Is life, to shape 1t as he pleases,
to do with 1T as he chooses, you may
have the balance of it. Possibly it is
rather far-fetched, but it is far from
fa1lacious. II
Book learning is good, SO far as It
goes. but the real man, the real wo-
man, learns Infinitely more outside of
books than within their covers.
The Kindergarten Teacher.
II the kindergarten teacher mas
mere intellect she will not be a sue
cess. or all the teacher force we
gather about US, the primary teachers
are the important factors in our edu-
cational system. The Kindergarten
teacher, above everything else, must
have soul. =
We cannot deceive the child.
Whether it is instinct, or intuition,
or whatever you may call it, the little
tot is able to distinguish between soul:
and intellect.
obIIyious to All Else.
1t was noticeable, in the visit af