South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-11-05
AUTHORIZES TELLS
Of Child NEEDS
Miss Caroline Crawford Talks
on Child Life and Child De-
veIopment at Melville Hall
Wednesday.

| Illustrating many of the ideas she
has embodied in her books OF chIId
development, Miss Caroline Crawford.
the weII-knOwn writer and instructor,
gave an interesting and delightful
| talk on the SUBJECT, Wednesday
/ afternoon at Melville nall. She was
! brought here unOer the auspices Of
the south Bend Training school.
Miss Crawford is a teacher in
| Teachers college, Columbia univer-
sity and has written several books on
i child instruction and the dramatic
game as an art, the most recent of
which is The Rhythms of Childhood"
/ which will be published early in 1915.
/ Her subject was principles of
\ Decentralization in the Game and
Story"
Presenting an old subject from an
entirely new standpoint, Miss Craw-
/ ford explained thoroughly the need
of play in the education OF the child
and the value of rhythmic and dra-
matte Interpretation in games. said
| Miss Crawford, such as that of the
need of playing s.s exercise for GER
tain parts of the body. for recrea-
| ton tor the mind and numerous
| oth0~ viewpoints. The most recent
/ is the genetlc process of developme MT
child first the things which it in
| stinctively dislikes doing in order to
discover its inciinatiOns and so en-
courage it's appreciation not OF facts
| but of values.
Must Understand Values.
Emphasizing this last idea through
out her talk, Miss Crawford declared
that a teacher of little children is
absolutely unfit for her office unless
she is herself trained to an under
standing of the values OF things, for
the mere knowledge of the facts
| themselves does not prepare for her
task of developing the child's mind
normally and wholeSomely.
That art has been badly messed
hwaS Miss Crawforos statement, which
she proceeded to prove by showing
that in the ordinary dramatic in
struction. or the teaching of the arts,
literature, music and drawing in the
schools instructors have fallen far
short of the actual values of the arts
| themselves and have taught merely
| scientific facts. The result upon the
scholars is shown in their failure to
distinguish for themselves the diff
/ ference between scientific description
and art value.
This was demonstrated most con-
vincingly by the speaker in the con-
trast between the poetic conception
Of the phenomena of nature and the
scientific attitude, which deprives
all nature OF it's most beautiful and
TO understand the value of things
against the mere facts of existence is
such that the mind is Shorn of it's
ability to understand artistic values
in any form.
Necessity OF Expressing Rhythm.
Rhythm is first expressed in child
hood by movements, and finally by
dc nd Of
ing this expression if the child is to
understand the expression or char
acterization of his moods, was shown.
That the kindergarten games now be-
ing taught are completely wrong and
are placing a false Interpretation be-
fore the child, Miss Crawford demon
strated with the aid of several young
girls who characterized a number of
the kindergarten selections under
Miss Crawfords direction, as they
should be. The contrast was marked
and the failure Of instructors to I'M
derstand the need of impreSsing a
sense of artistic values upon the lit
tie ones was unmistakable.
Teaching the values of life is by far
more important than teaching the
facts of life. according TO Miss Craw-
| ford, who said that we have been
| thus far day dreamers rather than
games. Even the understanding of
the average person in listening to mu-
sic is sadly deficient because Of a lack
| of the proper conception of the value
| Of characterization, or the natural
| and spontaneous expression of the
character through words or actions.
! To crush or discourage the artistic
| impulses of the child is to narrow his
character and to make 1t impossible
| for him to become the democratic
| citizen of a democratic nation. In
stead he will become the man who is
willing to sell himself for a paltry
sum with no understanding Of moral
and social freedom.
Presents Advanced Ideas.
Miss C'rawfOrds discussion was a
most thorough presentation of the ad-
vanced ideas in kindergarten training
and the necessity Of allowing the child
to remain intellectually free and to
permit him unimpeded expression of
his emotions. That the failure of his
elders to properly understand his
mental experiences causes them to be-
come veritable oeres to him. was a
fact which Miss Crawford emphatic
ally deDlOred. Only a full and free
conception of artistic values will en-
able an instructor, OF indeed, any one
given the responsibility Of child de-
velopment to bring out the best and
finest Qualities in the child's char
acter. The educational value OF play
is here demonstrated, when the child
uses his originality in the first CHAR
acterization Of his moods.