New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-05-06
Suffragist Interested in
Methods and Work of
Kindergartens.
STUDIED SYSTEM AT
PESTALOZZI SCHOOL
Work Here, She Says, Is Over
Directed and Not Related
to Real Life.
BY HENRIETTA RODNAN.


"The kindergsrtens in this country
are very far from Froebels ides Of a
kindergarten" Helen Todd told me yes
terday. She 10 now one Of the most ,
prominent suffrage leaders in the eoun- ,
try. She took up the work because Of .
her interest In the education Of chill :
dren.
II studied kindergarten methods for
six years In this country and IN
Europe" she said, .snd found the
widest differences between the original
Froebel methods IN the Pestalozri-
Froebel School IN Berlin, for example,
and in our schools here.
AIN our hndergartens the ehilden
are given materials, directed how 70
use them, permitted 10 enjoy them for
few minutes and then they are re-
CURED to do the next thing. Tho work
is formal, ovsr-dirscted and not related
to real life.
"But in the Pestaloxzi School, which
was subsidized By the Kaissrin, the
children work moro nearly as they do
in the Montessori schools. The Froebsl
School 10 in a suburb Of Berlin. /. has
several acres Of garden and cows,
horses and chickens.
There are several hundred little
children In the school and about Atty
girls, who are studying child culture.
"Under the leadership OF the older
girls and the supervision of the teach
ers, the little ones plant seeds, and
water and weed their tiny gardens.
They learn to milk. Then they set the
fresh milk away, and later cream and
| churn.
They pick the vegetables, cook them
on their toy stoves and preserve them
in doll sized jars. The school Is a
miniature world-only, the plants and
animals are of full size. Everything
else that the children use is Of toy
size. The youngsters take their little
baskets and go out to find eggs, then
cook them in dolls frying pan or
bake a tiny cake, with as much delight
as you and | had when we we're allowed
to play in the kitchen"
"But we weren't allowed to-" l re-
minded Miss Todd.
"Of course. we weren't" she agreed.
eve lived in a grown folks world, and
our child world in the schoolroom was
, a dull, artificial affair. In the Froebel
| School the most interesting activities
of the grown people were arranged on
a smaller, lighter scale for the chill.
dren, and drudgery, the requirement OF
long continued activity, was eliminated.
There were plenty Of dancing and sing
| ing, and, of course, the famous Froebel
games, but there were also the real life
| activities, which our kndergartens
leave out and Montessori is bringing
! back.
"The letter killeth, but the spirit
| eiyeth light" Helen Todd quoted. "A
| great genius like Froebel or Montes-
sori works out his idea. His followers
| try to initiate the work but usually
fail to hold the idea.
"Montessori's work with children
! has, believe, moro Of FroebePs idea
than we can find in the hndergsrtens.
When came back to this country and
]
what | had learned In the Froebel
school in Berlin, found II was impos-
sible. Live methods Of education could
not be contained in q dead system"
Public School GA. Manhattan, is using
the resources Of its neighborhood, the
auditorium at Christadors House, the
! Tompkins Square Public Library and
the athletic field in Tompkins Square
Park.
1.-THE great problem Of life 10 nos
how to make living, but how TO enjoy
life" said DR.. Edward Robinson, di-
rector of the Metropolitan Museon OF
/ Art.
"For those who have learned TO en-
| ioy art Il is one Of tho greatest pleas
ures in life. The Metropolitan Mu-
] scum is one Of the worlds great treas
ure houses, and it is a treasure house
which belongs, not TO king or a mill
ionaire, but TO the people. The people,
however, know very little OF their
| treasures.
INSTRUCTORS have been engaged by
/ the museum TO teach the children and
teachers of the public schools 10 APP
/ preciate the great wealth Of beauty
which the community owns"