Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1916-05-05
EDUCATIONAL

Dy MRS. iva -. LOTION, reaQ DeIOre Tn
P"rent Teachers Association tells O
the advantages of tlis department o
school work.
ADVANTAGES OF THE KINDERGARTEN
In one of the New Orleans kinder
gartens, this incident occurred-a small
boy of five seated in a little red kinder
garten chair, looked up at the visitor
with grave interest as he asked thi
question, "Have you got any chill
dren?" "Oh, yes," answered th'
lady, and with the idea of satisfying
what she thought was friendly curiosi
ty about her little boys, she proceeded
to give him some information concern
ing them, when he interrupted with
"Why don't you send them to this kin
dergarten them" Thus the kinder
gartens are advertised by loving LITTLE
friends.
Incidents that 60 to prove the kin
dergarten is the brightest and happies
experience in the lives of the children
are constantly happening.
There is no doubt of the value of thu
kindergarten from the child's point Of
view. We continually hear people say
that they understand it's philanthropy,
Importance; but what of it from ar
educational standpoint? In answering,
first, let US call to mind just what
powers and qualities are necessary tc
the child for success in school life and
in his later and larger experiences out
of school.
Certainly be needs a strong body
and clear mind, both of which he can
use to good purpose. He must be alive
to what is going on around him, be
able to give clear expression to his
ideas, not only in speech, but in many
other ways. He must ahapt himself
readily to his environments, to people,
circumstances and things. and to make
application of the knowledge he gains
but in order to do this, he must have
acquired certain habits of body and
mind, the acquisition of which later on
in his life, will be impossible.
The kindergarten gives the child a
three-fold Developments mental; physse
cal; and moral or spiritual This Il
given the child through play, and
through his child interests. You will
have noticed in your visits to kinder
gartens, that the children are not kept
sitting long in one position. After
fifteen or twenty minutes they are
marching. skipping or exercising in
some playful way.
Early each morning, in the kinder
gartens. the children and teacher
gather in a sociable looking circle in
the center of the room, where they
join in singing some greeting song.
They sing good-morning to each other,
and sometimes to the play-room with
its bright pictures, and almost always
to the sunshine, when it comes in at
the windows. In this age of hurry-life,
often there does not seem to be time
even for the conventional "How do
you do?" Has not this part of the kin
dergarten an educative value? Besides
acquiring certain habits of politeness,
there ere many opportunities for the
starting of right habits in other direc-
tions. The kindergarten teachers are
careful to make the putting away of
playthings, the picking up of scraps,
an interesting and important part of
each days work.
The kindergarten is prominently a
social institution, and its influence on
the children in this direction, cannot be
too highly estimated. Because they
are constantly cooperating with each
other in work and play, we find them
growing in unselfishness and helpful
ness and thought for others. Let me
give you the opinion of one of the
mothers of New Orleans kinder
garten. She says. II think the best
help Edward has had is that of making
him less selfish, and that comes from
associating with other children. He
was the only child, and was so selfish;
he would not give any of his things to
anybody, or even let a child touch
them. Now he wants to take his toys
(this he actually does every day. to
the kindergarten-'so,' as he says,
'other children can play with them,
too
The feeling of frendliness, of COM
nunity, Froebel believed, was the
very first beginning of all true reli-
yious spirit. The religion of little
child has nothing to do with creed, or
doctrine, or dogma. Froebel taught
hat there is a pathway from every OBJ
ect in nature up to God. So besides
,rying to bring about this feeling of re-
atedness to other people, the kinder
yarten endeavers to strengthen the lit
.le child's natural love for the beau
lies of nature, the flowers. the birds,
the butterflies, the stars, the clouds,
10 c,,ooh;ro nol - acano;ako x,:kk th:. |