Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1916-12-20
NEW METHOD OF :. ~.
TEACHING CHILDREN

Many ideas have changed in the
last generation. but none: have under
gone a more radical change than the
ideas on raising children The an
Gent axiom, Spare the rod and spoil
the child, has been almost complete
~ lost in his day and generation. Ne
have learned to recognize that each
chilli is a real Individuality, not 10 be
coerced or driven. bit TO De reasoned
With and taught To use his own men.
tally ard Judgment -. . .-... .-
Now. when wn come To tIfe question
Of child training, there are still
thousands Of theories offered, bTt very
few along the line Of coercion or~c1r-
pOral punishment Even in the schools
there is gradually creeping in the e{is
dent desire 10 make lessons 4 pleasure
10 the youngsters rather than the Ole,
time drudge. .-.. .=:.:.....
In the kindergarten We find the ia
structors teaching the little Riddles
their figures and letters in quite a
different way from formerly. Now
TREY appeal To the Imagination of III.
youngsters, and consequently the
young mind not only remembers what
II learns but the little pupil takes
pleasure in learning. certain
woman tells of visiting a kindergarten
where the children were learning
their figures in this attractive way.
She says that the teacher asked her
to question her young charges a TT
tie. SO she put the figures 9 and: )
on the board and asked one little tod
der what they We're. He named then
right off. and the guest asked how he
knew which vas and which was }.
Appeals to the Imagination .-..."
why, don't you know" the. little
one piped up. Mr. Five is q short,
jolly man with big fat stomach. and
he is tipping his hat, and Mr.. Nine
is a tall, skinny man with a big head. .
This explanation had stuck in the
children's heads and would stay there,
because their imagination had been
aroused, whereas the usual way O.
calling each figure by its name with
out any descriptive addition takes
weeks to learn. s....s. ...
Now, you mothers who are abort
to start your children on the study Of
some art, can by picking the teacher
carefully, make theT studies a pleas
Ire to the little ones. There never
was a child who really: enjoyed prac.
Using scales or doing the preliminary
exercises OF dancing by the hour.
1t is a wise teacher who cain make
the technic of any art interesting AMI
agreeable to children. But there is. 4
Zig new movement afoot in almost
every branch of art 10 make the pre-
liminary steps appeal to the childish
imagination. ~. II.
In the Form of a Game -. -..-... =.
If your little one, for instance,
shows a fondness for dancing, instead
OF putting her under an instructor,
who will kill all her love for the arr
by driving the dull, technical part full
force into her, start her with one of
the new school of teachers, who teach
their pupils to relax. to govern their
bodies from top to toe, and to learn
original interpretations, all through
appeal to their imagination.
All children should learn dancing AT
some time or another, not such dane
ing as teaches them selfconscious.
ness of their own bodies, but rather
the natural, imaginative kind, which
teaches them absolute control and real
grace, without making them the least
bit conscious or tired.
The same methods are being worked
out in teaching piano and other IN.
struments to children. They are
taught to look upon the scales in the
light of game, full of fun and pleas.
IRE. They are made to look upon
their fingers as the players in tie
game, and. the whole art of music be.
comes an imaginative, game instead OF
a dull drudgery to the child.
Children can be trained in all the
arts so that they will love them. In.
stead of being made to practise their
exercises, they enjoy the fun, which
the stimulus to their imagination gives
them. Have your children trained in
this new school rather than in the
old-fashioned, dry, technical way.