Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1916-04-27

school and repeated duly "Iseetheblue-bird
In kindergarten seven miles away black-eyed
boy reading the same sentence Il see the blue
Bird He read with such animation that the visitor
nstinctivey looked out of the window He was not
merely saying the words He had been in the park
and blue bird; he had played being blue
bird he had picked out the children dressed in blue
he had drawn crude picture with blue crayon. He
Kindergarten in the Model School at Emporia
Fifty children, four and five years old learning
to be happy and busy in the Model kindergarten
which is division of the Kansas State Normal To
the outsider they seem to be playing for the play
method of teaching is used almost exclusively. Their
lesson of play has been carefully prepared by the
supervisor that for presentation to any college
class. Behind every game is thought which the
child is trying to express. The teacher follows the
idea that little children extremely active by nature
and must have a fitting environment and right
channels for the expression of that activity
Louise NJ Alder, Professor of kindergarten Edu
cation at the Normal has double portion of work for
while she supervses the kindergarten work she
trains thirty girls each year to go and establish
kndergartens of their, own.
The Normal offers certificate for Special Pro
fciency in kindergarten Teaching upon the compile
ton of two year college course including twenty
five hours of practice teaching in the kindergarten
plays and games, handwork, storytelling, etc These
girls go out prepared to teach in the thrty-fve pub
lie kindergartens of Kansas. Girls from Oklahoma,
Arkansas, Nebraska and New Mexico are taking spe-
cial work under Miss Alder.
Some Of the girls open private kndergartens They
charge tuition of about $500 per MONTH In many
these eventually become public kindergartens
private kindergarten opened in Abilene 1t
grew and the citizens began to recognize it's i'm
portance. The Mothers Club appealed to the school
board and it was made a part of the public schools
and free for all.
1--WE very fortunate here in having such young
women the studentteachers to assist u.s." said
Miss Alder. Nearly all of them have chosen to
major in kindergarten work because they love little
children. They know that there is not much COM
pensaton in it as there is in advanced classes
but they do it because they like it. OF they
should know much besides kindergarten, they must
be broad to teach children" Miss Alder herself has
an A. b. degree from the University of Kansas, A.
NJ from Columbia University and the Chicago Kin
Teachers College.
Just now we making doll houses" said one
of the enthusiastic student-teachers. at is play
but it is work These babies are in earnest about
the number of windows, and color of the rugs In
reality they studying manual training color and
design and number work"
The children planned their houses and made
the walls, roof and verandas of cardboard They
had to fold paper into halves and thirds they real
lie the difference between a square and obong They
lesign and braid the rugs. They choose a color
md stencil the borders for the window curtains
These the details that they work out for them