The Fayette falcon. (Somerville, Tenn.) 190?-current, 1919-03-21
kindergarten
Helps for Parents
Articles Issued BY the Department
ofths Interior, Bureau of Education
and the
National KiHderRaTtenASSoefnft
TO UNDERSTAND LITTLE ONES
BY SARAH A. MARBLE.


In talking about the kindergarten
with mothers, l often meet with re-
sponses like these: ooh, l couldn't
send Freddie; he behaves so badly,
or II don't think / want TO send Dora ;
she's gentle and obedlent now, but
I'm afraid she'd get rough with all
those children"
What is the matterl
FreddIe's mother is a quiet, orderly,
mlddle-aged woman who wants FREQ.
die to play about quietly" or sit sun
for hours at a time. She has either
forgotten her own childhood or else
she was naturally quiet and doclle.
And Freddles restless inquisitiveness'
his desire for active self-expression'
she puts down as naughty" disobedi-
ent. bad"
Freddie did come to kindergarten
however, and his mother visited ire
Quently. She watched him giving
quiet, absorbed attention TO the pic
| lures. music and stories which were
presented by the teacher, and she Cd
served that he had opportunities e
express his own ideas actively, arus
tically, unsteady and In other way'
that suited his needs. She saw MS
time divided into periods Of action anc
rest, periods when concentration wa'
demanded of him and periods wheI
his mind could relax. She was slow
thinking woman, but she could not raj
to notice how good and happy Fred
die was in his new environment. ant
gradually she began to apply this new
method to Freddie's life at home
kindergarten has taught her to Sc
her son as not naughty, but active
md she and Freddie are both happie
, for that revelation.
Dora also came to kindergarten, gu
she proved not to be as gentle an
! obedlent as her mother had though
; her. Dora, am compelled to say, wa
; clever and sly. She had learned no.
: to win her mothers approval, reser'
, lag better moods for her presence, bt
! abe was not popular with the otht
. children; a sly child never is. An
I when Dora went home and wept ov'
the cold reception she had receives
her mother was naturally surprise
and indignant, and started for Il
kindergarten forthwith to prote
against such injustice. She had e
uected her little daughter to "sno
the other children how a nice lit
lady could act" she said. But 81
soon had her revelation BY seeing =
herself Dora's other side.
Dora's life at home has changed co
sderably since then. perhaps not I
Dora's immediate happiness, but G.
talniy for her good.
Between these two extremes the
are many other children. with qua
ties good and bad, which oftentlm
their mothers have misjudged just
cause Of the nearness OF their lit
ones to them. II the child can be II
on ont of his home environment for
few hours each day, 1t may reno
him from some source Of annoyar
or Irritation which has led to hab
of disobedience or naughtiness. "P
ting him with other average childr
of his own age, such as are collect
together In kindergarten. VIII SCI
as the best corrective.
When mothers visit the kinderg
ten-and they are always welcome
they see their children there as Il
really are. They observe that c
tain instincts are common to child
four and five years old, and Il
learn how to guide those instin'
They notice that their boys or g
have peculiar traits which should
encouraged or corrected. as the c
NAV be. They come to see, In II
how their children match up with
average child, well or Ill. And q
see the results Of good training In OF
children, and are thereby encouraI
In their own endeavors. Almost
variably they learn to be more
tient and to try to gain better