The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1919-04-08
TRAINING LITTLE CHILDREN
Suggestions by Mothers Who Have
Been kindergartners.
Simple, Homemade, IndestructibIe
Scrap-Books Are the Most
Satisfactory For the
Little Folk.
ARTICLE XII.
By Mrs. Jess Sweitzer Shaffer.

v" in watching our little daughter
with her first books. In addition 10
their educational value, they are a
source of great pleasure and have
grown to be her daily companions.
When she was about fourteen months
old she was given her first book, a
small linen one containing pictures
of animals. These we would call
by name as we pointed them out to
her, and as they became familiar
she would point them out herself.
After she had learned to talk, she
could say the names also. Linen
books containing pictures of objects
in colors were next given the child
and when she had become acquaint-
ed with these group pictures were
added to the collection.
By counting the objects in the vari-
Gus groups-not over five at first
and by calling attention to their col
or, the child learned both number
and color. Emile Poulsson's book
on "Finger Plays" is an enjoyable
supplement to pictures of this kind.
We found simple, home made, in
destructible scrap-books most salts
factory and attractive. Anticipat-
ing the book stage, we had collected
a number of colored pictures from
magazines. For the leaves of these
books we used brown paper muslin,
cutting a number of pieces twelve by
twenty four inches and, after laying
them one on top of another, stitch
ing them through the center, thus
book twelve by twelve
inches when closed. On the pages
we mounted the pictures with paste.
One book contained pictures of
fowls, turkeys, chickens, ducks,
geese, guinea fowls, and some pigeon
and crow pictures also. In another
book we pasted pictures of four
legged domestic animals. Many of
the pictures showed the family life
of these in their natural surround
ings. They proved most interesting
as the child's experience is confined
almost exclusively to the family Of
which she is member, and animal
families naturally appeal to every
child.
Our little girl is now nearly two
and half years old, and she has
never tired of her scrap-books.
Through them she has become ac-
quainted with the different animals
and the sound made by each, and is
able to connect the animals and their
calls.
The number of books of this kind
which would be of great educational
value to the child is almost limitless.
Birds, flowers, vegetables, trades,
farming and history might all be
presented to the child in this form.
AS our little girl grows older we
have planned books of harvesting
pictures showing the various stages
the growth of wheat from the prep
ration of the soil, planting of the
seed and so on, until it passes
through the hands of the miller and
baker and finally reaches the child in
the form of her daily bread.
Another interesting process is the
building of the home from the trees
to the finished product. This book
will contain pictures Of the forest,
where the trees grow, the man fell
ing the great trees, the horses and
wagons which haul the trees to the
saw mill, the cutting and planning of
the boards, the train which trans
ports them to the lumber yard, the
boards piled high in the lumber yard,
the carpenter at work putting the
boards together, the house in the
process of construction and lastly
the finished home and the family
who lives i'm it. From these process