New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1919-02-28
EARLY EDUCATION IN HOME
Dy MRS. wINIFREp a. M'sRooM,

ny MHS. WHIT n6O ~ N onOO"s'
For those who intend to teach lit.
tie children Of four and five as n pro
fession, a training In kindergarten
methods Is required by law In prac'
tically every state In the Union. Why
Is such training not equally necessary
for those whose future work will prob
ably be hOme-making? The broad
principles underlying kindergarten
training have been thought out for US
by many great educators and philOso-
piers Of the past and present, and
these principles will help the individ.
ual parent as well as the teacher to
interpret his surroundings. to form a
wiser attitude toward life. and to love
and understand children. Such an
education 's almost indispensable to
mothers WHO would give to their chill.
dren the best of all opportunities-the
opportunity 20 grow Alright. But if. as
mothers, We cannot have such train
ing or cannot send u children to
Kindergarten, let us plan their early
education in the home so that 1t VIII
lie based as far as possible upon sound
principles of child-study.
The child between the ages of three
and six years is very impressionable.
and upon his early experiences must
be based his whole future education.
Therefore it is important to see that
he receives only right impressions and
has only right experiences. .
The child is and should be con-
stantiy handling objects and constant
ly %ihquiring about them. Such in
Quisitiveness is the greatest aid to
education. How many interesting
sights we pass over because we lack
the keen observation of n child! HE
who is interested in much has in adj
vance a great advantage over the in
different person and remains younger
eve in age; whereas the Indifferent
becomes old in the seasons Of YOUTH"
Let the child live with you. This is
not easy for a busy farmers wife such
as l nm. 1t does not mean. keep o u
of my way while l mix this bread"
1t means, Roll up your sleeves and
wash your hands. Now dip Out four
quarts of flour for me-" Perhaps some
of the -four may be spilled, but only
by using the hands will the child
learn motor control. What if the bis
cults are not all smooth? BY making
three rows of four each. he will be
learning valuable number facts.
Answer All Questions.
The child may ask. "Why is the
-four white? The wheat is not white"
This question brings out the whole
story of bread. Don't merely tell it;
see it If pOssible-the wheat-seed, the
growing wheat-field, the reaping, and
threshlng, the flour-mill. the bakery.
Enrich the child's experience with pic.
lures, stories and songs relating to
this subject, and after this a slice of
bread will be an object of new inter
est to the child.
Tell in the same way about the
strawberries that he eats with his
bread. Where do they come from? II
you cannot show him the growing
plants, find a picture or draw n SO
that he may not say. as a lady of
my acquaintance did, 1--WE always had
such a desire to e strawberry
bushes"
City children ask, "Why is there q
picture of a COW on the butter pu.
per" II you cannot visit a dairy or
a creamery, buy a gallon of milk and
let the child skim it and churn the
cream into butter with the egg beater. |
Then after he has sailed it, let him
eat some on his bread. My country
children ask, "HOw did the firemen
know there was a fire?" Their father |
took them to the fire house to see the
alarm bell and the boots, clothes and
brass pole ready for the night alarm.
When fathers 20 to the field to SET
the oats planted they should take
their ~five-yearOld boy OIL girl along
and tell the story of the growth OF
the seed.
On the way for the cows, sharp eyes
may find Il badger hole or see some
muskrats In the creek.
Are Always Learning.
In play children are constantly edu-
themselves. They are learning
to direct their attention and their mo
persistently toward a definite
end. We can suggest plays and tasks
which will train the eye to see quickly
and teach the cOlOrs. directions front.
back. up. down. right. left) !; the points
of the compass. the time of day, and
the days of the week. My little four.
learns much as she sits he.
side me at the sewing machine. She
lrranges my drawer of thread. learns
The cOlOrs and plays a game, guessing
which color is gone from a long row
Of spOOls.
A set Of colored kindergarten balls,
/ box Of 'crayons. or later a box of
,aints make an excellent gift and aid
n color trimming. C0lOred papers and
small pair of scissors will occupy
many a stormy day probably. The
who is at all musical can train
he ear to detect high and low tones,
Oud or soft bells, and music for
marching and skipping. Have the
hid bounce a large ball to music. or
lap to music. This will help him to
ain motor control. Play dOminoes
With him. Suggest Hide the Thin
lie" or Blind Mans Buff" or Cob
All these games heln to train