New-York tribune., 1920-02-23
kindergartens
Reach Out for
Alien Children
Help to Americarization Be-
hind Plan to Establish
Schools Upon Petition by
Parents of Is Little Ones
Opens Way Into Homes
Educators Believe Adult For
eign Born Will Benefit by
Teaching of Offspring

The Public Education Association an
nounced yesterday that it has had intro
duced in the Legislature bill to estab-
lish. kindergartens when demanded by
petition by the parents Of twenty-five
or more children. Such provision in
the law, it was said, would be q step
In Americanization, as the kindergarten
10 considered a fundamental element
in the absorption Of aliens now neg
lected in New York and other centers
Of immigrant population.
"The urgency of reaching our alien
adults" says statement given out by
the association, "has offered q new
angle from which to judge of the value
of the kindergarten. The institution
next generation, but, through parents
meetings and through the system of
home visiting it fosters, it opens up
ways Of reaching fathers and mothers
that have almost unlimited possibili-
ties. 1t thus becomes a potent factor
in solving the most difficult part Of
the problem which faces those who are
conducting the vast campaign Of Ameri-
canixation through education - How
Cdu we EeaCN ana WIN Cnc COnuuouC0
OF immigrant adults?'
Americanization Hard to Define
"Just what Americanization means
precisely is q question. At best it is
hazy term. To some it means the sing
ing of patriotic songs. To others 1t
means learning to read and write the
English language. In a large sense it
means the process whereby the
strangers within our gates become part
of US. 1t cannot be perfected, solely
a few pink-tea calls from one-half of
the world to the other half, nor by
merely learning English, however es-
sential that may be as tool for un-
derstanding the environment, for ex-
pressing to others the thoughts and
ideals one has already expressed to
ones self in ones own language, or for
achieving ones legitimate ambition in
q land where that is the mother tongue
ut is because of this fact that the
kindergarten teacher can render inval-
liable service in Americanizing our
alien population. A large part of her
energy is devoted to establishing per-
sonal relationships in the home at
time when the interest and care of
the parents are most closely knit to
the welfare of the children. BY bring
ing the children of immigrants into the
kindergarten there is established a
sympathetic and cooperative relation
ship between the immigrant home and
the most potential Americanizing
agency among us--the public school. In
a new and significant way it is true
that "a little child shall lead them!'
Few Children Here Enrolled
I'm New York City, where the prob
lem Of the immigrant is peculiarly
acute, over $4,000 children between
the ages of four and six, or more than
70 per cent of the children of kinder
garten age, are not enrolled in kinder
gartens.
"As a step in the direction of solv-
ing this problem, the Public Edu-
cation Association. in cooperation
with other organizations, has intro
duced bill in the Legislature which
provides that, upon petition of the
twenty-five children between tie ages
OF four and six, residing within the
district Or city, the Board of Educa-
tion shall establish and maintain a
kindergarten unless kindergarten al
ready is maintained in the school
named in the petition.
Organizations Support Measure
"The organizations behind this bill
include the Public Education AS
sociation. the State Woman Suffrage
party, the State Congress Of Mothers
and Parent-Teacher Associations, the
State Federation of Women's Clubs,
the National kindergarten Association,
the State Teachers Association, the
Chamber of Commerce of the State Of
New York, the State Federation of La
Dor. the Women's City Club, and the
Women's Municipal League.
"The bill has been introduced in the
Senate by Senator Charles C. Lock
wood, and it is expected that it will be
introduced in the Assembly in a few
days by Colonel Theodore Roosevelt