Milford chronicle., 1928-05-25
Home Education
THE YEARS BEFORE SCHOOL
Mrs. Nestor Noel

THE YEARS BEFORE SCHOOL
Mrs. Nestor Noel
One day I was on a visit with my
four-year-old daughter. There were
no other children in the house ,and
she was getting lonely.
LEND her book" 1 said.
They could not find a picture
book.
"Any book with large print will
do" 1 told them.
A book with good plain letters
was brought. To their astOnishment,
the little girl was quite happy, read
ing words here and there.
"She should not know how to read
at her age" objected woman.
'Why not?" asked.
cts bad for her health" was the
reply.
This child had not been urged to
read At an early age, I had given
her alphabet blocks with which to
play. As she wanted to know what
the blocks meant, 1 told her the
names of the letters. From that, 1t
was not long before she knew the
words under the pictures on the
blocks and was picking them out OF
every book she came across. 1t al
forded her much amusement for
rainy day. Knowing something
about books, she was, later, less tim
id at the idea of going to school.
There are other things, however,
more important. Before reaching the
school ace a child should be taught
to speak good English and should
understand and practice pleasing
manners. Some children are entirely
unframed in the little courtesies be-
fore they enter school, and often
school does not improve them IN the
least in this respect.
81 do not know what kind of man
ners the children are taught" re-
marked a woman to me once. "They
seem ever so much rougher than be-
fore they went to school"
If the home influence does not |
keep children as polite as they |
should be, it is unreasonable to eX-
pect the school to do so. 1t is the
home life which has the most infiu-
ence. 1t very largely determines the
future. Before school age, when we
think our children are learning
nothing. they are really learning a
great deal. It rests with us to see
what they learn. In the bright say
ings of children we often get an in
sight into their daily home life.
The years before seven are the
most impressionable, and their in
fuences continue throughout life.
A child comes into the world
knowing nothing. 1t does not know
how to walk, to eat to speak. Why
not teach it to do all these things
to save learning them
twice?
These lessons should not be made
difficult: all of us remember best
the experiences most enjoyed.
We spoke in the beginning of
reading. If your little one learns to
recognize the letters and some of I
our common words it should be as /
IN amusement, a game. Do not COM
nit the mistake Of making it les
son. =.
All life is a lesson if you want to u
make and call it such. Accept as d
much as possible of it in the high :,
,st spirit of play and it will bring =
more JOY. Especially, do this with .
hose first few years of child's life =
t home when all work should be :.
lay.
"I wish kindergarten might be r
vailable for every child of kinder
arten age in Pennsylvania. The
builds up fund of ex-
erience which helps to put ideas
ack of words. It teaches children r
} play and work together under pl
obstructive conditions. It develops s;
dependence and self-reliance. - be
.obert NJ. Steele, Principal, State EI
ormal School, Clarion, Pennsylva- w
ia. vi
The National Kindergarten Asso- v,
iation, 8 West Fortieth Street, New 81
'ork, furnishes information and pI
,aflets free of charge to anyone Ell
fishing to get kindergarten open ell
/ in a public school. 80