Milford chronicle., 1929-09-27
THE GAME OF TRUTH
FLORENCE Bascom-Phillips

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Mother, Virgil hit mel" cried my
three-year-old daughter.
Il did not! She hurt her own SELF"
emphatically declared my five-year-
old son.
HE did hit me. He did," sobbed
Evangeline.
why, 1 didn't either!" replied
Virgil with still more emphasis.
Such episodes became problems
befitting the wisdom of Solomon,
and the persistence of Philadelphia
lawyer, rather than that of an ordi-
nary, busy mother with four tots un-
der school age, all demanding atten-
tion. But experience with an older
foster-son had demonstrated the
evils growing out of a childhood
habit of falsehood, so l determined
to find way to get these kinder
garten children of mine to tell the
truth. Therefore, 1 invented the
Game of Truth"
Placing bottle, pencil, book,
a ring, or similar articles on the ta-
BILE, shut my eyes and said:
Virgil, put the pencil on the
kitchen cabinet"
Both children had formed habits of
obedience, so this part was easy.
Then 1 carefully explained how in
this game we had to tell things ex-
actly the way they really were, and
placed a score card on the wall with
each child's name written on it,
promising tiny gold star after the
name of each one who successfully
played the game. Then 1 questioned
as follows:
Virgil, who put the pencil on the
cabinet?"
Upon satisfactory, truthful, well
expressed answer, said:
"Evangeline, who put the pencil
on the cabinet?
At first, she echoed the words of
her brother, which made her claim
that she had put the pencil there.
Virgil then got star after his
name for telling the truth, and I
ing the acting. Each time question
ed both children as to who did what
ever had told them to do, explain
ing patiently that each one must tell
things just exactly as they really
were, until both children could tell
the truth about these simple things.
1t was game to them, one of the
most thrilling games we had played,
and their delight knew no bounds
when they began to see row of gold
stars after their names, for telling
the truth.
Neither one has developed into a
George Washington yet, but it has
the matter of getting their
stories straight when they have a
for when I find one
telling one thing and the other some
thing else a reminder to "tell it just
as it really is as we do in the Game
of Truth usually causes the child
who is telling a falsehood to speak
truthfully about the matter, even to
acknowledging having done wrong.
1t seems that when approached in
this way, the child's mind grasps the
larger thought of speaking the truth,
in place of the more personal idea
of possible punishment or reprimand
for having done wrong.
The most frequent cause of lying
to be fear of consequences if
the truth is known. The next, seems
to be the effort to create condition
which will merit praise. Keeping
these two facts in mind helps me
with my "little flock"
81 feel that many of the education
problems which arise in the early
grades can, and should, be controlled
by a preliminary training in kinder
garten. English Bagby, University
Of North Carolina.
The National Kindergarten Associ-
alton, West Fortieth Street, New
York, is always ready to help any
one wishing to work to get kinder
garten opened. Write for informa-
ton and advice.