Milford chronicle., 1939-11-17
HOME EDUCATION
"The Child's FirSt School D rhf
FamilJ"-FR0EBEL
Issued by the National Kinder
garten Association, 8 West 4Oth
Street. New York City. These ar
ticles are appearing weekly 10 our
columns
IMPERSONAL ATTITUDE
TOWARD KNOWLEDGE
EDITH Brands


The other day heard little boy
ask his sister the meaning Of a word.
She gave him a fair definition. then
hesitated and gave him another. The
boy fiared up at her. You don't
know" he cried. "YOu don't know!
You pretend to know lot and you
don't know anything at all" rms
TRADE OF abuse continued until MS
sister ran out of the room, i'll tears.
Happily such a scene is not COM
mon. In addition to the unkindness
and lack of control manifested. it was
evident that in this family there was
false and foolish. even childish, at
titude toward knowing" and the
processes of getting knowledge.
Let us see what was wrong. Here
was knowledge and the pursuit OF
knowledge made personal, the abil-
ity to recall fragmentary and Isolated
facts being considered a reliable mea-
sure of competency. hut at the same
time being treated with something
like contempt. knowledge is so vast
and admits of so many variations that
il should always he approached in an
impersOnal attitude We should seek
the knowledge we want until we find
il. but blame no one for not having
on hand that special one of uni
verse of facts that we happen TO he
seeking. This boy had heard older
members of the family remark re-
garding some eager questioning per
son. oh. he thinks he's so smart,
when the truth was the person under
discussion was motivated solely by
,'intellectual curiosity" the very best
foundation for gaining worthwhile
knowledge
OF intellectual curiosity" some
children have more. some less. but all
normal children have some. In the
home the child asks his first ques-
tions. Here they are answered or
they are not.
But" you say. Il don't know the
answers" Ard say TO you. No par
ent knows all the an3wcFs. No per-
son on earth knows all. nor a thou
sandth part of the full answers 10 all
the questions an intelligent child can
ask.
THE desirable method. therefore.
is to teach the child to go 20 sources
foF his answers. as soon as and as
fast as. he can do il for himself. Up
TO that time it is the parents duty
and should be their pleasure TO ans
wer all the questions they can"
ITO what sources shall the little /
inquirer be taught 10 gO?"
The child first questions ask for
facts about the world around him
about birds. trees. flowers. stars, |
mountains. cOlOrs. If he sees Mother I
and Father consult books for ans
wers. or for their own information. /
he will develop an impersOnal atti-
tude toward knowledge and will in
time learn TO consult books. Ii when
il is possible, they take him by the
hand and show him his answer cor
cretely. his feeling of satisfaction will
increase his desire TO know more and
strengthen his inclination to make
the effort that this will require"
When the hoy or girl beg. MS TO ask
questions about the world. Il globe
should he at hand 4 very little child
can understand the facts of the globe
In these modern times he cannot TOO
soon visualize the world rs Il unit
and its people as neighbors.
Later, as special childish prefer
hnceS develop, pictures, books, toys
and apparatus along the lines of the
rhild's individual interests should he
available.
The attitude toward any bit of de-
sired knowledge shonld he: Here.
'or the moment, 10 us. is the most
thing in the world Let us
see what We can find nnI ahOnt il "