Greenbelt cooperator. (Greenbelt, Md.) 1937-1954, 1940-03-28
Our Town: kindergarten
BY Anne Hull

Anyone feeling in need of fun and inspiration
should visit the Greenbelt kindergarten, attended
daily by Is little five-year-olds under the direc-
tton Of Antoinette Colletti and Lois Wilson.
You are a child's world the moment you enter
either of the two kindergarten rooms. The chairs
and tables Of Liliput size; everywhere you see
things children have made, to the pictures on
the walls. These pictures have one feature in CON-
mon which art galleries might do we'll to adopt
Each has notation indic eating what the artist had
in mind drawing his picture. The teachers tell
you that asking the children to explain their ideas
keeps them from drawing haphazardly very good
idea, says this critic, and the pictures are worth
looking at, too.
1t was surpri Sc to see childs size replica
of the Greenbelt hospital in corner of one kinder
earten room. The threshold not designed for
grom1ups, and necessitated STOPPING. Inside was
reception room, kitchen, an operating room, and
PATIENTS room, occupied by a few cheerfu! COILS
The hours of labor that went into building the
framework painting the cardboard walls, making the
orange box furniture, and SO on, were inspired by
trip the class recently through the real hospi-
tai. These dndergartners get around! AS warmer
weather comes on, you going to see then out
around Last spring they planted flowers
all around Dr.. Berenbergs house. THERE'S no end to
their activity.
Watching tie class in action is very instructive.
Without sing their voices looking cross,
Miss Colletti and Hiss Wilson get perfect coopera-
ton from the lively five-year-olds. How? Well,
they exactly how to hold the childr EMS
attention; what things Will keep then interested;
finally, how long to keep them going at any one
activity.
When Kiss Wilson gathered the children around her
to read "Ameliar Anne and the Green UMBRELLA, they
began wi tn Ringer play" pantonine the children
knew by heart, in which they initiated with their
and hands what seemed to be flying birds. Some
how fused into harmonious whole by this collective
endeavor, the group settled down to hear the story
Miss Wilson held the book face outWards so That
everyone could the pictures and she asked them
ques tions about the story when she had fini shed
reading. You should have those waving handsI
The children had all liked the story and were wild
to give their version OF the different points.
The days do not follow set routine, but the
following usually worked in: planning and
working period when the youngsters plan what they're
to work on discuss what's been happening in their
world generally, and then get busy the latest
project; cleanup period; rest; lunch Crackers
and milk); period Of songs, rhytfms, and games,
and period for storytelling dranatics.
Although the children are never bothered by these
big words, Miss Colletti and Mss Elson trying
to develop in their charges Independence, magma
ton, consideration for Others trustWorthiness,
operativeness, and probably a lot Independ-
ence is fostered by giving the children duties to
perform without supervi sion. Each day different
children rerind themselves they are supposed
lay the oilcloths for lunch, clean up afterwards,
and Imaginations given workout during
the interpretative rhythm classes, especially when
the "bear songn or the donkey songn is played on
the piano, and the youngsters cavort about the
trying to suggest, by their movements, what the
sic is describing.
They have their own band, too. It's treat to
hear st interpret the bear music, for ms lance, to
which they've just been dancing. First comes the
piano Introduction, each little Musician stiff with
anti dpation the while. Then the "litt1e bear"
movement everyone join in, but not too loudly,
with bells, drums, triangles, cynbals, and tambou
rines. The mother bear" part is sweet and lifting
and only the triangles accompany the teacher's pi
ano. The drums and cynbals come loudly into their
glory with the nfather bear"
One little boy recently told his mother that he
going to the office to ask Mr.. Braden if there
couldn't be school Sat,rd days and Sundays, too.