Milford chronicle., 1941-01-31
|| HOME EDUCATION
"T'he Child'S First School is tie
Famiiy-FRoEBEL
II Issued BY the National Kindergarlen
II Association. 8 West 10th Street
II New York City
zee
HIGH BOOKS AND Low BOOKS
Q o .
Mrs. Florence Miner

Mrs. Florence Miner
Daddy, is that low book or q
, high boOk? Six-year-Old Caroline
was peering at a small handsomely
bound volume on the table, but she
did not reach out her hand toward
it.
That's a high book, Caroline. II
you'll bring 1t to me I'll show you
why"
Caroline lifted the book carefully
as though il were very precious
package and carried It TO her father,
four-year-old Susan following.
See what nice dress it has On!"
said her father, holding 1t up SO that
both children could see it easily.
Opening the book and turning the
leaves, he added. "You see Il has no
pictures, but the lovely print tell
stories for Mother and me, but you
wouldn't like them now as much as
you do Snow White and 'Cinder-
ella and THE Three Bears Some
day when most of your books are
high books you will enjoy this one
very much. 3atsifHsy
He then called their attention TO
the Illuminated initials and to the
wide margins and even remarked
that the print, while not so large
as In their own books, was just as
clear. He did not talk down to them,
but did keep naturally within the
range OF their understanding of a
beautiful book.
Aunt Lucy, who was making her
first visit TO them since Susan was
baby, looked on with puzzled inter-
est. When the book was safely back
on the table. she asked, "What did !
Caroline mean by high book and |
low boOk'T
1--WE are trying TO help the chill
dren to gain. real appreciation of
books and to know how TO treat
them.' her brother answered. "Come
into the book rOom."
in the library he pointed to the
two lower shelves In one of the
open bookcases and explained, "The
lowest shelf belongs. to Stisa1 and
the one above II, to Caroline. They
keep their own hooks there and
Mary. and l occasionally slip in a
new and interesting one as a sur
prise. Each child understands that
on her own shelf is hers
to use freely and they lend to each
other--but the books on the higher
shelves belong TO the grownups. The
terms high book aud low book are
the clllldren's own and, In their
minds. based on -tllis division They y
resrect the high books as belonging
to their mother and me and take
them only with permission. Any
book about the house they are ex-
peeted to leave along until they know
Il is a high book or low
book"
"And don't they ever touch your
books?' Aunt Lucy knew lot about 1
children.
WELL" said Father with smile, I
the children are not always abso- q
utely perfect, and sometimes temp {
alton is too much for them. They {
Inown that Mary and l will show d
hem any of the high books they s
nay wish to see, and that helps d
OF. At intervals we put particu- i
arly attractive children's book 1
mong our own, book well-printed +
nd illustrated by a real artist. This L
We show them. letting Caroline have II
! alone for a short period. but it is d
D be returned to our shelves. When, Il
iowever, she has proved herself C
apable of understanding its value, a
he is allowed to transfer the book e.
, her own shelf. We do the same Il
18th Susan, but with less expensive fC
ooks" te
well, that's an ides!" said Aunt Vi
ucy as she took the illustrated copy IL
7 "The Three Bears from Susan's nj
lelf Even Susan's books, l see, bC
re not torn and scribbled over" la
eve are trying to teach proper 1t
,spect for a book, 10 arouse de- TO
re for the books on shelves higher al
} and to give them some sense of
inc and thine. 1t takes time and
ought and patience, but we hope it
III pay in the end" r,
I'm sure IL will.' Aunt Lucy put us
me Three Bears" back on Susan's 70
elf and thought of a certain ragged I'll
ID soiled children's book in another m,
me where she had recently visited. tel