OTEMAETEN WOEK mviB^xojESLiLtJSL'jsr :k:> LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, Chap. Copyright No. Shelf...L.Bj/&*l ^ UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. r n Ci>iue, lef lis iiNe luf our children. 50ct$. SUGGESTIONS FOR KINDGERGARTEI WORK MARION STRICKLAND Svipervisor of Kindergartens, Syracuse, N. Y. SYRACUSE, N. Y. C. W. BARDEE^F, PUBLISHER 1896 Copyright, 1896, by C. W. Bardeen i NOV 16 ni:?n< (.'^' i^ .9> M .5? ■i, CONTENTS PAGE I. Founder, Aims. Methods, and Benefits OF THE Kindergarten 9 11. Lesson Work FOR September 18 Harvesting of Fruits aad Grains 18 Gifts and Occupations 21 Story— Mother Apple-Tree's Children .27 III. Lesson Work for October 37 Nature's Preparation for Winter _ .37 Seeds 37 Insects . - . 39 Leaves 40 Gifts and Occupations 43 Story— The Leaves' Tea-Party 47 IV. Lesson Work for November 54 Nature's Preparation for Winter, and Thanksgiving 56 Gifts and Occupations 59 Story— The Story of Thanksgiving. 63 (7) KINDERGARTEN WORK Founder, Aims, Methods, and Bene- fits of the Kindergarten The gift of true education is that training by which the child develops mind, body, and soul ; through which he shall recognize the God-given power within him and become a blessing to himself and humanity. This has been the key note of all educa- tional motives since education began ; at times it has been like Mr. Moody^s fashion- able church choir, " shut in a box in a far off corner singing in an unknown tongue ; " then again it rings out clear and sweet, as some master hand touches the strings. The sign of the times breathes of progression and triumph. The new education, which after all is so old, cries out that no more time be wasted on straightening the old trees, but all be spent guarding the young twigs. (9) 10 KIlfDERGARTEN WOEK Since the days when the Great Teacher said, ^^A little child shall lead them/' and ^' Of such is the kingdom of Heaven," we have had spasmodic attempts to train early childhood ; — slowly but surely, down through the ages of Hebrew and Greek, the seeds have been sown until now the fields are white for the harvest. Until the time of Frederick Froebel the principles and theories Diesterweg, Lavater, Pestalozzi and others failed in application. Froebel, born in Swarzburgh, Germany, April 22, 1782, left at his death June 21, 1852, a gift of inestimable value to all earth's children. To him is the honor of success- fully putting into tangible form the prin- ciples and theories of these great educators. Early bereft of a mother's care, one of a large family, the father engrossed in the manifold duties of a large country parish — the child Frederick was left largely to him- self. It is claimed by many that through the advent of a step-mother and more child- ren little Frederick was shamefully neglected, and that his starved and saddened childhood in after years gave birth to the unselfish, un- AIMS OF THE KINDERGARTEN II tiring zeal with which he worked among the children. Madam Kraus-Boelte, whose three years home life with Frau Froebel makes her opinion not only valuable but authoritative, has often asserted that this story of Froebers childhood is not true. He was not a brilliant child, though gentle and sweet tempered. This seeming neglect probably came from being one of a large family and from a natural shyness which kept him in the back-ground. His love for nature and children was in- tense, — as he studied the life of one he found it synonymous with that of the other. As the plant grew so thrived the child.. The well cared for garden assured full fruit- age ; the child-garden nurtured with love- and faithfulness gave birth to sober, indus^ trious and happy human lives. With the desire to benefit childhood flood- ing his daily life he struggled on, overcom- ing the many difficulties which at times- seemed almost to sweep him beyond exis- tence, until he won the help of Middendorf. For a time all was well, but in the midst of success the superstitious people drove from* 12 KIXDERGARTEN WORK their land as a plague this prophet of good tidings. Froebel, crushed and broken-hearted at the suspicion of his fellow people and the complete undoing of his years of work, left his native land and died, bequeathing to his few faithful followers the fragments of his storm-beaten life, with the command of old to preach this gospel of child life to all the ^world. The master, overcome at last, with his liandful of disciples gathered around him, reminds one of the scene in the garden of the east. Slowly but surely this man^s teaching has drawn unto itself many followers, until not to know something of the principles and methods of Frederick Froebel marks one as standing in the back ground and a laggard in the educational life of to-day. The question of training for children earlier than regular school life afforded is a problem dating far back ; it was conceded to be necessary. But how it should be accom- jplished was a philosopher's puzzle. Certain it was that no earlier use could be AIMS OF THE KINDERGARTEiir 13 made of text books— children could not be confined within the school room earlier in life without materially injuring their physi- cal and often their mental growth — yet con- stantly was shown the need of earlier train- ing. Froebel found the first few years of the child lived as that of an animal. People gave little or no thought for children beyond their physical condition. In consequence of this, in spite of parents or philosophers, God's greatest gift— the soul, developed un-^ trained and uncared for. Thus often nature cared magnificently for her share while the spirit grew warped and contorted because it had no nurture, and when the age of discretion arrived judgment was so twisted and mal-formed it had no power to make a right choice. To re-create this power was a life work. Froebel believed body and soul must be educated, i. e., developed together with the head and hand ; until this could be done mankind must suffer and fall short of that which the Creator intended it should be- come. Watching the children in their daily 14 KINDERGARTEN WORK life with this thought uppermost in his mind, Froebel saw them in play live out the home life. Whether this play was filled with gentle care and thoughtf ulness or the reverse, depended upon the reality. As Froebel watched he became more and more convinced that an ideal home life, where love, purity, and justice held sway ; where nature's life could be re-lived in all its sweetness, was the one way so to develop these human plants that they should come to full and beautiful fruitage. To accomplish any work some tools must be used. In his wonderful wisdom Froebel made use of the simplest toys of childhood, taking as his first step the ball, a symbol of perfect form and life. From these soft round balls in rainbow colors for the six weeks old babe he passes to the hard wooden sphere, cube, and cylin- der, the three fundamental forms of the universe. The cube is next divided into eight small cubes, then into oblongs, and on into triangles, square prisms, and squares, ointil the solid form becomes a flat surface, which in turn reaches by successive divis- AIMS OF THE KINDERGARTEl^" 15 ions, the smallest mathematical conception — the point, — represented to the children by seeds, tiny shells, the perforating of wee holes into stiff card. These in turn are developed by sewing into straight lines ; and by colored paper folded, cut, and pasted, by drawing, and by modelling in sand and clay, step by step the analyzed sphere becomes synthetically rebuilt. Thus the child j^^^V^ systematically, through a logical course of mathematics. As he reaches the years of school life, his mind, body, and soul aroused to a natural desire to Icnoiv, and the power within him so developed that his task is one of pleasure, the spirit of the kindergarten pervades the primary room, and his duties become pleas- ures, the results being found in better scholars and citizens. The most skeptical are grow- ing into this belief. More and more are time and money and place being given to this work of the kindergarten. We have proved the results worth the expenditure, — not in every case, because in many instances the kindergarten is such in name only. Anyone may give you a stone and call it a diamond. 16 KINDERGARTEis' WORK but that does not prove it so. We believe it is the duty of the State to support such a department in its schools : that it should and must provide for the years spent in the gut- ters and on the streets by thousands of chil- dren in this country, if we are to overcome the huge problems of society and labor con- fronting the national life of to-day. The children are not only " the hope of the nation '\ They are the coming nation, for whose purity and development we shall be held responsible. This ideal home life does not confine it- self within the kindergarten walls ; the mother's meetings which are part of all true kindergartens bring to '^^ kindergarten mothers '' the opportunity of lending a help- ful hand — of sharing a burden, of turning into a better way some reward or punish- ment. Month after month mothers come, saying, ^^We told 'John^ what you said about the boys, and we^re going to try your way." Little notes come, saying, "Won^t you speak to Mary about so- and-so ; she doesn't mind what 1 say.'"* One little three- year-old girl who for a week spoke to no one AIMS OF THE KI>