,/u_n_Jt-. REESE LIBRARY UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA. Deceived 1 23 1694 L Accessions No. i5ty~702. Class No. NATIONAL KINDERGARTEN MANUAL. CONTAINING PRACTICAL MODEL LESSONS, RULES AND LEC* TURES FOR THE KINDERARTEN AND THE NURSERY, STORIES, ETC. BY MRS. LOUISE POLLOCK, Principal of Washington Normal Kindergarten Institute. BOSTON DEWOLFE, FISKK AND COMPANY 1889 COPYBIGHT, 1888, BY HENRY A. YOUNG & Co. CONTENTS. Page INTRODUCTION 5 FREDERICK FROEBEL 6 CHARACTERISTICS OF A TRUE KINDERGARTEN ... 7 PART I. Model Lessons for Kindergarten and Primary Schools. LESSON No. 1. Conversational Exercises .... 12 Story of the Little White Lily ... 14 No. 2. The Six Colored Worsted Balls ... 16 How Cochie and Gamble made Three New Colors 17 Ball Lesson for Youngest Children . . 20 Play of the Clock 21 Ball Lesson for Older Children ... 22 " No. 3. Second Gift : Ball, Cube and Cylinder . . 24 " No. 4. Third Gift : A Cube divided into Eight . 26 No. 5. Fourth Gift: Eight Oblong Blocks . . 29 Kind Hans ;J1 No. 6. The Tablets " No. 7. Stick Lesson 36 " No. 9. Rings 38 " No. 9. Paper Folding 40 Folding with Larger Children ... 42 " No. 10. Peas and St < Wires . . . 48 No. 11. Clay Modelling 46 No. U._ The Gonograph or Connected Staff . . 48 S.uiil in the Kindergarten .... ;">0 iii IV CONTENTS. PART II. Stories for the Kindergarten and the Family. Page The Art of Telling Stories . . 53 Rose and her Flowers 57 Snowdrop 58 Louis Sees the New Year Come in 60 The Wise Little Finger 62 Miss Swallowtail 63 Squirrel 67 Charlie's Garden . 68 The Discontented Brooklet 71 Mary's Little Lamb 74 The Monkey Trying to be a Man 76 The Mission of Flowers 81 Willie's Kite 81 Springtime .82 Story of Buzzy 83 PART III. Lectures on The Kindergarten in the Nursery. LECTURE No. I. Considerations of the Best Physical and Soul Nourishment of the Infant . . 91 " No. II. Maternal Instincts need the Guidance of Wisdom 101 " No. III. The Aims of Education and Moral Cul- ture 109 " No. IV. The Influence of Music in Education . 116 No. V. By William Walker, Esq 126 " No. VI. Epochs in Child-Life which exert a power- ful Influence upon his Character and Disposition ...... 136 No. VII. Government of Children .... 148 No. VIII. By Mrs. Caroline B. Winslow . . 160 " No. IX. Advantages of Intimate Intercourse with Nature 169 Second Story of the Five Little Travellers 172 List of Reference Books on Kindergarten Subjects . . . 176 INTRODUCTION. MY object in publishing the present volume is to disseminate, as much as in my power, a knowledge of the kindergarten philosophy among teachers as well as parents. The "National Kindergarten Songs and Plays'* were intended to fill a certain want; and the little book has been well received. An additional number of the songs and plays so popular in our Washington Kindergartens, will be found in my new Song Book, " Cheerful Echoes from the National Kindergarten," which has just been published. At the request of my teachers and normal students, I have introduced a few practical lessons and stories, which illustrate the proverbs and verses taught during our conversational exercises, while biding the time when I shall publish a book composed entirely of stories for the kinder- -ai t'-u and nursery. To comply with the wishes of many mothers who have attended my lessons on the kindergarten in the nursery, I have also given my educational and hygienic rules, eight of which are given with each lecture to mothers, teachers, and nursery-maids. These are part of my teachers' training, and I hope that they may prove of as much value in the future as they have in the past. They are gathered from the highest educational and medical authorities in the country, and have all been tested by my own experience in bring- ing up my family of eight children. People may say, our children ought to be exemplary; but while they are far from perfect, I am quite sure they would not have grown up to be as good and useful iti/rns as they are, had they not enjoyed the kindergarten training, and the most careful hygienic treatment from earliest childhood to maturity. For the benefit of kindergarten training schools, I enu- merate my course of Lectures on "The Kindergarten in the Nursery." which are really the foundation upon which the whole system is built, and a knowledge of which I consider indispensable to the proper qualification of the kindergarten teacher. LOUISE POLLOCK. FREDERICK FROEBEL. To the Class of '87. An honored name in every land, His followers, a faithful band, With noble aim and purpose true ; With spirit brave to dare and do. He to the young gave every thought, Suffering privation, and receiving nought But love of those he gently led And with God's bounty daily fed. Great is the work so well began, And left to us the perfect plan ; All honor be to him and they Who educate the child through play. What nobler work, what grander aim, The infant mind to teach and train, Each instinct mould with tender care, Make mind and body doubly fair ! The love of order, love of toil, To plant within this virgin soil 5 The law of love, the golden rule, Is taught in Frederick Froebel's school. Froebel was humble as a child, His motives pure and free from guile, His purpose lofty, good and true, A precious legacy he left to you. Then let us walk where he has trod, With armor strong, our faith in God. We'll plant the seed, the increase He will give; And we will honor Froebel while we live. MRS. EMILY LAKE ELLIOT, Graduate of the Washington Normal Kindergarten Institute. CHARACTERISTICS OF A TRUE KINDER- GARTEN. Perhaps the best way in this case, as in most others, in stating what a thing should be, is to state what it ought not to be. The kindergartner should not be a person who simply chose this as she would any other profession, for the sake of making a living, nor one who considers that little or no preparation for her work is re- quired from day to day, because the children are yet so small. She should not content herself with giving an object-lesson, priding her- self on the glibness with which the children count the faces, edges, corners, of the cube or other forms, then, letting the children build something according to her directions, or build what they like, with- out its representing something familiar to the child, and make it inter- esting to the children by associations with his own life experiences, or those of others, by means of a story. In the kindergarten for children under six, the child should not realize that his play or occupation contains a lesson. It should be the br.-t proof that the kindergartner understands her work, if the child, on being asked at home, " What did you learn to-day?" says, " Noth- ing!" IVrhaps later in the day, when her mamma sees her look- ing very intently at a little fly in the window, and asks her what she is looking at, she replies, "Just look at this poor little fly, one wing is in a vertical, the other in a horizontal position." She assimilated tin; instruction in the kindergarten the same as the babbling child assimilated not only the food, but the conversation with her mamma; learning unconsciously a thousand things every day. Tin' true kindergartner should not pride herself on keeping the children still. She should not u>- ri.licule to correct a child. She should not use pri/es or any similar means to incite the children to jjivat exertions. She should not specially praise children who are naturally more quick at giving good replies, or are not so bashful as who, through no fault of theirs, cannot do GO well in work or h. It is bad enough not to be gifted by nature, without having an un- ju>t, thoughtless teacher make them feel ashamed or wronged. In the true kindergarten, the children take little or no notice of 8 NATIONAL KINDERGARTEN MANUAL. visitors, they are not self-conscious, nor put themselves on their best behavior to appear well, having been taught a lesson of deceit. They act the same in the presence, as in the absence of visitors. They do not leave the school-room with a shout of exultation, and realize a sense of freedom from restraint. It snould not be a school where a regular plan is carried out, no matter what happens. Though in the true kindergarten each day does have its own plan for the various gifts and occupations with the kindergarten materials, and each day has its own subject for conversational exercises, and for the songs and plays in harmony with it. I will briefly state the plan of conducting my kindergarten exercises during each day of the week, which may serve as a guide to inexpe- rienced teachers. On Monday is what I call our tuning day for the week, which is to do for the children what Sunday does for their parents. We repeat the little moral texts they have learned, and add perhaps a new one, and illustrate its meaning with a story. For in- stance, "All things work together for good to those who love the Lord," is illustrated by the story of Joseph, who, through suffering, was made the instrument for saving the life of his family and of many others. " When the weather is wet, we must not fret, when the wea- ther is cold, we must not scold, but be thankful together whatever the weather." " Never trouble another for what you can do yourself ." " If you are angry, count ten before you speak; if you are very angry, count a hundred." " Do to others as you would that they should do to you." Recess, with motion plays, always follows the conversational exercises of the morning as the children must alternate sitting with moving ex- ercises. On Monday the plays* which symbolize the trades are made use of. Perhaps the story of the morning was about the little proud grain of wheat, whose greatest ambition had been to be made into rich cake, the color of gold. With the blocks which are played with on Monday, we perhaps build by dictation a barn, a depot, or a train of cars, bringing or carrying different produce to different countries. Then, when they have had time given them to build whatever they desired, and sit quiet a few minutes, to hear what each one says his building represents, the genuine kindergartner knows how to weave all they have tried to represent into a continuous story of what might have happened to some little children, as, in the play of stage-coach, all the objects are brought into notice. How else could eight plain little blocks be of any attraction to children, who revel at home in * "National Kindergarten Songs and Plays." CHARACTERISTICS. any amount of lovely building-blocks? Before the next occupation of sewing various lines and combining them into pretty figures, we again march out, and play, perhaps, " The Thresher." or " The Kail- road," or the " Boatman and the Teamster;" a thread of connection running through the whole morning's exercises. On Tuesday the conversational exercise turns upon nature, and \\e sing: " Hum. hum. hum. Look, the bees have come," etc. * W- sing about birds, frogs, or the little doves. After the play of imitating some of these, we have the occupation of staff-laying, and perhaps lay a hexagon, calling it the bee's cradle, and tell a story bringing in many simple but valuable facts in the history of the bee. (See page 83, "The story of Buxxie.") This is followed again by the much needed and enjoyable physical exercises, which are succeeded by draw ing on their slates, perhaps the same forms they laid with their Mai't's. all depending on the age of the children, or the length of time they ha\e been enjoying the kindergarten training. If >onie child brought a bouquet of flowers- in the morning, then our Tuesday bee-lesson can be brought in connection with the flowers, or they can lay a flower-pot, or the story is not so much about the bee, as about its having gone to sleep in a rose (see page 87, " Story of a little Bee "). We have to adapt ourselves to circumstances and to the children's moods. We cannot force our moods upon them, ami should only gradually draw them to become inteivMe.l in what we desire to bring to their notice. When the circus is in the city, it is useless to give them our well-prepared . We must interest them by telling them stories of animals and all our play with the gift relates to that. Wednesday, \\e may look at some pictures and converse about them, or talk about the words of a new song, or we repeat, some of the previous day's story. How well they remember it ! It is quite important to have the children try to tell the story themselves as a language leSSOli; but in my kindergarten \ve tind it ad\i>al>le to have children of various ages all united for the opening ami closing exer- cises, and the older ones are sure to notice any little variance or anything left out, or not ju>t as it was told, and they invariably beg me to repeat it myself. "Where the children are under six, this is not the ease, tn--\ arfl not BO critical, and love to hear each other talk. * National Kindergarten Soims and 1'lays. 10 NATIONAL KINDERGA11TEN MANUAL. Perhaps they repeat the lesson of the previous day, only with different materials, so as to make the impression more lasting. They take a square-laying tablet and place two equal-sided triangles with their bases touching the upper and lower edges of the square, and have again the hexagon or bees' cradle. The gymnastic plays are such as comprise every kind of physical exercise, or the play of imitating what one child after another shows. We also weave on Wednesday, and sing: " Oh weaving, weaving, what a joy ! " etc. * Thursday is the day when we talk about the most beautiful home on earth, our human bodies, and we have the sweet finger-plays, and other symbolical plays, such as the spool, the wheel-barrow and the like. We have paper-folding for our occupation, making many geo- metrical forms, such as squares, oblongs, triangles, which to the younger children simply represent the top of a table, or a napkin, a book, or a soldier's cap, or circus-tent. These, as well as their sewing, weaving and parquetry, we paste in their scrap-books, after the departure of the children. On Friday the balls are used for play and instruction, with the physical exercise of marching, and plays of "In all the green world there is nothing so sweet," etc., in relation to the wool from which the ball is made, and preceded by a little natural-history lesson. Then with the clay modeling which follows we make things first symbolized by the ball. On last modeling day the balls had represented various fruits. The clay ball was changed into a cylinder, and then hollowed out, so as to make a fruit-jar, so that we might have the luscious fruit to eat at a time when "winter rules with an icy hand and nature takes a rest." There is so much theorizing, if I may so call it, on this subject, that I prefer to deal mostly with the practical matters of experience! for one might read many volumes on the aims and uses of the Kinder- garten Philosophy, and yet not know what is done in a true kinder- garten. The discipline in a true kindergarten leads to self-control, self- government. The chief punishment is the loss of the companionship of the good; in their work and play they realize that work is pleasure, idleness a trial. * National Kindergarten Songs and Plays. FIRST PART. MODEL LESSONS. FOR KINDERGARTEN AND PRIMARY SCHOOLS. 01) MODEL LESSONS FOR KINDERGARTEN AND PRIMARY SCHOOLS. MODEL LESSON No. I. CONVERSATIONAL EXERCISES. THE picture-books are all being gathered up, for it is now time for the Kindergarten and school to begin. We call it school, because children from four to ten years of age all unite in the morning exer- cises. The bell rings and all rise to sing, except one very small boy, who has only been a day or two, and has not yet experienced the home feeling of wishing to be one with the rest. First they sing or speak their little morning prayers : " Now I awake and see the light,* ' Tis God who kept us through the night, To Him I lift my thoughts in prayer, And thank Him for His watchful care. Oh, keep me, Lord, throughout this day, And drive all naughty thoughts away." Then: " Happy every morning,* When the hour comes round, To the Kindergarten, Flocks of children bound, La la la, la la la, la la la. Shaking hands together, Glad to meet again ; Pleased to learn, and spending Not the time in vain. La la la, etc. * National Kindergarten Songs. MODEL LKSSON NO. L 13 The Kindergartener now calls on each child to recite various verses, which all repeat in concert. As these verses were being taught, each one in turn has been carefully explained and associated in the chil- dren's mind by an example or story. To-day they learn : " The Lord loves a cheerful giver." "But what has a little child to give?" Several children hold up their hands. 'Well, Floyd?" "We can give love." " Yes, certainly, the best gift of all." " Lulu ? " " We can give kind words." "Mamie?" "We can be sunshine," "That is right, dear child, how well you remember what I told you, when we were learning, ' Kind hearts are the gardens,' etc. Yes, you can be either a sunbeam, or bring darkness where you go, by being either good and kind, or bad-tempered and selfish. Who wants to give sunshine?" All the hands are up, some children even hop up from their seats. Well, then, let us sing it once. All sing, standing up: " Kind hearts are the gardens,* Kind thoughts are the roots, Kind words are the flowers, Kind deeds are the fruits. " Love is the bright sunshine That warms into life, For only in darkness Grow hatred and strife. " Take care of your garden, And keep it from weeds, Fill, till it with tl.-wers, Kind words and kind dec-iK " What will happen to mamma, if you give her sunshine?" "She will be happy," Parke replies. fet, >ln- will l)t happy and will live longer than if she is worried all the time by her selfish little boy or girl." What does Eleanor wish to tell me?" "We can make Christmas present.^." indeed, you can give your time and the skill of your little fingers, and here in the Kindergarten you shall learn how to make up all your work to be some pretty ami us.-t'ul present for your friends. But now I must tell you what happened to little Benjamin, a few * National KiM.lt-riMrtcii S,, MI;* ami IMsiys." 14 NATIONAL KINDERGARTEN MANUAL. years ago, who was taken very sick and could not come to my Kinder- garten for quite a long time. His father called one day to tell me how sick his little boy was, and said: "I am afraid he never will get well again." He could only stay a few minutes; when he was getting up to go, I asked the children, if they would like to send something to little sick Bennie. "Yes, yes, let him have my grapes, or my weav- ing." "Oh, he is too sick to enjoy those." One little pet, Alice B., only five years old, held up her hand. "What does Alice wish to give to poor sick Bennie?" "I can pray for him." So you shall; let us all remember him this evening in -our prayers. Not long after that, Benjamin's papa called expressly to tell the children that God had been pleased to answer their prayer, and that his little boy would soon be able to come to the Kindergarten again. The verses they recited were not all Bible texts ; these were some of them: Nothing is troublesome that we do willingly. The sluggard says, there is a lion in the street, I shall be slain. (" Charlie, what is meant by a lion ?" An excuse ! ) Do to others as you would, etc. But seek ye first the Kingdom cf God and his righteousness, and all those things shall be added unto you. Ask, and it shall be given unto you, seek, etc. Not my will, but Thy will be done. Thou shalt - not covet. Never buy what you do not want because it is cheap. Bless the Lord, O my soul! and forget not all His mercies. The children were then asked if they remembered the last story told them, about the little Lily, which was not grateful for God's many blessings. Two or three of the children told each a part of the follow- ing story : STORY OF THE LITTLE WHITE LILY. " Once there was a lovely little Lily looking gaily about in a fine garden, which stood in front of a house in New York avenue. She was so lovely and smelled so sweet, she was petted by every one that saw her, and I am afraid she was getting spoiled by so much praise. She did not seem very cheerful and happy this morning, but looking up at the bright sunshine, she said: "This heat is terrible; I cannot bear it much longer. I do wish I never saw the sun again." " Good- by, little Lily," whispered the bright sunbeams, "we will leave, you MODEL LESSON NO. I. 15- do not want us any more," and away went the sun behind a dark cloud. A rainstorm was coining on, but before it began to rain, the wind blew and rocked the little Lily harder than she liked. "Oh, this wind is so rude," she sighed, "I wish it would never blow any more." " Good-by, Lily," said the wind, " we will leave you, if you do not want us any more." And now it began to rain; the little Lily was not pleased with the rain either, but shaking her head, so that the water ran out of the pure white cup, she cried "Haven't we had rain enough yet? Do go away. Rain, and never come back !" "Good- by, Lily." said the rain, "you need not have any more of me, unless you want it." As soon as it had finished raining, little Clara, who lived iii the house to which Lily's garden belonged, stepped out to go to visit a litte friend. "Oh, how sweet you smell," she said, and broke Lily off. Soon she spied her little friends coming to meet her, and she threw the Lily on the grass of the square, through which she was passing. The poor little flower began to shiver. "Oh! how cold I am, if the sun would only come and warm me a little." "Here I am, poor little thing, I'll forgive you, now that you are sorry for send- ing me away." The sun warmed her, but she still felt uncomfortable. "What shall T do for air, I cannot breathe," she sighed. The kind wind heard her complaint, and began to fan her white cheeks. She seemed to brighten up a little under the care of her kind friends. ! 11 she felt herself shriveling up. "Oh, for some water, it is just what I need, or I shall surely die." A gentle shower began to fall, in answer to her wish, and she felt much refreshed, when Clara, with a whole party of children were coming by. "Why, there is my Lily, which I threw away," she said. "Let me have it," pleaded Km ma, Clara's little friend. She took it to her home and placed it in a tall, white vase, where Lily lived for quite a long time, feeling very happy, and thinking how foolish and wicked it was to be discon- lentrd and not enjoy the blessings God had given her." Another time the children's attention is directed during their morning exercises towards obx-i-vin^ (iod's wisdom in so wonderfully making their bodies, and d what good they can do with their little hands, then \\hat evil. Tln-y make amusing experiments with their i d find out how much one little finger depends upon the other. Then a sweet story follows, where each finger is made to tell what he saw, and is mad* 1 to move BO a< to alYord a good exercise, witli tin- moral that little children mu-t live to be helpful and peaceful with each other. /# UNIVERSITY 16 NATIONAL KINDERGARTEN MANUAL. MODEL LESSON NO. II. THE SIX COLORED WORSTED BALLS. BY M. R. POLLOCK. Who wants to hear a story this morning ? All hands go up joyously. Well, this time it is about the dresses worn by our little balls. "*; is a Fairy Story. (Teacher shows the red, blue antf yellow balls.) PART I. Once these three little fairies were always dressed in white. ( i morning the fairy queen said to them, " I am going to give to e of you a present, with which you can earn yourself a bright-colo dress. Here is a bow and arrow for you." " Thank you," said first little fairy, looking with admiring eyes at the bright golden bo ./ and arrow, which was only half an inch long. The second little fairy received a little silver-handled hatchet, and the third a little spade with golden handle. The first thing to do, of course, was to go away from the grand old oak-tree, where they played every pleasant night by the light of ae moon, until they grew sleepy and crept into the flowers to sleep all day. A bird with a bright red top-knot was hopping near the first fairy. "Oh!" she cried, "that is just the way I want to travel." She hopped upon the bird's head, and away it flew to California. There she saw many wonderful plants. Geraniums, as tall as our school- room door, and great fields of flowers, whose leaves were thick as thin boards with sharp prickers all around the edges, and large red flowers. This little cactus (showing one) is one of them cultivated, but there they grow wild like buttercups. Well, our little fairy looked all around for something to shoot her little arrow at. Bang, bang ! the arrow went among the cactus leaves, and down dropped a little bug who lived on the cactus leaves, where it was born, and fed on the same leaves till it should die. The little fairy took two of these bugs, and put them in her pocket. Then she said: "I may as well fly home, now my little bird is here, and my arrows are all gone. But first I will dance round in this clear spring-water, which has collected near the cactus-field, and wash all the dust off." When she hopped out, behold, her white dress was bright red; she felt in her pocket for the cochineal bug, and found it had fallen into MODKL IJCSSoN No. II. 17 tjjB water, and made tlie water red. Soon she was flying homewards. 'id where were the other fairies? (Jumble had flown away cff to M.exico on a canary-bird's wing, and was trying to chop with her little hatchet. But it did not cut very deep. When she was cutting into a gamboge-tree-, a little drop of sap came from the trunk of the tree. (Jumble took the drop, which had hardened like candy as soon as it '"lt the cool air, and put it in her pocket. Then, like her sister, she .i ought she would wash and fly home. Behold, her dress was bright /ellow when she came out of the water, for the gum-drop from the , -tmboge-tree had made the water yellow. Now the third fairy had .jiftwn on a bird's wing away off to China. There she was digging in jl Afferent places, to see what she could find. In a ditch she found .,j^ne blue powder left there by people who make blueing from the in- . , ( "fjo-plant. She put some of it in her pocket, then took a nice bath, , rr ^ Minn- as her sisters had done. The powder in her pocket made the water blue, and she found, that she had on the pretty-colored dre< which she had come away to earn for herself. She soon flew home again where Cochie and Gamble were under the tree waiting for her. When the Queen saw the bright dresses they wore, she praised u^ m, and said to the little fairy dressed in red, "We will always call yon Cochie, for the cochineal-bug made your dress red." "Gamble is your name," she said to the one with the yellow dress on, "because the good gamboge-tree made your dress yellow." " We will call you Itja." she said to the little blue fairy, " because your dress is dyed blue by the indigo-plant." Cochie. (Jumble and Ida had a merry time, and next Friday, when the little balls come out to play with you, I will tell you some more about them. I'VKT II. HOW COCHIE, GAMBLE AND IDA MADE THREE NEW COLORS FOR THE DRESSES OF THE SPIDERWEB FAIRIES. Cochie, Gamble and Ida were three little fairies that lived in the . They were so tiny that they could creep into a flower in the daytime and sleep there. But at night they would take hold of each other's hands like the little children in the kindergarten, and sing and dance around. One of them was called Gamble Buttrmip. and wa> d in the bri^htext yellow dress, sparkling with tiny diamonds like dew-drops all over it. The other was called Cochie Columbine, and w;i> dressed in red, with a golden chain round its neck; the third 18 NATIONAL KINDERGARTEN MANUAL. one's name was Ida Forget-me-not, and its dress was blue like the- summer sky. One night they were dancing and singing : " Let us dance and let us sing Dancing in a fairy ring ; " * when they spied three other little fairies, looking and watching them at their merry play. But they looked sad, and had on dresses that were grey like spiderwebs. Our three bright-colored fairies ran to them, and, taking hold of their hands, asked them to play with them. But they shook their heads and said : " We cannot share in your delight, We are not dressed in colors bright." " Wait a minute," the little flower-fairies said, " we will see what our fairy queen can do for you." The queen was sitting in a beauti- ful pearl chair which shone with all the colors of the rainbow. They knelt down before her, and said : " Dear lovely queen, will you endow Our fairy sisters with some fair gift ; They will not share in our delight, They are not dressed in colors bright." The queen smiled and said: " Dear fairies, I am pleased to see Your loving generosity. Go, bring to me a flower-cup, And with the night-dew fill it up." Very gladly they ran and brought a beautiful lily-cup. " Hop in," she said to Cochie. The little red fairy danced around in the lily-cup, and made the water bright red. " Gamble, hop in, and see what will happen when your yellow dress colors the red water in the lily." When Gamble came out, the quee*n called one of the spiderweb fairies to jump into the lily-cup. When she came out, behold she was dressed in a lovely orange-colored dress. (Better way is to take the orange-colored ball from its hiding place in your lap and say, " Behold, she had what colored dress on?" letting the children say, "Orange." Then holding up the red and yellow balls, let them say, "Red ad yellow make orange.") Then the queen said : " Now go and fill this cup again With some fresh dew or drops of rain." * "National Kindergarten Songs and Plays." MODEL LESSON NO. II. 19 As soon as this had been done, Gamble said, "May I got in first this time?" " Yes," replied the queen, "and then Ida shall hop in, to see what she can do to change the color of the water." (lamble made the water bright yellow with her little dress, and after Ida had been in the lily with her blue dress (holding up the blue ball, the second spidrrweb fairy jumped in, and came out (holding up the green ball) with a (children say) "green dress on;" then holding up the two balls, children say : "blue and yellow make green." ' Once more, go, bring a lily cup, Ami with some fresh dew fill it up," said the queen. This time Ida went in first, and made the water bright (children say) " blue." "Can I go into this blue water to see how it will change?" said Cochie coaxingly. Yes, hop in, and dance around." When she got through, the third spider fairy jumped in, and when she caino out, she had on a lovely (holding up the ball) purple dress, i and blue make purple," the children say when we show them the two balls.) Now the six colored balls sang: 11 We are a baud of fairies bright, As soon as work is done, All through the glorious summer night Wi- meet to have our fun, \\Y inert to have our fuu." (See page 62, " Cheerful Echoes.") This story may be followed by a ball play. Tln-y inarch out and form a ring. The balls are given out accom- panied by the fruit song i page 24 of Nat. Kindergarten), or by holding tie i:]'. Baying: ' Cherries ripe, cherries ripe." We throw one to each one of the children who holds up his hands, expressing thus his for it. When they are, all given out, half the children go to the right, the other half stand in a straight line opposite to them, and sing, making the motion of throwing the ball in time with the music: " My ball -"<; up so fleetly, Ami il>\\n it comes so sweetly, In the air, oh hurrah! In tin- air. oh hurrah! " Not until the >>n^ is finished, they begin to throw up their balls and try to catch them. Those whose balls fall do not pick them up until the balls have been thrown up six times. Those whose balls fall continue to make the motion with their empty hands, until the 20 NATIONAL KINDERGARTEN MANUAL. leader clasps her hands after the sixth time, when all pick up their balls, and immediately form two straight rows again, and begin the same song again. When it is time to put the balls away, the children form a semicircle and sing: "Baby is a sailor boy," * or " The little ball lies in my hand So quiet and so still, I'll gently rock it till it sleeps, And nurse it well, I will." The rocking motion of the hands is done from the wrist, the chil- dren trying to see how far they can twist their little hands round. The basket is then passed around, and each child drops its ball softly in, so as not to wake them up. Then all march back to their seats. BALL LESSON FOR YOUNGEST CHILDREN. "Can you guess what is in this basket? I will help you to guess. They are dressed in bright colors; never make any noise, and they don't like to stay in one place all the time." Children say, "They are little balls." Teacher says, " Yes, and they want to come out to play with you. But, first, can any of you tell me something about the little balls ? Otto ? " " They can roll." " Roll to Otto, little ball, He'll take care you do not fall." The teacher is not ready to have the children play with the balls yet, so Otto has to roll it back to her. Josephine? " They can hop." " Hop little ball, hop on high, Like a bird you seem to fly." Madge? " They can swing." " See it swing, see it swing, While we hold it by a string." It can swing to and fro like a clock, accompanied by the " Song of the clock," or by reciting the verse about the Linnet: " Sixty seconds make a minute ; Sixty minutes make one hour ; If I were a little linnet, Sitting on a leafy bower, Then I would not have to sing it Sixty seconds make a minute, " etc.f * Page 26, " Cheerful Echoes." t See National Kindergarten Songs and Plays. MODEL LESSON NO. II. 21 Milton, holding up his hand : " AVe can whirl the ball around." Others say: "The ball is soft; the ball is rough." Karh child is now asked what color it would like. (Observe the same rule about giving them out as given below, with advanced lesson). Then each child forms a nest with his hands, into which the ball is thrown. The various ball-songs and plays are now played, taking care to o!>MTve certain rules. For instance: Children stand at arm's length from each other before beginning. Heels together, elbows close to the body, for the swinging of the pendulum. The balls move simultaneously in the same direction, whatever that direction may be. A very pleasing ball-play is that of the clock. It requires twelve (12) children besides the teacher. A ring is formed. PLAY OP THE CLOCK. One child, who stands in the centre, represents the pivot, while one hand stretched out in front is the long hand, and the other, not quite so far stretched out, represents the short hand. He keeps turning round and round, after first naming each child, I, II, III, IV, etc. Tin- arms of the children in the ring are to be held down stiffly at their sides, and swing in concert backwards and forwards to imitate the pendulum while they sing: " Come and see, come and see, How goes the clock so merrily, etc. The pendulum swings to ;uul fro And never from its course does go, Swings forward first and then comes back, Always tiek and always t.ick, tick ta.-k." The child in the centre stops turning round, points to a certain child, who tells what time it is, by mentioning the numeral he had 1 ii named. The child rrpiv>enting the hands steps out of the ring to run around. The others join hands and, dancing round, they sing: iBHji diekery, dock, The mouse ran \\\i the eloek." ete. If the child pointed at ha> forgotten his number, another one is pointed to. If he rememl.ers his number, then he steps into the ring for the next time. At children's parties several rings can be formed. 22 NATIONAL KINDERGARTEN MANUAL. BALL LESSON FOB OLDER CHILDREN. Teacher. (Holding the six balls in her hand). Where have you ever seen all these colors? Well, Albert? Reply. In a picture in the Art Gallery. T. I do not mean anything where one color has been put on one after another, or can be rubbed out; I mean in nature, where no human hand has had anything to do with it. What do we see some- times after a shower? R. A rainbow. T. Yes, in the rainbow are the colors which I'm showing to my scholars. Now think of a precious stone, where all the colors of the rainbow may be seen? R. It is the diamond. T. What do we need besides the diamond in order to see the rain- bow colors. Can you see it sparkle in the dark? R. No, we cannot. We need the light to shine upon it. T. The same as we do for the sparkling fountain, the soap-bubble or the prism. A profitable lesson can be given by explaining how Sir Isaac Newton discovered that all colors are contained in light. But now the balls are to be given out and each child selects what color and ball he wishes. Question. Ella, which ball do you choose? Reply. The red one, if you please. My little ball is red you see, Like the cherries on the tree. Q. What can you tell me about the color? R. It is a primary color. Q. What does primary mean? R. It means first, or one. Q. One what in this case? R. One color. Q. Charlie, you wish to have ? R. The purple one, if you please. Purple is my little ball, Like the violet sweet and small. Q. Is purple a primary or secondary color? R. It is a secondary color. Q. And secondary color means? R. It means two. MODEL LESSON NO. II. 23 Q. Yes, it means two colors which have been mixed together to make one color. What two colors make purple? /,'. Red and blue make purple. (The teacher lays the balls all in a row ready to give out, when each one has made his choice, so as to keep the attention fixed upon the conversation.) Parke always chooses blue; what can you tell me about it? My ball so round and nice, Is blue like summer skies. Blue is a primary color. Q. Do you remember the name of the plant from which we get this color? R. It is the indigo plant. Q- In our next ball-lesson I will explain to you the process by which it is obtained. Henry, which ball will you have? R. The yellow one, if you please. My ball is a yellow one, Like a lemon or the sun. It is a primary color. Teacher. I have not told you before, that there is another name for this color. It is gamboge. (All repeat the word in concert). This fine color is the juice of a tree in Asia. If you make a small cut in the bark of the tree a thick gum will run from it, which hardens l>y exposure to the air, and is of a bright yellow color. We have a garni ioge tree in America, but it is not considered quite as good as that from Siam. Next week, when I ask about this color, I shall see who h.-< j>aidgood attention to this lesson. Bessie (eight years old) may write the word gamboge on the blackboard. Now, Marie, comes your turn. /,'. I would like the light green ball, if you please. My ball is green, you see, Like the leaves upon the tn-r. * (J. Have you thought what you would tell me about it? R. (in-en is a secondary color. Yellow and blue make green. Q. How do we make a lighter shade of any color? /.'. By mixing white with it. (A Now. .Mamie? /.'. I would like the orange-colored ball. Orange colored, just like gold. U the littli- l.all I Imld. Orange is a secondary color: we mix red and yellow to make it. 24 NATIONAL KINDERGARTEN MANUAL. Q. Well, Helen, what ball will you have ? H. A red ball, if you please. The prettiest red comes from the cochineal bug, which is found in California, where it lives on the cactus plant. Teacher. Very well remembered, but now we have sat still long enough; (after each child has selected and received their ball) now, all rise, heels together ! Don't move your hand or arm after you have set your ball in motion. Hold your elbows close to your body. Our balls shall represent to-day a chime of bells. Sing: Listen to the cheerful bells, Calling us to meeting ; Yes, we know their meaning well, Pleasant is their greeting, etc. (" Cheerful Echoes.") The scholars in a primary school can make use of this song, and, marching in and out between the aisles, may swing their arms. MODEL LESSON, NO. Ill, SECOND GIFT. BALL, CUBE AND CYLINDER. Teacher raps upon the box, "Wake up, wake up; it is time to* come out and play with us. We can hear you rattling in the box, before we see you. Children, why do these things make such a noise ? " Reply : " Because they are made of wood ; " another, " Because they are hard." Teacher: "If they were soft like our worsted balls we might shake them more than this, but we could not hear them. Let us all make a little noise,* by rapping on the table with our finger- tips. I will rap on the box : listen, my raps sound different from yours. Your table, you see, is solid, it is all filled out witli wood." Opening the box, "Is this full and solid?" Children, "It is hollow, there is * A lesson on sounds may be given, teaching the difference between pleasant and un- pleasant sounds. Wild animals that feed on other animals, have a harsh voice. Lot them name sounds in nature, such as the SOUL'S of birds, the hum of bees, etc., the wind among the trees, the thunder, the rain, the hail, the rushing of waters. Ask, what is the sweetest sound of all. To the mother and father, the patter of little feet; to the child, mamma's voice. Thus we may lead children to recognize God's voice in everything, MODKL LESSON No. III. 25 nothing in it but air." " Well Albert?" who holds up his hand. A.: A drum is hollow. Luiu? A balloon. Mamie? Boxes, table-drawers. \"iw come out little ball, I know you want to show us what you c;in (In." Taking the red worsted ball out of the same box, " Did you want me?" "Xo, we want the wooden ball to-day." " Why did you call me ? " " Oh, excuse me, I ought not to say wooden ball, I ought to say sphere, then you would not think I called you. They are a little alike, Otto wants to tell me how." Children : " They are both round and can roll ; " " They both have only one face;" "Curved in every direction;" "They have no corners;" "They have no edges;" " They can spin." Teacher spins the ball, and they sing : " First up high and then down low. This is the way the sphere does go." Or: " No matter, how fast I spin or race, I always show the same round face." The sphere is then made to roll on a plate ; each child in turn holds the plate and lets the ball roll around in its twofold motion around .UK! around the plate. If the ball rolls off, then the next child has his turn. If there is time, the cylinder is spun round, hanging from a double string, and we sing : " When wo spin the cylinder round, Then a little sphere is found." Or: " When we spin you round, my dear, Your curved edges disappear." The strings must not be too long, or the children find it trouble- some to spin them. Several cylinders may be given out at a time, if then- are many children, otherwise one child at a time conies to the tearli.-r. \\lio a->i>ts th<.- who nee.l it, by steadying the plate. The nil.e may twirl on a long ivory knitting-needle, and shows the cylinder, when spinning from the centre of its face. on ihi- suhjeet \\ill be found in the lectures to mothers. tolling us that o not throw that stone.' He heard it, but not quite so loud this time. lie did not cart' to stay any longer, but went home and a^ked mamma, if she could tell him who stopped him from throwing a >tone at the frog, 'ft was the good angel in your little heart,' said mamma, 'some people call him Conscience. I am so glad that YOU mind'd him. The first time he speaks quite loud, when you are going to do wrong. If you do not listen to him, his voice gro\vs M'l't.-r, and after a while you cannot hear him at all, and then you are sure to be very bad.' Charlie promised to mind the voice of conscience, whenever it should whisper to him, and he grew up to be Si < " ( hccrful Echoea," same Publisher. 28 NATIONAL KINDERGARTEN MANUAL. a great comfort to his parents and teacher, and everybody loved him." "That is the way you will do also, Charlie, Sheldon," etc.? "Now push the two rows of blocks together. That is the same stone on which the frog sat. Cut it in halves, front to back, and place one on the top of the other half. Here is your cube, now build what you like." When the teacher goes around to see what the children have built, she generally seems to recognize something in connection with the story or the conversation. Thus to the 'child who has made four columns we say, here are the trees by the banks of the brook, A second has a form of beauty, a flower-bed, or windmill near Charlie's house : if a tall tree, then it must be the one on which the little pigeon was sitting ; and after the blocks are put away, they play " Little Doves,' page 33.* An infinite number of lessons can be given on the subject of trees, in connection with the blocks in the Kindergarten. First. The process of making the wood into blocks, accompanied by songs, "Wood chopper, Wood sawer, and Joiner" (page 43.)* Second. The difference between wild and cultivated trees. The place where many trees are carefully raised in the nursery. Third. The trees as homes for insects, birds, and squirrels. Fourth. Who' feeds on them. Fifth. Different varieties used for fuel, for building houses, ships, ornaments, boxes, etc. Sixth. Countries where they grow. Seventh. How does the seed get scattered? By butterflies, bees, the wind, in the wool of sheep, some seem to have little wings (maple) ;. the squirrel, carrying his mouth too full, often drops acorns that grow into great trees. Eighth. What kind of fruit-trees grow in this country and in other countries? Trees used for medicine. The root of the sassafras : the bark of the Cinchona gives Quinine (tell story of its discovery) ; hemlock, licquorice, birch bark, all useful in some sickness. Ninth. The sap, without which the tree could not grow; it circu- lates like blood in our bodies. In the spring-time there is more of it and of a sweeter kind than at any other time. People then tap the maple-tree to take away some of it, which is made into maple-sugar and maple-syrup. The sap of the pine-tree gives us turpentine, tar and resin. The gamboge-tree gives us the gamboge-color, with which * " Cheerful Echoes," and " National Kindergarten Songs and Plays." MODKL LKSSON NO. V. 29 our yellow worsted is dyed. The caoutchouc-tree in South America gives us gum for rubber coats and shoes. '. The leaves of the palm are made into fans. The leaves of the mulberry feed the silk-worm. Peach-tree, walnut and other trees ate made into medicine. Most all trees, the leaves of them, are used for the bedding of animals. nilt. Which are some of the shade and ornamental trees? 7V' ////. Name various hard woods and soft woods; which last the longer; which is the cheapest, etc. MODEL LESSON NO. V. FOURTH GIFT. EIGHT OBLONG BLOCKS, WITH STORY OF KIND HANS. Here come the little houses in which our little blocks stay, when we are not playing with them. Who would like to live in a dark little house, that has no windows in it? Xo, none of us would. What is it that comes in through the windows?" Reply : "Light, air." her: "Have you windows in the lovely home in which you live?" lli'ply: "Yes, our eyes are the windows of our beautiful home/'* "Well, we must not call these houses homes, they are only . Only living things have homes." On this occasion, a very a may be given on different homes, bringing in those of different nations, Swiss cottages, Esquimaux' tents, or even those of animals, caves, nests, etc. The blocks are opened in the regular order. We >ometiines p :i > s them, while singing the " llailror.d Song," f the child using both hands, one to cover the box he will keep, and the other hand he uses to push the blocks to the next child. "Now let us lift the boxes to see whether these soldiers are standing up ready to march out." The boxes are lifted from the blocks, and the covers put inside, and under the table. Teacher: "Are they standing up?" Children: y are all standing." Teacher: "On which face * On Thursday mornings our conversation lesson IB on that subject, and after review of what we have hail lu-fi.n-, we always add one more fact in physiology each wi-.-k. Tin- mouth is the dr. tin- m.e the ehimney, why we must breathe through it. What - : he eye* (learn.) win-re in the little- tear-sac? What is in the tmiL'tie that helps UK with cur fo.,.1. Why imixt we not i-lu-w t..i M r,- ( , or gum. Who arc the ft-rvauts of our hoim-? Sin- "Five little children." f " National Kindergarten Songs and Plays." 30 NATIONAL KINDERGARTEN MANUAL. are they standing?" Children: "On their short narrow faces.'* Teacher: "They have been in that position since last week. We will let them sit down on their long narrow faces. If the soldiers are tired, we would invite them to sit down a little while, before they go home. We want to make some seats for them in the park. Take four of your oblong blocks, lay them on their broad faces, and let them touch their narrow faces, so as to form a long end. Now, how many are left?" Children: "Four are left." Teacher: "Take those, and let them rest just behind the first four, on their long narrow faces. What does it look like?" Children: It looks like a bench. Teacher: "Now children, separate each bench, just a little. Now you have how many benches?" Children: "We have four benches." Teacher: "Let these benches touch each other at their edges and corners, not with their faces, then you will see they form a curve, as if they. were in a bay-window, or sitting around the fountain in the park. Otto, where are your seats?" Otto; "In the park." Milton: "In the parlor." Josie : " At grandma's." Albert: "In the museum." Arthur: "In the waiting room of our Turkish bath."' Lulu: " In mamma's room." Mamie: "In my doll's house." Ella: "In church." Eleanore : "In papa's office." Parke : "In our dining room." Winifred : " In the woods where we went to a picnic." " Since we are talking about a picnic, we may as well make a table. Leave two of the seats, and take two of the others, and let us make a ' pretty table of these four oblongs. Two of your oblong blocks may stand on their small faces, their broad faces touching. Now lay the other two upon them, with their narrow long faces touching each other. Now we will play that we set the tables. What do we put on first?" Children: "Plates." Teacher: " Not first of all." Chil- dren: "First the table-cloth." Teacher: "And then?" Children: "Napkins, glasses, salt, water, plates, knives and forks, spoons," are their replies. Milton: " We want dishes with things in them." Teacher: "Certainly, only we wanted to set the table first."* Each child may tell something that he would like on the table ; teacher makes remarks about each thing, amusing or instructive. Teacher: "I know a funny story. Sit a little away from the table, and I will tell it to you." * Much prettier tables can be made if the children have the 3d or 4th gift to play with ;it the same time. See illustrations in the Kraus' Guide, or Wiebe's " Paradise of Childhood." M<>I>KI. LESSON NO. V. 31 KIND HANS. Hans had two brothers, Tom and Dick. One morning their father said to them : "Xow boys, you are old and strong enough to earn your own bread, and not have me to earn it for you. Take a good lunch, and start this pleasant day to see the world, and earn your living." Hans started a little later, for lie wanted to say good-bye to the cow, the horse, and the dog, who would have liked to have gone with him. The older two had gone some ways by twelve o'clock; they were tired,. and sat down to rest near a spring. They took out their lunch, and while they were eating, they saw an old woman looking at them a little way off, as if she thought, I wish you would offer me some. But they did not, and when she asked them for some, they said, " No, we have only enough for ourselves." Hans came to the same place soon after they had gone, and sat down to eat his lunch. As soon as he saw the old woman, he beckoned to her and said : " If you are hungry help yourself;" holding out all his lunch at the same time. "You are a kind young man," she said. " I am not hungry, but just wanted to see, which of you was kind and generous. I am going to make you a present. They call you stupid Hans, because you are not always looking out for the best of every bargain, no matter what becomes of every one else. But they will not call you stupid much longer." She gave him a plain little table. "Now, when you are hungry, all you have to do is to say, "Table, table, set yourself." Hans thanked her and went on. Towards night he went into a tavern or a kind of a country lodging house. "Will you take some supper'.-' " the landlord inquired. "No, Sir," Hans replied, "just give- iin- a good bed-room, 1 will take care of my own supper." The land, lord gave him a room. Hans locked the door, and said, " Table, table, set yourself." ' Why, that is fine," said the landlord to himself; for ho saw it through the keyhole. I mn>t try to have that table." Hans had a line supper, M>up, fish, a glass of milk, bread and butter, fruit and cheese. After .-upper everything had gone except the table, lie went out for a little while to look for some work, taking the key of his door with him. But the landlord was a thief. lie had keys to all the door<. lit? went quickly into the room, and exchanged the wonderful table for one of his own just like it. In the morning Hans had no breakfast, for the table did not mind him. lie thought, " I will go back and tind the old woman, and ask her what is the matter." "Never mind," .she said, "I will give you something that will make that cheating landlord give yon back your table, for he took it when you were out, and gave you one of his tables." She gave him a bag. 32 NATIONAL KINDERGARTEN MANUAL. " There is a cudgel in this bag. If you want to give some bad person a beating, say, * Cudgel, cudgel, do your work.' The cudgel will dance round on the back of the bad man until you say, ' Cudgel, cudgel, that will do." ' Hans went back to the same tavern. He took the same room, and told the landlord that he wanted to talk with him. " Now, Sir," he said, " I have something in my bag that will punish you for stealing my little table." The landlord grew angry, and told him to leave the house. "Yes," said Hans, "as soon as I have my table. Cudgel, cudgel, do your work." The landlord jumped around the room with the cudgel beating his back all the time. "Stop it," he cri.id, "I will get you your table." Hans made the cudgel go into the bag, and followed the landlord to the closet. " Take your table, and do not let me see you again," he cried. Hans took his table, and after he reached the woods he had a good dinner, and thought he would show his presents at home. His brothers had just reached home, and their father was praising them for having each one earned a dollar a day. " Well Hans," they said, laughing at him and pointing at the table, " Is that all you have to show ? " "I'd rather have it than all your money," Hans said, then sat down. " Table, table, set yourself." Sure enough, there was a fine dinner, as any one could wish, turkey, celery, potatoes, rice, and all kinds of nice fruits, oranges, apples, pears, etc. Hans generously gave each one some of his dinner. Then he told them the story of the cheating landlord. "I would like to see that cudgel," his father said, "dance around on Mike's back, for he treated our Fido so mean this morning, nearly breaking his leg." They called him up, and cudgel did his work, until Mike promised never to abuse poor dumb animals any more. Hans was not called " stupid Hans" any more, and the cudgel made people afraid to do wrong. He stayed with his father, and was always the same kind Hans. After the story the children build what they please, until the time comes for putting them away. LKSSON No. VI. 33 MODEL LESSON NO. VI. THE TABLETS. " What day is it to-day, children ?" the teacher inquires. "It is Tuesday." " \\'hat occupation liave we to-day ? " "The laying tablets." " Why do we call them laying tablets, Eleanor V " IM cause they cannot stand up good." " Like what else, that we played with yesterday ? " "Like the blocks." "Yes, the blocks can sit or stand on each of their six faces." A little cube is covered with six various-colored square tablets and shown to the class. " What part of the cube does one of these little tablets cover?" " The face of the cube." " Arthur, describe the tablet to me." " The tablet lias t\vo faces, four edges and four corners.' Very _ i. Albert, what do you wish to say? " " The tablet has four equal edges and four equal corners." Xea, tii'-y must be equal, or its shape would not be, what, Lulu?" Not l>t' square." The children are now made to point out any square objects in tin- room . Then each child has the cube presented to him, with the ques- tion Which face of the cube will you have ? " They aiis\vcr according to their wishes, the upper, lower, front, back, right and left one ; and as fast as one is taken off, it is replaced. You may all lay it before you in such a way as to cover exactly of the squares on the table." Thru each child receives another one. \i.\v lay your tal'irts so that, face touches face." S -me of the new scholars look at the experienced ones, so as to mi- nd what they arc to do. Now let the edges of your tablets touch. What is it now, Alice ?" " It is an oblong." "Why is it not a square now ? Count the corner and edges. Four, just like one of our tablets. Well. Norman ? " "The edges are not equal; t \\ > of them are longer than the other t\\." "You have had your right and left edges touch ; now change their 34 NATIONAL KINDERGARTEN MANUAL. position, let the upper and lower edges touch. What is it now, Josephine V " "It is a vertical oblong." " Yes, before it. was a horizontal oblong. Now the corners shall touch. Try each one to do it in a different manner, and I will copy them on the board." This is a very interesting process to the children. " This time corners may touch edges. Now you shall each have six more to make anything you like, but you must tell me what part of your tablets touches. I am coming round to see what pretty things you have made. I only wish we had some of Mr. Milton Bradley's Tablet Paper, then we could paste just what you made on a piece of paper for you to take home. I think I will have to send for some.* What have you made, Milton ? " " Some steps." " Where may they lead to ? " " Up to the nursery." "Baby is sleeping the're, let us go up on tip-toe. Oh, he is awake, playing with his tiny fingers. We will play with ours and sing about the five little children, by and bye. What ! has Mamie made steps too ? but they are double steps. Where do they lead to V " " To our front door." " Certainly, baby has had a nice ride, now he is coming home quite sleepy and hungry. We too, want our lunch pretty soon. What has Jennie made ?" " I have made a train of cars, all the edges touch.". "Where is your train going to, East, W T est, North or South ?" " North, where grandma lives." " Let us go with you to spend a week in the country, it is getting warm here now. Over there is north, towards those windows ; change the position of your train, it was going West the way you had it. What has Ella made ? " "I have made a cross, all the edges touch." "Is it a gold cross to wear, or a marble cross?" " It is a marble cross in a grave-yard." "Who is buried there?" " My grandfather." " What did I tell you we must leave behind, if we want our friends to remember us ? " " A good name." * Parquetry, Milton Bradley & Co., Springfield, Mass. MODEL, LESSON NO. VI. 35 " Repeat the verse." " A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches/" etc. "But what has Carltoii here?" " A cross ; edges and corners touch." " It is very pretty. It must be a filigree silver one ; we will give it to mamma for a C'hristmas present. Well, well ! here is a flag, a chair,a table, a pigeon-house, a bridge, an arched doorway." -. it is a church window, exclaimed the little fellow who made it. I Jennie, after many efforts had his little tablets stand up so as to form a cube. Milton has four circus tents, and Charles has the same, Winnifred and Otto are partners and have made a very pretty form of beauty. Parke has made a circle of six of his tablets. Two are outside. ' This is Mary and her little lamb, and that is the school-house," he explained. A few others have forms of beauty, made systematically and perfect. Rut now it is almost twelve o'clock, and the tablets are all put face to :':iee in a little pile and taken up. " Before we have our lunch, let us sing of the five little children." All sit up straight, and drumming with one hand upon the other, they suit the action to the words and sing Five little children climb up a tree, Higher and higher, you hardly can see, They climb so high, so high, so high! I )>\\u they fall, into a ditch close by. Let us go and help them out. Poor little things, what were you about? Here we are again, you see, Thankful to you, as thankful can be, And if 'vcr a-ain \\r climb up a tree, We'll try to be careful as careful can be.* Til.- hands clap at the last word. Then " Ten little children," etc. At the won Is " let us go and help them out," both hands whirl around each other, so as to afford an excellent exercise and great amusement to the children. The lunch baskets are now brought in by one of the children, and given to tlu' one who. holding up a hand, recognizes it as his or hers. When all have their lunch before them, they arc required to sit back for a moment, so quiet that the ticking of the clock can be heard, then the bell is tapped, and gleefully they open their baskets, spread out their napkins, lu-gin to eat their lunch, not unlike a social party. Music in Nut. KindtTKurti-n Songs and Plays. 36 NATIONAL KINDERGARTEN MANUAL. MODEL LESSON, NO. VII. STICK LESSON. THE children are counted ; the teacher holds up thirteen Number. . , . , sticks which are two more than are needed. " How many sticks do we need to give each child one? " Children : " We need eleven sticks." The teacher holds the other two in her hand : " How many must I put away ? " Ch. : "Two." " But how many more will it take to give each child two sticks?" Ch. : "Nine more with these two." "Each child shall have two sticks, how many twos?" Ch. : " Eleven twos." "Yes, eleven times two. Let us build a barn. First Language. of all let us lay the foundation. Where should we be- gin, with the roof ? " Ch. : "No, with the basement or cellar," some reply. " Very well, lay your sticks three inches from the front edge of your Obedience table, in a horizontal position, so as to form one long stick or line." Two more four-inch sticks are given out. The child who is naturally the most restless, but tries the hardest to be orderly, is called out to be a little helper, when occasion requires. Before use is made of the last two sticks, the children all say in concert, " We have laid the foundation." The other two sticks are Reflection placed in a vertical position one inch within and from the and ends of the horizontal line. We will call these the sides Observation. o f the ^arn. Two more sticks are given out and laid slanting toward each other, to form the roof. Short conversation on roofs, why they are needed, of what they are made, wood, slate, tar, tin, straw, etc. "The frame of our barn is made; now can you tell me who lives there?" Otto and Albert, who have never been on a farm, say, " Newspaper boys, tramps." Others mention several domestic animals. " Now we will put something on the roof of our barn, to tell which way the wind blows." Two one-inch sticks are given out, and placed in the shape of a cross on the roof. " Did you ever see a weather-vane?" MODEL LESSON NO. VIII. 37 V. <." some have seen a gilt horse or weathercocks. They all stand up and sing: " Like the weather-vane is going,"* Physical exercise. Tnen i}n ^ sin & to tlie melod y of the Win p. !:), of the National Kindergarten Songs and Plays : " The weather-vane needs the wind to blow, Or else it can not go, go, go," etc., adapting the words to the subject. Geo ra h They make the weather-vane turn to the north, to the south, the east, and the west, representing themselves the weather-vanes. They sit down. Now our barn should have a door. Tin n two-inch sticks are given, and a door is made. Each child tells what goes into his barn door, cows, goats, etc. The door must not be narrow like our doors, because sometimes a large body comes out, which none of you have mentioned. It is drawn by oxen or horses.*' Yis, the hay-wagon." Children sing : " Hurrah ! hurrah! the autumn brings us cheer," 14, or " New Mowing Song," page 50. When they are seated La ua e again, they exemplify with their hands, various sizes, first wide, then narrow, high or tall or low. Teacher mentions Benj. West, who U'-aii his art career by drawing pictures on a barn door. Teacher has the children draw the picture of a barn on the black- board with a weather-vane on the roof of it, and she herself draws the picture of a chicken going into it; each child doing a small part of the barn. The children now make what they please. The sticks are gath- ered up, after each one has placed them in groups according to the . and the children march out to play. Sing "Tin- Farmer." M M.-wing Song," or "Weaver John."f The occupation which follows U \\raving. Page 25, of " Cheerful I f Page 44. National Kindergarten Songs and Playo. 38 NATIONAL KINDERGARTEN MANUAL. MODEL LESSON, NO. VIII. RINGS. Teacher holds up a little stick. "If I should ask you, children how you would make a picture of this little stick on your slates or on the blackboard, what would you do ? " Ch. : " We would draw it." T.: "Draw a stick?" Ch. : "No, draw a line." T. : "Yes, you would druw the picture of it, like this?" (drawing a zig-zag line.) Ch. : " Oh no, it must be a straight line." T. : " Let us all move our fingers up and down in a straight line. Good. Can you make any other kind of a line ? " Ch. : " A horizontal line, a slanting line." The children move their pointing fingers as directed. T. : " But I know how to draw another kind of a line. If I were going to draw the picture of our ball, what kind of a line would I have to draw?" Ch. : " A round line." T. : "We do not call it a round line, we call it a curved line: Show me a curve, Alice ? " A. : " The fire-place." Children hold up hands. "Well, Milton?" " Our eye-brow." " Charlie ? " "The picture-frame." T. : " Now, let us make a curve with our arms like a rainbow, now with our pointing fingers. I have something in my hand which is curved. You shall all have one." T. shows a half ring. " Is this made of wood ? " Ch. : " Oh no, it shines, it is brass." T. : "It is made of strong wire. We can not chop it, like we can wood. Holding it curved upwards, what part of this half ring is turned upwards?" Ch.: "The points." T. : "Let us call it the ends." The children each receive a half ring. MODEL LESSON NO. VIII. 39 T. : " Let us all have our half rings curved upwards, as I had mine Do you know anything curved upwards like this?" Ch. : " The rim of a hat, the rocker of a chair, of a cradle, etc." T. : " Let us turn it in the opposite direction, the ends downwards. What might it be?" Ch. : " A wicket, a window, a hat, an umbrella when open." T. : "Now turn it to open toward the right. Now let it onen to the opposite side." Ch. : " It looks like the moon." Charlie : "If we put the stick to it, it looks like a sickle." T. : " What did I give you children ? " Ch. : " A half ring." (A good lesson on minerals can be given another time. Or a lesson on mines, or on metals, on their variety and uses, etc.) T. : "I want you to have a whole ring. What must I give you now?" Ch. : " Another half ring." Teacher shows another, but much smaller, " Will this make a whole ring?" Ch. : " No, it must be the same size." T. : "That is right. How many children are here? (They count twenty.) How many half rings must I give out?" (.'h.*: ' Twenty." T. : " Now we will join them together carefully, and what have we ? " Ch. : " A whole ring." Children mention round bodies, such as seeds, bubbles, fruit, etc. T. : " But you see, we can put our fingers through this ring. Mention things like it." Ch. : " Hoops, bracelets, links of chains, our rings, curtain and portiere rings, finger-rings," etc. T. : "What is the smallest of which you can think?" Ch. : "Bal>v's finger-ring." T. : - What i> I'M'- largest you have seen?" Albert: "The fence around tin- park." T. : What is the prettiest ring of all V " Ch. : "Flower-bed." 'I 1 .: "Sure enough, it is my tl<>\\rr> I have in my mind, you all are the flowers in my Kindergarten; now you can come out and sing: ' Form a ring, form a ring so sweetly,' etc. page 19.* Leave your rings on the table, and let us play for a few mini; Cheerful Kchoes. 40 NATIONAL KINDERGARTEN MANUAL. Children inarch out to the tune of " The time has come for play," page 11,* or "Let us form a ring," page 29, f or they may play " Roll the hands," etc., a fairy play. Then march back. Each one re- ceives a whole ring, and lays any form he pleases. The children may be allowed to copy their forms on the blackboard. It is desirable that there be blackboard enough for several children to copy simultaneously. Teacher helps them to put their initials inside of the ring which they have drawn. They may use another ring for a guide, which they place back in the box on their way back to their seats. When each one has made a picture of his form, all the half-rings are gathered up. Teacher shows them how the picture of a ring may be changed to a picture of a solid ball, by shading it. She fills it up with chalk marks, then rubs her finger over it, to erase all the marks of lines. The children do this with their ring on their slates, fill it out, breathe on it, rub it gently with the finger, and perhaps call it the moon. Then a drawing lesson may follow with curved lines. MODEL LESSON NO. IX. PAPER FOLDING. A number of questions may be a^ked. What is paper made from ? Cotton, straw or almost anything that belongs ^o the vegetable king- dom. It can be made from almost any fibrous substance. Some very fine paper is made from rice, and in China they make some most beautiful articles with that paper. Asking the quality of the paper means whether it is thick or thin, smooth or rough. The child chooses which color he will have, and then the same rhymes as are used with the balls of the first gift may be used, " This little sheet is red, you see, like the apples on the tree." Then ask the child to tell something of the same shape as their sheet of paper ; they may say a napkin, top of a table, a picture-frame, a square looking-glass, etc. What kind of a face has it? Flat or smooth ? What else has it? Edges and cor- ners, the upper edge running from right to left, the lower edge run- ning in the same way, the edge to the right goes up and down, the edge to the left runs in the same direction. With very young children it is best to teach them without their knowing it. We say, now run your little fingers along the lower edge ; now along the upper edge ; * Cheerful Echoes. f National Kindergarten Songs and Plays. MODEL LESSON NO. ix. 41 now the lower edge wants to go visiting the upper edge. Now let us open it, why we have a little carnage seat, and we will go riding. You can then tell a little story and bring in the song "Wait for the ..'' Jt is also the shape of a book ; and the children sing a song, or read a story out of their books, a favorite pastime. We take the lower right-hand corner and fold it against the upper left, it will then be a shawl, and to the older children, a triangle. It is also a tent, and we have a play asking what kind of a tent it is, some say a circus tent; then ask what pets the different children have. It can also be a store, and we make a market by joining all the tents together, then introduce a story suitable to the occasion. It may represent a hill, and we sing Jack and Jill," then take the lower left hand corner and fold it against the upper right. The children may show you the centre, and sing, " Thumbkins says, I'll dance, Thumbkins says, I'll sing,"* etc. Then take the lower righMiand corner and fold it against the centre, we have now the ivy leaf, and fold the upper left down to the centre, and when a third corner has been folded to the centre we have a little envelope ready to be closed, which you do by folding the fourth corner to the centre. We show the child where to put the stamp. Each child receives a round circle of the parquetry paper, and is par- ticular to paste it in no other place but the right-hand upper corner, to save trouble (we tell them) to the people at the Post-Office. If it is near Christinas time, we address the letters to Santa Claus, each child having told what he would like to have. When speaking of the material paper is made from, we may intro- duce the subject as follows : Dili you ever hear the men going round singing, " If I had as much money as none could tell, I never would cry. ..1,1 rugs to sell '' ? (Page 48.)f W : . , e day Joaie'i i>ct kitten with its blue ribbon round its neck, took a notion to play round a rag-man's push-cart, while he wns in the house talking to Josie's mamma, and buying her rags. It finally into one of the bags and went to sleep. The ragman came out of the house and put some rags into the bag where pussy was sleep- : .1 went a\\ay down the street, where he stopped at a man's door r Little One*," published by Oliver Ditson. | Cheerful Kchoe*. 42 NATIONAL KINDERGARTEN MANUAL. who bought all the old rags, to have them made into paper. When he opened one of the bags Pussy jumped out. " Are you going to sell Pussy too ?" "No," the ragman said, "you can have it for nothing." Meanwhile Josie was calling her pussy, and asking every one whom she met, if they had seen her kitten. " What is the matter with Josie?" said papa when he came home to supper. " My kittie is lost," said Josie. " Never mind," said papa, " I will advertise it." So, the next morning, a poor boy who wanted to buy some school- books, but had no money, was going by a board fence. There was a paper pasted on the boards, and he stopped to read it. " Lost, Grey Kitten, with blue ribbon round her neck. The finder will receive $2.00 reward;" and then it told where to bring it. " O,'' thought Louis, " I saw a cunning little kitten this morning as I passed by that paper factory." He went to Josie's house and told them where they could find her kitten. Mamma and Josie went out and found it was her kitten. They thanked the gentleman for taking care of pussy, and gave Louis the $2.00 wlien he called the next day, and he was glad to be able to buy his books. What kind of rags make the finest paper ? What is coarse wrap- ping-paper made from? What is paper used for? These subjects may serve for the object-lessons for many days of paper folding. FOLDING WITH LARGER CHILDREN. "Thursday is our day for folding. Before we make anything pretty let us have a riddle, which you can let the folks at home guess also. You remember what I said about the foundation of a house? Ch. : " Yes, we cannot build the upper stories, or the roof, until, we have laid the foundation." T. : " Very well, to make any thing with our paper we must begin with the foundation. How do we get a centre ? " Ch. : "By making a vertical and a horizontal fold." T. : "Very well, I shall call these our foundation or fundamental, folds." Ch. : " We also fold from corner to corner." MODK I. LKSSON NO. X. 4 T. : " Certainly, but we will not make the diagonal fold until we have guessed our riddle." After the vertical and horizontal folds have been made, the lower edge of the paper is folded to the middle, the same as with all the other edges; then there will appear sixteen small squares." T. : " Xow, children, see how many squares you can find in this paper. I can find twenty-nine in mine. First the sixteen small squares, then the original square before it was folded," and so on. It can be shown and explained on the board. The same riddle another time can be given to find how many triangles are contained within the four-inch square. The children's names are written on the squares, they are gathered up and a fresh sheet is given them, either to fold what they please, or to make some pleasing form of life. For instance, dictation: '-Change your square into an oblong. Point to the lower right hand corner. Turn it up to the middle line so as to make a right-angled triangle, beside the square." ' You see, the right-hand upper corner went down, and now the left-hand lower corner says it wants to go up." me the vertical line in the middle. Bend it together so that both points are on the same side. It makes a flag." Five inch-long staffs are given out, and with the help of a little mucilage the children are delighted to have a Hag. Their names are written on them. They may march out with music, or let the wind blow their flags from dif- ferent directions with the words, " Which way does the wind blow? " MODEL LESSON NO. X. PEAS AND STICKS OR WIRES. (In Germany eacli child has a pricking needle, with which he makes a hole before using the stick, to prevent the breaking of the point). The kinder^aitiier brings a box of small sticks of various sizes, called the Eighth Gift, representing the edges of the solids, with which ,;ldren play. Some of these little ones have already visited the kindergarten tin- previous year. A bowl with soaked peas, and some I belonging to a toy tea-set are also brought into requisition. National Kiiul.-nraitfM Songs. 44 NATIONAL KINDERGARTEN MANUAL. " Hugh, what is this in my hand?" " A little stick." "Is it like anything we have used in our work before, Fannie?" "It is like a slate-pencil." Other children reply: '-Yes, like a lead-pencil, a gas-pipe, the leg of a chair, a stick of candy, a tree." " What part of the tree, Elma?" " The trunk and limbs of the tree." " But we are not going to play with sticks alone this time ; here is something else that I will give you. By using this we cannot only lay anything we wish, but can put it together and hold it ; yes, we can take it home to give to papa or mamma. Is this pea shaped like the little stick?" " No, it is like a ball; it is curved in every direction," says Helen, one of last year's pupils. " Like our worsted balls ? " " No, like the wooden sphere," says Elsie. "The very same form, but of different material. Why do I not give you cunning little wooden balls to play with?" " It has to be soft, or our stick will not go into it." " Why should the stick be hard, can you tell me ? " " Because the point of it must be firm enough to break the skin of the pea and hold it there." (This reply is given with the teacher's help.) "If the pea was made of wood, what would happen to the little stick when it tried to pierce a hole in it ? " " It would break." " What is the pea made of ? " "It grew." "That is a very nice answer, Elsie. It is part of a plant, and while it was growing good mother earth fed its roots every day. The kind rain and loving sun all did their best to help the little pea-vine grow tall, and change its pretty flowers into pods with peas in them. None of us can make a pea. God has given to the earth all that is wanted to feed the little pea. Now each child shall have four sticks and four peas. I want you to make me a square window. Laura, what size must these little sticks be to make a square window with them ? " "They must be equally long." (Last year's pupil.) "Yes, that is so. As soon as a window is made lay it down and sit back in your chairs. In what direction do two of your little sticks run, Arthur?'* MODKL LKSSON NO. x. 45 {1 Two run in a vertical, and two in a horizontal direction." 'Felix, wiiat part of the window arc your peas?" " The corners." "All that is wanting- is a pane of glass." Each child now tells what part of the house their window belongs to. ( )ne child has a church window with pretty pictures on it, another a prison window. Then a short story about a poor, sick child, who could never go out to see the trees or play in the garden, and how his little friend brought him a pet plant, which he placed in the window that it might be kissed each day by the sun. How contented and happy he felt watching it grow! After the story the children amuse themselves making anything they please. Four more sticks are given to them, and the toy teacups of each filled with peas. One little girl begs for a curved wire so as to make her name, but is told that they cannot have wires to-day, as the children are permitted to carry their things home, but when they use wires they have to be used again in the kindergarten. She is shown how to break the sticks so as to form curves, and she makes a perfect " Alice." As the time approaches for the primary class to come in for recess, one of the children collects all the sticks, after they have been sep- arat.'d the larger from the smaller, and laid orderly before each one. The peas and dishes are put away by the teacher, and soon the older children march in and take their seats. Then they all arise and mareh out. Their hats having been given to them in their seats, they go out to the play-ground and form a long row to play the " Gardener and the Flowers " (Xational Kindergarten Sonys and Plays). The gardener, represented by Miss Lorn'*, sings: " Some flowers I want to find, Into a wreath to wind. I want you one ami all, The larger an-1 tin- small." Tin Flowers" sing, advancing three steps, holding each other by the hand, and then stepping back again: " Pray, sir. but y the hand, to prevent their falling. Every one caught becomes a gardener with tin- tir-t. and belpfl catch the flowers, singing the > (IT .. i 46 NATIONAL KINDERGARTEN MANUAL. gardener's part of the song. After the flowers are all caught a ring is formed and they sing : " The flowers now are found ; Into a wreath they're wound ; So sweetly it is scented, To our friends we will present it." Then all march into the house, singing a marching tune. As they pass through the recitation room they lay their hats upon a long table they pass, without interrupting the march, while one child remains behind to hang the hats up in their places. MODEL LESSON NO. XI. CLAY MODELING. " Who can tell me where we find our nice clay ? " "In the ground." With larger children we give a lesson either in mineralogy or :geology. They tell us of various things found in the ground ; all the various minerals, such as clay, chalk, slate, magnesia, sulphur, etc., all the common stones, such as marble, granite, etc., diamonds, and other precious stones, to be written on the blackboard as fast as they are named. With younger children, they tell us different things made of clay, such as bricks, dishes, flowerpots, vases, etc. The oil-cloth table' covers are now spread over the tables, then we take a piece of clay and speak of the object which we intend to make, which perhaps is in connection with what we played, or with the preceding occupation. We have had the Second Gift, and had been spinning the ball, cube, and cylinder. All try to make a ball of clay. Teacher : " Let me see how nice your ball can run. Milton, yours seems to have a flat face. Ella, there is a round corner, that will not do. Albert, there is a kind of a curved edge on yours. What is the form of a ball?" Children : " A ball is curved in every direction." Teacher : " The ball says : " No matter how fast I spin or race, I always have the same round face." MODI-: i. LKSSON NO. x;. 47 "These balls are nicely made; now take your win- and see how -evenly we can cut them in two. What have we now?" Children: "Two halves." Teacher : " Yes, two half spheres. Sometimes people say hemi for half; another word for half is semi, but this word is not used when we talk about balls or spheres. If papa has a newspaper that comes in the middle of the week and at the end of the week it is called a >///,/- weekly paper, when it comes at no other times. Those that come every day are called daily papers. You may make whole balls out of each half ball. Try to have them exactly alike. (In some Kindergartens a tiny pair of scales are given for every two children.* In the nursery this is eminently practical and delightful; of course it is only used on one day of the week for this particular purpose.) Now we are going to cut our two balls. How many half balls have we now?" Children : " We have four half balls." Teacher: "These we will make again into whole balls. Now each one has four marbles; we might call them peas, as we are going to put a stick into them pretty soon. But first we are going to divide each of our four balls into halves. How many has each one now?" Albert: ."I have eight." her : " As soon as you have made each half into a whole again you shall have some sticks, and we will make something to take home with us. Here are four sticks. Make a square with four of your lit tit (lay jit as. Lay it near the upper edge of the table, away from, the others. Now make another square with the rest. \Vhat have you now ? " Children : " We have two squares." M 11'Tc are four more sticks (tooth picks) and you may use them to connect your two squares. Take one of your squares, let it rest on the table, now put one stick in it and let it stand up vertically from each ball at the corners. That is right. Now place your second .-quare on the tup, what is it?" Children : M It looks like a cube." Teaciii-r: " How many corner balls did you have to u->-.-" Children : - Ki-lit halls." ner: " Count the sticks or edges. How many around the t Children : " Four edges ; four around the upper face, and four stand- ing up vertically." Teacher : " Could it look like a cube if there were not twelve edges? Email druggist-scales would hi-lp -nun- th, 1. ilU bring of the same weight. 48 NATIONAL KINDERGARTEN MANUAL. Now we will tie a piece of different colored worsted to each one so that you can tell which belongs to you, for we have to put them away till you go home." If time permits, each child receives another piece of clay to make what he pleases. If the children have been some time in the Kindergar- ten, they can be taught what is the meaning of solids by comparison with the wooden cubes. They should all learn how to draw a cube before they have been a year in the Kin- dergarten. They are prepared for doing this by the pasting of parquetry. Three of the leaning squares or diamonds make the picture of a cube. Warm water and towels being ready from the beginning, two children at a time go to wash their hands. The dry crumbs of clay are brushed into a tin pan to be covered with water for a few days. Two or three days before we wish to use the clay, it is removed into a dry napkin, and laid in a dark place till wanted. If not dry enough by that time lay it in a warm airy place. If too dry, wet the napkin by pouring water over it several times. The day it is wanted we change the napkin for a dry one, and give it an oblong shape by striking it against a hard surface, a marble slab or the stove hearth is the best. This gives it the desired consistency and shape for cutting up. MODEL LESSON NO. XII. THE GONOGRAPH OR CONNECTED STAFF. Teacher : " What is this in my hand ? " Children : " A wooden stick." T. : " Only one ? " (Opens it.) Ch. : " No, there are more than one." T. : " Yes, let us count them. (Counts up to ten.) Ten sticks, or I call them staffs, are fastened together by a kind of tack. But it is not a tack, because its point might hurt our fingers. It is a rivet.* What do you see on this staff?" Ch. : " Lines and numbers." * With older children, they may mention other thinirK which are connected, such as doors by hinges, chains, clothes by straps or thread, leaves by the stem, limbs of the body by joints, etc. MODEL LESSON xo. xn. 49 T. * And they are all the same distance from each other, like the lin.-s on your tables or on our blackboard." Ch : * It looks like a ruler or measure." T. : Yt-s, and some other time we will measure with it." Each child receives one, but is told to leave it before him without unfolding it. T. : - In what position is our staff?" Ch. : <; Front to back, vertical." Tin- children are told to put the palms of their hands together and move them up, then down, saying, " Up and down, vertical." Then they are told to open their hands with palms downward, and only the tip- of the middle fingers touching, when their staffs change to assume the horizontal position, and they say, "From right to left, or, from side to side, horizontal." The teacher changes the position of htt important subject into consider- ation and make a science of story-telling. 54 NATIONAL KINDERGARTEN MANUAL. CLASSIFICATION OF STORIES. Stories can be divided into two principal divisions : true stories and those that are not true. The first may be drawn from the child's own life. If taken from the lives of other children, the feeling common to all humanity must not be entirely lost sight of, no matter how strange the events may be. Adapt your stories to the children's ages: the younger the children, the harder it is to tell stories that will command their attention and interest. With smallest children a short thread and very little circumstance dwelt on, and described minutely. Strong points must follow each other in quick succession. The child may desire longer stories, but is unable to follow them. If you can draw, and have no other means for illustration, a great deal of interest may be added by thus illustrating the stories. In the kindergarten select such stories as can be carried out af- terwards in their own actions, as with their building and their plays. Give opportunity even to the youngest to repeat some of the story, even if he only gives one sentence. Don't correct the child, but help him to find the thread. Tell your story not only with verbal language, but with expressions of face and hands, not strong enough, however, to divert the child's attention from the story. Use no slang nor high-sounding expressions ; do not speak of things in general, but identify, be explicit, give a name to the persons in your story (I generally use the names of the youngest children present), give a location to the places and to the events that transpire; make your sentences short. Use the tone of voice most likely used when certain people talk in the story ; use dialogue and do not speak in the past tense. Speak plainly and natural, neither too soft nor too loud, too slow or too fast. Do not interrupt your story by asking questions of the chil- dren: the disclipine of attention will thereby be lost; questions may be asked before and after. A simple and natural explanation can be made to substitute part of the dialogue of the story. Introduce rhymes all you can : this increases, in a great measure, the enjoyment of the children. If a story is to be continued, it is well to have a heading to the chapters. When the story is repeated, do i ot change anything, it TIM: AKT OF TKLLlNc; STnRIKS 55 detracts from the interest and causes the child to interrupt. Words may be changed, but not events. Tell mostly about good actions done, never of faults or wrongs which may never yet have come under the observation of the child. All murder, robber, or ghost stories must be strictly avoided, and never tell such stories as will inculcate fear in the child. Moral stories may be preceded and followed with the recitations of the verse for the week, such as : " Honor thy Father and thy Mother ; " lie who digs a pit for others shall fall into it himself; " "Praise the Lord, O my soul ! and forget not all his benefits; " "If you are angry, count ten before you speak; if you are very angry count a hundred;" " The Lord loves a cheerful giver;" "Never spend yo^r money before you earn it;" "Blessed are the peace-makers for they shall be called tin children of God;" "A good name is rather to be chosen than great rh-he.s, and loving favor rather than silver or gold;" -'Honesty is the best policy:" "A soft answer turneth away wrath;" "Never trouble another for what you can do yourself; " " Do not put off for to-morrow what you can do to-day; " "Judge not, that you be not judged; " " All things work together for good to them that love the Lord." Many Bible-stories are suitable ; do not tell them in a ceremonious, sanctified manner. Have a regular time for them, have them go with the Bible-verses and moral precepts. A careful selection of Bible-stories should be made : not the quantity but the quality is of the utmost importance. With Froebel, we think the child, as a member of the human family, shall be made to under- stand at least- the meaning of the various Christian holidays, so as to their conduct in unison with our own on such occasions. Simple historical stories should be told on those days. s advisable? By all means. Some object to them on the ground that they are not true, but do not children talk to their dolls and other toys the same as if they were real, perhaps more. The love for the wonderful in a greater or lesser degree is inborn in every child, and the cultivation of the imagination and poetry of the soul i as any other soul-faculty; and those unsympathetic, and thoroughly utilitarian persons \\e meet with in life, are to be pitied for their starved childhood, which resulted in narrow, onesided vie\\s of life. Of course, certain limits mu-t be observed; there must not be too many of them. The right kind of fables are very desirous, such as exemplify grati- tude, as for instance the fable of "The lion and the mouse," or "the 56 NATIONAL KINDERGARTEN MANUAL. two stories of the pine-trees" the one where it was discontented with its needles, the other of the pine-tree which complained that it had no opportunity to do good. The story of Buzzie, giving valuable information about bee-life, and of Miss Swallow Tail, doing the same in regard to the transformation of the caterpillar, the story of the Lark, showing that the most reliable help is self-help, etc. Legends are also valuable, for they form a bridge which gradually leads the child to the real enjoyment in history and puts him in sym- pathy with what is going on in the world. STORIES. ROSE AND HER FLOWERS. THE LITTLE FLOWEKS WHO HAD THEIR OWN WAY. was going to a party, and went into her garden to pick some flowers to wear in her hair. Summer was gone, but there were still many fine flowers left. The heliotrope, which is so very sensitive, had been touched by the breath of Jack Frost one night, and its sweet purple flowers were drooping. But there were pinks, roses, geraniums and some others. When Rose stooped down, she seemed to hear them say: "Do not break us off, we want to stay a little longer in the garden." Rose had sin -ii a tender heart, she never could refuse any one, so she said: \Vell, you may have your own way. I will go to (tore and buy some artificial flowers for this evening." The moon shone very brightly that night, arid looking down into the garden, she saw .lack Frost going round among Hose's flower-beds, and stopping at every flower, he touched them witli his cold linger and said: "Go to sleep till winter is gone. You need not complain, you shall bloom again." They all said: "Yes," and drooped their little heads. When Kuse came into the garden in the morning, she saw what had happened. "Oh!" she said, "You did not know what was best for you. If I had had my wav. you would still be living in some of my pretty vases in the parlor and (57) 58 NATIONAL KINDERGARTEN MANUAL. on our dining-room table. Never mind, all things must first be buried, before they can live again. Easter-tide will call you and waken your roots to new life. Good-bye till next spring." This story may be followed by the play of "Gardener and the Flowers," in National Kindergarten Songs arid Plays. SNOWDROP. STORY OF A RABBIT. ONCE there was a pretty white rabbit, named Mrs. Snow- drop. She belonged to a little girl named Gertrude, who had a big brother Tom. Mrs. Snowdrop lived in a wooden box with slats in front. Once Gertrude went to feed her pet and saw some round soft balls ; they were little baby-rabbits. But Gertrude didn't touch them, because she knew Mamma Rabbit would not like it. Baby-rabbits have no fur, just as baby-birds have no feathers. Sometimes Mamma Rabbit will kill her young, if you look at or touch them before they have fur. It is very dreadful, but they do not know any better. By and by she saw them running around. How many were there? (Teacher holds up four fingers); the children say, four. One named Jet, another Browny, the third Spot, the fourth Lily. Little rabbits are full of mischief. Mamma used to tell them not to eat too much cabbage. You must eat a little bran every morning, just as children ought to eat oatmeal every morning. Brownie said she was going to eat all the SNOWDROP. 59 cabbage she wanted; Tom used to bring to them fresh spin- ach, lettuce and carrot-tops. One day Jet said to Spot, "Are you not tired of staying in this little house? look at the beautiful, large trees and the dewy green grass." But Spot said, "No, tlie dogs might eat us or something might happen to us. We are tame rabbits and mustn't run wild." Jet said " When Gertrude leaves the door open, I am going to run out, are you coming, Brownie?" "Yes ! " "And Spot?" "Yes!" So one day when Gertrude was feeding them and turned away to get some carrot-tops, three naughty rabbits got out. Gertrude felt very sorry about it. They ran away over the hill in the moonlight, and found lots of other little wild rabbits; but the wild rabbits were afraid of Jet, Spot and Brownie, and ran to their holes. Bye and bye they came out again and began to fight the tame rabbits. Jet and Spot cried so hard they could not wipe away their tears with their big ears. But after awhile the rabbits all became acquainted, then they played to- gether and had a grand time. Soon they heard a rustling in the leaves and such a smelling around that the wild Mamma rabbits told their little ones to run quick to their holes, because the fox was coming. So away they scam- 1 and hid. Spot and Jet started for home, but lost their way, and Tom's dog found them out, and Tom put them hack into the box. where Lily was waiting for them. One morning Brownie was found in the vegetable gar- den, sick IVoni having eaten too much cabbage. They carried him back to the box and doctored him: but all they could do did no good, and pour Brownie died after two da\ .-. Play -Master Hare" (page 30 "Cheerful Echoes"). 60 NATIONAL KINDERGARTEN MANUAL. LOUIS SEES THE NEW YEAR COME IN. A NEW-YEAR'S STORY. Louis asked his mamma if he might sit up to see the New Year come in. " Yes," she said, " you ma}-, but I am tired, and shall go to bed. I shall leave my door open, so as to be able to hear you, should you call me." It was after ten o'clock, and Louis sat down on the soft rug in front of the open fire-place, after mamma had said good night. For some time he watched the crackling wood blaze, then he took his mamma's foot-rest to lean his head upon. His eyes began to blink, and his eyelids kept creeping downwards, but many times he would open them very wide and look all around. Pretty soon he heard a soft knock, the door opened gently, and an old man came slowly towards him. " Did you look for something?" inquired Louis, who had risen from the rug. "Yes," said the old man, "I want you to give me that package over in that corner, tied with a black ribbon." Louis looked where the old man pointed, and was as- tonished to find a small package. "What is it?" he asked. "Oh, this bundle holds an account of all your bad actions the past year. Whenever you did not mind, or when you were angry because you could not have your own way." " Please do not keep this bundle, let me burn it," said Louis. " Can you burn your mother's kiss or your father's kind words, when he praises you ? No, those bad feelings can- not be destroyed, but they may not weigh as heavy as LOUIS SEES THE NEW YEAR CO. ME IN. (51 your good actions. Go, bring me that package over there." Louis brought it, and saw that it was tied with a lovely white ribbon, upon which were painted, alternately, pink rosebuds and birds' feathers. " What is in this bundle?" he inquired. "Kveiy time you minded cheerfully, and tried to save your dear mother trouble, it was written down," replied the old man, weighing it in his right hand against the other package in his left. "You see the good deeds are the heaviest." He then put the bundle with the black ribbon into the bag on his back, and the other one into a basket on his arm. 44 There is another little package," the old man said, pointing to another corner. Yes, there was one tied with black ribbon. " This has in it every time you told tilings to excuse yourself that were not quite true, and when you were unkind to others." Slowly and sadly Louis handed it to the old man. k * Do not feel so badly," said he, "There is a nice large package over there ; see how many times you have been a kind, generous bny. and how many times you were brave and told the truth." The last bundle, tied with white ribbon, was double the size of the other. Just after the bundles were stowed away, the door burst open. Happv New-Year!" cried a joyous voice, and in came a lovely young man with a shining face and long golden hair. The old man crept out. "Mamma, mamma ! M cried Louis. What is the matter," said mamma, kissing him. " I saw the New Year," lie replied, looking all around. "Oh, where did he go?" You did?" mamma said, patting him on the cheek. "Tell me all about it." 62 NATIONAL KINDERGARTEN MANUAL. Louis told her all he had seen. " What a beautiful dream," she said, u let us take warning, and see that our good bundles far outweigh the bad ones." The children love this story, and in connection with it learn the verse : "The eyes of the Lord are in every place, and he sees the evil and the good." THE WISE LITTLE FINGER. ONE day the fingers were all quarreling, and each one said he was of more consequence than his brother. "Hold on, I am the strongest," said the stout little thumb, "you cannot do anything without me; I can do more work than four of you put together, so you ought to let me be your captain." " That may be," said the fore-finger, " but who is it that points out everything worth seeing? I can tell fine things from coarse ones, and am never satisfied unless I am busy.'* "What manners !" cried out the middle finger; "I am the tallest and the smartest, I think." Gold-finger now spoke up and said, " There must be some good reason why I am always dressed in gold and precious stones, and I imagine I must be of more import- ance than the rest of you." The little finger kept quiet, and took no part in this quarrel. " Why don't you speak," the others said to him, " aren't you of any use in the world?" He then replied, "I did not make myself. The good Lord has made me for some use, the same as He has made you. There is nothing made in this world that is not of some use. If MISS SWALLOWTAIL. 63 every one does the best he can in the place that is given him to fill, it is all that is expected of him/' The others listened to what he said, and after thinking about it, they said that though he was the smallest he was of as much importance as any of them. MISS SWALLOWTAIL. W. II. S. ONE bright spring-morning a little butterfly woke from a long winter's nap and found herself shut up in such a wee bit df a cradle, that she could not stretch out her legs nor open her wings that were folded closely about her. She could not even lift her head to look at the sunshine and the ilowers. She wriggled and turned and she bumped her poor little head up and down,, until she succeeded in pushing off a little door, that left a three-cornered opening extending from above her head to a point below her heart; and then she crawled out on the fence to which the cradle was fas- tened. Hut her wings were damp and heavy, and she stood shivering and trembling; although she had six legs, she felt as ii she could not stand, having never before carried her weight. Hut fresh air, even if it is cold, brings strength. So sin? soon felt like trying to walk. At first it was slow- work, but she finally reached a sunny spot, where she dried and wanned herself, giving her wings a little shake now and then until they opened grandly above her back. And how beautiful they were. Dark brown bordered with two rows df yellow spots; and there were seven blue spots on each of the hind wings. Her name was Papilio Asterias, but she was generally known as Miss Swallowtail, because each of her hind wings ended in a long point, something 64 NATIONAL KINDERGARTEN MANUAL. like the tail of a swallow. As she stood there in the sun a little wind came along and raised her off her feet. She spread her wings to keep from falling and floated in the air. It proved such a delightful way of moving, that she lift- ed her wings occasionally and so kept herself floating, and in a short time she learned to turn in any direction she chose. As she flew along, growing stronger every minute, she was attracted by the bright colors of a flower and stopped to admire it. Its sweet perfume tempted her to taste, and unrolling her long tongue from under her chin, where she carried it, she put it down into the flower and drew up the honey hidden there. Then flying to another flower she came across a butterfly almost like herself. "Good morning," said Mr. Swallowtail, for that was his name, "is this your first morning among the flowers?" Miss Swallowtail nodded a yes, as she balanced herself on the edge of a pink verbena ; then spying a honeysuckle creeping up a tree, she flew to it to taste the sweets she felt sure of finding there. But alas, for Miss Swallowtail. Sir Robin Redbreast stood on the limb of a tree singing to Lady Robin, as she sat on her nest of eggs. He had taken rather a scanty breakfast that morning, for he had given all the fattest bugs and worms to his lady. Now, thought he, that butterfly will make me a nice morsel! and he darted towards her. Now butterflies have wonderful eyes; if you will look at them through a microscope you will find that each of their eyes contains a great many smaller ones that can see in all directions. So they are able to discover the approach of any enemy in their rear. They have a great need of them, because there are so many hungry birds and other creatures that want to eat them. So when Robin came flying down behind Miss Swallowtail, and was just going to pick her up in his bill, away she went over the fence into the next yard. MISS SWALLOWTAIL. 65 Uobin quickly followed, for he was not going to lose such a tempting piece of meat. But she was such an airy little body, hardly heavier than a feather, that she could llv nnieh faster than Robin, who was a great fat fellow. Manv a time when he had almost caught her, she turned iirst to one side, then to the other so suddenly, it made him fairlv dizzy to follow. Frightened and tired, she finally lit on a tree, and closing her wings up over her back to hide tlioM- bright spots and only showing the dull-colored sides of tin-in. >he, looked so much like the bark of a tree, that Robin lost sight of her and turned sadly home. Miss Swallowtail spent many a happy day after that, flitting from flower to flower, though she had a number of narrow escapes from time to time ; and one day a kitten struck her to the ground with its paw, nearly breaking her wing. She made her escape however, and lived to become Mrs. Swallowtail; but she was just as tiny a body the day she married as on the day she was born, for butterflies never grow any. She had a large family of children before tin- summer was gone. But what is very strange, she never saw her own children, or if she did see them, she never took notice of them, nor they of her. They oamti out of the tiniest of eggs; but she did not do as the 1 ii dies do, sit on the eggs until they were hatched, and then feed and care for the birdies until they were old enough to care for themselves. Not she! Butterflies are not going to burden themselves in that way. One day a whiff of celery from a garden near by re- mindfd her of the time when she was a baby and liked to eat celery. So she flew over into the garden and fastened her eggs to a celery-plant with some glue that she carried with her. Then she left them and never thought of them again. In about ten days the babies that had been growing inside of the eggs broke open the shells and crawled out. 66 NATIONAL KINDERGARTEN MANUAL. And what do you think they were? Butterflies like their papa and mamma, only very much smaller? No indeed! for you know butterflies never grow any larger. They were the smallest green and black worms you ever saw. As soon as they were out of the shells they began to eat the celery, and grew so fast that in a week they were quite large worms. They were covered with yellow stripes and black bands dotted with yellow. They each had sixteen short legs, and they had a flesh-colored kind of a horn hidden away under a fold above the head, that they would show, when they were disturbed. The horns gave out such a dis- agreeable odor, I should not think any bird would eat the worms; but birds eat dreadful things. One morning the gardener discovered that something was eating his celery. He could not allow that; so, searching among the leaves, he found all but one of Mrs. Swallowtail's babies, and put them where they could do no more mischief. One day the little worm that had escaped the gardener's notice, had grown so fat, he was too stupid to eat any more, so he crawled away to a dark place on the fence, with a white silken carpet, that he wove from a web which he drew from his underlip. Then he fastened the end of his tail to the carpet. He then glued the end of the web higher up on the carpet, carried the rest of it up over his breast and down on the other side and fastened there. He passed his mouth several times over it, making it stronger by adding more silk and some glue. He then bent his head down under it, letting it pass over his head, and by bending forward and backward, worked it down near the middle of his back. After examining his work all over, he bent his head forward upon his breast and leaned against the fence. After resting two days, he began a series of twistings and turnings that burst open 67 his skin from the corners of his mouth down a short way, and worked it off himself, down to his tail. lie drew liis head in out of sight and sent out a horn each side of it, and lo! no worm was to be seen, but a yellowish cradle like the one his mother was sleeping in when we first found her. He had made his own cradle too, or it had been growing under his pretty skin, lie is inside of it though, and now lie is called a chrysalis. While he is sleeping there he will change into a beautiful butterfly, just like his Mamma and Papa Swallowtail. The butterfly is made by folding the paper from edge to edge and corner to corner, the regular fundamental folds. Lay the corners upon each other, so as to hide the horizontal fold. We then fold two of the right and left slanting edges to the centre. It is folded in the middle, and our butterfly has its wings . folded, so as to show the plain underside. When Jl'^V we hold it by the projecting small triangle, it flut- ters. The children can march out, and on tiptoe run sing- ing a butterfly song. We sometimes take strips or small disks of colored paper to paste on the butterfly to give it a still more natural appearance. SQUIRREL. Whisky friskey hippety hop! l*i i he goes to the tree-top. Furly, curly round and round, Down it tumbles to the ground. Furly curly, \\h;it a tail! Tall a- a fi-atht-r, broad as a saill Where is his supper? In the shell! Snappy, cracky, out it fell. 68 NATIONAL KINDE11GAKTEN MANUAL. CHARLIE'S GARDEN. CHARLIE'S father Lad a very fine garden, and Patrick, who was a skilful gardener, took care of it. Every morn- ing he watered the plants and loosened the earth about their roots. One day, as Charlie stood watching Patrick, he thought how nice it would be if he could have a little garden of his own. When his father came home to din- ner Charlie asked him if he might have a garden. "Yes," said his father, "if you will take care of it your- self ; Patrick cannot help you at all, but I will give you a nice little set of garden tools." "Oh, thank you," said Charlie "that will be lovely." For a week or so he took great pains with his garden, watered the flowers every morning before school, and pulled up the weeds. But one morning he felt in a great hurry to get to school, because Willie, who was one of Charlie's schoolmates, was going to bring a new top to school, so off he ran without weeding his garden. The next morning he said to himself, " to-morrow I will give my garden a good weeding." To-morrow came and the garden was forgotten ; several days passed and Saturday came; then Charlie suddenly thought of his flowers and onion bed. The weeds had grown so thick and large that Charlie saw that he would have to work a long time to pull them all up. " I wish I never had to work ; I wish Patrick could help me ; but papa said that I must do it myself, so I might as well begin, but I wish I had not asked for a garden, it is so much work." He worked away and finally almost all the weeds were pulled up ; only a few were left. One was so large that Charlie had to take both hands to it and plant his feet 's (iAUDKN. 69 firmly on the ground, pulling with all his strength. It came up with such a jerk that he tumbled right over back- wards. The root left a great hole in the ground. Charlie felt quite stunned by his fall. He sat looking at the hole and thought he saw something coming out of it. He rubbed his eyes and looked again. Yes, sure enough, there stood a little lady; she was all bent over and had a hooked nose and a peaked chin; she beckoned to Charlie with her finger and said, "Come, come with me." Down the hole she went, and down with her went Charlie. It was so dark that Charlie could not see the way. He held fast to the old lady's hand, and soon they came out to a beautiful garden. Roses and violets were blooming everywhere, and all around was one large tract covered with white sand all ready to play with. " Here," said the old lady, "is a nice garden for you to play in, and you will not have any work at all to do." After thanking the old lady, Charlie began to dig in the sand. He made all sorts of wells, cakes and pies, and at !;IM he made some little hills around a little garden. I must pick one of these violets and lilies for my mother, he thought : so off he ran to pick them, and stooped down to smell them; but what do you think ? they were only paper ilowers. ami they had no smell at all! Dear me," said Charlie to himself, "this is very strange, violets and roses made of paper with no scent to them: and I am beginning to be hungry, too. I wish I had some bread and butter." Just then he saw the old lady; so he ran up to her, and asked h-r if he could have a slice of bread ami butter. "What!" exclaimed the old lady, "bread'/ and who you think would make bread for us'/ This is the land -'"*V 70 NATIONAL KINDERGARTEN MANUAL. of Idleness. We do not do any work here. Who do you think would plough the ground, plant the wheat, thresh it, grind it and make it into nice flour for us? And butter too? Goodness, child, do you know how much work it takes to make butter? There is no one here to take the cows out to pasture, nor is there any one to milk them, care for the milk and do the churning. Who wants to sit by a churn and work, work till the butter comes? then where in the world would we get salt to put in the butter after we had pressed all the buttermilk out of it? Do you think it is play to dig in the mountains for salt? No, no, here we do not have bread and butter. If we do not work you know we ought not to have anything to eat; only tramps expect to eat without working." " Well, if I can not have anything to eat, please may I lie down, I am so tired. " "Tired! now I know you are a tramp, you are tired and have not done any work. Well, if you must lie down and rest, you will have to take the sand for a bed. It is too hard work to cut down trees for wood, and then plane the wood and make it into nice boards for beds and other fur- niture." "This is not such a nice place after all," sighed Charlie, and the tears began to roll down his cheeks. " Charlie ! Charlie ! " called some one. " Wake up, wake up ! " said his father, taking hold of his hand. Charlie sat up and stared about. " Why," he began, " where are the roses and the old lady?" "Come," said his father, "you have been dreaming- dinner is ready." "Well, I am glad," said Charlie, "I found out that you are right. It is much nicer to work; and I am not going to be a tramp any more, as the old lady called me. " THK DISCCXNTF.N TKI> IJ1M >n]< IJ-1T. 71 "Why, my dear, what do you mean?" said his father. So Charlie told him all about his dream, and his father laughed at the funny old lady. "She was right, Charlie," he said; "those who do not work, ought not to have nice things to eat, nor to have real flowers." After that Charlie's garden was well taken care of, and even Patrick said that his roses were far sweeter than those in the large garden. THE DISCONTENTED BROOKLET. ONE day the children in our kindergarten begged me to tell them a story. " Well, what shall it be about? To-day is the day when we talk not about dolls, or houses, or parties, but about things in nature, like the sun, the flowers, the brooks or the mountains. You have heard the story of the beautiful crystal-palace made of salt under the ground, of Joseph's well, of lame little Charlie, who dreamed of being taken in a boat to Dreamland, where lie was perfectly strong and well. Would you like to hear what a little tnld me? ami then we can play the boatman rowing merrily over (he waves; or sing* "On the water, on the wai. " N - ; >lease tell us about the little wave." Weil, cue summer-day I was silting in the shade of a fine tree at Ocean Grove watching the little waves dancing and splashing against the shore, glistening like burnished gold in the sun. I heard a soft murmur, and this is what it told me: * ( heerf ul Echoes. 72 NATIONAL KINDERGARTEN MANUAL. My home is in a beautiful mountain near a small cottage in which lived a boy with his father and mother. I was almost covered with pretty ferns and mosses, for I was so small you could hardly see me, except when the sun made me shine like a looking-glass. I had a merry time of it, for the little boy would often throw red berries and pebbles to me, or give me his little yellow curls to play with. You might think such a little streamlet as I was ought to be afraid of the great dark mountains over my head; and I sometimes heard people say, " The mountains are frown- ing ;" but they were always kind to me, and grateful for the cooling drink I gave to the mosses and roots of trees on the mountain-side. It seems as if I might have continued happy and contented, with lovely meadows before me, and the cowbells' sweet music every day chiming in with the cheery song of many birds. But you have heard of the little children wanting to see places and things that grown people visit ; well, as I grew larger I wanted to get away to see the beautiful ocean, which Tommy was always talking about, with its great ships and graceful little row- boats. During the day the sun smiled upon me so sweetly I would forget my fretting, but at night I would blink up to the stars and beg them to tell me something about the ocean, for of course such a tiny mountain-brook could know nothing about it. One day the wind blew very hard all around me, and I heard it saying strange things about carrying me perhaps faster than I liked. The rain began to pour down from dark clouds, that seemed very near me. The earth all around me, which formed my little bed, was loosened ; it broke away, and down I tumbled, rollicking, jumping, dancing, half frightened, half crazy with pleasure to get away from my pleasant prison bars. Other little mountain streams came dancing down. I joined them, TilK DISCONTKNTKD UIM >< >K LKT. 73 larger all the time, with a dim feeling of hope that perhaps I was mi my way to the great ocean. "Yes," 1 heard them whisper, "we'll soon be a great river, and llo\\- into a lake." And I did ; it was a lovely lake, and I inly had many happy days. Yet I still longed to be part of the great ocean, and often at night I would whisper to the little gold-fishes to plea>e sh< w me the way out. "Then follow us," they said; " there is a little place over there, away off where the willow-boughs are drooping into the lake." Then I grew very wild ; the wind blew very hard for four days after I had found the little opening, and helped me in my raging, teai ing, and roaring. I tore up the earth, making my bed larger and larger after leaving the lake; I wound in and out, breaking little rustic bridges and tearing up the flowers by the roots, and even many trees, frightening everybody wherever I went. At last I reached a lovely valley. The clouds all broke away and the golden sun danced over me, and away off I saw a glorious rainbow. But sweetest of all, I heard some children singing a sweet hymn in a distant chapel. Then I began to feel ashamed of having been so wild and furious. I thought I too ought to sing praises to (iod who makes the world so beautiful, and lias a g<><>d use for everything in it. I certainly felt sorry for having been so impatient and restless, and I murmured to myself, u l will work away a ml travel pa- tiently from day to day, as many miles as (iod thinks best, before I reach the great ocean." I gre\v very gentle and patient, some people and children even ealled me pretty with the branches of trees reflected in me. The birds sang for me, the stars and all nature seemed to smile and md to me, and I never fretted anv 74 INTERNATIONAL KINDERGARTEN MANUAL. more as to where I was going to, but cheerily did what I had to do. One day the grand old ocean lay before me. I could see it below, some distance away. I knew I should be there in one hour more, but I still was quiet and patient. I felt more like singing than dashing away, for I knew it was waiting for me with open arms. And now you see me a little wave on the Ocean. I play against the rocks, and tell my story to any one who wishes to listen to it. I am happy, the world above me is beauti- ful, and what a strange beautiful world below ! Whenever I see a rainbow, it makes me think of the one I saw in the valley after my wild race, which taught me to be patient and thank God for all His blessings. With this story the children may have the occupation of interlacing slats. Two of them form the brook when only one space (or inch) apart, running horizontal, parallel to each other. Two spaces apart they have a river ; four spaces apart it represents the stream ; still wider, the lake; and the whole width of the table they have the ocean. They may repeat this 011 the blackboard or the slate. Some of the children will be sure to try to draw fishes in the space. The boats of the paper-folding may be brought into play with this lesson. MARY'S LITTLE LAMB. MARY lived in the country. One day in June she asked her mamma, if she might go to gather some wild straw- berries in the woods near by. 75 ' Yes," mamma said, "but do not stay long, as it looks like rain." Sure enough, just as Mary hud picked her basket full, and was <>u her way home, she heard a loud thunderclap and ] >itter, patter, down came the rain. Mary stepped under a tree to wait until the rain should stop. All at once she heard something crying "Bull, bah, bah !" She stooped down and looked among the bushes, and there she found a very small lamb, hardly able to walk. She took it into her arms, covered it with her apron, for it was shivering, and ran home. "Oh, mamma!" she exclaimed when she reached home, "just see the cunning little lamb I found, may I have it for my own .' " " Why Mary, this lamb and its mother belong to some one. If you had lost a lamb, you would not want any one to keep it. you would want them to find out who lost it, and bring it back to you." Mary looked sad. "I will tell you what you ought to do with this lamb/' said Thomas, the hired man, who was sawing wood by the open window in the yard. "Let -me have it; I will kill it for your Sunday dinner, and you give me one leg of it." No indeed," cried Mary, "I would much rather give it back to the farmer who lost it." As soon as the sun shone again, Mary took the lamb in a little basket up the hill to farmer White, to inquire if he had lost a lamb. He was standing by his door. When lie saw Mary coming, he cried: -Who is this little girl coming to see us, and what has she got for me?" Mary showed him the lamb, and told him that she thought perhaps he had lost it. 76 NATIONAL KINDERGARTEN MANUAL. "Come .in," lie said, leading her kindly by the hand, "You are widow Green's little girl, and you found this little thing in the rain." He called his wife in and said, " Is'nt she a nice honest little lady, trying to find who lost this little lamb, when she wants it so badly herself? But you see, if I give it to you now, it will die. It needs its mother a few weeks longer. When it begins to eat meal and grass, then I will send my son Robert down to bring it to you." Mrs. White took Mary's basket and put into it some fresh eggs and butter for her mamma, and covered it with some grape-leaves. Mary felt very happy when she went home. After two months Robert brought her the lamb. She tied a blue ribbon around its neck, and many nice plays did they have together. Everywhere that Mary went the lamb was sure to go.* THE MONKEY TRYING TO BE A MAN. ONE day the animals were holding a council together in the woods, as to whom they would choose for their master. "We don't want man to be our master any longer; we would rather have one of ourselves to rule over us." " I think I ought to be your master," said the monkey : " I have hands, and can walk like a man, and you will find out that I know about as much." It was decided that he should go and watch some people, in order to prepare himself for this high place. If you had seen him sitting in a tree, watching Adam and. Eva and their children with a serious and important face, you would have thought, what he cannot learn, no one else can. * We have made a play of the verses in our kindergarten. mi-: MMNKKY TRYING TO r.i: A MAN. 77 As animals also need a shelter in bad weatiier, his first dutv was to learn to build. lie watched carefully, and sa\v Adam take an axe and cut down some trees, trim them nicely and make them into posts and beams which he fitted into a comfortable cottage. " 1 can do that fast enough," cried the monkey, " if that is all." As soon as he had reached his friends, he cried, "Now you shall see what a great builder I am." He pulled up a young tree by the roots, and struck with it to the right and left, not minding where he struck, so that the animals had a great time to dodge him, and keep from getting hit. The trues did not mind his blows, but kept quietly standing, and the animals all laughed. The monkey got angry and made awful faces at them, and said to himself, "You may laugh all you want to; I am smarter than you are, and after I am made ruler over you, I will make you pay for laughing at me." S< ton after that he wanted to learn how to plant and reap. He saw the man take a spade, lean upon it and dig up the dirt; then later he saw him throw seeds upon the ground, from which corn and wheat were to grow. That is easy enough," laughed the monkey to himself; "Who cannot do that?" Hi- thought it would be very smart to carry off the man's spade and his empty l.a-, and so he rushed with them to the WOOds. ( me. come," he cried from a long way off, "now you shall sec what a line farmer I am." He took the spade upside down, and leaned his hand heavily on the sharp edge which ought to have been down, and 1>, lie cut his hand so that he made the blood run. He made a dreadful grimace, while he threw the 78 NATIONAL KINDERGARTEN MANUAL. spade far from him. Fortunately the dog was there, and licked his wounds so as to ease the pain. Then the mon- key said : " What is the use of digging the sowing of the seed is the main thing." So he took his bag, and as it was empty he filled it with sand and stones, and threw them vig- orously about him, not without hitting some of the animals on their heads and in their eyes. After they had wiped their eyes well, they saw that their new master was onl} T throwing sand into their eyes, and that no food would ever grow from that; so they shook their heads in doubt and turned their backs on him. In the third week the monkey thought he would like to learn how to cook, for it was getting cool weather, and the animals thought warm soup would taste very nice. So the monkey watched the man getting dry brush and sticks into a pile, and saw the woman hang a kettle over it, into which meat, water, potatoes, and salt had been put. They brought a piece of burning brush out of the hut, with which they lighted the fire, and soon the soup was boiling. " That is the way, ha, ha ! " laughed the monkey, and jumping down, he grabbed a piece of the burning brush and sprang towards the woods. "Who is hungry?" he cried. " To-day you shall feast and lick your chops. Quick, you hounds ! " he cried. " Get me some dry sticks." These were brought, and soon a bright fire was burning. When it began to Hag a little he blew into it, so that the sparks flew all around and scorched the fur of some of the animals near. " No matter, nothing can be had without some trouble. All is well that ends well ! " Then he took a very large leaf and fastened its ends to two sticks over the fire, put with his hollow hand some THK MONKKY TI:YIN<; TO r,i: A MAN. 79 water from a brooklet near by. and put into it some weeds. 44 Just you wait." lu: cried to the dogs and cats, whose tongiu-s were all ready for the feast. But just then the leaf shrivelled up, the water put the fire out, and the soup :one. The animals were much displeased, especially the oxen, and no one wanted to listen to him any longer. "Are you not ashamed?" the monkey screamed. " Who wants to become discouraged so easily? If we do not learn it, our children will, especially if we bring them up right. Just let me go and see how they bring up their children." They all gave their consent, and soon lie was watching near the hut once more. He noticed that sometimes when the smallest cried, the mother put a blanket around it, put it into a wicker cradle, and pushed it with her hand till it went to sleep. He saw her kiss the older children some- times when they were good, and sometimes she would give them a whipping when they did not mind her. The monkey looked on with extreme satisfaction. l *Y< -." he said to himself, "in training children no one shall excel me. 1 understand it thoroughly, but nothing can be done without a blanket." He saw a red one hang- ing (juite near upon an apple-tree. He tied it like a flag to a hnig pole, and returned with flying colors. -Just bring me all your babies," he cried, "in one hour they will have finished their education." They all brought their little ones: calves, colts, lambs, puppies, kittens, kids, and many others. But the noise they made was not so cunning. The little pigs especially made a fearful sqnealiiiLT. "I will BOOO teach you to be still, you noisy things," he cried. He caught the little pigs and laid them in the 80 THE NATIONAL KINDERGARTEN MANUAL. blanket, then tying up the corners firmly as if it were a bundle of clothes, he hung the bundle 011 the branch of a tree and pushed it vigorously, in imitation of a mother rocking a cradle, so vigorously that it fell to the ground, where the little pigs lay very still indeed. "You see," he cried, "that is what I have learned." But now you shall see my skill with your older children. He made the young creatures all form a circle around him. First he looked at each one very seriously, then went and kissed each one with his thick ugly lips and caressed their faces. "Now, see the masterpiece," he cried as he stretched out his long arms and struck each one a blow which made them set up a screaming while the colts bolted away. Meanwhile the mother of the little pigs had been looking anxiously at her babies, and found that they were all dead. All the animals concluded that they did not want such a silly, vain creature for their master, who thought that because he could imitate man, and had some resemblance to him, that he could be a man. The animals made up their minds that they would only be ruled by one who was much superior to them in reason, and fit to be their master. But the monkey still hopes to become their king in time, so he keeps imitating man all he can without any sense or reason, while he really is less wise, less industrious, and less provident than even the little bee or ant. There is no doubt that with all his imi- tation he will always remain a monkey. SPBINGETIME. 81 THE MISSION OF FLOWERS. ' GOD might have made the earth bring forth Enough for great and small, The oak-tree and the cedar-tree \Vithout a flower at all. Our outward life requires them not, Then wherefore had they birth ? To minister delight to man, To beautifiy the earth. To comfort man, and whisper hope Whene'er his faith is dim; For whoso careth for the flowers, Will much more care for Him. WILLIE'S KITE. It was Willie's seventh birthday. When he had eaten his breakfast, Papa asked him to come into the sitting- room. There he saw a lovely kite, just what he had been wanting for such a long time. A jolly clown was painted on the canvas. Willie wanted to go out at once to let it 11}-, but mamma told him he must wait till after school. Willie told all his schoolmates to come and see him fly his new kite in Mt. Vernon Square. They all came and \vatche(l Willie unrolling the ball of string. There was a good breeze, and the kite danced up, higher and higher. 6 had hard work to keep hold. The jolly clown was bound to get away. "I do not want to be tied to any string. I want to guide myself," that is what he seemed to say as he tugged and pulled at Willie's string as hard as he could. Just then a strong gust of wind helped him to give a 82 NATIONAL KINDERGARTEN MANUAL. hard pull ; and it got away, dancing gaily and swiftly out of sight. Willie ran home crying. Mamma comforted him and said that it could not get very far, as the wind was going down, and the kite would have a fall. So Willie with some of his little friends went out to see if they might find it. They met some of the other boys, who told them that they saw it come down on a telegraph pole. Sure enough, they soon spied it, but the clown was jolly no longer. The pole had gone right through his face, and now he looked like an old rag. A kind workman climbed up and brought the kite down. Willie's papa had a nice new canvas put on the frame of the kite, with a soldier-boy painted on, who was brave, and knew it was best for him to be guided. In the summer-time, Willie took it with him to the country, where he had many good times with his kite. This story may be told when the children have paper-folding and make the kite. The square of paper lies cornerways before the child, after the diagonal fold has been made for a guide. Now /r\ the right and left edges are folded to meet at this central fold ; a piece of worsted is sewed through the sharp angle, and the kite is completed. Older children call this a trapezium. SRIN9TIME. WHEN gentle Spring comes smiling, Old winter flies away; His snowy-cloak he wraps in haste, He dares no longer stay ; Then all the seeds that are buried deep In their dark and chilly beds Wake up, wake up, from their winter's sleep, And lift their tiny heads. STORY OF BUZZY. 83 Come up to the warm, bright sunshine, Come up to find the light ; Tis dark and chilly here below, Come up to the world so bright I Then upwards to the world they go,* A long and weary way, Until at the end of their journey slow They burst into the day. Oh, how the streams are singing I Dancing their way along! To the sky above are winging The birds with happy song; The leaves are rustling in the trees, By dancing branches whirled ; The grass is waving in the breeze ; 'Tis Springtime's happy world. STORY OF BUZZY. W. II. S. [To be told when a little natural history lesson is to be given, a bee's cradle or hexagon having been made, with any one of the kindergarten gifts or occupations.] < )N< i: there was a little bee named Buzzie, who lived in : the bough. Ami they slept there as quietly as if they were at home; and when the moon rose, and the soft wind moved the branch gently, liuy./y dreamed that he was being rocked to sleep on a nuirnin^-udory, and that he had lor pillow little wax-beds filled with honey. THIRD PART. THE KINDERGARTEN IN THE NURSERY. A COURSE OF LECTURES TO MOTHERS, GOVERNESSES, AND NURSERY MAIDS. THE KINDERGARTEN IN THE NURSERY. LECTURE No. I. CONSIDERATION OF THE BEST PHYSICAL AND SOUL NOURISHMENT OF THE INFANT. How TO MANU- FACTURE AND INTRODUCE THE BALL. THE time seems to have come for us to lay aside old and inefficient methods of every kind, and eagerly grasp at the new and joyous method of training the rising generation in a better way than we have been trained ourselves. Who can describe the enthusiasm, the delight of those wlm recognize the fact, that Frederick Froebel, the origi- nal >r of the kindergarten system of education, by devot- ing liny years of his life t<> study out the demands of child- life in its threefold capacity, of its physical, intellectual and spiritual nature, and practically demonstrating and carrying out his ideas on the subject, has given us the key to unlock to us the precious boon, which will make life so much more joyous and valuable to all, and reduce to a extent the amount of human suffering and misery surrounding us? My whole life as a mother, my relations to my own children and humanity in general, have become so c tially enlightened and awakened to activity, my spirit has . nourished witli such strengthening and refreshing food, that I am able to bear joyful testimony, that if 91 92 THE NATIONAL KINDERGARTEN MANUAL. Froebel's system of education is carried out with a clear comprehension, the effect upon child-life will be most happy and progressive in the family circle, as well as in the kindergarten." This testimony comes from Mrs. Lina Morgenstern, the President of the Women's Union in Berlin, and for a number of years superintendent -of a kindergarten there. I am able to add, that by adopting this method of education in accordance with nature, the services of the physician can in a great measure be dis- pensed with. Froebel's system of education, applied to early childhood, not only supplies the proper material and opportunities for the innate mental powers, which, like leaves and buds, press forward, impelling children to activ- ity with so much the more energy the more freely they are supplied ; but at the same time it also preserves children from the harm of civilization, which furnishes poison as well as food, temptation as well as elevation, and children must be kept from these dangers until their mental powers have grown equal to protect them. Very much of the success and benefit of the kindergarten training is invisible at the time. It is negative and consists in preventing harm. Then again its positive success is so simple, that it cannot be expected in the beginning to attract more attention or notice than, for instance, the valuable services of the family physician, whose exertions are directed to preserving the health of the household. The first thing requisite for us to do, says Froebel, is to throw aside the fallacious notion, that a babe is not much above an animal by nature. On the contrary, a child is a living soul from the first, a person endowed by a divine nature and with a heart which appreciates and responds to love on one hand, while at the same time it is intimate- ly related to nature on the other. But body and soul, or LECTURE NO. I. 93 the mind and its organs, seem at first only one, and bodily wants express themselves at first exclusively. The organs have to gain strength before the soul can use them, and through their development the soul itself grows. Every bodily impression is also a soul impression, and the young- er the child, the stronger is the impression made upon it. As yet, the external is mightier than they are themselves, and they readily adopt the manners, habits, moods and disposition of the attendants. As in a physical, so in an intellectual and moral point of view, ignorance or thoughtlessness on the part of the parent or nurse may do an infinite amount of harm, and can v its baneful consequences through a lifetime. It is a solemn fact, that some of our best educated men, our deepest thinkers, have to fight against impressions which they received perhaps from some ignorant nurse during childhood. It is through the senses the young soul receives its first impressions and nourishment for the growth of the mind. Aa the nature and quality of the child's first bodily nourishment is of the greatest importance, to build up the material frame, and give it the right foundation for a strong and healthy body, endowed with vitality and power to n-.Mst and overcome privations and sickness in future years so is the child's first soul-nourishment of equal importance. The development of the soul depends in a great measure not only upon the full development of the limbs, the senses, and the organs, but upon the means by which they are developed. And there is no doubt in the minds of all those who have studied Froebel's works, his life, and his system of nourishing, as we might call it, the human bring, to help it attain the full statnrr of health, activity and happiness, that we were destined to enjoy, 94 NATIONAL KINDERGARTEN MANUAL. but that he has gone deeper into the science of education than any other man. The first grade of kindergarten in the family consists in play tending to exercise the muscles and limbs of the body and awaken a taste and ear for music. 2d. Stories mostly fables. 3d. Musical stories, similar to those of the five fingers, and others. 4th, Learning to count up to ten (or more) by means of the fingers. 5th. Education by means of pictures. 6th. Education by means of colored balls. 7th. By means of plays set to music, for exercising the muscles. 8th. Instruction and amusement with the second gift: the wooden ball, cube and cylinder. 9th. Building with the third gift of eight cubes. 10th. Building with the fourth gift of eight oblongs. llth. Laying forms with little sticks. 12th. Playing in sand. 13th. Stringing beads. 14th. Arranging little shells, 15th. Cultivation of a little garden. 16th. Modeling in clay. My course of Lectures to Mothers will consist in ex- plaining the philosophical and practical reasons upon which Froebel's method of infant-training is based. In his course of lessons to mothers and nurses he has em- bodied the most important ideas of his educational system. It is the starting-point for an education according to na- ture's laws, and shows how all the germs of human en- dowment have to be nurtured and assisted to produce a full and healthy development. LECTURE NO. I. 95 Life is the exertion of power; and all adequate exertion is joy in existence. The child shows this in his expressions of gladness, when he presses his little feet against the mother's hands or against any object that will resist the pressure. This must be encouraged and repeated, or ex- ercises of a similar kind encouraged, in order to strengthen the muscles of the back and legs. But the most import- ant exercises are for the hands, as they are the most im- portant tools of man. The more man is relieved from hand-drudgery in work by the use of machinery, the more the skill of the hand must be developed, that it may be employed in the constantly advancing works of art and industry. The hands of children among the poorer classes are mostly stiff and clumsy, still they must serve to gain daily bread. Without this early exercise the elasticity of the hand is lost in a great measure; the muscles do not gain sufficient flexibility and strength to meet the demands in the higher technics of our day. Sculptors and great performers <>n the piano or violin are well aware of the fad that only by constant practice in early childhood could they have overcome the technical difficulties of their arts. Thru again nothing marks noble freedom more, than the et'ul use of the hands and arms. An unedu- oated 1 :ed body and mind uses the whole arm with awkward elbow often embarrassed by not knowing how to n>e the hand. A teacher of elueution once d to iier satisfaction that people's attention was b.-in^- drawn to the early exercising of the hands and arms: for *he had seen young men trying so hard, while taking : her, to overconi,- the stiffness and awkwardness of these limbs, that she felt the greatest pity for them, owiiiLr to their lack of ease and grace, which ought to be and is the birthright of every human being. Dancing- 96 NATIONAL KINDERGARTEN MANUAL. masters consider the use of the hands and arms as the foremost of all graces in the drawing-room. It will not only save time, but a large amount of tedious drill at a later period, if a certain amount of mechanical skill, flexibility and grace are acquired by means of play in childhood. Froebel's systematic plays not only aim at this physical training, but also at the development of mind and soul, thus preventing idleness and vacancy of mind the worst enemy to morality and childish inno- cence. In Froebel's Song-Book for Mothers is contained the keynote of his method of early training in accordance with the laws of nature. I have translated quite a number of these musical plays, many of which may be found in my " National Kindergarten Songs and Plays," and in my last song-book, "Cheerful Echoes," published by DeWolfe, Fiske & Co. No intelligent mother can fail to recognize their use and value in not only giving delight to the child, but also contributing to his growth, bodily, mentally and spiritually, and that without any more outlay of time or effort than is generally given by mother or nurse to attend to the child. The difference being that the play is not simply for the purpose of pleasing the child, or to stop his fretting, but with the aim of making him more healthy and strong, more intelligent, more affectionate, and as a natural result more happy. And here I would speak of the excuse many mothers bring forward : that they have no time to make use of Froebel's system of infant-training.* If they will only take the trouble to find out what it is, they will find that they will have more time than before. For the child being * Take the twilight, dear mother, when you can no longer see to run the machine or embroider on the garments, which, if made plainly, would save you so much worry and time, while they would be no less comfortable. ro. i. 97 amused a short time each clay with these musical plays and exercises t'ur his limbs, will soon learn to amuse him- self without any assistance, by repeating and amusing himself in the manner shown him. His self-activity is aroused by these songs and plays, and he cannot help In- ing more uniformly happy, more contented and depend- ing on himself for play and occupation. How FROEBEL WOULD HAVE THE SOFT COLORED BALL INTRODUCED TO THE BABY. Harry has awakened from his sleep. After his usual morning-bath, he always has a most refreshing nap. While he was asleep, mamma has been busy making the first toy fur her darling. She took some cotton wool and wound some red worsted over it, to form into a ball, which the smallest hand can hold. With a tapestry needle she buttonhole stitched round after round with the same worsted, until it was entirely covered, and then finished it by braiding three double strands of worsted into a string for the ball. Now she hears the cooing noise of her little son, just three months old. She steals softly towards the crib, where she sees him in vain trying to lift his head from the pillow. As mamma approaches, he seems to hold his little arms towards her. She wishes to have a little talk and caressing with her pet, before showing him his new toy ; but Harry's bright eyes have already espied the bright oltjeet in mamma's hand. What have I here for my dear boy? What is it? Touch it. How soft it is ! how pretty ! " A sweet smile illumines his face, as mamma takes the string of the ball and swings it slowly to and fro, singing: -Tic tac, tic tac." 98 NATIONAL KINDERGARTEN MANUAL. As yet he is unable to hold it, but he follows every move- ment with lively interest. Soon she changes the "tic tac," to a little more vigorous movement, and sings : " Ding dong, ding dong," or the direction of the ball is changed, and she says : " Here there, here there," or, " Coming, going," or, " Forward, backward, The little ball comes, it goes." Although Harry does not know the meaning of these words, he is pleased with the different sounds, and more especially with the various movements. But mother has some work to do, which calls her away to another part of the room, and so, after she has supplied all his physical wants, she raises the pillows somewhat, in order to place the baby's body in a recumbent position, then places the ball-box upon the bed-spread before the child, and makes a swing for the little ball upon the lid of the wooden box in which the balls are kept, by putting the two round sticks, which came in the box, in the holes made for this purpose, and the square bar across the top to which the bull is tied. She sets the ball in motion and hastens back to her work, leaving Harry to his ; for soon he is very busy trying to touch the ball. In this he succeeds after a while, which keeps the ball in motion. Care must be taken not to allow the child to become impatient with the ball which is suspended before his eyes. For as soon as his attention has become fixed by the ball, he will experience a vague desire to touch it. This desire will be expressed by struggling exertions of the entire muscular system, culmi- nating, if not gratified, in impatient cries. The mother or nurse must always be near enough to prevent this ; she will set the ball in motion, and see to it that the child can LECTURE NO. I. 99 grasp it before his impatience is provoked. Again, when she sees that the child is tired, she will remove the ball not suddenly, but gently, and with the full consent of the child. The little finger-play which I now give is used for each hand in turn. FINGEU-PLAY. (For strengthening the hands, each finger is gently moved back and forth only so long as the child likes it.) This is the mamma kind and dear, This is the papa standing near, This is your uncle (or brother), see how tall, And this is your sister (auntie) with her ball, This is the haby, sweet and small, Tln-.se the family we'll call.* With the last line of the song the little hands either pat together or on mother's hand. Froebel with this little play, besides giving the desired exercise, desired to strengthen the family tie. In many other plays, even with the older children, the mother <>r nurse should have this end in view. The culti- vai ifii of the home affections in every case will add much to human comfort and happiness. ARM AND WRIST EXERCISE. (The hand is gently moved back and forth from the wrisi. ) 1. Like the weathervane is going, \Vlirn the stormy winds are blowing, Thus my little child shall learn All in play to twist and turn. Music in " National Kindergarten Songs and Plays." 100 NATIONAL KINDERGARTEN MANUAL. The other hand : 2. Like the little bird is flying, Thus my little pet is trying With her (his) little hands to learn. All in play to twist and turn.* (In the kindergarten the children move both hands at once.) EDUCATIONAL RULES, With remarks based upon practical experience and the highest medical and educational authority. RULE 1. Be careful what habits a child acquires dur- ing the first month of his life. Do not rock or walk him to sleep, unless you wish to do it for years to come. Nurses who have the care of the infant during the first month of his life are reponsible for a great deal of trouble to parent and child. Frequently they prefer holding the child, even when he is sound asleep, rather than sew or do any other work. When she leaves, the baby has ac- quired the habit of being held rather than to lie on the bed. RULE 2. As much as possible, have regular hours for the child's sleep, as well as his play (with the mother or nurse) and his meals. RULE 3. Avoid all loud talking and inharmonious noises in the presence of a little child ; even bunches of keys or rattles should rather be exchanged for sweet tunes or musical instruments. Any of the sounds of nature are best for the child. Jenny Lind says her talent began to develop at the age of four, when she used to go into the garden, and not only listened, but imitated the songs of birds, or even the bee and the fly. Music in "Cheerful Echoes." LECTURE NO. II. 101 RULE 4. Do not dilly-dally with baby while washing him. If he cries, do not stop in your work, but finish as gently and speedily as possible, then pet as much as you please afterwards. Of course his wants should have all been supplied before beginning the process. Also, it is not necessary to strip the child entirely in the beginning, especially if the room is not warm ; wash face and neck first, dress the upper part, then proceed. HYGIENIC RULES. 1. When washing the child, wash the eyes first of all, so that no impurity from the body can enter into them. 2. When washing, be careful to have the child's head away from the fire, the feet towards the fire. 3. Carefully protect from draught during the process. 4. The first three months of the child's life, especially during the cold weather, let the child sleep with the mother warmth then is more important than pure air. If the child frets, feel his feet to see that they are warm. LECTURE No. II. M\n iivAL INSTINCTS NEED THE GUIDANCE OF WISDOM. HOW TO MAKE CHILDREN CONSIDERATE FOR OTHERS. I WILL now continue to lay before you some more of Frneliel's fundamental thoughts on Child Education, as they have been interpreted by Mrs. Lina Morgenstern of Berlin, the liaroin-ss Marenlml/, ( who lias done more to :ninate Froebel's kindergarten system of education 102 THE NATIONAL KINDERGARTEN MANUAL. in Europe than any other person), Miss Peabody, Mr. W. N. Hailmami and other educators, including myself. Infant training has, until now, been less thought of or cultivated than school education, and the civilization of the present century, so much praised, has not yet paid that attention to the subject which it merits, if it would faithfully fulfil its duties to the rising generation. The result of this indifference we see all around us, by observ- ing the thin, pale faces of our young people, many of whom seemed healthy, rosy children in infancy ; the premature oldness of children ; their emaciated limbs ; the sudden breaking down of the health of young women; the indifference and alienation of members of the family, yes, even between parents and children ; the aversion of many women to raise children on account of their being so expensive and troublesome, forever wanting to know what can I do? which question the mother is often unable or unwilling to answer in a satisfactory manner. Almost all young, fond mothers think that their child, resting so softly imbedded in their love, is not to be pitied ; there is nothing to be feared for it, and that with every rough air, all moral evil is likewise excluded; and yet how much sorrow results from that too great tenderness in mothers ; it lacks wisdom and enervates body and soul. Maternal instincts and affections have been generally considered as sufficient to insure the safety and perfect development of the child, and it is of priceless value. But when we be- hold the many troubles and vexations of life, beginning even with small children in their inharmonious intercourse with each other, and the wrong direction taken by their inborn activity and play, we feel the necessity for the torch of science to illumine our nurseries. There is now no longer the excuse to be brought for- LECTURE NO. II. 103 ward, that there is no light on that particular subject, ex- cept that of the human instinct, inferior though it is to that of most animals, on account of our having been endowed with royal reason. But we do have light now, and sufficient to make life far more of a boon than it has been to us, and all we have to do is to open our hearts to it and allow our- selves to be guided by it. How often have we seen a lifetime wasted a thorn in the flesh, marring every enjoyment, reducing the amount of happiness to one-half of what it was intended to be, and all through the deplorable ignor- ance of the mother or nurse. An immeasurable amount of misery and suffering to parents and children will be prevented if our young ladies would give more of the time devoted to some less useful science or accomplish- ment, to the study of physiolog} 7 and a thorough study of the nature and wants of the human being as elucidated by Frederick Froebel. No educational institution for young ladies should be without a department devoted to the science of bringing up children. Many valuable books have been written on education, but no one has done so much to study out the threefold nature of the child, and find out the right means of nourishing and developing his physical, intellectual and spiritual nature as the originator of the kindergarten, or, as he calls himself, the "discoverer of nature's method of education." I feel personally a deep sense of gratitude to this profound thinker and student of the human soul, who devoted his life to serve his Master by serving humanity. One of the objections raised against Froebel's system of infant training, beginning as it does with the child three months old. is that there is such a thing as beginning too earh , and that it is wrong to interfere with his innocent liarmlessness; and some parents perhaps ridicule the idea 104 NATIONAL KINDERGARTEN MANUAL. of introducing the colored balls to the child's perception at that tender age, with a view to educating him. Let us try to find a good reason for Froebel's doing so, and see if we cannot remove the objection of the kind parent. When we come to consider what has been the popular, we might say universal interpretation and naming of the word education, these objections are not so much to be wondered at. Many people think that education means the conning of printed lessons, in order to exercise the memory and intellectual faculties of children that it naturally includes the occupations which necessarily ob- lige the child to continue in certain constrained positions for a certain number of hours per day : the constant admonishing from teachers and parents, chiding or dictat- ing how the child shall deport himself, walk or dance, so as to gain the approval of admiring friends. While in reality education means a harmonious and natural develop- ment and careful training of every endowment of the human being, physically just as much as intellectually and spiritually, to prepare and fit the child to enter into the strife and battle of life with a full and elevated compre- hension of the laws of his own being, of the position he occupies in the world, and his relation to it, with an en- lightened view and honest conviction of the right and healthful means for him to adopt in order to attain his destined work and mission on earth. We will now show how the following song for the ex- ercising of the arms is to be introduced to the larger children : Perhaps the baby has just been fed with milk, or the children are eating lunch. Mamma says, " How Harry enjoys his nice supper of bread and milk ! Do you know how we get the sweet milk ? " LE( TIKI: NO. n. 105 'O yes, the milkman brought it, and papa pays the milkman for it." 'But where does the milkman get it?" k - From the good mooley cow! Sure enough, but he has not time to milk the cow himself, so he lets Peter milk her. And Mooley, how does she get her supper? She does not like milk, she loves the nice sweet grass and hay. BO Peter, who heard Mooley say, 'Moo, moo, moo, it is time for me to have my supper, too ! ' takes the sharp sickle and goes with it to the meadow, there to cut down seme grass for the good cow. How came the grass there, can Peter make one blade of grass? No, not one. God made it grow. But Peter can cut it down, and as he cuts down a good deal at the time, the good horse is taken to the meadow with the hay wagon to help draw Mooley's supper to the barn. Now we will play that we were cutting down some of the nice grass ourselves, and sing a sweet song for the baby. SONG FOR EXERCISING THE SPINE AND ARMS. 16 young child sits and sways back and forth; the older ones stand liiiuly while swinging in time with the s..ng.) MOWING SONG. * " Peter, to the meadow go, And the grass so quickly mow, Bring it home to mooley cow, For she wants her supner now, Peter, do not be so late, Do not make my l>al>y wait For his food, from mooley cow. For !. nts liis siij.{H'r now," etc. What applies to the intmduetion to the child of this * Mtuic in "National Kin.: M^B and Play , *> UNIVERSITY 106 NATIONAL KINDERGARTEN MANUAL. song applies to every other, for it is a foolish practice to let a child babble after us what has not previously been thoroughly explained to him, and will not therefore exer- cise his reflective powers in the least. CONTINUATION OF THE BALL PLAY, The infant is to be amused with the red ball from day to day until all the various exercises have been gone through with, or the child shows less interest in its appearance, when the blue one should be substituted. To-day mamma brings the little playmate for baby, she lifts it up higher in the air and sings : "Up, up, up down, down, down" or "higher up lower down ! " always suiting the key of the voice to the action. When she changes the movement she sings : "Nearer, nearer farther, farther " or "the little ball on mamma's lap r>a!iip's hopping, tip, tap, tap, Tip, tap, tap, tip, tap, tap. She lets it hop higher and pretty soon sings another song: II>p. hop. hop on high, Lik- a bird you seem to fly. Jli-hcr, higher! higher, SO, See our little bailie go. 112 NATIONAL KINDERGARTEN MANUAL. The ball spins around upon the table : See it going round so pretty Like a cunning little kitty ; Spin around yourself my ball, I'll take care you do not fall. Draw it, draw it ! come along While we sing a pretty song. Here it is, now you may have it Clean it is, and pretty too, It has come to play with you. SONG OF THE CLOCK. Come and see, come and see, How goes the clock so merrily ; The pendulum goes to and fro, And never from its course does go. Swings forward first, and then swings back, Always tic, and always tac, Tic-tac, tic-tac, tic-tac. Clock, in thee I must believe, Therf ore you should ne'er deceive ; Tell me the time to work and eat, For walking and for slumber sweet. Forward swings the weight, and back, Always tic and always tac. Tic-tac, tic-tac, tic-tac, tic-tac. The ball hopping from the table into the box and out ; Catch it, hold it, there it is ! Gone again, now how is this? Down it dives, and now 'tis trying, Like a birdie, it would be flying ; Now it rolls away from here, But we'll pull it back, my dear. I.KCTURE NO. III. 113 The bull is swung in a larger circle, then a smaller one: Ball, we hold you by the string, Soon around yourself you'll swing, Always larger, always larger, Always smaller, always smaller. After a while, mamma sings again : Over here, over there, see our little bally swings, While mamma happily to her little baby sings. It did'nt go over, it's gone in there, We cannot find it anywhere. Harry looks sad, but mother lets baby peep into the and he laughs to see it come out again to continue still longer to be his little playfellow ; and now he shall play alone. Mother seats the baby upon the bed on some old shawl with pillows behind him, and baby's hands are getting ready to take the ball. She first withdraws it several times and sings : Take the ball so soft and bright, 1'iaby's hand can hold it tight, When, finally, the ball is to be put away: \v the ball must have some rest ; I)np it, in its little nest. bye. When the baity i> t'n-iful, nurse's fingers drum against tin- windiiw nr .ii tin- talih-. and she sings: 1. Five fanners are coming in full gallop, 1 hear them coming, hop, hop, hop; Whom do you want to see in here? We want to see your baby dear. ( Mi ! my good farmers, hear her cry, To pleas* DO uy may be sitting on your lap, with one arm free, which can be moved by mamma, pendulum-fashion, alternating the right and left arm ; and if the child is old enough to stand, both arms may do the motion, then al- ternately the legs may go through the exercise. In the kindergarten the children each have a ball of a color of their own selection, about which each one has told a little rhyme; they stand with heels together, up straight, and the ball representing the pendulum swings first forward and back, the second time from right to left, to the "Song of the Clock":* ' I Jell, high on the steeple, Culls to church the people : Bim, bom, him, bom, Bim, bom, bell." EDUCATIONAL RULES. 18. ('oiitrol your fears in the presence of a child. Give always the example of faith in God's protecting care. During a thunder-storm improve the opportunity of calling the child's admiration for the lightning, while quietly taking every precaution against danger. 14. Do not lead a child into temptation. If there is anything lie particularly wants, keep it out of sight. Do not expect from a child what an adult can hardly do in the matter of self-control or self-denial. 1"). Have a soft couch in the nursery for discipline. If baby is tired, we tell him he will feel all right after lying there a while. !'.. Let children thank servants for services done. * Also see " Hells on the Steeple " and " The < 'lumen," in " Cheerful Echoes." 126 NATIONAL KINDERGARTEN MANUAL. HYGIENE. 13. Hold baby in an upward position after he has been fed, even if he is asleep. Let the little head rest on your shoulder, and after a few minutes, you will hear the air come up, which he drew in with the spoon or bottle. He will rest much better and longer than if he is laid down immediately after eating. 14. Use burned linen rags and scorched flour, to put on bab}^'s sores, in place of powder. 15. Do not ride the baby backwards ; and guard the child's eyes from the sun. Never have attractive things placed in a such a position, near the cradle, that it will re- quire an effort for him to look at them. They want to l>e placed so that the eye can reach them easily and naturally. 16. Follow nature as much as possible in the care of children. Every hour a child sleeps is so much capital for him to draw on in future days. The room should be quiet and dark. Do not even wake the baby to administer medi- cines, but state the irregularities to the doctor when he comes. Keep visitors away from the sleeping child. LECTURE No. V. DELIVERED BY WILLIAM WALKER, ESQ., TO KINDER- GARTEN NORMAL CLASS, MANCHESTER, ENGLAND. Nursery influence, the subject on which I am to address you, affords matter rather for half a dozen lectures, than for half-an-hour's address. To make the subject tangible, we will look rapidly at LECTURE NO. V. 127 The place occupied, - - Nursery. 44 occupants, ----- Children. 44 managers, ----- Mothers and Fathers. 44 consequent issues, - - The Lives. But we will take the occupants first. The occupants are given of God, or rather lent for training, and are to go back to God, at once the most helpless, yet most solemn and interesting of creatures. I watch the lambs of the field, that have seen daylight only a few hours, gamboling and jumping together with the delight of life, and following inevitably the instincts of their nature. But with the human lamb put into our charge, how long it does, or at least ought, to eat and sleep, before the organs by which it is to gain knowledge of the outer world develop, and then how gradually ! Take even one organ, the eye at first it sees things indistinctly, as they appear, and not as they are, for instance, without any idea of space, and it is only by a slow process that a true knowledge of surroundings is gained. This is not the place or time to speak of the house the body in which dwells this immortal germ which has to be devel- oped. Though it is so important, we have not time. Suf- fice to sav. that, if from personal experience we reflect on the delicate and subtle connection and sympathy be- tween mind and body, we shall see how fearfully and wonderfully we are made. If the house in which the soul lias to live, is uncomfortable, the tenant will not be happy, or thrive well : and many a soul is injured or ruined in the nursery. Children should be laughing and playing, or eating plain i'ood, and sleeping. Plaii is the A//.V////-.VX of a r/tild. You cannot think how much it exercises itself and teaches itself in play, it' it be really proper play. 128 NATIONAL KINDERGARTEN MANUAL. And now a word about the nursery. The fashion of modern life is very tyrannical and touches even the nur- sery. Whilst in very many cases the drawing-room, din- ing-room, and other rooms in the house are fitted with rarest appointments, how seldom do we find the furniture and appointments of the nursery bearing any resemblance to these as regards fitness ; and yet, if we could ask some high intelligence, who sees the end from the beginning, which is the most important room in the family house, we imagine it would not be the drawing room or the break- fast-room, or the library, but the nursery, where dwell the little immortals. What, then, should the nursery be ? The nursery should be the roomiest, cheeriest, airiest and most comfortable room in the house. Because the walls, the furniture, the very carpet, will influence the child, these should be wisely suited ; but I very much doubt whether we could find an upholsterer in this great city who has ready for immediate use an entire suite of nursery fur- niture. What ought we, then, to expect to find in a well adapted nursery, where there is a family of three or four children ? Besides a hundred and one things, there would be the nursing-chair easy, without arms; small seats, various; low tables, and no sharp angles to anything, but rounded; always a large but not soft crib in a quiet corner, for dis- cipline ; thus, where there is society there must be law, and where there is law there must be punishment. But here arises one of the greatest difficulties of a wise govern- ment, whether national or nursery. Let us see how the Great Father does. Take the case of one of his favorite servants and children, as recorded in the Old Book. The man was very angry ; things had not gone as he wanted ; he was impatient and asked that he might die. The Lord LKCTTKK NO. V. 129 did not scold him, but got him into the wilderness, and lie slept under ti juniper-tree the stillness might soothe him ; he awoke, but the Lord did not scold him. There was food, and he ate; then, even, the Lord did not scold; but he slept, and ate again. A tornado of wind is de- scribed, l)ii t he did not see God in it. An earthquake fol- lowed, but he was not conscious of God in it ; nor in the fire which followed that; but it was the still small voice which touched his heart, and made him wrap his face in his mantle. Now, in many cases it is unwise to scold a child or punish it directly, especially when, as for aught we know was the case with Elijah, this naughtiness might arise, perhaps, from a disordreed stomach, or something of thai sort. We will suppose a little one is naughty. Don't say so, but " Baby is not very well ; baby must lie down." Lay it down on a nice, airy mattress, throw the neat cov- erlet over it. Sleep, in such a case, is the best physic. One of the great features of the kindergarten system is the way in which useful information is given, without un- due excitement of the brain in fact, in the philosophy of the toy* or, as they are called, " gifts." I use the WOK! k - philosophy M alas ! we want more of it now-a-days than we practice in furnishing the nursery. There was more philosophy in our grandmothers, when, instead of merely going to the shop and buying for much money the richly-bedecked and unsuitable doll, there was the search into the mysterious and wonderfully interesting "rag-ba^-." where was to be found, for the first doll at least, a very selection of all kinds of prints, muslins, silks, ilan- nels, piping, gimp, trimmings, etc., "all to be obtained at under coxt ]>r'; .'* And then the fun (really the lesson) in planning, cutting, fitting, and in making real clothes for the doll, instead of learning to sew, and pricking the fin- 130 NATIONAL KINDERGARTEN MANUAL. gers in having to hem a duster. Toys should be such as will have a useful tendency not merely to amuse (except in case of babies), but as constructive toys. Take one ex- ample, the beveled brick. With a box of these bricks a child would at once understand the principle of an arch, of which it may be said that the world rolled round for 4,000 years ere it was discovered or turned to practical account. Except in the early stages of childhood, toys should be as far as possible constructive, so as to lead to an acquaint- ance with fundamental shapes, sections of cubes, pyramids, cones, etc. The walls of the nursery may be made to the child of greater value than the walls of the drawing-room to its parents, though covered with its .1000 worth of draw- ings. Let the coloring be quiet and agreeable in tone. An annual wash of color with lime in it will be all the better for health. Let there be rails on which to pin or from which to suspend, suitable drawings. Picture are the books of a young child. What a library is to up-grown persons, pictures are to children, the only book, in fact, which they can read. It is a solemn truth that character is much affected by the kind of literature the mind takes in, so is the tender child's mind influenced through life by the nursery pictures. What should they be these pic- tures which will so powerfully tell on the characters of our little ones? For, as Tupper says, . . . . " Scratch but the sapling, And the scarred and crooked oak may tell of thee for centuries to come." With all our wealth, with all our appliances, and though we are gorged with books, I am not sure that we have anything like a complete and suitable set of pictures for our nursery walls. The toys or " gifts " are excellent. LECTURE NO. V. 131 What should these pictures be, then ? No hobgoblins no pictures thai will excite the brain, and interfere with sleep, food or laughter. If the food children take into their bodies be important, how jealously should the mother mind the pictures which they drink into their very natures ! Diagrams of mechanical powers, wheels, etc., diagrams of laws of matter and motion, pictures (well and specially drawn) of all kinds of objects, animals, birds, etc., and these occasionally changed. If there were time, a com- plete microcosm of illustrations could be named. The "blackboard" is one of the most instructive appliances that a nursery can have ; but my position as a teacher and an artist forbids me to speak about it. So much for the nursery. But it may be said by some that I am speaking quite above the mark, and that few would like to go to the expense of furnishing a nursery after such a fashion; in fact they could not afford such luxuries. We have not spoken of luxuries, but plain, useful appliances wherewith 1.. make the child's home the happiest place on earth. We read in natural history of a bird, which, to make her nur- se iv warm, strips the down from her own breast. The price of a cashmere shawl would well-nigh furnish the nursery, and the cost of an evening party would fill it with pictures. We ( .me now to a delicate and dillienlt part of our sub- ject,! * ne ma- n ttgers, the nurses. We mav say things that will wound: we shall endeavor to say the truth in love. Now to whom are the children given? To the mothers. Tin-it t/u' mothers ///v /vx/><>/, >/'/,/,. Let us look at them, and in doing so we will not be personal, except in one case. The highest person in the realm, our beloved Queen, lias been and is a domestic queen, and has spent much of her time in the nursery. We will consider not only the upper 132 THE NATIONAL KINDERGARTEN MANUAL. ten thousand, but the lower twenty millions. If we were to let slip and say that the greater half of the lower twenty millions treated their children worse than a man treats his dog or his horse, or than a bear treats her cubs, we should be considered very rude indeed, and guilty of using "unparliamentary language." And yet there are one or two lessons to note, that the puppy or the kitten learn from their mother. Obedience, the first, last, and constant lesson of life is insisted on by Tabby or Juno in the management of their young. Do we always insist on, and obtain obedience from the little ones? not the obedience of necessity assisted by a box on the ear, but of love. If so, then are our little ones blessed indeed. But the mothers these human mothers, let us consider them : they have the charge of immortals, not kittens or dolls. What preparation have they had for this kind of life ? Where were they schooled ? What have they read ? In what school or nursery have they studied ? These are inconvenient questions, no doubt, but they ought to be put, and answered too. It is said, and I think quite truly, that true education is that which best fits a man for the after-duties of life. And we ask again, where has the training been? It maybe replied, that the demands of society upon our time are such that nursery claims and duties must be deputed to others. Never. Nursery work may, but never nursery claims and responsibilities. I wonder how much time for making calls, taking jour- neys, etc., the birds have when bringing up their warbling families. It is true, some are fond of travel, the swallow to wit; but I think they wait till their little ones are grown, and take them with them ; and though, for aught I LECTURE NO. V. 133 know, they may do a good deal of visiting and gossip during the season, in Italy or on the coast of Africa, they come back again and settle down to serious work. This illustration suggests to one a small double-rule-of-three sum. which might be put thus : If two sparrows, which are sold for one farthing, take such care of their young, how much more care should human mothers take of their little ones, whose value is beyond all calculation ? After all, the mother must have what are appropriately called " helps," or commonly nurses ; and here again we are on delicate and difficult ground. Who are these nurses, or really for the time these deputy mothers? and what are their requirements, their aequiremets, and qual- ifications? They must be full of goodness and truth, of great common, sense or wisdom, of great tact or ready sense, intelligent, having no end of patience, and the love '/l/t/ost of a mother. The great social changes that must obtain in this, or any other country, before there can be any great improvement, as a nation, must be in the parents on the one hand, and the nurses, governesses, and teachers, on the other. The true, real nurses have to be made trained. Nurses for sick people are trained in a regular training institution. Where is the institution for training nurses for the children of our gentlefolk? I am not here merely to advocate the kindergarten system, but let me say, that where there is in the midst of a poor population a well- conducted kindergarten-school, the po.r man's child has a wiser, more scieniilie, more natural and happy, and more useful nursery than is to be found in many a rich man's hon>e. And I oonfew that, were I in that period of life when the mother of my children required the assistance of a nurse, or, more properly, a nursery governess (for the 134 NATIONAL KINDERGARTEN MANUAL. nurse ought to govern), I fear, I should be so selfish as to go in the direction of the poor man's kindergarten-school, and steal one of his governesses ; for there we might find young girls who had been taught and trained in those common-sense subjects, and those wise and patient modes of dealing with children, the want of which has been a perpetual loss to those we most love. But not only should there be training schools for nur- sery governesses, but such an amount of pecuniary remu- neration should be offered as will command a better class of girls ; for, whilst warehouses and shops can offer high wages and more liberty, we can only have the residuum of young females from which to select those who join in sowing seeds and what seeds ! seeds which are to de- velop a harvest of good or bitter fruit in the hearts and lives of our children. So long as we pay our nurses and governesses as little or less than we pay our cooks, or the coachmen who cares for our horses, or the gardener who supplies our table with flowers, how can we reasonably expect to meet with persons, fit and capable, to tend those nobler and more precious plants which are growing up around our hearths ? This is then what is wanted, that mothers shall take a higher view of their work and their helpers ; arid that nurses shall be selected, educated, and raised to a higher sense of their work, and be better paid, and thus take their proper arid legitimate status as the deputy mother. So far as mere rank true rank goes, as viewed from the throne of truth, it is not the doctor, nor the lawyer, nor the soldier, nor the cotton broker, that stands first. There is one that stands pre-eminently high in the LECTURE NO. V. 135 nation the mother, and, by her side, the nurse and gov- erness and teacher.* HYGIENE. 17. A child should be carried in turns on the right and on the left arm; and, when he makes his first steps, he must be held by both the right and left hand alter- nately. If he is restless, it is sometimes quite a rest to the little child to be turned over on the other side. 18. Never tickle. It is dangerous, and reduces vitality. AMY unnatural emotion must be avoided. The more quiet and free from excitement a little child is kept, the better for the child's health and strength and mental vigor. 19. Boil the child's drinking-water if there is much sickness around. It kills all the animalculae contained in it. For headache or indigestion, drink hot water, half a pint, if possible. Leave off coffee or tea if the headache is chronic. 20. Give children oranges before breakfast in the springtime ; it is better than sulphur doses or any spring medicines. EDUCATIONAL RULES. 17. Do not allow any frightful illustrations in your child's nursery books. Never use fear as a means of dis- cipline. Children have no fear until it is aroused by others. 18. Hi- I'M iv punishing, lind out if some physical trouble is the cause of bad behavior. Do not punish in anger. Hi. Do not allow the child at one time what you for- In prop.irini: my rourx> of I.rrtun-* to mothers, I look p.uns.aa I mentioned before, to lay t.. f..r<- my <-!;ISH-H the most advanced thought on the subject of child-culture, an eliminated by l-'ri.-d. Krocbel and his disciples. 136 NATIONAL KINDERGARTEN MANUAL. bade him to do at another time. An obstinate, wilful child should be commanded and forbidden less than one more yielding. It is not wise to arouse obstinacy. 20. Do not ask any little child to do what you know will be disagreeable for him to perform, and only serves to please yourself, such as reciting before company or saying things which are polite but untrue. LECTURE No. VI. EPOCHS IN CHILD-LIFE WHICH EXEBT A POWERFUL IN- FLUENCE UPON CHARACTER AND DISPOSITION.* THERE are, in the life of individuals, as well as in the life of nations, epochs which exercise a powerful influence over their character and disposition; something similar takes place in the life of children, and Froebel points out to mothers, that, by taking advantage of certain incidents in the child's life, the right educational influence may be exerted. The less the child's consciousness is developed, the stronger will be the moral effect of those incidents that seem to us so trivial and of such small account. If the importance of such events were rightly estimated, and the impressions made by them were not too quickly effaced, and thus the true effect disturbed, the whole moral devel- opment would rest on a more firm foundation. Every- thing, even the smallest incident in the life of the infant, is of importance, because it is the beginning of all that is to follow. For instance, Froebel considers the child's first fall as one of the most important events in his early devel- * See Kricge's "The Child," or Barnard's "Child Culture." Also Hailmann's " Kindergarten Culture." LECTURE NO. VI. 137 opment, the effect of wliich should not be disturbed. The child's courage in running proceeds from ignorance of danger ; it is like virtues that have been neither tried nor tempted. The child falls, and its security born of igno- rance is at once shaken. Friends who rush to the rescue, lamenting over and petting are unwise: even if he should get hurt a little and scream in consequence, he should be left to himself long enough to receive a full impression from his first fright or hurt. Then caution awakens, self- confidence is no longer blind, and the necessity for caution and for gaining skill is learned by degrees. The following little song explains itself; the words and melody are taken from Lady Baker's plays and songs : " Toddle up, toddle down, oh, there he goes ! Down on his fat knees, down on his nose. Up then my baby, try it again ; Toddle on, baby, try it again. Toddle, toddle, toddle, toddle, toddle on, Up then, my baby, try it again. "Oh dear, did it hurt, where my little dear frll? Mamma shall kiss it and soon make it well. ht can we do, if we don't try it again. l*p then, my baby, try it again. Toddle, toddle, toddle, toddle, toddle on, t'i> thru, my baby, and try it again." Nothing renders men more superficial than a quick suc- cession of impressions, of wliich the one effaces the other without leaving any distinct trace on the soul. The piTM-nt generation, especially in high life, furnishes enough proof of this. Fast reading, fast sight-seeing in travelling, the rushing from one enjoyment to the other, even in the higher ones of nature and art, the pressure 138 NATIONAL KINDERGARTEN MANUAL. and hurry of life more than anything else, make great numbers in our day superficial, empty, and wholly devoid of the spirit of normal spirituality, solid thought, poetry, or receptivity of great truths. As clearly as we recognize natural laws, we may see that neglect of or want of conformity to them is outward- ly and visibly expressed in physical disease and suffering. In the moral world the violation of moral law is expressed inwardly by the voice of conscience, and its outward man- ifestation we call sin. The importance of the first plays of children has not yet been sufficiently recognized ; those who do not understand the soul of the child, or who have forgotten their own childhood, may smile, because we see in those simple plays the germ of the soul-life the seed of spiritual develop- ment. A well-known play, pleasing to the youngest chil- dren, is u Hide and Seek." * The face of the child, or of the older person, is covered with a handkerchief, and when this is withdrawn, the child will manifest the greatest pleas- ure. Froebel says of this play, " Anything which every- where among small children causes a manifestation of joy, must have a deep significance, of that you may be sure." Schiller says, " There is often a deep meaning hidden un- der the play of little children." Let us see how Froebel interprets this one for us. The joy which the child mani- fests on seeing the mother again after separation, proceeds from the deepened impression of union with her, given by means of the contrast. But if the concealment lasts too long, or if the mother fails to show her joy at seeing the child again, it may cause disappointment, and awaken a liking for concealment, which may lead to lying. * See page 58, "Cheerful Echoes." LKCTUKB NO. VI. 139 CUCKOO SONG.* The cuckoo calls the baby, cuckoo, cuckoo ! Calls him in joyous tone, cuckoo, cuckoo ! For all alone, and sad he is, cuckoo, cuckoo ! The cuckoo calls to play with thee, cuckoo, cuckoo ! And now he's found, and we will play Together all this happy day. Who can tell how the first germs of evil in children come, and what was the beginning? The least spark which illuminates the darkness of the first psychological process in the human soul is of importance, and Froebel has certainly looked deep into the soul of the child. Good and bad are closely connected, and as God's providence often turns bad into good, so education should seek to turn the tendency to evil into the channels of good. At the point where the danger of leading the child to secretiveness comes, help should also come. If the mother makes this an occasion for deepening in the child's mind the impres- sion of its unity with her, everything is gained. Outer separation gives the sense of inner connection, the invisi- ble bond. Unity is the ultimate end and aim, and sepa- ration is merely the means to bring it to outer observation and perception. This is Froebel's explanation of the pla}% and it agrees with his law of contrasts, of opposites and their connections, which he applies to the moral plan, as well as in his occupations in the kindergarten. He never leaves ;i discord or contrast until it is resolved into an acennl or unity by connection. The most essential tiling in the child's education is the establishment of full confi- dence in the mother and father, and later in the teacher, so that it may not attempt to hide, in case it should Illustrated in Lee & Shepard'g " Mother Bongs and Play." 140 NATIONAL KINDERGARTEN MANUAL. commit a fault. But this confidence can only be secured by living with the child his own life, by playing with it, by entering sympathetically into all things which move its soul, and in rightly understanding, or rightly guiding, the manifestations of its first development. Has the first fault been committed ? Loving sympathy with the first interior suffering of the child, as with an evil he lias himself brought about, is far more effectual: than the severest blame.* That this blame must sooner or later be expressed, is certain, but it is always better to make the child see the real consequences, the effect of the fault committed. A look, a gesture, be it of gladness or of sorrow, the smallest child will understand. The moment of the first wrong- doing is therefore very important, because it is the point at which conscience awakens. That it may listen to this voice, it is essential that the child should learn to listen to an outer voice, to a call, and pay attention to it, if it is addressed to the child itself. Froebel links this to the play of " Cuckoo, Cuckoo," in which the child, not seeing the mother, hears the voice, and rejoices over it. If a child is taught to listen to and obey the mother's voice, leading to. what is good and right, it will learn to listen to its own inner voice, nor leave it unheeded. * Herbert Spencer's "Education," page 191. Parents cannot too anxiously avail themselves of this discipline of natural consequences. Among the advantages of this method we see First, That it gives that rational comprehension of right and wrong conduct, which results from actual experience of the good and bad consequences caused by them. Second, that the child, suffering nothing more than the painful effects brought upon him by his own wrong actions, must recognize, more or less clearly, the justice of the penalties. Third, that recognizing the justice of the penalties, and receiving those penalties, inflicted by the laws of things, rather than at the hand of an individual, his temper will be less disturbed, while the parent, simply taking care, passively, as it were, that these natural penalties are felt, will preserve a comparative equanimity. Fourth, mutual exasperation being thus in a great measure prevented, a much happier and more influential state of feeling will exist between parent and child, be it during infancy, childhood, or at >i later period. LKCTURE NO. VI. 141 If the mother has secured the child's joyful obedience to her voice because she never commanded what was con- trary to liis highest good, and has studied not to require what would be subversive of the child's personality, then she will easily teach it to love and obey the voice of con- science, God's voice within, that will accompany it through life as a guardian angel ; and she can teach it later, that thus is established and evidenced the relation connecting man with (rod. The same relation which exists between the child and his mother, when he begins to. distinguish ///.s will, his personality, from hers, will afterwards be recog- nized by the child as existing between his individual in- clinations, and the warning voice or judgment of con- science. If there is love, loving obedience and perfect trust, between mother and child, he will have learned to love the good for good's sake, and will obey the inner voice from free choice, from love of God. Man may be- come a morally free agent, or he may be a slave of his own passions, or do the behests of others, from flattery, threats, or promises of gain held out; and, for each of these condi- tions, the foundations are being laid at this early period of life. The character of a man does not depend on the number >f his failures, but upon the manner and condi- tion in which he rises and makes amends for the faults he may have committed. In our time and country, where obedience to the authority of a person is not demanded, it is evidently of the greatest importance that education should aim at developing obedience to law. Parents must early show the child that they themselves, their teachers, and every one, have to obey too, and that they cannot do as they please in violation of law any more than children can. This should be done to awaken the idea of lawfulness 142 NATIONAL KINDERGARTEN" MANUAL. and morality an idea which becomes the governing one when children have outgrown the authority of the parents. All the good and rightful qualities of the child may be- come perverted and turned into faults. Early education has generally to deal first with wilfulness or obstinacy. But without self-will, character could not be developed. To insist on one's own peculiarities, one's own opinion, till overruled by something higher, because on this is based self-responsibility, or that which constitutes man an ac- countable, free-willed being. The child's obstinacy is the reverse of this awakened personality. Obstinacy may be aroused by doing something that the child dislikes, or refusing it something that it wants. If what it desires is legitimate, something that serves for its sustenance or development, then the child is in the right ; but if it is simply unwilling to submit to a reasonable de- mand of its elders, it is wrong, and must not be listened to. If a baby screams in its cradle for want of nourish- ment, or because it requires attention, it should not be left unheeded one moment. If it is neglecfed, the tone of its cry changes into that of anger, and the attendants are to blame ; but if it screams merely because it is in haste to be taken up, it should not always be gratified, lest it become wilful and tyrannical towards attendants. Cer- tainly, it is reasonable that a child should want what is agreeable, and dislike to be left alone and unoccupied, but it must early learn to submit to conditions to miss sometimes for a season what is most agreeable, and submit to what is less pleasant, for the sake of others. This, however, must not be carried too far, nor last too long, and necessary attention must never be withheld. It is difficult to do always the right thing; but love the highest principle allied to wisdom is the safest guide. LECTURE NO. VI. The child should obey from love, which awakens energy for good, not from fear, which makes cowards. From lov- ing obedience springs veneration, which leads to the fear of God. In education, wrong obedience is often mistaken for right obedience, that is, the child's will is broken, in- stead of being turned into the right course, and it is for tliis reason that so few people are free and self-centred, or able to govern themselves (Rule 4). It would not be difficult to secure the child's obedience, if the right means \\.ie adopted. The main point is, to awaken love, and gain the child's confidence, never asking anything beyond his power to perform. In the beginning, it is better to avoid as much as possible requiring what is distasteful, only by degrees demanding what involves self-denial or is unpleasant. The foundations of obedience, as well as of all other virtues, are in the main only good habits acquired then, and afterwards not difficult to retain. Tin. MALI. WITHOUT A STRING, AFTER BABY CAN CREEP. If it rolls away: The ball, if it could talk, Would say, "I love to walk." Come, let us try to follow you, The baby too would like to go. Nurse lets baity take his first steps, holding him care- fully under both arms. The worsted ball can be made to dance around on a sau- cer. If it falls off, baby helps mamma, to pick it up. 'Hie ball is thrown in baby's lap. First he clings to it, then tries to throw it hark, and nurse throws it up and My ball goes up so s And down it comes so fleetly, 144 THE NATIONAL KINDERGARTEN MANUAL. In the air, oh, hurrah ! In the air, oh, hurrah ! Or if other children are present, two balls pass each other in the air: "Now comes the ball to you, and it cornes to me ; to you, to me ; to you, to me. Now comes the ball to me." With older children, the balls can be used also for color-lessons. Some of the same rhymes that were used with the soft ball may be used with the wooden one also. Froebel sug- gests, too, that at this period a larger ball may be suspend- ed by a stout string from the ceiling, in such a way that the little learner may set it in motion, or raise himself by it, and thus gradually learns to stand. He thinks that this mode of learning how to stand calls into more active exercise all the child's muscles, and is superior to the more ordinary way of letting the child draw himself up by chairs and other standing objects. He is less exposed to injury from falls, on account of the greater efforts he is obliged to make to maintain his centre of gravity within proper limits. He also suggests that as an exercise to strengthen the muscles of the body, especially the hips and thighs, to let the child grasp a ball to which a stout string is attached, and let the father or the nurse raise and lower the string, with the child clinging to it, touching the feet to the ground each time it is lowered, and gradu- ally lifting him higher and higher. No better lifting cure could be devised for grown-up people, from which two- fold practical results of great excellence would be the consequence. EDUCATIONAL RULES. 21. Little quarrels among children can quickly be brought to an end, by gathering them around you and LKCTURE NO. VI. 145 telling them a story. Still better if the story shows the ridiculous side of the previous quarrel. Illustrate, by the story of two rats fighting over a piece of cheese, while the louse ate it. '2 Avoid as much as possible praising a child's natu- ral talents in his presence. His good actions may be en- couraged by judicious praise. 23. Do not allow any teasing. What may seem a trifle to you is not so to the child. - \. Strengthen a child's will by giving him opportunity to decide or choose for himself. Some people are forever making up their minds. But whichever way they may make it, they wish they had made it the other, so they un- make ii directly, and by this time the crisis of the first hour which they lost has been complicated with that of the second hour, for which they are in no wise ready. Opportunities, great golden doors which never stay open for any man, have always just closed when they reach the threshold of a deed ; and it is hard, very hard, to see why it would not have been better for them if they had never been born. After all, it is not right to be impatient with them, for, in nine cases out of ten, they are no more re- sponsible for their mental limp than the poor Chinese woman is fur her feeble feet. From their infancy up to the time we call maturity they have been bandaged. How should their muscles be good for anything? From the day when we give and arrange the bahv's plaything for him, to the day when we take it upon ourselves to select a profusion fur him. and persist in doing the work which he should do fur himself, he must continue in a feeble andhelp- ndition of mind and heart. Whenever a child decides fur himself deliberately and without bias from others, any question, however small, lie has had many minutes of men- 146 NATIONAL KINDERGARTEN MANUAL. tal gymnastics; just so much strengthening of the one faculty upon whose health and firmness his success in life will depend more than upon any other thing. So many people do not know the difference between obstinacy and clear-headed firmness of will, that it is hardly safe to say much in praise or blame of either, without expressly stat- ing that you do not mean the other. It has not yet ceased to be said among parents, that it is necessary to break the will of children, and it has not yet ceased to be seen in the land, that men, by virtue of simple obstinacy, are called men of strong character. The truth is, that the stronger, better trained the will of man is, the less obstinate he will be. Will is of reason, obstinacy of temper. What have they in common? It is the one attribute of all we possess, the most God-like. By it we say to our temptation, " So far and no further." It is not enough that we do not break this grand power ; it should be strengthened, developed, and trained. With very little children we need to give but little points to be decided. " Will you have an orange or an apple ? You cannot have both ; choose, but after you have chosen you cannot change." Every day, many times a day, a child should decide for himself points of involving pros and cons substantial ones, too. Let him even decide unwisely and take the consequences; that, too, is good for him. No amount of Blackstone can give such an idea of law as one month in prison. Tell him as much as you please of what you know on both sides, but compel him to decide, and not to be too long about it. " Choose ye this day ^whom ye will serve," is a text good for every morning. If men and women had had such training in their child- hood, we should not see so many putting their hands to LBCTX7BE NO. VII. 147 the plow and looking buck, not fit for the kingdom of heaven.* HYGIENE. -1. Be careful to wash the child's face, and especially his eyes, first of all, for fear of any impurity from the rest of the body getting into the eyes. Better have -a separate sponge or separate; water. The first thing you notice in visiting an orphan asylum or children's home is the red of the poor children. This rule is not observed with them. 22. Do not use pork in your family if you want to keep children from cutaneous diseases. 28. Be careful in the use of saleratus; do not have fresh bread too frequently. The saliva used in eating is a very important aid in digesting food. - \. Do not allow children tea or coffee until they are eighteen years old. Avoid condiments and pickles on your table; they accustom the stomach to artificial stimu- lants. LECTURE No. VII. 1 1 has been shown, thus far, how Froebel, in his nursery plays, combines instruction and amusement, and if the education is carried on in accordance with or upon Froe- bel's principles, discipline can be entirely dispensed with. < iovernment, as generally understood in the educator, is the position he occupies towards the pupil when ho says, "You must do this, or not do that." Good govern- ment, so (ailed, demands unconditional obedience, and en- * H. H., in Bits of Talk," published by Roberto Broa. 148 THE NATIONAL KINDERGARTEN MANUAL. forces it by means of a code of punishments or penalties. As such, it does not lead to freedom. There is, however, a degree of government necessary in education, especially during the first few years of life. The main ohject of government is to guard the child against danger which will grow from his desires. Every thing a child sees cre- ates a want; and, as the number and variety of the objects he sees increase, so will his wants become more numerous, and his desire will grow in proportion to the mariner in which these things meet his observation, or are presented to him. By gratifying a wish, it grows to be a conscious necessity or want ; this finally becomes a habit, which un- der certain circumstances may degenerate into a passion, unless the various wishes are so continually gratified that the will becomes surfeited and blunted. The worst enemies of the moral, legitimate will or de- sire are undoubtedly passion and surfeit of anything, and the task of discipline must be to prevent their appearance, or to counteract them when they exist. There are two directions that the work of the educator must take, the one positive, the other negative, or, in- other words, command- ing and forbidding in denials. There is no doubt that there must be more of the forbidding than of the ordering. Some of the most important measures adopted in the for- bidding, is the removal of the desired object, or of the child from the object ; the command, the request on the parent's part, and the punishment in case of wrong-doing. The first-named begins with the first year of the child's life. As simple as this may appear, it requires neverthe- much caution and judgment to do it rightly. As soon as one observes that the child's attention is directed towards an object which he cannot have under any cir- cumstances, it should be removed in a most quiet and un- LKCTI I:K NO. vil. 140 ostentatious manner ; if not, then the child's want only :> here variety; instead of the simplicity and unvarying uni- formity of the ball, we have in the cube an object which changes with every modification of position and every acceleration of movement. Instead of the ready mov- ableness of the ball, we have in the cube an object which, as it were, embodies the tendency to repose. The cylinder forms the connecting-link between the ball and the cube. Like the ball, it is round, and without corners ; and, like the cube, it has faces and edges. The wooden sphere forms a more or less decided contrast with the soft, elastic ball of the first gift, in its hardness, in the greater smoothness of its surface, in its greater weight, and, consequently, in the greater noise which it occasions on being dropped or rolled on the floor. The last two contrasts seem to give particular pleasure to the child, since they offer him proofs of his increasing strength; and if he delights in beating the floor with the wooden ball, it is less for the love of the noise as such than as an expression and proof of his greater strength and skill. An additional contrast may be introduced, if the child receives two wooden spheres, the one black and the other white. In the kindergarten we give questions to the class as to the difference in the appearance of the three objects. They find out that the sphere presents one unbroken, uni- formly-curved surface, free from edges and corners, which QOVer changes in shape in whatever position it is shown; while the cube presents a variety of aspects, according to its position with reference to the eye. For all these con- trasts tin; cylinder offers t he connection. It presents more 9 than the sphere and less than the cube. One of these faces is curved in one of its dimensions; the others are planes. Its value as a connecting-link becomes particularly evident, when we suspend the cube by a string fixed to the 154 NATIONAL KINDERGARTEN MANUAL. middle of one of its sides ; when it is rapidly revolved, it will present the shape of a cylinder. If, then, the cylinder is similarly spun around while suspended by a string fixed to one of its edges, it will present the shape of a sphere. The mother or nurse, in her plays with the child, must be guided by the same laws and by similar considerations, as in the use of the first gift. Here, too, the child's attention must be thoroughly roused and fixed, and care taken not to weary or surfeit. Each successive play must have connection with preceding ones must grow out of them, as it were. The voice, language and song must be the constant interpreter of whatever is done must furnish clear signs or symbols of the impression; inde- pendent self-activity on the child's part must be more and more encouraged. Of course, the balls in the first gift must riot by any means be thrown aside when the second gift is placed in the hands of the child. On the contrary, he will often delight to use one or more of them in the old plays, to invent new plays with them, or to combine them with the playthings of the second gift. The child must be taught, even at this early age, not to throw old ac- quaintances aside as soon as new ones with other or brighter features are presented. With the sphere we may repeat many of the plays that delighted, instructed, and exercised the child when they were made with the ball. On account of its greater weight and hardness, the sphere will express many things with more clearness; and a new charm is lent to them by tlie noise which the sphere makes in falling, rolling, and striking. There are two plays with the ball which bring out the character of the sphere as the representative of motion and of unchange- ability in its aspects so clearly that they must be spoken of. The sphere is placed near the rim of a plate. If the LKC ITKI-: NO. VII. 155 plate is then inclined slightly in opposite directions, the sphere will revolve rapidly around its own axis and along the rim. In the second of these plays the ball is sus- pended by a double string, and is caused to spin very rapidly on its own axis, by alternately twisting and un- twist ing the string in opposite directions. Both motions should he accompanied by little songs similar to these. On tli plate Hound :md round and round you run, Baby loves to watch the fun ; It matters not how fast I race, / n ///-a//.-? .-ihnir the same round face ; With the string: Watch a:id see how fast I go, First up high, and then down low. Even at this time the child is to be made to feel the consequences of its own actions.* If the ball falls down, the mother holds him down to pick it up with her, or lets him apparently take part. In that way he will gradually learn to distinguish cause from effect. As soon as the child can catch other things within his reach, mamma hands the ball to him shut within her hand, and says: -Docs Charlie want the ball? Where is it? Find it.*' What an exclamation of delight when the tiny little hands at last succeed in opening mamma's hand and getting the ball ! Mthcr helps her child, and, opening her hand, says: " There i The little one, in his turn, will hide it in his hands, for mamma to open them. During this little play, the ball rolls away. Mamma uses this again fora new play, and si: See Educational Rule*, No. 10, 11, 14, 17. 156 NATIONAL KINDERGARTEN MANUAL. The ball, if it could talk Would say, I love to walk, And baby, too, would like to go ; Come, we'll try to follow you. And mamma lets baby take tbe first steps after tbe ball, holding him carefully under both his little arms. When the cube is presented, a little dialogue may ensue : Here, Mr. Cube, roll away, roll away ! With my baby you shall play. " What is the matter? why don't you roll? Oh, I see ! you have some sharp edges, they will not let you roll.*' Baby feels of them. (Child, eighteen months to two years.) He tries to push it See, the cube must like to stand, It does not mind your little hand. Now they push a little harder : Ever on this spot you lie, We shall move you bye and bye. All Froebel's play-materials can be used in a great va- riety of ways, and when certain laws are obeyed in the use of them, far from lessening freedom of action, tbe sphere or range of play and amusement is enlarged. The child, therefore, does not tire very readily, even if these experi- ments and experiences are many times repeated. Lay the cube on baby's hand and say : The cube lies in your hand so still, You may press it, if you will. Or, holding the cube downwards with the baby's hand : To the ground you cannot go, While we hold you tightly so. But, alas, it does fall, and mamma, using every incident for a new play and new instruction, sings: LECTURE NO. VII. 157 hand is yet too small, So the cube must have a fall. These plays can be extended to the infinite, but always the child free and never force it to this or that play. An attentive mother understands the meaning of the child's utterance, and will try to respond to his wishes in the most satisfying manner, ever watchful to lead him on in an instructive and ennobling manner. All close observers will have noticed that every child loves and attempts to grasp more than he is able to. The child will try to hold the two toys, and mamma sings : The cube you cannot hold at all, When in your hand you hold the ball. Or: Where the cube is, you see, The ball cannot be. Or: Some room \ve must make, If the cube \ve will take. Or when lie loses both by not wanting to let go of either: If, holding some, you still want more, You must lose what you had before. Or: When nothing holds the cube or ball, To the floor they both must fall. l>ut we return to our cube, placing it firmly upon the table. Then mamma tries to stand it on one edge, paral- lel to tlu- table-edge : Steady, steady, little man, Stand alone now, if you can ; It does not know which way to go, And totters feebly to and fro. No\v it may be made to stand, by resting it against the box or the wall: 158 THE NATIONAL KINDERGARTEN MANUAL. With my back against the wall, I am safe and shall not fall. Every time it falls the child is so pleased that he will push away the support to make it tumble down again, for he loves life and motion in everything. Or he will bang the table with it, and mamma, getting enough of it, and to separate the child cheerfully from his toys, sings : Bang, bang, what a noise ! You cannot hear your mamma's voice. Baby loves that kind of fun, Not so hard, my little one. Spoiled will our table be ; Give the cube now back to me ; Put it in its little nest, For the cube now wants to rest. This little song is also calculated to call the child's attention to the two different sounds, the banging and the voice. Playful energy and self-reliance, content, joy, as well as observation arid perseverance, are the legitimate results of these occupations ; and although all the good results of this system will not be observable till in later years, this fruit will not be forthcoming where this system has not been used. EDUCATIONAL RULES. 25. Do not induce a child to be self-denying against his inclination, but only from free choice. Otherwise, he will experience a personal loss, and the value of the lesson in benevolence that you wished to inculcate is lost in the sense of deprivation and bereavement which will last for many years. Even when you wish to give away the child's out-grown garments, ask his permission. It costs you nothing, and it gives the pleasure of ownership and generosity to the child. u:crri:i-: NO. vn. 159 26. Always take your child on errands of kind' and let him be the messenger who carries forgiveness to the other children. Do not let children be the messen- gers of threats for punishment to brothers, sisters, or servants. -7. Do not reply in. a hurry, what is untrue. If you cannot answer at the time, fix a time when you will give a definite reply. (See Lecture 8). 28. If a child seems to get discouraged, sympathize with him ; admit that what he is engaged upon is trouble- some, but at the same time hold up, as it were, in conver- sation, some examples where children are worse off, or have to bear things more trying. (See "Bits of Talk," by I lelen Jackson.) HYGIENE. 25. Do not allow errands to be done early in the morning upon an empty stomach. 26. If you have a water-closet in your house, be sure to keep the window open in it all the year round. 27. Remove flowers from your room before retiring for the night, unless you keep your window open. 28. Instead of boiling the milk, when it is to have a constipating effect, use boiled flour, prepared like starch, with a little cream and sti^ar added to it. The flour is tied in a bag, boiled three hours, then cut the wet outside <>ff; i lie inside is hard, Imt will crush up readily if it is lone while hot. It is then sifted and put into glass jars, ready for use. It is prepared 1 like starch; one heaping rt-spoonful makes enough for one meal for a very young child. 160 NATIONAL KINDERGARTEN MANUAL. LECTURE No. VIII. [Given by Mrs. CAROLINE B. WINSLOW, Editor of " The Alpha," Washington, D. C., to Mrs. Pollock's Mothers' Class.] THE essentials of a nursery are pure air, sunshine, and neatness. To secure these the room must be of medium size, with east and south windows, so constructed that air can be easily and frequently changed, without chilling the occupants. Ruskiri says, " All education to beauty is, first, in the beauty of gentle human faces around a child. Secondly, in the fields fields meaning grass, water, birds, beasts, flowers, and sky ; without these no man can be educated humanely. He may be a calculating machine, a walking dictionary, a painter of dead bodies, a twanger and a scratcher of keys or catgut, a discoverer of new forms of worms in mud, but a properly so-called human being never. " Pictures are not needed if the child has other things right around him and given him his garden, his cat, and his window to the sky and stars; in time pictures and flowers, and animals and things, in heavens and heavenly earth may be useful to it, but see first that his realities are heavenly." Cleanliness, plainness, and naturalness, in surroundings, in dress, in diet, and in bed, requiring little labor to keep, and little anxiety to preserve intact, and no unnecessary threatening of the freedom of the child to preserve his surroundings from being marred by hard and constant using, which is a great saving of friction to both child and nurse. The diet of the child should be regulated with the U-:(.d bye ! " " But who is this coming now, Making such a pretty bow ? " -Tall Forefinger is my name," he said. "I saw the sweetest little girl sitting in her mamma's lap. She was tin-d of playing in the sand. Mamma was singing to her 1; k-a-bye, baby. n the tree-top,' etc. [sing it through]. IJaby's eyes kej.t shutting, but she would open them oc- eiisioiially. and had not gone to sleep when I had to go away." *' Look, children dear ! Who's coming here? Tall Middle Finger, how do you do? \V w;tnt to hear something from you; 174 NATIONAL KINDERGARTEN MANUAL. We're glad your pleasant face to greet, What did you see that was lovely and sweet?" " I'll tell you what I saw : sweet baby Amia had gone to sleep ; mamma was going on tip-toe to put her into her snow-white bed ; but I was in such a hurry, I had to hasten away." " Here comes a little fellow, With something bright and yellow Slipped tightly o'er his skin. Oh, now he's coming in, His story to begin ! " " Good evening, dear lady," he said [the ring finger has to keep bowing as best it can]. " I saw a dear little baby asleep, and mamma was kneel- ing by the bed, and I heard her ask God to bless her dear child, and to send his angels to keep her from all evil. Good-bye, little children, my brother is jumping off from his white horse ; he will tell you some more." Mamma is drumming with her fingers, and says: "Who is that little dear, Coming now quite near? He is taking off his hat to you ; He's coming in, how do you do?" " Well, I will tell you what I saw : a dear baby in bed; her cheeks were very rosy, and when I stopped to look at her she smiled. She was dreaming that angels were play- ing with her, throwing golden balls to her, and singing : 1 Now comes the ball to you, And now it comes to me, To you, to me, to you, to me, Now comes the ball to you.' " Just then the supper-bell rang, and they all went in to supper. These same Little Travelers may be made to see various LECTURE NO. IX. 175 things at other times. Sometimes the thumb sees the child plant the seed. Each of the other fingers sees the progress towards the growth of the plant. The Fifth sees the child present the flower or berry to a dear friend. EDUCATIONAL RULES. 33. Even if in circumstances that will permit you to dress your child richly, dress it rather plain, especially at school, so that there will be no unhappy feelings caused to poorer children. If they are to receive company, it is the sign of a good education, if your child, as host, is dressed not so richly as her company. I 1. Conform to the fashion with children so far as it will be conducive to their health and comfort, and be in good taste. For children will feel keenly if they look odd when they go to school. 35. Let children have departments assigned them to fulfil in the machinery of the household, and exchange them for others in alternate weeks or months, if agreeable to the interested parties. 36. Em-oura^e children to carry flowers to the teacher, and to observe the birthday of each member of the family. HYGIENE. 33. As soon as fruit is ripe, procure it for your child- ren; it is better than pies or cake. Ten dollars spent for strawberries may save much suffering and doctors' bills within a year. 34. Do no let children play out after the sun has set. 35 Sore eyes must be washed many times a day ; the same with other sores. o>. Be careful of < Ira lights. When a child is being washed, doors and windows must be kept closed. 176 NATIONAL KINDERGARTEN MANUAL. LIST OF REFERENCE BOOKS FOR THE SCHOOL AND HOME LIBRARY. Land and Water Friends. Treasury of Useful Knowledge, by Doerner. Hooker's Child's Book of Nature. The Kindergarten and the School. Herbert Spencer on Education. From the Cradle to the School, by Bertha Meyer. Educational Reformers, by R. H. Quick. Familiar Animals and their Wild Kindred. Early Training of Children, by Mrs. Frank Malleson. The Child, by Kriege. The Education of Man, Froebel. Barnard's Child-Culture. Kindergarten Culture, by Wm. H. Hailmann. School Devices, by Shaw and Donnell. Early Education, by James Currie. Reminiscences of Froebel, by the Baroness Marenholz von Biilow. How shall my Child be Taught, by Louisa P. Hopkins. Bits of Talk for Young Folks, I ^ H H Bits of Talk about Home Matters, ) Lessons on Manners, for School and Home Use. By Edith E. Wiggin. The Use of Stories in the Kindergarten, by Miss Anna Buck- land. Lectures in the Training Schools for Kindergartners, by Eliz- abeth P. Peabody. LIST OF I:KFKI:KN<:K HOOKS. 177 P:ily Land. Practical Work in the School-Room. Improvement of tlie Senses, by Horace Grant. Development Lessons, by E. V. De Graff and M. K. Smith. Life of Froebel. Iu()i(l of Mr. Alcott's School, exemplifying the Principles and Methods of Moral Culture. KINDERGARTEN GUIDES. Paradise of Childhood. Mrs. Kraus' Baelt's Guide to the Kindergarten. Mary Mann and Klizabeth Peabody's Guide. E. Range's English Kindergarten Guide. Mr>. Louise Pollock's National Kindergarten Manual KINDERGARTEN SONG-BOOKS. Kind, riiartcn Chimes, by Kate Douglas Wiggin. Tlu' Paradise of Childhood, by Edward Wiebe*. A Book of Rhymes and Tunes, by Margaret P. Osgood. Trans- lations by Louisa T. Craigin. Songs and Games for Little Ones, prepared by Gertrude Walker and Harriet S. Jenks. Songs for Little Children, by Eleanor Smith. tini: Songs, by Froebel. Sonus, (iaine.s and Rhymes, by Endora Lucas Hailmann. Mr*. Louise Pollock's National Kindergarten Songs and Plays. kt " Cheerful Echoes (an entirely new Col- lection. TIUVER8IT1 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY BERKELEY Return to desk from which borrowed. This book is DUE on the last date stamped below. JAN 1 6 2001 LD 21-100m-ll,'49(B7146sl6)476 U U 3768 25m-9.'12