ill II Si $!!! c. 6&r-l3, no- &\ THE NORMAL SGHOOL QUARTERLY ill Series 13 January, 1915 Number 54 The Kindergarten and Its Relation to Primary Education By MARGARET E. LEE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS mujum — PRESIDENT'S OFFICE PUBLISHT JANUARY, APRIL, JULY, AND OCTOBER OF EACH YEAR BY THE ILLINOIS STATE NORMAL UNIVERSITY, NORMAL, ILLINOIS Enterd August, 1902, at Normal, Illinois, as second-class mail matter under Act of Congress of July 16, 1S94 N. B— Any teacher in Illinois may get the Normal School Quarterly regularly by sending exact name and address, and by giving prompt notis of any change of address. Simplified spellings are used in the offisial publications of the Illinois State Normal University. xt Normal School Quarterly Publisht by the Illinois State Normal University, Normal, Illinois Series 13 JANUARY, 1915 THE KINDERGARTEN AND ITS RELATION TO PRIMARY EDUCATION By Margaret E. Lee THE VALUE OP THE KINDERGARTEN IN EDUCATION For many centuries the attitude of the world toward childhood was one of indifference, in consequence of which the value of the early years for educativ purposes was not recognized. The changes in education during the past fifty years, in which the kindergarten has been a vital factor, are greater than in any other half century of American school history. Many influences have playd a part in bringing about these important changes, foremost among which are (1) a broad philanthropy that has characterized the modern sociological movement; (2) the new psychology and the childstudy movement which have resulted in a richer and more vital conception of education as a process of development; (3) the kindergarten which has revolu- tionized our ideas of education in infancy and early child- hood by its basic principle of development thru self-activity and its emfasis upon the community spirit and the rights of childhood. This new education requires that we begin at the bot- tom and bild from the earlier stages upward. Its in- fluence has been felt in every stage of school life. Speaking of the kindergarten and its influence on higher institu- tions, Dr. Eliot, President Emeritus of Harvard University, said, “The kindergarten has set the example for the modernf teaching which has come into high schools, colleges, and. universities during the last forty years.” 2 The Normal School Quarterly The kindergarten emfasizes the fact that social effi- cieiicy ; and right attitudes in later years are fundamentally dependent upon the way in which children are started in lrfe. It recognizes also the fact that vigorous and full de- velopment in any stage of life is dependent upon vigorous knd full development in each preceding stage, and therefore that education should be continuous and progressiv, that what has been acquired in one stage should be utilized in constructing a new content of experience in the stage to follow. The most receptiv period of life is early childhood, for during these first years the child responds to everything with which he comes in contact. It is at this stage that the kindergarten is needed to help children adjust themselvs to the life about them by connecting home and school experi- ences in a natural way. A kindergarten is a little community, where children who have the same instincts, impulses, and interests, meet on a common plane, to enlarge their experiences chiefly thru organized play. Nearly a century ago Froebel said, “The plays of the child contain the germ of the whole life that is to follow.” The more we study children, and the more closely we watch their progress, the more forcibly is this truth imprest upon us. A real kindergarten is true to its name, a child garden, where growth is neither forced nor hinderd, but where the best conditions are provided for awakening all the infinit possibilities of a child in a vital, wholesome way. It takes the child at a time when his in- terests are broadening, his social instincts awakening, his life habits forming, and places him in an attractiv, home- like environment, where the stimuli presented are such as will give opportunity for self-expression and promote the growth of creativ power. The kindergarten gives to chil- dren as many concrete experiences as possible, experiences which relate to daily life. Excursions to observ changes in nature, trips to the garden, to the store, or to watch the car- penter, the blacksmith or the cobbler at work are a part of ihe pland program in every kindergarten. The songs and games fill an important place in the daily program. The child’s natural love for singing is stimulated first by listening, then gradually taking part in songs which are short and simple both in regard to words The Kindergarten and Primary Education 8 and tone. The games give opportunity for a happy, joyous spirit of play. From simplest physical activities, such as running, skipping, and dancing, the children are led step by step to rythmic games which grow out of these funda- mental activities and become organized. The love of stories, which is inherent in every child, is deepend in the kindergarten. Stories are told not alone for the plesure they give but to cultivate the imagination and form a taste for good literature. In all the bilding and making there is a motiv for work, something to be made for the family at home, for the doll house, or for the kindergarten room. Every opportunity is given children to suggest ways and means in working out these problems, and to choose the materials with which to work, thus developing personal and co-operativ in- itiativ and power to plan a definit piece of work. Richard G. Boone, Lecturer in Education, University of California, says, “Nowhere in all the range of schooling is more emphasis and intelligent emphasis, placed upon individual initiativ, and first hand effort, the ability and disposition to plan, in however simple way, than in the kindergarten.” The program of the kindergarten also takes into ac- count both the social and the individual needs of the children in relation to the home, the neighborhood, and the experiences which have alredy come into their lives. It is out of these experiences that activities and interests which are of fundamental worth, are chosen as starting points, in guiding the group, as a whole, to broader and richer ex- periences. The task of training children in obedience and curtesy should begin in the home, but is in many cases left entirely to the teacher. American children have been severely criti- cized for their lack of manners. It is too seldom that we find a child who is obedient, respectful or reverent. There is no better place in which to learn habits of order, clen- liness, self-control, obedience, curtesy, generosity, honesty, and responsibility than in a little community where children are working and playing together in a natural and spontaneous, yet directed, way. The kindergarten may be of distinct benefit to every child, the child of the poor and of the rich, the neglected child, the selfish child, and the 4 The Normal School Quarterly Table Work The Kindergarten and Primary Education 5 only child; for all need the socializing influence of a well- orderd, happy community. Certain directiv work should be done during these early years which even the best of mothers may overlook. Chil- dren should learn to sit, stand, and to walk well, to run lightly, to skip, and to bow. They should learn to shake hands, to close a door quietly, to serv each other as at the kindergarten luncheon, to put on and take off wraps and rubbers. They should learn the proper use of the voice in speaking and in singing, eliminating all harsh tones. Many life-long reflexes that require constant shaping toward per- fection, should be establisht at this time. Whatever danger to self-consciousness may arise from such shaping will be wisely met by the teacher who has insight into child nature, and for that reason we need for the youngest chil- dren those teachers only with the best training, with wide experience and with sound judgment. One of the greatest values of the kindergarten is that it prolongs the period of spontaneous activity and keeps children from formal work until they have reacht a stage of development when such work can be undertaken with highest profit. It has proved that there are wiser methods of educating children than by introducing them at once into the mysteries of the three r’s. Intellectual ability which requires exact thinking develops slowly in early childhood. Children’s interests center upon doing, making and shaping, however crude may be the results, and the kindergarten program is arranged to make these activities dominant. This is also the age of imagination and dramatic impulse. A child will impersonate anything in nature or the life about him. Never again will he do it so spontaneously and never again will this tendency be so strong. The strongest appeal to dramatic impulse comes from the activities of people right at hand. Therefore representations of adult activi- ties are manifest. These imitations are inevitable and may not be ignored or given the substitute of more formal work with symbols. The child who has lived three hours of each day in a kindergarten has many interests. His senses have been quickend, his attention developt, his hand traind, and his body strengthend. He has learnd to express himself in 6 The Normal School Quarterly simple language, to recognize in some degree the rights of others and to work and play harmoniously in his little com- munity. Dr. Balliet of New York University, says, “The kindergarten trains children to live by actual living. With its freedom, its appeal to the fundamental instincts of play and other activities, utilizing them for social and ethical ends, it comes of all our educational institutions nearest to being life itself.” The work and play materials of the kindergarten were selected because of their simplicity, and therefore offer vari- ous means of expression to children. A child who has many finisht toys at home, finds these simple playthings alike at- tractiv, interesting, and suggestiv. In every modern kinder- garten these materials are made in large forms, and are no longer subject to the criticism which was cald forth fifteen years ago, that the smallness of the material was injurious to nerv and muscle. This change to enlarged material is in accordance with modern psychological views that the larger and fundamental muscles and nervs precede in de- velopment the smaller and accessory ones. The kindergarten has past the stage of indiscriminate criticism. It stands to-day on its own merits and its values and methods have a recognized place in education. THE RELATION OF THE KINDERGARTEN TO THE PRIMARY SCHOOL The kindergarten brings to early childhood many values that are both cultural and practical; and if it did no more than to contribute so richly to this one stage of life, its place in education would be justified. But in contributing to the completeness of one stage, it creates fertil conditions for more perfect growth and development in the next stage. For this reason it is a matter of vital importance that pri- mary teachers should utilize the educativ experiences which the child brings with him from the kindergarten. Altho it is not the aim of the kindergarten to prepare specifically for the formal work of the first grade, it does prepare in very definit ways along the following lines. Language . — The oral expression of the kindergarten is a direct preparation for the later reading lessons. Every opportunity is given for oral expression, thru conversations about things in the world of nature, about pet animals, or whatever may be of general interest. The best literature The Kindergarten and Primary Education 7 of childhood is presented thru stories and poems. The non- sense tale, presenting a wholesome sort of fun, the imagin- ativ tale, introducing the child to the world of fancy, and stories which tell of real happenings, all have a rightful place in this period. Thru the retelling of stories and memo- rizing of rimes and jingles, the child’s vocabulary is in- creast, and the use of good English cultivated. Number . — Whatever number ideas the children gain from their kindergarten experiences are incidental. Games furnish many opportunities for counting and grouping. Plays with the ring-toss game or with bean bags give inter- esting combinations. In the manual work children are constantly counting, grouping, and combining. Nature Work . — The nature work of the kindergarten forms the starting point of the science work of the grades. Excursions to observ things in nature, such as buds on trees, the growth of plants, or the habits of the birds are frequent. The activities connected with the making of a garden, the care of plants and when possible of pet animals, collecting nature materials, noting the changes of the seasons, and the wether conditions of each day, bring children into close, sympathetic touch with the wonders of nature, and quicken their powers of observation. Physical Training . — The plays and games give valuable training both from a social and a physical standpoint. The ball plays, running and skipping plays bring into action the fundamental muscles and afford excellent opportunity for right co-ordination and bodily control. Plays for sense training develop a certain degree of discrimination in hear- ing, sight, and touch. Thru dramatic play children repro- duce the essential activities in the world about them. Music . — The child’s first musical training begins in the kindergarten. The songs and music are carefully chosen, not only to give plesure, the first consideration, but also to awaken the rythmic sense and develop some appreciation of tone. This gives a basis for all later work in technique. Manual Work . — All the handwork of the kindergarten has a definit motiv. The bilding blocks, clay-modeling, work in the sand tray, and construction work offer various means of expression to children and help to develop origi- nality, and creativ self-activity, as well as the ability to follow simple directions. Thru the use of brush and pencil, 8 The Normal School Quarterly The Game Circle The Kindergarten and Primary Education 9 children learn to illustrate stories, to combine colors har- moniously, and to picture things which they see in life. Moral Training . — The daily work of the kindergarten, as a whole, is constantly shaping the moral nature of chil- dren. Every opportunity which arises is utilized in foster- ing the right kind of habits and checking those which will lead to harmful results. It is not difficult for young chil- dren to be kind and helpful, to play fair, and to recognize the rights of others, when they are associated with those of their own age, when a spirit of happiness prevails, and all are working busily toward the same end. There is no dout that this training better prepares chil- dren for the work of the primary grade. The majority of first-grade teachers agree that a child who has spent a year in the kindergarten shows the evidence of such training. The experiences and interests which have been brought to him thru contact with nature, thru story, song, and games, and the abundant opportunities for expression, form a rich content upon which to bild in introducing the more formal work. Several years ago a questionaire was sent out to the primary teachers of Boston inquiring if children from the kindergarten were better prepared for first-grade work than children directly from the home. “One hundred thirty-three answers signd by the teachers were receivd. Of these one teacher preferd the home children. All the others, one hundred and thirty-two, wrote that the kindergarten chil- dren were much better prepared for the work of the first, year. Having thru stories, songs, and talks acquired the power to express their thoughts, and having acquired the fund of ideas upon which to base their thoughts, they had more ability in oral expression and language work. The comparisons in the kindergarten helpt in the number work; and the skill with their hands, develop! during the kinder- garten year, was of the greatest benefit in their manual work.” The difference in age and development of a child when he leaves the kindergarten in June and when he enters the first grade in September is too slight to warrant the differ- ence in hours, equipment, method, and curriculum that now exist. Parents frequently complain that teachers da 10 The Normal School Quarterly not take pains to find out what experiences children alredy have as they come to them from the kindergarten or from the home. The result is that the entire group is subjected to the same curriculum, without regard to any previous training. This fact accounts in large mesure for the waste in education which occurs in the primary grade because the experiences of the kindergarten are not utilized. In order that there shall be closer unification between the kin- dergarten and the primary grades it is necessary for primary teachers to be traind in the theory and practis of the kinder- garten and for kindergartners to have thoro training in primary work. It is just as essential that kindergartners shall know the curriculum and methods of the primary school as that primary teachers shall become imbued with the spirit and method of the kindergarten. Much of the training for kindergartners and primary teachers should be along the same lines. Because the kin- dergarten has proved a strong factor in transforming modern educational theory and practis, there is a demand for primary teachers who have been traind in the kinder- garten. Normal schools and teachers colleges that maintain kindergarten departments offer the best opportunity for such training. Dr. P. P. Claxton, United States Commissioner of Edu- cation, as well as other prominent educators, have exprest themselvs in favor of the kindergarten. Dr. Claxton says, “The kindergarten is a vital factor in American education both for its direct work with young children in the kinder- garten and for its influence on the care of children in the home and on the method of teaching in the school. It ought to become a part of the public school system in every city, town, and village in the country.” And again he says, “ If all homes were ideal, still the broader social life for which Froebel pleaded for the chil- dren would need to be supplied by the kindergarten. But, alas, they are not all ideal. In many grinding poverty and traditional ignorance have done their work all too perfect- ly. In many there is want of mother love For many children the home is on the street. In many homes of welth and refinement the ignorant nurse is the child’s most con- stant companion. 11 The Kindergarten and Primary Education “ ‘But the kindergarten costs money,’ I think I hear some one say; ‘we cannot afford it.’ We can afford it, and all other educational facilities necessary for the full education of our people.” If we accept the testimony of our leading educators. in regard to the value of the kindergarten, should we not make vigorous effort to have kindergartens establisht as the first step in the public school system of Illinois? EXTENSION OF THE KINDERGARTEN That the kindergarten has won for itself a permanent place in education, a brief account of its growth will show. The increase in the United States within recent years has been most pronounst. In 1902 there were 3244 kinder- gartens with an enrolment of 205,432 and ten years later 7557 with an enrolment of 353,546. (Letter of Transmittal, Bulletin No. 6, 1914, Bureau of Education.) During the last decade the number of kindergartens has trebled. Be- sides those in connection with our public schools, there are private kindergartens and those of a charitable nature. The latter are supported by social settlements, by churches, by associations, and by some manufacturers and mill owners that are interested in social welfare work. Many colleges, universities, and state normal schools also support kindergartens. There is increasing evidence of a growing interest in this movement on the part of educators and so- ciety in general thruout the country. We have in our country to-day several large organizations whose purpose is to guard the welfare of little children: the International Kindergarten Union, the National Congress of Mothers, the Legislativ and Kindergarten Committees of various State Congresses of Mothers, and the National Kindergarten Asso- ciation. There is also a kindergarten department in connec- tion with the National Education Association and a kinder- garten division in the Bureau of Education at Washington. These organizations have been effectiv agencies in increas- ing the number of kindergartens and in promoting their adoption as the basis of the school system in many com- munities. The establishment of a kindergarten division in the Bureau of Education “is the outgrowth of the com- missioner’s conviction that the kindergarten has a value for American education, and that it should form an organic 12 The Normal School Quarterly An Exercize in Clay-Modeling 13 The Kindergarten and Primary Education part of the school system.” (Report Commissioner of Edu- cation, June 30, 1913.) Its purpose is to collect such infor- mation as will help show the needs and progress of the movement, as well as to aid in the constructiv work for more kindergartens, better teaching and improved conditions. Greater interest in the kindergarten has been mani- fested on the part of primary teachers and school oflisials during recent years than at any other time. This interest is shown by the large body of primary teachers and princi- pals who are studying its methods and by the number of superintendents who are investigating its true worth. One reason for this markt interest is the fact that kindergartens are rapidly increasing in number and primary teachers and school offisials recognize the necessity of acquainting them- selvs with its theory and practis. In New Jersey a kinder- garten examination is required of all who desire to become principals. Another reason is that the kindergarten with its basic principle of development has wrought a wonder- ful change in the spirit and method of the work in the grades. In the University of Chicago during the summer of 1912 the number of students registerd in the kindergarten department was fifty per cent greater than in the preceding summer, nearly half being primary teachers. The recent increase in numbers in the kindergarten department of Teachers College, New York City, is also very great. In 1913 a model kindergarten for observation purposes was opend at Wellesley College in connection with the de- partment of education. Harvard University proposes soon to start a model school for children and youth, by estab- lishing a kindergarten and the first three elementary grades, adding the other grades later. The kindergarten is a part of the public-school system in a large number of cities and towns in the United States. With one exception it has been adopted by every city in Wisconsin with a population above 10,000, and by many smaller towns. We find a striking contrast in the State of Illinois. Nearly all the kindergartens of Illinois are in Chicago. Only three other cities of the state have made the kindergarten a part of their school systems. For every 1,000 children in Illinois between the age of four and six, only 37 are enrold in the kindergarten. New Jersey heds the list 14 The Normal School Quarterly with 278 enrold for every 1,000. Illinois ranks twenty-fifth. A law was past in California last year authorizing school boards to establish kindergartens, if twenty-five parents present a petition for that purpose. Thus we see that edu- cators and legislators in other states are more and more making the kindergarten the starting point in their public school system, yet no state needs it more than Illinois. COST OF EQUIPPING AND MAINTAINING A KINDERGARTEN In spite of the remarkable progress which the kinder- garten has made in recent years, and its adoption by many of our leading educational institutions, there are still many states in which it is not a part of the school system. One reason for its non-adoption is a wide-spred belief that it is expensiv, that it takes more of the public funds than can be spared for the education of little children. Those who hold the latter belief are still unmindful of the fact that money invested for education in early childhood brings large returns. It often means sound bodies, sound minds, and useful citizens, in place of the types that later help to fill the ranks of the inefficient and dependent. Because the cost of maintaining a kindergarten has been considerd greater than that of maintaining a primary grade and because the people in many cities have not de- manded this training for their children, many superin- tendents and school boards have not yet adopted it. The school laws of Illinois do not provide for the education of children under six years of age. However any city may es- tablish kindergartens if they are supported by local tax- ation. The annual per capita cost of maintaining kinder- gartens in Chicago is about $22.29 and that of the primary school $30.71. The cost of equipping and maintaining a kindergarten is no greater than the cost of equipping and maintaining a modern, up-to-date primary school. The greatest expense for equipment will be for a piano, tables and chairs. Every kindergarten must have a piano. The cost of the regulation tables and chairs need not be more than the cost of seats and desks for the grades. The kinder- garten room should be large and well ventilated with plenty of sunshine. It should be made attractiv by plants and pictures. Expensiv pictures are not necessary, as excellent posters may be purchased at slight expense. The chairs 15 The Kindergarten and Primary Education should be suited to the various hights of the children. A large part of the material, such as cardboard, colord papers, mounting sheets, and crayons will need to be re- newd each year. When at all possible there should be a place for garden activities as well as a suitable playground. The following list contains all necessary apparatus, materials, and song books. This equipment will accommo- date thirty children, if they are divided into three groups. Even with one teacher this division is necessary but an assistant or helper should be provided, if possible. Permanent Equipment 1 piano $200 00 4 tables 6' x 2'%' x 21" 28 00 3 doz. Mosher chairs 25 50 30 sets rubber tips for chairs 2 40 1 sand table 10 00 Song Books and Instrumental Music Hofer’s Music for the Child World, Vol. II 1 50 Hofer’s Children’s Old and New Singing Games 50 Hofer’s Popular Folk Games and Dances 75 Neidlinger’s Small Songs for Small Singers 75 Smith-Poulsson’s Songs of a Little Child’s Day 1 50 Crowninshield’s Mother Goose Songs 60 Bentley’s Song Primer 30 Gaynor’s Songs of the Child’s World, Part 1 1 00 Hill’s Song Stories for the Kindergarten 1 00 Materials 5 First Gift 7 50 10 Second Gift 6 00 10 Third Gift 7 50 10 Fourth Gift 7 50 10 Fifth Gift 15 00 10 Sixth Gift 15 00 150 square tablets of wood 1 80 150 half squares of wood 1 80 150 equilateral triangles 1 80 200 sticks 1 x 3-16 ... 16 2 dozen shoe laces ... 20 10 peg boards 4 00 1000 pegs, 2 x 3-16 . . 80 18 scissors 2 25 2 doz. boxes colord crayon 1 20 20 lbs. clay 1 00 12 tubes paint 1 20 1 V 2 dozen brushes (size 7) 1 13 1 dozen paint pans... 40 2 yds. white oilcloth.. 40 16 The Normal School Quarterly The Story Hour The Kindergarten and Primary Education 17 200 sticks 2 x 3-16 . . 22 10 pkg. mounting paper 200 sticks 4x3-16 ... 32 9 x 12 1 50 200 sticks 8 x 3-16 . . . 52 6 pkg. manila No. 20 100 rings 2-inch diame- 9 x 12 3 18 ter 1 05 2 pkg. Springfield 100 half rings 2-inch di- white 2 64 ameter 30 1 conductor’s punch . . 50 2000 half-inch beads, 6 five- inch rubber spheres, cubes, cyl- balls 1 80 inder 4 00 Toys are not included in this list, but they should be in every kindergarten, where the funds permit. Dolls, a doll’s bed, a child’s broom and dustpan, a set of dishes, picture books, a ring-toss game, a bean-bag board, and a hoop to spin are some of the toys which are in constant demand during free play periods. Musical instruments, such as drums, triangles, tambourines, and sweet toned bells are a delight to children and afford excellent oppor- tunity for developing the rythmic sense. Nature provides many and varied materials for the handwork. Seeds, haws, acorn cups and small cones may be used for stringing. Autum leavs make garlands, baskets, or when prest, decorations for the room. Excluding furniture for the room, the cost of equipping a kindergarten need not be more than $75 to $100. After the first year the allowance for materials is usually from $20 to $25. In some cities where materials are orderd in large quantities, even less is required. Little children “learn by doing” and the right kind of material with which to work offers the best incentiv for growth along creativ lines. KINDERGARTEN DEPARTMENT OF THE ILLINOIS STATE NORMAL UNIVERSITY /. The Kindergarten-Primary Course . — This course is offerd to meet the demand for primary teachers with kin- dergarten training. A satisfactory completion of this course entitles a student to a certificate to teach in either a kinder- garten or in the first two grades of the primary school. The course covers a period of two years. Students are ad- mitted at the beginning of the fall term only. They must be graduates of an accredited high school or must have done equivalent work. Four terms of observation and teaching 18 The Normal School Quarterly in the kindergarten and two terms of teaching in the pri- mary grades are required. The course is printed in full below. II. The Kindergarten . — The Kindergarten of the Illinois State Normal University servs as an observation and practis school for a large number of young women who are studying to become kindergartners and teachers in primary grades. The kindergarten room in the Thomas Metcalf School is large, airy, and attractiv. It has a southeast ex- posure with plenty of sunshine and a modern system of ventilation. It accommodates sixty children and is well equipt with such materials as are best suited to the needs and use of little children. There is ample room for marching and group games. More children have applied for entrance than can be admitted, which shows the pressing need for more public kindergartens in this immediate vicinity. KINDERGARTEN-PRIMARY PROGRAM This program is for teachers of the kindergarten and the first two grades of the elementary school. It is pland for high-school graduates and meets the requirements of the new law for the certification of teachers. Fall Kindergarten Theory Kindergarten Tech- nics Physiology 9 Music 2 Physical Training Kindergarten Obser- vation 78 weeks— 26 credits JUNIOR YEAR Winter Kindergarten Theory Kindergarten Tech- nics Kindergarten Practis Psychology Primary Handwork Physical Training Summer Term Spring Kindergarten Tech- nics Kindergarten Practis Primary Music Advanst Nature Study Primary Drawing Physical Training General Method Arithmetic Method SENIOR YEAR Kindergarten Theory Kindergarten Theory Sociology Kindergarten Practis Reading Method Primary Geografy Educational Psy- Geografy 2 Color chology History of Education Playground Manage- Literature Method Teaching ment Teaching The Kindergarten and Primary Education 19 $ KINDERGARTEN TECHNICS (Junior Year) This course includes a study of the gifts, occupations, song, stories, plays and games of the kindergarten. Original * exercises are pland by each member of the class, and pre- sented for discussion and criticism. Gifts . — A study is made of the Froebelian gifts as educational toys in connection with other play materials to discover their value as means of expression. Occupations . — The kindergarten occupations are studied in connection with modern construction work and nature materials suited to the use of children. Games and Rhythms . — In this connection a study is made of the play instincts of children. Plays and games adapted to different stages of the child’s development are considerd, their educational value noted, and practis given in playing kindergarten games. A classification of plays and games is made, including motor, sensory, and dramatic plays, traditional ring games, rhythmic exercises, and marches. Story-telling . — Different kinds of stories are discust, their origin and value. Principles of selection, adaptation, and classification are considerd and opportunity is given to tell stories to different groups of children. kindergarten theory (Junior Year; fall and winter) The aim of this course is a study of Froebel’s general theories and Mother Plays, in connection with modern child- study literature. Texts : Hughes’s FroebeVs Educational Laws , Froebel’s The Mother Plays. kindergarten theory (Senior year) Fall Term . — This includes a study of the history of the kindergarten and the relation of the kindergarten to the primary grades. Text: Vandewalker’s History of the Kindergarten in American Education. # Winter Term . — This course deals with the principles of program-making, problems in administration, and the Montessori system of education. J special course (Spring term) This course is pland for primary teachers who wish 20 The Normal School Quarterly some knowledge of the principles and practis of the kinder- garten. It is recommended to all teachers who are training for primary work. All fazes of kindergarten work are dis- cust with daily observation of groups of children. i'