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VOL. XXIII—APRIL, 1910—NO. 8

IMPORTANT

NOTWITHSTANDING the fact that we have requested that all subscriptions and

advertising communications be sent to the business office at Manistee, Mich., we

are frequently delayed by the sending of business details to the editorial office. Please send all editorial matter, except late news items, to the New York office, and all business letters to the Manistee office.

The Kindergarten-Primary Magazine

Devoted to the Child and to the Unity of Educational Theory and Practice from the Kindergarten Through the University.

Editorial Rooms, 59 West 96th Street, New York, N. Y. E. Lyell Earle, Ph. D., Editor, 59 West 96th St., New York City Business Office, 276-278-280 Kiver Street, Manistee, Mich. J. H. SHULTS, Business Manager.

All communications pertaining to subscriptions and advertising or other business relating to the Magazine should be addressed to the Michigan office, J. H. Shults, Business Manager, Manistee, Michigan. All other communications to E. Lyell Earle, Managing Editor, 59 W. 96th St., New York City.

The Kindergarten-Primary Magazine is published on the first of each month, except July and August, from 278 River Street, Manistee, Mich.

The Subscription price is $1.00 per year, payable in advance. Single copies, 15c.

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Notice of Expiration is sent, but it is assumed that a continuance of the subscription is desired until notice of discontinuance is received. When sending notice of change of address, both the old and new addresses must be given.

Remittances should be sent by draft, Express Order or Money Order, payable to The Kindergarten Magazine Company. If a local check is sent, it must include 10c exchange.

EDITORIAL NOTES ON IMPORTANT NEW BOOKS

DR. E. LYELL EARLE

We have received from Mrs. Harrison of the Kindergarten College another real contribution to kindergarten literature.

"Misunderstood Children," from the press of the Chicago College, is a series of biographies of the moods and tenses of interesting and misunderstood children. It is a quality to be able to feel with a little child, to appreciate the little big things in its big little life, and as a source to begin to give him some estimate of worth as a standard for his conduct and relations to others. It is not so much a lack of pedagogical insight as of ethical sympathy which makes so many kindergartners and others err in their relations with little children. Mrs.

KINDERGARTEN MAGAZINE CO.

Harrison has selected type characters and type situations in life big with important meanings to teachers and parents alike. We need more books that deal with the concrete and contain at least in germ the most valuable principles of education. We are selecting one or two of the characteristic stories to arouse the interest of our readers and to urge on them the necessity of adding this new book to their library.

FOREWORD

Of the three great World Disciplines, Religion, Philosophy and Psychology, the last named is much the latest and the least understood. Men have struggled with the conception of God from the earliest dawn of consciousness. The rudest, most uncivilized savages have some form of worship for the unseen power that is greater than man; and it is an interesting study to trace the slow but steady growth of the God-idea from the fetish worship of the early race to the conception of God as advanced by the Christian church of today. We need but to look back to the Egyptian ideas of the gods, or even to the conception of God as held by the Middle Ages, to realize how this great WorldDiscipline has advanced and enlarged man's conception of Divine Power. Philosophy also has taken enormous strides since the days of old Thales of Miletus, who six hundred years before the Christian era declared the essence of all things to be water. He was the greatest of philosophic thinkers in his day. We smile now at the childishness of this effort to define the essential unity of Nature.

And yet the day is not far distant when mankind will read with incredulity of the idea of man which has been held in the past and is still held by many unthinking or prejudiced people of today. Psychology, the latest of the all-embracing Disciplines of the mind of man, is, in its way, doing as much to clarify and enlarge our ideas of man as Religion and Philosophy have done in the matter of giving us better and more exalted ideas of God and Nature.

Which one of us is it who does not feel that he or she possesses unused ability that might have developed into real talent, sometimes almost into "genius" if it had been given a chance. It is for the sake of these "mightbes" in each human soul that I plead for a better and more sympathetic understanding of children. No inheritance of money or of social position, so fiercely striven after by so many parents, can compare with the gift of a free and fully developed childhood,

That this gift may be within the reach of all earnest-thinking parents is what makes the practical results already attained by Psychology so important. What may yet be attained is beyond our present power to imagine.

Our best schools have already been transformed by the placing of the study of children's instincts and interests upon a scientific basis. The sulky child, the moody child, the quick-tempered child, the restless child, the slow child, are no longer considered an affliction sent by the Lord, nor is the boy who steals and the girl who lies regarded as specimens of original sin. The inheritance of the child is, if possible, ascertained, his environment is studied, as it is now a well-established fact that these play an important part in his makeup and must be taken into account in the treatment of the case if any permanent good is to be accomplished.

It is also now an accepted scientific fact that the child's bodily condition reacts upon his mental condition. A physically uncomfortable child cannot learn as readily as a child whose physical organs are in right working condition. Hence underfed and ill-kept children are fed and given a bath in our best schools, the seats and desks in the schoolroom are adjusted to their heights, the windows are arranged so that the light will not irritate the eyes, and proper ventilation of the school room is sought, in order that each child may get the maximum of good out of his school life.

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Psychology has also taught us of the reaction of mind upon body. An unhappy child cannot digest his food as well as a child who is in a cheerful mood, nor can he study as well. Hence, the rod has vanished and the ferrule is hidden, and that still worse instrument of torture-sarcasm-is disappearing. An atmosphere of sunshine and cheerfulness is demanded in order that a child may be kept in good physical condition. I know of some wise mothers who so fully understand this interaction of body and mind that they never permit the mealtime to be taken for scolding or criticism. fact, some of them save up the funny story or interesting incident until the meal-time so that the table hour becomes the happiest hour in their children's day. And it is well worth the effort, for happiness is as necessary for normal, wholesome growth in childhood as sunshine is necessary for the right growth of plant. The fact that too much excitement or too great fatigue causes bloodpoison is another of the important facts which a scientific study of children has established. Much more could be said upon this subject, but this is not the time nor the place for it.

The great science of Psychology has not only thrown much light upon this reaction of body and mind, but in its deeper, more profound unfolding shows us the laws by which mental and spiritual growth can best be developed. For example-we know now that a child is only in the serene, contented condition of mind which best promotes inner growth when he is following a rational line of conduct-rational as far as he can comprehend it. The child who is left too long to his own government becomes capricious, fretful and unhappy. Most of the obstinacy manifested by children is due to the caprice of those in control of them. The child does not see the rationality of the command. To him it is the parent's or teacher's individual will pitted against his individual will, and the instinct of freedom in him rises up to resist as surely as certain gases rise to the surface when other gases are added to a chemical combination. It may not be your fault that you sud

denly find yourself in conflict with an obstinate child, but it is somebody's fault that he has not learned the impersonal justice that lies in every rational command to the extent that he has been able to grasp it. What I mean is that arguing with an obstinate child never helps him. What he needs, in most cases, is to be given the rational grounds for a command calmly and in an impersonal way, and then be given time and quiet in which to conquer himself. If the command is of such a nature that he cannot grasp the rationality of it, or if he is in such a condition that he will not accept it, then, of course, authority must be used. Too much license is as bad for a child as is too much control. The former develops weakness of purpose and waywardness that unfits him for personal comradship and co-operation in the world's work; the latter suppresses him and hinders the growth of that originality by means of which he can best add to the higher enrichment of mankind. The one is as bad as the other. The right understanding of the development of the will from mere desire to rational choice helps us to avoid the Scylla of undue authority on the one hand and the Charybdis of undue license on the other hand.

Perhaps an anecdote will best illustrate this important point in child-training:

The story was told me by a young Englishman who was visiting for the first time his brother in Chicago, who had married an American woman, well versed in the psychology of the kindergarten. "The first evening after my arrival," said he, "my little niece of six was vexed by some trifle, and thereupon she set up a lusty bawl. My sister-inlaw said, without the slightest tone of disturbance in her voice, 'Charlotte, your noise is disturbing the rest of us. You must either stop bawling or go upstairs to the nursery where you can be by yourself.' The child continued to bawl," added the young man, "and much to my amazement my sister-in-law quietly took out her watch and said: 'I will give you just two minutes in which to decide whether you will cease bawling and remain with us, or go up to the nursery.' "She stood perfectly still," he continued, laughingly, "holding her watch in her hand. At the end of the two minutes she said: 'Your two minutes are up; you have made your choice,' and with a slight wave of her hand she pointed to the door. The youngster deliberately turned round and walked out of the room and up the stairs towards the nursery, still bawling. I turned in my astonishment to my sister-in-law and said, 'How in the world did you make her do it?' She answered, 'My kindergarten training taught me to treat my children as rational beings with wills that must be respected as well as trained. I gave her her choice. She went upstairs of her own free will to the nursery and yet she obeyed the laws of social consideration. Therefore, because she does not feel that she has been unjustly treated, she will the sooner conquer herself and come back.' And sure enough, in less than ten minutes, back came the little miss, as sweet and gracious as if nothing had happened." He had told this story in great glee, but when ended his mood changed, and, in a serious tone, he added, "If that is the way all American mothers teach their children self-control, your republican government is on a sure foundation."

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of the small three-year-old nephew who was the one bit of sunshine and joy in the sad home of herself and her old father. She always kept the little fellow in spotlessly clean clothing and was careful to see that his food was well cooked and of the right sort. Also, that he went to bed early and had plenty of sleep. But sometimes she was lacking in that virtue beyond all other virtues in the mothering of the child-far more needed by tender young souls than clean bodies and wholesome food and abundant sleep-namely, the power to understand. Who has not erred in this respect? Many were the lessons which the child unconsciously taught her. For she was a sensitive soul herself, and struggled hard to take a mother's place in the life of the child. Being a spinster, she did not know how many times even mothers err in this same way by lack of sympathetic perception of how a child may look at a situation.

One bright spring morning she was hurrying to finish her sweeping that she might set the home in order and get off for some church work she had planned to do. They were old-fashioned people and their floors were covered with thick ingrain carpets which yield up a heap of fluff and dust, no matter how often they are swept. She had just swept the fluff to the edge of the dustpan whenswish! swung the side door and in rushed the young newhew, and with him in whirled a gale of wind! The dust and fluff went swirling and dancing all over the room. She looked up, but did not see the glad light in the boy's eyes and did not hear the anticipation of sympathy that rang in his joyful voice as he cried:

"Oh, Aunty, just come out here and see the new flowers that have come up! They are going to have a party, I think."

As I said before, she was in a hurry and was anxious to get through her morning work and to get off on her church errand. So she only answered in an annoyed tone: "Dear! dear! Sammie! See what you have done! Go out and shut that door!"

The boy looked disappointed, but he was an obedient child, so he stepped out on the side porch and gently shut the door. Somehow the day did not look quite so bright with no one to share with him his new and rich discovery of unexpected and, to him, marvelous new blossoms on the primrose plants. But he waited a long, long time alone on the porch; at least, it seemed to him a long, long time.

She in the meanwhile hastily re-swept the room with never a thought of the little boy waiting outside. She merely added a trifle of nervous haste to her work, so as to make up for the lost time. Once more she collected the buff and dust into a pile and was stooping to sweep it into the dustpan when the door cautiously opened a little and a patient child's face appeared in the space, with the words: "Aren't you 'most ready now?" But with the opening of the door in came the spring breeze again. And again off whirled and danced the fluff and dust! She was angry now. True, she had not thought to explain to him why she wanted the door kept shut, nor had she assured him that she would let him know when he might open it. But she did not stop to think of this. He had disobeyed her intentions.

He ought to have understood. She would be obliged to sweep the room all over again! And she would be late for her church calls! The child's innocent eyes were looking up at her. He had become tired of waiting and he simply was asking if she could not come and share his new joy. He had never swept a room, so he had not

noticed that the dust had been scattered by the wind. Just a word of explanation would have made him go off happily to some new activity to await her coming. But no. She was in a hurry, and that room must be swept all over again! It was too provoking! With resentment tingling in her tone she sharply exclaimed: "Sammie, go out of this room immediately! And shut that door! You are a naughty, naughty boy!"

The door closed with a bang! A moment more a chair was overthrown on the porch. The boy in his turn was now angry. She bit her lip and once more began the resweeping of the room. Bang! Bang! went two more chairs on the porch floor. As I have said, she was a good woman and she was conscientious about the child. She must not let him give way to his temper. He must learn to control it. Now came a kick against the door. This was too much! She could not have him act that way toward her. It was not treating her with proper respect. She stopped sweeping, leaned the broom against a chair, and, going to the porch door, opened it and in a tone of angry command said: "Sammie, you are a naughty boy! Come with me! I shall have to shut you up until you can be good!" He straightened himself up and gave a kick at a flower-pot which stood near by. (I have, myself, felt the relief of overstrained nerves which came from slamming a door throwing a collar on the floor. Haven't you?)

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"There you are again," she cried; "you nearly knocked that flower-pot off the porch! Come here, you naughty boy!" She took hold of his hand and led him into an adjoining bedroom. "There!" she said, sternly; "you must stay in this room until you can promise me that you will be a good boy. You have been very naughty, and Aunty doesn't love you." With that she went out and shut the door behind her.

Instantly the overwrought nerves of the child, assisted by his wounded pride and violated sense of justice, found vent in a series of screams accompanied by furious kicking on the door. With the turning of the knob he could have opened it. But the bond between him and his much loved aunt was still strong enough for her word to mean law to him. The kicking and screaming soon subsided into long, heartbreaking sobs. And in justice to her I must say that the aunt outside the door was as unhappy as the sobbing boy inside the bedroom. But she went on sweeping with a flushed face and painfully compressed lips. Now that she was "in for it" she must "stick it out," she said to herself. The boy's temper must be conquered. All thoughts of the church errand were banished now. She was a good woman and she knew that bringing the child back to a harmonious relation with herself was the paramount duty of that morning. All things else were as naught compared with that.

Soon the deep, heavy sobs ceased, and her tenderly alert ear could hear the catching of the breath that comes after a passionate outburst. She hoped he would promise to be good, for she had told him that he would have to stay imprisoned until he was ready to make a promise to do better. How could she take the cessation of sobs for repentance?

He must say he would be good. So she nervously dusted and set in order the room, lingering now here and now there, so as to be ready to open the door as soon as the boy should confess his naughtiness. Her heart was aching now and it was hard work to keep back the tears. What would a real mother do? Would his own mother

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