Mrs.

M. Davidson, superintendent of schools, and
Alice M. Carmalt speaking for the Board of Education.
Miss Luella A. Palmer, president of the Inter-
national Kindergarten Union, responded on behalf of
the delegates.

Tuesday morning the delegates visited the kindergartens of the city.

In the afternoon at the Chamber of Commerce a general meeting to discuss state organization and kindergarten extension was held.

Tuesday night in Memorial Hall, Angelo Patrio, principal of a New York school, and George Bellamy, director of recreation at Hiram Settlement House, Cleveland, spoke. Mrs. Christine Miller Clemson sang.

Dr. Bonser said he would, if it were possible, put as a motto in every kindergarten: "They have intellects." He referred to the children who frequently, he said, are taught as young animals might be taught with no appeal to their reasons or minds.

The closing feature of the convention was a symposium banquet Friday night at McCreery's. Songs and dances which were a part of the Kindergarten College minstrel show given recently were repeated by those who took part in the show. Mrs. Anna E. Harvey, toastmistress

Nearly 1,000 kindergartners, all in white, and bearing banners and emblems of nearly every state in the Union, or of the different cities, formed in procession and marched to music to their seats in the banquet hall.

A stunt of kindergarten conventions is for those in the city in which the convention is held to provide some distinctive feature, and 150 kindergartners of Pittsburgh and surrounding towns, appeared in long. rolled black cardboard hats to typify the smoke stacks of Pittsburgh.

Missouri's delegates carried yellow umbrellas, spelling out separately the letters of the "Show Me" state. "A little child shall lead them," was the slogan on Michigan's banner. "A kindergarten in every school," boasted a banner of the Rochester (N. Y.) delegates.

In the St. Louis delegation a banner was carried in memory of the late Susan E. Blow, "grand old woman of the kindergarten in America."

Standards of Arizona, California, Virginia, West Virginia, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Rhode Island and other states were in evidence, with those of Cleveland and Cincinnati and other Ohio cities, New York. Washington, D. C., and others.

At the head of the procession marched Miss Caroline W. Barbour, Superior, Wis., first vice president of the organization, and Miss Margaret A Trace, Cleveland, secretary, carrying, respectively, a silken American flag and the blue banner of I. K. U. to be awarded to the visiting delegation with the largest attendance.

These were followed by the officers of the I. K. U. and the delegates in alphabetical order.

At noon a buffet lunch was served by the Pittsburgh kindergartners.

THE ADDRESSES WERE UNUSUALLY FINE Dr. Frederick G. Bonser, of Columbia University, spoke on "Standards for Early Elementary Education" at the Alvin Theater.

Dr. W. T. Root of Pittsburgh speaking along the thought of child training. He did not regard infant prodigies as a favorable indication of a future successful life.

Dr. Root told of a proud parent who had a child reading at aged 3 years, and who at age 7 years had a library of 1,000 books.

"This child," he added, "also had eye strain and sties in both eyes."

"The best preparation is to accquaint children with atural objects about them, familiar sights and familiar sounds."

Through results of a study of school children made by a national educational authority, Dr. Root also showed children attending kindergartens were found on the average to be 3.4 months ahead of children who did not attend kindergarten, when the sixth grade was reached.

Will Earhart, Music director Pittsburgh Schools, addressed the convention, which also listened to demon strations in music by 4 and 5-year-old kindergarten children in the Pittsburgh public schools.

Delegates to the convention were guests of the Pittsburgh and Allegheny Free Kindergarten Association in the Hall of Sculpture of Carnegie Institute. Following the reception, the departments of fine arts were visited by the kindergartners.

A motion to change the name of the organization to International Kindergarten Association was lost.

By J. M. Niven

148

Ruffled his feathers and winked at me.
"To whit, to whit, to whoo," said he,-
"To whit, to whit, to whoo," said he.
I looked all around where I stood,

But there wasn't another soul in the wood,
Except the little gray owl in the old oak tree,
So I thought of course he was talking to me.
I made him my very nicest bow,
Just as my teacher had taught me how;
"To whit, to whit, to you," said I-

"To whit, to whit, to you," said I.
But it wasn't I he was talking to,
For he spread his wings and away he flew;
Without even stopping to answer me.

I think he was rude, as rude could be.
Although perhaps he was looking for you—
When he spread his wings and away he flew;
With his, "To whit, to whit, to whoo."
"To whit, to whit, to whoo."

AT THE SHORE

J. Lilian Vandevere, St. Louis, Mo.

When all of us are at the shore

My sister is afraid.

She floats around with water wings,

Or else she'll only wade.

My mother finds a shady spot,
And there she sits and sits.

The water's shiny green and warm,
But she just knits and knits.
My father says a fishing boat
Is good enough for him,

But I put on my bathing suit,
And swim, and swim, and swim!

DUTCH FIGER PLAY

By Pearl Olsen, Kimball, S. Dak.

"I'm a little Dutch boy living by the sea,

(Hold up index finger on one hand.)

Here I play all day long, skipping merrily.

(Have index finger and forefinger skip across desk.)

I'm a little Dutch girl,

(Hold up index finger on other hand)

This is my home, too.

(Hold two hands together to make a house) Here I rock my dolly, the whole day through." (Fold two arms as if rocking baby.)

GEMS

"All the birds and bees are singing,

All the lily bells are ringing,
All the brooks are full of laughter,
And the winds come whispering after

What is this the flowers say?
What is this the flowers say?

What is this the flowers say? It is lovely May."

It is sometimes a good plan to devote an entire period to cutting. Another day the pictures will be pasted. In this way the child is encouraged, for he sees his book growing rapidly. Still another day the children will take turns reading their problemssometimes individually, sometimes in concert, from a page held where all may see.

Seed catalogs are storhouses of material; a big mali order catalog gives enough pictures for many lessons, and when these fail the children draw their own, as shown below, thus adding the art side.

Sheets of construction paper used with the greatest width from left to right make splendid books. Separate sheets are given out for lessons, and when the term is over the collected pages make an attractive book. An especially pretty problem in some choice and cherished pictures makes a pleasing cover.

The children who do this work are ready to take up easily and eagerly the illustrated arithmetic problems met with in the First Grade.

BRAVERY AND FEAR IS INCULCATED

By Mrs. Alice Barton Harris.

The ideals which we wish to develop in our children are chiefly those of courage, truthfulness, and unselfishness. I believe that the normal child is born brave, physically and morally, and that out of laziness or ignorance the grown people put fear into his little consciousness. He isn't allowed to climb, for instance, plastic mind is filled, through stories or threats, or actual punishment, with a sense of danger and evil with which he in his helplessness can not cope. because his mother is afraid he will fall, and his

Lying, of course, comes from the same source. The child lies because he is afraid, either of being misunderstood or punished. Thoreau says, "It takes two to speak the truth; one to speak and one to listen." When the child lies, the burden of the lie too often rests upon the grown people who have him in charge.

Many persons believe that fear is inevitable to man; that it is a race memory; but I believe that fear of the dark, of solitude, is much more likely to come from mind pictures of terrible things which unwitting elders have discussed in the child's presence, or as a result of unwise reading or story-telling in very early childhood. This is difficult to avoid perhaps, but quite possible if parents are willing to be sufficiently watchfui. The magnificent trust with which a child thus guarded can facet he world is a guarantee in itself of success in life.

Unselfishness is one of the virtues which has to be cultivated, for we are not born unselfish. We have to be taught this virtue and of course, the greatest teacher of all is love. I am inclined to think love is the only teacher. Henderson says:

To get children interested in impersonal things is to make them unavoidably unselfish. Solitary children, only sons and daughters, are as a rule extremely selfish, for the simple reason that their lives have been so overwhelmingly personal. The way out is through group activities on the part of the whole family, through pleasures as well as through service. If life is to be permanently successful, and happiness genuine and secure, the major interest must be impersonal, must have to do with something bigger than the little self, must concern itself with the abiding and universal things.

TEACHERS SHOULD EXERCISE MORE

CARE

Kathryn G. Woodside, N. Mex.

In my childhood my mother used to tell me, when I was trying to shirk a task in my desire to complete it, that the world would never inquire how long it took me to do a thing but how well the thing was done. How often those words come back to me as an inspiration to thoroughness! Just lately I have been visiting school rooms where this idea is not as dominant as it should be. Take sewing cards, for instance.

I recently saw a rural teacher pass the sewing cards and let the pupils sew for a half hour without one bit of instruction as to knots, stitches, design, or color. The results were deplorable, but the teacher, a girl of nineteen, said nothing to indicate that she could have wished them different. Knots appeared on the right side, spaces were left unsewed, and the thread was often badly tangled, especially on the wrong side, She showed me the large number they had done during the term, and only one, a circle, happened to approximate neatness and correctness in construction.

**

JUNE

I was shocked and visited another room only to find similar, though not equally bad, results.

In my rural teaching I try to get one set, simple in design, done yearly. My method is to assign the cards to a few at a time as a reward for work well done. I carefully teach knotmaking and give clear instructions as to following the design explaining to the pupil that, if he is careful, the back can, in most cases, be made to look like the face of the card except for knots and fastenings, which is true also of many kinds of embroidery and weaving. On some designs, like the oval square, circle, bird, star, pail, the knots can be made almost imperceptible.

Then write on the board the name of the object, to be copied on the back of the card with the child's name and the date. For young children this is a nice language lesson. On the front I, myself, write in ink the child's given name in small, even characters, and then we use the finished cards for border and frieze about the room. You cannot imagine with what pleasure they regard their handiwork as they comment on their efforts.

Indeed, in many instances the work has been so interesting that older pupils have begged to do a card or two which I have always permitted. It helps the morale. Children are allowed to take these specimens of their work home at the end of the year, and it is a matter of gratification to me that they always wish to do so. "Whatever is worth doing at all is worth doing well."

WITH STICKS AND RINGS

Habits of Movement

Walking naturally and quietly on ball of foot. Sitting and rising gracefully from chairs. Removing chairs quickly and quietly without music or forming line, thereby saving time and developing habits of courtesy and orderliness.

Moving freely and in time with rhythms, each child at his own rate yet with consideration for the rights and pleasure of others.

Rhythms

Movements or activities selected for rhythms should be within the children's experiences.

First rhythms should be chosen from children's natural movements such as walking, skipping, or from dramatic activities such as putting dolls to sleep, beating drums, trotting horses.

Rhythms should portray mood rather than be exact copy of movement. Teacher should arouse idea and feeling to be expressed before rhythm is attempted. Desire for better interpretation will lead to further observation and more accuracy in imitation.

Values of rhythmic movement are (1) to exercise and develop muscles, (2) to give the mind an interpretative control over muscle movement.

Steps in development of rhythmic movement are (1) repetition of natural activity as walking, skipping, (2) repetition of interpretative activity as skating, walking like a horse, dancing like a fairy, (3) activities in contrast as giants and brownies, walking and galloping horses, violins and drums. (4) Setrain going to country, picking flowers, returning on train and walking home, or story told in rhythmic pantominme.

Two approaches to rhythmic interpretation ase (1) child expresses idea through activity and music is supplied as accompaniment. (2) music is played and child responds with interpretative movement. (In kindergarten 2 is not employed as often as 1.) Songs

Character of tone, light head tone can be obtained and preserved through (1) selection of short songs having idea of vivid interest for children, expressed in simple words and with music interpretative of words yet with easy intervals, (2) makng singing period the most joyoos time of day with plenty of humorous songs.

151

Steps in teaching new song, (1) discussion of subject matter to arouse child's imagination, (2) repetition of words of song once or twice by teacher as summing up of child's ideas, (3) music played through once or twice as another mode of expressing same idea, (4) teacher sings song through once or twice, (5) children gathered around piano join with teacher in humming and then singing song once or twice, (6) after children have gained a connected idea of whole Bong (words with melody) then single phrases which seem difficult may be repeated but words should not be separated from their musical context.

Original songs arise at unexpected moments, the teacher must listen carefully to be able to seize the moment of inspiration.

ANSWER ALL WHO CAN

This is my problem which I need help to solve. At present I am tutoring a child of five, from 8:30 until 12 in the morning. The child attends kindergarten in the afternoon from one until three thirty. The boy is especially musical, he would devote an entire day in playing the victrola and knows the name of every record. He also draws and cuts well and knows all the colors. He also can spell his name and count to fifteen. But he seems to lack imagination in that no story interests him and he cannot tell you anything about it even when questioned closely. He does not seem interested in playing stories and most of the time when questioned about various parts of the story will answer "All right" whether it fits in or not. He speaks of himself as "Jerry does this and that" He is very healthy looking and has a bright sparkle in his eye, yet he dreams a great deal and sometimes when excited a great deal will shake.

The mother feels that he does not concentrate enough and wishes me to teach him diligently from 8:30 to 12. Do you not think this would be too strenuous for a five year old and should he not go out doors for fresh air at ten o'clock and perhaps stay out for a half hour?

Just how can I interest this child in the things he lacks? He is not responsive and evidently has been coaxed to do everything. Just how should I discipline him? What stories would you recommend to arouse his interest? What other material could I use to develop his imagination and thinking powers. I have been a Primary teacher up until this year but due to my various other duties am doing tutoring work. I would appreciate an early reply to my problem if possible.

Your magazine has been very helpful to me.