end it develops, expands, gives greater freedom. A group of children working together, thinking together, judging together, deciding together, taking consequences together whether good or not, is expanding its powers."

Shall we test ourselves during this New Year month, in the home, in the Kindergarten and in the school by this great fundamental educational principle? Mothers, it is possible in the home as well as in the school or Kindergarten to follow this principle. HOW CHILDREN GAIN VOCABULARY

By Julia W. Wolfe, New York, N. Y. One of the most interesting discoveries, resulting from the laboratory study of human beings by psychologists, is the almost incredible rapidity with which a child gains its vocabulary. The average child from 4 to 5 years old employs about 1,700 words, and if proper words and names are included, the number is more than 2000. The foundation of the intricate language habits of the adult is to be found in the cries of the infant.

A noted investigator has recorded the following sounds during the first days of a child's life: "M" in conjunction with 'a' as 'ma' (at), 'N' as 'nga (nat) 'g' as 'gah', 'H' as in 'ha' (at, 'r' as burr, very slight sound, and 'y' as in 'yah' (at). Vowel sounds are 'o' as in 'owl', 'e' as in 'fell', 'oo' as in pool, 'a' as in 'and' and 'a' as in father' (relatively rare).

The first words learned have no more significance to an infant than those that a parrot utters have to it. Hearing a child make some instinctive sound remotely resembling a word, its parents, ever anxious to have it speak as soon as possible, reiterate that word many times. In this way words like "ma" and "pa" are acquired.

Words having a definite association with objects or actions are learned much later. The process is believed to be as follows: A child desires some object beyond its reach, as, for instance, a rattle, becoming restless and cries; its mother, endeavoring to find out the cause of the child's discomfort, hands it the rattle, saying, "Baby, want a rattle?" "Here is your rattle." Receiving it the child stops crying. The same process is repeated many times, and gradually the child begins to understand that by saying 'rattle' it can get that particular object much quicker than otherwise. This, to be sure, is only a rough description of language acquisition.

At the end of the first year the average child has a vocabulary of about eight or nine words. During the second year there is an increase from 250 to 300 words, and some of the children tested had a command of up to 400 words. At the end of the third year children have a vocabulary of about 800 words. By the time they are four or four and one half years old they actually employ 2000 words. After this age the extent of a child's vocabulary becomes more and more dependent on its environment.

An interesting factor in the language habits of

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children is their universal tendency to talk almost continually. The talking child is, in reality, thinking. It is only after social training has exerted itself that the child abandons "auditory thinking" for "silent thinking." This conception of thought, while not thoroughly established, has at present the weight of scientific observation in its favor. Some adults have never got over the habit of talking or moving their lips while reading or thinking.

Differences in the voice of every individual may be observed from birth. A mother can distinguish the cry of her infant even in a large nursery, and strangers, for that matter. An interesting question in this connection is just why a correct speaking knowledge, of a foreign language can seldom, if ever, be acquired after maturity. One authority has offered the explanation that it is because of the structural changes going on in the larynx, ossification of these structures beginning about the twentieth year.

A HEALTH CHORE FOR A COLD IN THE HEAD By Gertrude Vaughn, Logan, Iowa.

One health chore that can be taught and practiced in school by the younger children, throughout the grades and in high school is the chore that may prevent serious effects following a cold in the head.

Many times a cold in the head may be the beginning of permanent deafness. A ringing in the head with a cold shows that there is inflamation in the membranes lining the eustachian tubes. Any swelling of these membranes prevents air from passing freely up the tubes to the inside of the tympanium or ear drum. When there is greater pressure of air on the outside of the drum than on the inside, head noises or a ringing of the ears will result. Often a cold in the head causes the tympanic membrane to become inelastic, so that it does not vibrate as it should. This also causes deafness.

A very successful specialist of the eyes, ears, nose and throat, tells of a simple method which if practiced through life will relieve head noises and prevent deafness from cold in the head. His method is to hold the nostrils tightly between the thumb and finger so no air escapes, then attempt to blow the nose. One must blow hard enough to make a popping feeling in each ear. This forces the air up to the inside of the drum, and as long as the eustachian tubes are kept open, there is even air pressure and head noises are relieved.

Forcing air through these tubes causes the tympanium to vibrate when the air strikes it.

This health chore should be practiced four or five times a day and air should be forced up the tubes three or four times in succession.

Before all flags whose colors glow,
We love the old, old flag, you know,
We're marching on together,
With willing feet we follow you,
We hear you call, red, white and blue,
Wave on, wave on forever.

At the beginning of a New Year, it is natural to look forward with earnest hopes and with new resolves in our own personal life. It helps to have these periodic resting and "starting anew" points. How monotonous it would be without them! How important to make the best use of them!

We come with a New Year greeting for our little people! Yes, with a very Happy New Year greeting for them. Happy indeed it is for the children and for you, dear Kindergartner, to start your New Year in a Kindergarten! In a child's garden! There is something about a garden that almost always brings happy thoughts, thoughts of expectancy, of growth, of possibilities, of bright colors, of sweet odors, of delicate forms!

Froebel loved flowers. Have you ever read of his last words? "I love God, I love flowers, I love children, I love everything!"

Take to your child-garden such love as his, and you and the children are bound to have a Happy New Year!

January is named for the god Janus. Janus is represented with two faces which seems most appropriate for the first month of the New Year. This is not a thought for the children but may not those two faces suggest to us the wisdom of looking back as well as forward?

In thinking of the new program for January, I was reminded that I had not referred to "The Kindergarten Curriculum" published by the Bureau of Education in Washington, D. C. for some time.

For our new readers let me again suggest sending for it addressing The Government Printing Office, enclosing ten cents for Bulletin, 1919, N. 16.

Let me meanwhile give you the outline of subject matter given in this bulletin for January, February and March:

1. Life in the Community: Houses for different families; shrubs, walks, street lights; modes of transportation in the community; public buildings needed by many families; various shops and stores; post office; fire department; school; church.

2. Seasonal interests: Out-of-door play in snow and ice; heating and lighting of homes and other buildings; celebration of St. Valentine's Day; recognition of Washington's birthday; care of plants grown from bulbs planted in the autumn; care of pet animals, fishes, birds, etc. (Consult pages 17, 18, 70 and 71 of this bulletin.)

Looking backward even further than 1919, those who have access to the Jubilee Edition of the Paradise of Childhood will do well to look up the "Hu

manitarian Program" described in that book. This program, proposed by Miss Harriette Melissa Mills, guides us under the simpler headings "Home" and "Nature."

"Home," including the neighborhood with its busy workers, naturally covers the same topics as those given above under (1) while "Nature" includes those under (2).

Shall we now ask, as we did last month what is the Kindergartner's project for January? Remembering that she must have projects as well as the children, tho she holds herself in readiness to drop hers and adopt theirs or probably work hers into theirs. What a Kindergartner may Project for January "After the holidays."

Aim. 1. To extend the usual daily greeting to a Happy New Year greeting, possibly introducing a pretty picture calendar in an attempt to organize time relations. A renewed interest in the clock also. (Habit-regularity.)

2. To review and enjoy with the children their holiday experiences, encouraging them to bring some of their new toys to share with each other.

in

(Habit forming-sociability, unselfishness, creasing pleasure by sharing it with others.) 3. To have the children enjoy winter sports incidentally increasing their knowledge of the season and of other children who see snow all the year (Habit forming, looking beyond our immediate neighbors to children far away.)

4. To lead the children to notice more closely the streets, the buildings, the work going on in them, and to imitate these in kindergarten work and play (Habit forming-interest in daily labor.) The Kindergartner's Method in Preparing.

1. She plays with children during the holidays in her own family or if there are none, she seeks children elsewhere, thus she realizes best what children do with their toys and renews her interest in play.

2. She reads stories of "Snow-land" and hunts for pictures of Children playing in the snow.

She selects stories, poems and songs relating to winter and to fur-bearing animals.

3. She reviews trade games as the carpenter, the blacksmith and music to accompany them. She practices rhythmic music suggesting hammering, etc. She borrows tools and practices drawing them.

4. She thinks of snow-stars, and their beauty; she enjoys the winter sky with the stars of heaven, she watches for Orion.

She watches the sun as it comes earlier and remains longer and practices catching the light-bird

for she knows by bringing these beauties of nature frequently to her own soul, she can best bring them to the children. She practices rhythms suggesting the dance of snow flakes.

5. She plans to work with the following standards as guides.

1. To see that the children work with a purpose in view.

2. To encourage initiative listening to their suggestions.

3. To lead children to organize their own ideas in carrying out a project.

4. To lead them to judge simply their own work and that of the other children, to praise and admire rather than to find fault.

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5. To encourage conversation about their work and the ability to ask an intelligent question. aid in building a rich vocabulary.

6. To encourage trying or experimenting in simple ways to get a desired result rather than dictating.

7. To encourage the spirit that nurtures, as in feeding pets, caring for doll's clothing, for those in the kindergarten younger than themselves, or for those who need their help as in putting on a coat, or buttoning "A hard button."

8. To encourage wonder and reverence while looking at natural objects; in looking up to parents, to teachers, to God.

DAY'S ORDER

1. Personal greetings on arrival.

2. Free play period. Table work, if desired.

3. Quietive music-toys put away, find seats in circle or in a group about the piano.

4.

5.

Conversations, story, songs-prayer.

Rhythms, marches, games.

6. Rest period, lunch or run out-of doors.

7. Lullaby on return, Children tell simple stories as nursery rhymes. Kindergartner may add a story. 8. Table work or building on the floor or in a sand box.

9. Drawing, after carefully putting away other materials.

10. Games, closing with polite goodbyes. 11. Warnings and messages to Mother. Note: A certain regularity or routine is helpful to children. They learn to look for and expect certain changes. No order of exercises should be followed slavishly, but keep to the order unless there is a reason for change which seems natural and

helpful.

Seek the golden mean between a rigid order and no order.

PROMOTION DAY;

If promotions are made at the end of January, this fact should be borne in mind. The older children should be held a little more responsible, and such conduct as will help them to adjust themselves to the new conditions should be required,

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Of course if there is the same spirit of love and helpfulness thruout the school, if activity is not considered unlawful, there need be no anxiety, but if the change is to be a sudden plunge into strict dis cipline, it is only kind to prepare the way.

Visiting between kindergarten and the next grade has been fruitful of good results when carried out with tact.

Sometimes a group of children about to be promoted, are taken to the new room a few days before promotion for a visit. Knowing that they are not to stay, makes the change less formidable to the timid children. Perhaps the new teacher invites them to sing a song, and also has her class sing for the kindergarten. What would we do without music? How it cheers the spirit and brings out the best in us. It sweetens our voices and our tempers, does it not? That is, good music, but almost any is better than none. Perhaps you loan your Kindergarten Magazine to the first year teacher, or perhaps you take it together and often consult.

Perhaps she reports to you occasionally a peculiar difficulty in John or Jane and asks your help in solv. ing the problem because you have had touch with their homes and know more about their lives.

How ideal it is to have such happy interchanges between teachers of all grades. Start it from the Kindergarten and see it rise up thru the school!

Some one asked a Kindergartner what she would urge if she could give but one suggestion.

The answer came promptly "I would say" love the children, be sure you love them."

Can we have any better slogan for the New Year? Let us all try it.

A PROJECT FOR JANUARY Building our street.

1. Observation on a walk and reports from memory in the morning circle about our street. What kind of houses, stores on it. Who built them? Why? How many have you been' in?

Tell me about the grocer's-the book store, the toy store, the shoe store, etc.

How is the street paved? Who paved it? Who keeps it clean?

Is it well cleaned? Should we throw papers or banana skins on the ground? Why not?

What happens when it rains? When it snows? Do children play in your street? How do you come to kindergarten?

What would we do without a street to walk on? 2. Would you like to make our street on the floor? How could we do it? Children suggest "with our blocks."

Get the blocks you want and try. (It may appear that a leader is needed to direct-One is chosen.) Whatever result follows, do not be too critical. Make a few suggestions and suggest putting the blocks away and trying again tomorrow.

3. After all is quiet, have another talk about the