6

"Each year the kindergarten children come to school better prepared than the year before. I have noted this particularly in regard to discipline. They are each year more ready to settle down to quiet work. They seem each year to be more evenly developed."

7

"The discipline in my class during the time I had kindergarten children was as good, if not better, than it was when I had children come to me from their homes. In point of fact, I much prefer the kindergarten children."

8

"The moral side of the child's nature receives special care in the kindergarten. The careful, firm discipline of the kindergarten has a great effect upon the receptive minds and hearts of the children. Many of the mothers are glad to testify to this influence. The rough child grows more gentle, the thoughtless child more careful."

9

"The most important characteristic of my kindergarten children was their high moral tone. There was among them more than the usual spirit of kindness, good will and helpfulness. They were more easily controlled than other children by an appeal to reason or honor. For little children, they had a very quick perception of right and wrong."

ΙΟ

Kindergarten children give so much better attention, follow directions so much more readily and apply themselves so much more diligently that they progress much more rapidly than other children. Their work is always well done and they do all the work given them, particularly what is known as busy work. A great deal of time is saved in this way and the discipline of the school is made much easier."

Replying to the questions with regard to the relative progress of kindergarten children and the character of

their work thirty-eight teachers report both a progress quicker in point of time and improvement in the quality of work. Thirteen teachers report increased rapidity without change in the character of work, and twenty-eight improvement in the character of work without increased rapidity of progress. Thus fifty-one report greater rapidity, sixty-six improvement in quality of work, and seventy-nine a decided gain either in speed or quality or in both. The remaining twenty-three teachers seem to consider that kindergarten training increases the child's general intelligence but does not noticeably affect the ordinary routine of school work.

In the Kindergarten Magazine for March of the current year Miss Sarah Louise Arnold, superintendent of primary. schools, Boston, pronounces a judgment which confirms the majority report of the teachers whose testimony I have summarized. Her statement is as follows: "As a matter of fact the children who have had the full kindergarten training advance much more rapidly than do the children who come to the primary room without such training. In certain schools the kindergarten children have been separated from the other children entering the first grade, and have been taught by teachers who understood the work of the kindergarten. In almost every instance these classes have completed the primary course in two years instead of three."

To the disciple of Froebel the most interesting paragraphs of the Boston letters are those which answer the question, "What, if anything, have you observed as to the characteristics of kindergarten children as compared with other children?" In condensing these replies I have grouped them under three heads, first, specific gain in knowledge and skill, second, intellectual, and, third, moral characteristics. The specific gains mentioned are clearer ideas of number, form and color; greater knowledge of and interest in nature, improved singing, better expression in reading, improved articulation, more orderly and careful arrangement of material in busy work, and greater manual skill shown especially in writing and drawing. The intel

lectual characteristics of kindergarten children as compared with others are said to be greater general activity of mind, quicker comprehension, a more receptive mental attitude, greater logical power, greater concentration, more imagination, greatly increased powers of observation and expression, quicker recognition of likenesses, differences and relations, greater love for the beautiful and visibly increased originality and creative power. Of their moral characteristics it is said that as compared with others kindergarten children are neater, cleaner, more orderly, more industrious and more persevering. They are also more self-reliant, more painstaking and more self-helpful. They are less self-conscious and more polite. They obey more quickly and are more gentle towards each other. They have a more developed spirit of helpfulness. They are more eager, alert, enthusiastic and responsive. They are interested in a wider range of subjects. They have finer sensibilities, manifest love for and confidence in their teachers and show special interest in everything pertaining to home and family life.

In thus condensing the evidence of many different writers I necessarily rob it of force and color. It seems well, therefore, to present a limited number of replies in full in order that readers may judge for themselves of the impression created by kindergarten children upon teachers of different character, age and experience.

I

"I have taught children in the first grade about six years. About 35 per cent have come to me from the kindergarten. "These children show certain characteristics which are not so fully developed in the other children. Their intellectual qualities are, as a rule, more fully developed, especially perception, imagination, memory and power of thought. Their sensibilities, too, as a general thing, are much quicker to act. For example, if a flower is given to each member of the class, it is the little boy or girl who has attended the kindergarten who is the first to feel its beauty. Power of expression is well developed in these children. What stands

out more than anything else in these small kindergarten people is the cheerful, sunny atmosphere they bring to the primary room and the spirit of kindness and helpfulness. In other words, they have begun to come into that stage where love for all humanity is developed in a simple childlike way. It seems to me that this is the most important characteristic of the child from the kindergarten.

"I think the progress of these children in the primary school is greatly facilitated by their previous training. Their progress has been quicker as to time.

of the work done has been improved."

II

The character

"I have taught children in the first grade two years. "The first year 72 per cent had attended kindergarten ; the second year 74 per cent.

"The kindergarten child observes more quickly and with greater accuracy. He is methodical in thought, and, consequently, in all expression, oral, written and manual. From an ethical standpoint he is superior to the non-kindergarten child. In all ways he is more intelligent, more nearly the being his Creator meant him to be.

The kindergarten training has been a powerful agent in stimulating the ambition of the child and in making progress a continual joy.

"In the majority of cases the progress of the kindergarten children has been quicker in point of time. In all cases the character of the work has been improved."

III

"I have taught a little over two years in the first grade. "Last year all my children had attended the kindergarten; this year only 5 per cent.

"I have found that where the children have had a kindergarten training they are much more industrious, interested, observant, enthusiastic, imaginative, responsive and courteous. They have more general information. The training they have received is a great help in number, language, expression in reading, drawing and all manual work.

"The progress has been quicker in point of time, and the work on an average much neater."

IV

"I have taught children in the first grade for five years. "Until November of the present school year about 80 per cent of my children have come to me from the kindergarten. Very few children have come directly to me from their homes. Those who have not come from the kindergarten have usually spent more or less time in the first grade before they have come to me.

"The majority of the kindergarten children have been more anxious to work. They have had more confidence in their ability to do what is required of them, and have shown more perseverance in conquering difficulties. Their work has been cleaner, neater and arranged in a more orderly manner. Their power of concentration is much stronger. Their creative power is also much more highly developed. Through their games and talks, they have acquired more knowledge of the world about them, which knowledge has been of much help to them in their new work, especially in reading, language and drawing. They have learned to write more readily, and they have clearer ideas of number. Their love of the beautiful and their power of appreciating beautiful thoughts have been much greater.

"As a rule, the child who has had a full kindergarten training has done much better, stronger work in the first grade than one who has been in the kindergarten but a short time, or than one whose attendance has been very irregular.

Progress has been quicker in point of time, for the children who have had the benefit of the full kindergarten training have accomplished more in a given time than those of the same age who have not received the same training. The character of the work has been improved."

V

"I have taught children in the first grade thirty-two years. "Since the kindergarten was established in our district, about four years ago, about fifty per cent of my pupils have come to me from that grade. Before that time, I received only a few children from the kindergarten.

"The characteristics of kindergarten children consist of trained powers of observation, skill in using the hands, a