NEW HORIZONS
for THE CHILD
BY STANWOOD COBB Author of
The New Leaven Discovering , “
” “
the Genius Within You etc ”,
.
THE AVALON PRESS Washington , D
C . . COPYRIGHT , 1934 , BY STANWOOD COBB
FIRST PUBLISHED , MAY , 1934 SECOND PRINTING , DECEMBER , 1934
MANUFACTURED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA FOR THE AVALON PRESS, WASHINGTON , D. C. BY THE NATIONAL CAPITAL PRESS, WASHINGTON , D. C. Dedicated to
QUEENE FERRY COONLEY teacher , parent , educational organizer esteemed comrade in the cause of progressive education magnanimous and significant contributor toward the expansion and enrichment of the school life of the child . Digitized by Go gle Original from UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN ABOUT THE AUTHOR STANWOOD COBB is one of the best known writers and educators in the field of the new child training . He was the founder and or ganizer of the Progressive Education Asso ciation of which he was for some years presi dent. Stanwood Cobb ' s New Leaven , published in 1928 , has become one of the leading books on the subject of the new education . It is used widely in teacher ' s training schools and colleges , by teachers , and also by parents . In 1919 the author founded his now inter nationally known Chevy Chase Country School in order to put into practice his ad vanced theories of education . Five years later he started his Mast Cove Camp at Eliot, Maine, as a summer extension of his school . New Horizons for the Child he In embodies the results of years of close sym pathetic study of the child in these two insti tutions . Stanwood Cobb is the author of — in addi tion to New Horizons for the Child and The New Leaven - Discovering the Genius With in You , The Wisdom of Wu Ming Fu , The Essential Mysticism , Ayesha of the Bospho rus, The Real Turk , Simla — a Tale in Verse . min
vii Digitized by Go gle Original from UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER ONE : - A New World and a New Child ... .. CHAPTER Two : Understanding the Child . . . . .. CHAPTER THREE : The Behavior of the Child . . . . . CHAPTER FOUR : Character Training . . . . CHAPTER FIVE : The LE .. .. Child at Home . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
CHAPTER SIX : The Child as an Individual . . . . . . . .
CHAPTER SEVEN : The Child as an Active Being . . . . . . . . . . . CHAPTER EIGHT : The Limitations of Activity Education . . . . 115
CHAPTER NINE : The Child as a Creative Being . . . . . . . . . .. CHAPTER Ten : Training Children to Think . . . . . . . .
CHAPTER ELEVEN : The Eternal Battle Between Romanticism and Classicism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
CHAPTER TWELVE : Builders of a New Civilization . . . . . . . . . . APPENDIX . i I
Digitized by Go gle Original from UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN THERE is one movement above the edu - cational horizon which would seem to show promise of genuine and creative leader . I refer to the Progressive Education ship
movement . Surely in this union of two of the great faiths of the American people , the faith inprogress and the faith in educa tion , we have reason to hope for light and guidance . - George S . Counts .
THE question of the New Education is of the utmost importance at the pres ent time. It is , and ought to be , nothing less than a profound reform of life, similar to that of the Sixteenth Century — a potent heresy which is renewing the vital forces of humanity . - Romain Rolland . EDUCATION : THREE CARDINAL PRINCIPLES THE universities and schools of the world must I hold fast to three cardinal principles : Whole -hearted service to the cause of education , the unfolding of the mysteries of nature , the exten sion of the boundaries of science , the elimination of the causes of ignorance and social evils , a standard universal system of instruction .
Service to the cause of morality , raising the moral tone of the students , inspiring them with the sub limest ethical ideals , teaching them altruism , incul cating in their lives the beauty of holiness and the excellency of virtue .
Service to the oneness of the world of humanity ; so that each student may consciously realize that he is a brother to all mankind , irrespective of religion or race . The thoughts of universal peace must be instilled in the minds of all the scholars , in order that they may become the armies of peace , the real servants of the body politic — the world . Excerpt from a statement made by Abdul Baha to President Bliss of the American College of Bei rut, Syria , at Haifa , Palestine .
xii CHAPTER ONE
A New World and a New Child
the THAT changes do you think New Order will necessitate education recently
in
" ?
as asked high government official we a
of were discussing various phases the new economic
by be affected to state Education bound this is . "
of
amazing epoch transformation when men minds
's are working the world over toward progress and ,
,
reconstruction Why we have never known such ,
a .
stupendously transforming romantic and creative ,
, period all history in
!”
the Elizabethan Age of
With the exception
", "
I interjected for then was added to
the vast expan , "
by of
sion culture and intellectual power wrought the discovery of
the Renaissance whole New a
of is, of World with apparently limitless possibilities ,
exploration and new wealth But certainly this , .
next the Elizabethan Age the greatest period to
as
adventure the world whole has ever known a
."
And we went discuss what might happen to on to of
this searching for truth this of as
education result , a
expansion mental horizons this quest for social , El
and economic Dorados which fusing rapidly is
not only government officials but also the vast body of
citizenry into united vehicle for new and valid a
the new humanity of
creations adequate the needs to
emerging from the ruins past of
the . New Horizons for the Child Certainly two things will happen in education , already are happening , in fact . The first thing happening is that the romance of contemporaneous affairs , acting as a great stimulus to youth , is beginning to curriculums from transform archaic forms of the dead past to vital human forms of the living present. Educators everywhere are quick to see the need and the advantage of making educational capital out of the potency and thrill of this vast current of change and transformation that is affecting the organized life of humanity to its very foundations . Having once bridged the gulf between school and life , will education ever lapse again into out-moded curriculums and methods so divorced from the ap peal of life itself ? I do not think it will. And that was the first point my governmental friend and I agreed upon . Secondly , not only education but society as a whole is beginning to call out to the youth of the world " Prepare yourselves now , so that when you take the reins of power you will be better builders of civiliza tion than have been your progenitors ." What a stupendous responsibility , then , falls upon the world ' s educators : that of helping the youth of today make themselves adequate to the tasks of tomorrow . The major problem now facing education is not : “ How can we improve the teaching of Latin and Greek and mathematics ? ” But rather : - “ How can we set forth to youth the political, economic and A New World and a New Child 3
social problems of today in such a way that youth shall become not only ardent students of , but also creative contributors to , the progress of civilization ? ” These two great changes are impending in educa tion as inevitable corollaries of the New Order .
Education , however , was undergoing an immense change , before the New Order started — a change compelled and guided by the structural expansion the new technological civilization has been making in the psychology of childhood . Even more than adults , children have been sensitively responding to the changing environment which modern science and industry have been creating . The world our children are living in today is a very different world from that in which we adults grew up . It is a world packed with dramatic events — international activities , inventions , scientific discoveries — which are conveyed to the child on the front page of newspapers , on the movie screen , by radio , and through the conversation of adults . When I was a boy I never thought to look at the family newspaper . I should not have found much of interest and value to boyhood in it . There were then few of the recordings of inventions, discoveries , and progress which find so much space in the higher class newspapers of today . Living in the suburbs of Boston I led a childhood life quite simple and primitive compared with the New Horizons for the Child life of today . There were in our family life no electric lights , no telephone, no radio , and no auto mobile . A train took us into the city , nine miles away ; and from there we would for summer diver sion frequent by boat or narrow -gauge the numerous charming beaches of Greater Boston . This was the farthest I ever got from home until the bicycle came into yogue . Then I found it fascinating to explore the surrounding country within the radius of forty or fifty miles . When at the age of seventeen I went to Dartmouth College , one hundred and fifty miles from Boston , it was a great adventure , a widening experience of travel . Such in chief part was the town life of the average boy or girl in the nineties .
Contrast with that simple life the childhood life of 1934 . How full of excitement, of travel , of con stant stimulus is the life of the child who enters to his
day upon education career And this the is !
significant point of
notice the vast majority to
these :
vivid impressions and stimuli come to
the child from sources other than books .
Today the life external the child surrounding to
, at
every vastly at
turn educative the same is
him ,
time that vastly interesting The town dwell it is
- .
ing child daily accumulating without the aid either is
, of or
great amount knowledge of
of
school books , a
regarding the highly complex and constantly pro A New World and a New Child
gressing of his contemporaneous world . civilization What will be the psychological pull exerted upon him by school books and school lessons , in com parison with the call of that infinitely vivid and com plex environment of his life with which modern artifice confronts him outside the school ?
all Today — and here is the situation which educa tors must face the school win the inter
, is to if it , -
est and earnest effort of the child must be vivid and inspiring must definitely show some connection It .
with this outside life which exciting mentally
so so is
, as
stimulating as
well psychically .
Not only life different but today would seem is
it ,
more eager he
that the child different too is , is
;
minded more sensitive more nervously active more ,
,
,
intensive more versatile Especially this true is
in ,
.
appears that new type form of
America race It
is a .
by
of
ing here migration ambitious , to
due selection pioneering types stimulating climate and the to
to ,
complex urban and semi urban life of
environment -
be . or
Whether not acquired characteristics can heredity certainly by
true that the on
handed is ,
it of
higher education women during the last genera an
tion has made enormous difference motherhood in
.
Children born and reared such college parented in
-
homes have susceptibilities tastes and needs new in ,
, of
the history childhood . New Horizons for the Child
How are we going to educate these new children of a new world ? The old folk -ways will not suffice . The routine drill methods of former generations are out- dated . Let us hope they soon will become obsolete . In the days before printing it was necessary to make of the scholar a walking encyclopedia . Today with the world 's knowledge on tap all around us it is as unnecessaryfor us to overcram our minds with factual knowledge as it is to overcram our stomachs with food like savages who know not when their next meal is coming . What the child of today needs is to have the school open up in him rich cultural tastes and appetites , and develop his individual abilities and personality to the fullest possible extent . In our haste to get millions of children educated through grammar school and high school, we have developed mass education to a high point of effi ciency . Quantity production is assured in our schools . But the quality of education needs to be improved . It is not by any means what it might be ; or what it can be , as demonstrated by experimental schools of the progressive type . “ We need to make infinitely better the average education which the average child receives , " says Franklin D . Roosevelt . The general poor quality of mass education is not to wondered at when we realize that universal be free public education has been in vogue only about a hundred years ; that the art of printing has been applied for only four hundred years ; that our Anglo A New World and a New Child 7
Saxon race and most of the races of Europe have
for known the art of writing and practised only about twelve hundred years
. When this intellectually awakened period
of the European races compared with the
in to six thousand
is years history and the fifty one hun of
recorded years prehistoric Europe
of dred thousand life
, any wonder that our schools are not yet per is it
the point of developing children into cul to
fected tured individuals ?
of
of The chief criticism the typical school today
of that does not enough grip the life the child it is
, seizing and maneuvering into intellectual interests it
and cultural habits .
Because the child has already been seized and by
possessed the rich human and scientifically he
progressive qualities passes of
his environment ,
al through the standardized text book school life -
most immune academic enthusiasms to
.
most notable document this effect recently to A
came into my hands evidence from representative a ( of
that group least able analyze and express their to
dissatisfactions with the current educational sys tem
of
the children themselves lad four , .,
A i.
. e
)
years attending public high school Balti in
teen ,
a
more writes me the following rather extraordinary ,
letter : New Horizons for the Child
“ Dear Mr. Cobb : " I first met you through the medium of your book , Discovering the Genius Within You . Since the first reading of that volume , however , I have perused it so much that now I almost feel as if I were writ ing to old friend . an come to the point, however , this book has " To been making me , among other things , '
up sit and happening during the
six of
take notice what is hours spend school every day Perhaps had in I
I . ( better explain right here that
am the low tenth
in I grade High School of at
fourteen —
, - years somewhat inquiring nature of
age and ,
a
.) For the nine and half years have been attending a
I of public schools various parts the country have
, in
I as
taken school largely some sort necessary of a any way be to
disease not confused with such in ,
interesting things chemical experiments interest as
,
ing books etc fact until quite recently never In
it ,
,
, .
be me that was really supposed to occurred to
I
learning However when read your book began ,
, I
I .
seriously try analyze my school and compare to
it to
, of
with your description New Education found '
of .' I
my purpose as
that blindness the school to
is
almost universal The sole object going school to in .
get good marks your parents will reward to
so is
you handsomely incidentally you happen to If,
, .
anything tell your parents who then to
learn you it ,
,
say What bright boy After which you proceed ,
, a
! '
up
forget clutter your mind as
serves it In to
to it
.
my experience school the things have learned in
I A New World and a New Child
' ' best are how to stuff for innumerable tests ; how to get by with not doing my homework ; and how to pay as little attention as possible to the teacher and allied objects . However , I sympathize strongly with the pupil , who I think , is not to blame . The system , of teaching at this school is one to get such results . It is one in which the teacher is a feared , and some times hated , martinet ; in which the slightest offense brings down showers of threats of the ' office, ' and bad marks ; and in which particular emphasis is laid in teaching ' obedience .' " One other thing , however , I feel I should men tion ; that is the extra -curricular activity of the school . This is really superlative . There are some thirty clubs and many athletic teams. As none of these are compulsory , most of them have interested members . In fact they probably do much more for the cause of education than the classes . " All this , Dr. Cobb , is what is bothering me. Since I first thought the situation over , I determined to try to improve on it . I have thought of many ways ; most of them , however , unsatisfactory . Of course , what I would most like to do about it, is to switch over to some really progressive school . Respectfully yours , B - C - , Jr ."
The traditional school succeeds in somewhat train ing the mind ; but it does not enrich the soul. It 10 New Horizons for the Child
lot many
of of crams in a facts them useless and
; ( be soon forgotten but does not maintain
it to
, ) increase and direct into fruitful cultural channels
's , the child natural thirst for knowledge forms
It . of mental habits routine nature but does not
it ; a sufficiently teach how analyze differentiate and
to
,
, independently judge
.
as of us we look about see what form mental If
to life the vast mass , of average youth enjoy result
a of
of popular education we find be sensational
to it
a an of
rather than intellectual order
. Look the magazines that flood our newstands at
; lending libraries of fill
the books that the shelves
; the movies that scream their attractions
to devotees of the screen of all
these we find the basic In
: .
of be
satisfaction the arousal sensations rather to
than the emotional and intellectual upliftment which high art of emanates from the beauty and suggestion
. of
The school life today very little modifying , is
the primitive the sensational the barbaric man ,
in
. of of
Habits reading have enormously increased the vogue pulp magazines but have anything if ,
, ;
of
only wrought injury magazines to
former culture .
The ubiquitous neighborhood screen affords fresh of
sensations lurid type tri weekly but has it , a
- of
widened the scope and appeal great drama such of of as
entertained the populace Athens The spread ?
public libraries and lending libraries has furnished in
reading possibilities the millions to
but has it ,
creased literary taste ? A New World and a New Child 11
Children have an innate aversion to abstract thinking . In fact , mankind in general has no natural proclivity for using the brain for the purpose of ratiocination . Boys have an instinctive and deep seated proclivity for running , for playing , for fishing , for swimming , for activities of all kinds . But in order to lead children to think , we must lead them from where they are to where we want them to be . We must take hold of natural interests and use these in such a way as to help children develop into in tellectual beings. If we analyze the average personality of those who have met successfully the requirements of sec ondary or collegiate education , we find it quite evi dent that not even the intellectual aims of education are being attained . Our higher education is not succeeding turning out thinking beings — men and in women able to read aright the signs of the times ; able to direct not only themselves but others along paths of progress . As I look about at my fellow alumni as well as at other college men and women , I wonder how many of them are really thinking deeply , unselfishly , and disinterestedly about life . How many of the college men and women that you know are making a sincere effort to understand the life of the contemporaneous world and to help to better this life ? Many are , and it is to their credit . But the number of those who are leading thoughtful lives in comparison with those who are not is too 12 New Horizons for the Child
small to prove any general efficacy of college training along even intellectual lines , not to speak of emo tional and moral gains . Now , as never before , we need consecrated leaders of humanity . Men and women with creative minds , with just and righteous minds not subverted by self interests but dedicated to great public needs . Such mentalities do not result from the routine mental discipline type of education which rather enables individuals to intelligently carry on the status quo than to improve the world 's situation . The exigencies
for of a changing civilization call
of creative type
a education which will arouse students think for
to themselves upon world problems which will help ; analyze judge to
them discriminate to
to ,
,
.
Not only of
does the life today call for creative personalities guide humanity into new paths to
in at
which we must walk we are arrive livable , if
to
a
civilization but also since mechanical progress ;
to is
plainly destined bring great deal of , to
leisure a
the average person the modern age calls for cultured personalities capable putting spare time of
to
worth while uses Unless humanity able turn leisure is
be to .
into cultural values would better kept it ,
the in
harness during all the daylight hours .
the past only privileged few have had leisure In
a A New World and a New Child 13
which would bear fruit in cultural enjoyment of life , while it took almost all the energy of the average individual to supply his physical needs . This leisure of the few , though unjustly built upon slavery or economic exploitation of the masses , has been of immense advantage to the world 's progress in the fine and practical arts . Without this leisure there could have been no flowering periods of culture such as those of Athens , of Rome, of Florence ; no aristocracy of taste such as has created in Europe and more notably still in the Orient a refinement of aesthetic feeling which both evokes and rewards the work of great artists . Now we are on the eve of a vast economic revolu tion which guarantees to every individual, even of the laboring class , many hours of leisure daily . Rightly used , this universal leisure can become the foundation of vast and stupendously beautiful a
democratic culture expressing the aspirations and creations of the many rather than of the few . But how shall we prepare the future race for such an epochal use and enjoyment of leisure ? If there is to be an intrinsic cultural taste in the masses , there must be aroused in the child during the course his
of of
education that side his nature which per acquisition knowledge the of
tains the eager to
, of
creative development the intellect the rich en ,
joyment Youth the time develop to of
culture is .
cultural trends which will continue beyond the pre of
cincts scholastic education . 14 New Horizons for the Child
If intellectual ability and cultural taste are to be formed into a habit during youth , it is quite evident that this development must take place in some way that will be pleasurable to the child from the begin ning of his schooling . As Herbert Spencer has wisely said : " So long as the acquisition of knowl edge is habitually repugnant , so long will there be a prevailing tendency to discontinue it when free from the coercion of parents and teachers . " When we look at education from this point of view , it is evident that the accumulation of facts is fairly unimportant compared with the development of habits , appreciations , and abilities . We must send youth forth into life already cultivated for the en joyment of leisure , and imbued so far as capacity permits with the love of truth , beauty , and wisdom . The proportion of life after school age is so much greater than those years subject to the duress of learning that we perceive it to be a poor pedagogic economy to so drive the memory -mind of the stu dent that he reacts from learning and culture once he is free from scholastic obligations . Moreover , the / years after school life - being more mature , more enriched and enlightened by experience — are years when intellectual and cultural activity can gather , if so inclined , treasures of beauty and wisdom im possible to youth . How foolish , how tragic , then , to apply a mere disciplinary system of education which fails adequately to arouse intellectual interest A New World and a New Child 15
the
the and co -operation on the part of pupil
In ! support this important pedagogic discovery
of lies experimental educa
of the main emphasis that new tion which the name progressive has been . to
"
" applied
of The leading our country are aware educators of
these needs education and are rapidly making in
changes the direction methods which awaken . of in
of greater response But great
im children
is it in
, - portance that the parents also should concern them This of
selves with the education their children
. responsibility which parents should not delegate is a
wholly the professional educator to
.
generation ago parents did not feel qualified
to A
pass upon the education They of
their children .
delivered their children school and then washed to a
the matter trusting wholly of
their hands the of in ,
educator because they did not feel capable dis .
criminating or as
educational methods educational to
goals .
But today things are different Parents are not .
only deeply interested education being of
the kind in
given but they are frequently to
their children , of
qualified judge educational policies methods to
,
of ,
and goals Especially are they the best judges .
the schooling upon their children of
the effect They .
know better than anyone else the child reaction 's
or
school whether the child to
the interested is - * 16 New Horizons for the Child
bored , whether the child is being intellectually awak ened or intellectually stultified by the school . It depends upon the culture and insight of the parents what type of education is given in any com munity . For in a social democracy such as ours it is the parents who choose the school board , the school board who choose the superintendent , and the super intendent who establishes the general policy of edu cation . Clearly it all goes back fundamentally to the parents in any given community whether the method of education there used is a progressive or a conservative one. Therefore it is very important that parents should acquire some ability to judge of the values in these two opposing schools of education — the old -type , formal, discipline method ; and the new - type stimula tive , inspirational , creative method .
In the last decade there has been a most tremen
dous swing of general educational philosophy toward the new liberalism . This change has been due not to any single factor so much as to the general evolution of education harmony with the developments go in ing on in other phases of our social and economic
life . The fact is that humanity is moving forward very rapidly these days . No single department of human thought or activity has been left untouched by the electrical stimulation of modernity . A New World and a New Child 17
Is it any wonder that education is becoming revolutionized ? This world -wide movement for a new education — it is going on in Europe , Asia , and South America as well as in the United States — is part of the general progress which has become so marvelously accelerated since the beginning of the present century, in a world where all the old foundations are crumbling and the new order has . hardly yet arisen out of the chaos of confusion which characterizes all institutions — religious , social , political, and economic as well as educational . The principles of " progressive " education are but a part of the general progress of the times , as shown by support which they receive from such hearty movements as modern psychology , child study , men tal hygiene and neurology . The public school system is rapidly accepting these principles in theory , and beginning in many places to put them into practice. In a word , it is evident that the " progressive ' movement in its
main no
philosophy has come to
stay Indeed longer it .
needs special propagandic efforts for its
spread . of
As an
example how the new educational ideals of
have permeated the educational thought our coun try let recent annual report of
the us
examine ,
a of
public school system Washington wherein ,
., D
C . of
we find the superintendent large public school a
system not notably experimental making statements the for 18 New Horizons Child revolutionary manifesto pro
of which read like
a
" ten gressive education years ago
: " There was time when the public school con
a " cerned itself largely with book learning when the
;
of study prescribed was largely of course terms
in prescribed reading
on academic instruction based
of from books and when the methods instruction ; consisted largely assigning lessons
be , of books
to in by
learned pupils with recitations during which teachers asked questions determine whether the
to pupils had satisfactorily mastered the assigned les sons Such school was quite isolated and existed
, a .
apart from of
the current public affairs
. Today the public school concerned with the is "
of development the personality
in as of
individuals
of as
completely both for the sake possible the ,
of
dividual and for the sake society Its prescribed . of
of program instruction consists not merely mas of
tery books but provides activities and experience by ,
for pupils of
means which they are to
educate themselves through self ctivity . -a by
Books are mastered pupils stimulate fur to
“
thought parts on
ther and action their Skills in .
arithmetic spelling reading and other subjects are ,
,
developed because children feel need for them and , a
fur of of of
because they can make real use them their in
ther education in
The methods instruction are .
develop the initiative pupils and encour to
tended age them independent thought and action Such in
.
school aims provide situations which the pu to
in a
pils may develop those interests and exercise those A New World and a New Child 19
activities in which of their age are in children terested . It is the function of the school to develop appropriate ideals of conduct and to substitute worthy for less worthy . Such a school , directed and controlled by trained teachers , aimsto be a coun terpart of child life outside of school .”
However widespread have become the ideals of progressive education , it is undoubtedly true that education has been advancing much faster in theory
the than in practice . Many difficulties estab oppose of
lishment progressive methods the public in
schools difficulties of plans and organization the —
, of
lack progressively trained teachers and especially ,
the tendency everywhere have crowded schools to
with huge classes .
of
Also there good deal controversy between is a
the old school men and the new school men between ,
the conservatives and the radicals This controversy .
much over the general philosophy of
not so
the is
as
new education over the more radical forms . it is its of
application Conservatives claim that the really sound principles the called progressive so in
-
movement have been used education for many in
years and that the radical reactions from the mental ;
of
discipline type education result disagreeable in
forms of individualism academic carelessness and in , 20 New Horizons for the Child
inefficiency , and in undue disorderly freedom of con duct .
There can be no question , however , in the minds of the unprejudiced who visit and compare the two different types of schools that this " progressive " method produces a remarkable effect upon the child . In schools using this method we find children ear nestly and actively engaged in their intellectual de velopment ; eager -minded , loving their school and happy in it . These children feel no gulf separating v
their school life from the wonderfully stimulating life of the world outside their school . Such as these are the definite results obtained from the progres sive method , results patent and observable to any investigator in the actual field of operation . A distinguished principal of a hitherto rather con
servative school ( the oldest of the great American preparatory schools ) pays this tribute to progres sive education : " It is certain that , with adolescent boys and girls , progressive education has justified itself . It has made them aware that school may be more of a pleasure than a punishment . It has eliminated the monotonous recital of case -endings and of mathe matical tables . It has banished the hard , uncom bold up sit
fortable benches on which pupils used to right under penalty of
reprimand has made them It ,
. of
regard the widening knowledge as
process to a A New World and a New Child 21
which they may look forward for a lifetime and has permitted them to appreciate the importance of beauty in nature and art . To the influence of pro gressive educators our grammar schools have been succumbing gladly , and the country is everywhere the better for it .” 1
1 « The Promise of Progressive Education , ” Current History , April, 1933, Claude Moore Fuess , Principalof Andover Academy. Reach Down Your Hand Reach down your hand ! The little one who trudges by your side Is striving hard to match your grown -up stride ; But oh , his feet are very tiny yet , His arm so short - I pray you , don t forget ' Reach down your hand !
Keep soft your voice ! For it was such a little while ago , This small one left the place where tones are low ; His voice still holds the cadence of that land Where no one ever gave a stern command Keep soft your voice !
Lift up your heart ! The little child you struggle so to teach Has resource far above the human reach ; Lift up your heart ! Lucie Haskell Hill , Parent 's Magazine . CHAPTER TWO
Understanding the Child ( YUCCESS indealing with children is due to a very simple quality in teacher or parent , the ability to understand the child . No amount of pedagogic technique or theory will take the place of this ability . In fact, all successful human relationship is based on understanding . Executive and business men need to understand those with whom they deal , either as employees or as clients . Mutual understanding and sympathetic behavior are the chief factors of har mony and happiness in married life . In the field of politics we see that no matter how great a vision the statesman has, he will not be successful unless he un derstands human nature and knows how to guide it harmoniously toward desired ends . Abstract principles are not sufficient ; it is the way in which these principles are applied , with a psycho logical understanding of human nature , which brings success to all who deal with other human beings . How essential , then , in the case of those who deal with children either as parents or educators, is the quality of close understanding of the child . Those who do not have this innate sympathy with children should not enter the teaching profession ; they should choose a vocation which deals with inanimate objects 24 New Horizons for the Child
rather than with human beings in their most delicate and sensitive years .
It is not easy for the child to make himself under stood to the adult world . At first he must use signs instead of speech . Only infinite love and patient con sideration enables the mother to understand her in fant's needs and wants as conveyed to her through this dumb effort toward self -expression . The nervous exasperation produced in children through not being able easily to make their wants and ideas known is vividly demonstrated in the case of deaf and so - called dumb children . There is in the suburbs of Washington a remarkable school for such children , where I have seen loving sympathy and understanding care on the part of a unique teacher , combined with the gradual acquirement of the art of speech , change querulous neurotics into happy , poised , normal children in the course of a year . In this natural querulousness of deaf children be fore they have learned the art of speech , we can clearly see the effect upon a child 's nervous system of not being able to command the comprehension of the adult world around it . Some degree of this dis advantageous nervous reaction exists , I believe, in
1Miss Anna C. Reinhardt , Home School for
Deaf Children ,
Kensington Md ,
. Understanding the Child 25
the case of all children , even those of normal senses, when the adult world with which they are daily in contact fails to understand them . For yearseven the normal child is limited by lan guage handicap - by his inability to equal adults in the art of speech . When it comes to discussion it is difficult for him to explain his point of view . The adult - so fluent of tongue , so quick of thought - has a great advantage over the struggling child who is endeavoring slowly and painfully to give his point of view regarding a situation that has arisen . How easy is, because of this reason alone, for the adult it to get the wrong impression of circumstances and motives that have entered into the child ' s action ! If children do not have confidence in an adult , they his
do not feel at home in presence They frequently .
become tongue tied What the use they think is
,
, -
. "
"
He will of
trying explain things tyrant to
this to
! "
not listen He will not understand Best keep still .
.
.” So
unsympa an
the child embarrassment before in , ,
adequately to
thetic adult often fails present his case This tragic for nothing rankles much , so is
in , .
as
the child soul injustice due hasty inconsid to 's
the part of
erate decision the adult on
.
takes time and patience draw out the truth to It
from child Children testimony unreliable so to is . it a
's
of of
that requires good deal skill unweave the a
tangled children bring group to
web which a
a
teacher Sometimes have narrowly escaped doing .
I
injustice from trying settle too hastily an
children to
matter which has arisen between them a
. 26 New Horizons for the Child
The world of the adult importunes us too much . Matters of importance demand our attention , and so we frequently neglect to give due consideration to the needs of the child . If we would deal successfully with children , we must consider their affairs as of equal importance with our own ; we must in all chivalry deem these weaker and more helpless human beings worthy of our most careful considera tion , in order that justice may eventuate in all our dealings with them . Thus we may guide them , also , into paths of justice in their dealings with each other . Example is more effective than precept in develop ing a just and tender conscience in children in their behavior towards each other . When once we have won the child 's confidence , his attitude towards us becomes more intimate , more fearless . He does not hesitate to pour out his heart to us, to tell us what he really thinks . He ventures freely to explain to us his point of view as to what has happened or as to what he wishes to do . What an important thing it is that in this relation ship of the adult to the child there should be perfect confidence on the part of the child in the justice and integrity of the adult . When the child has this attitude toward the adult , this faith in him , the rela tions between the two are most harmonious and delightful. Indeed , I do not know of any human relationship so lovely , so near to that of the King dom of Heaven on earth , as the relation of children Understanding the Child 27
with each other and with adults in a group where perfect harmony has been established : where the adult understands the children and leads them into righteous ways ; and where the love and confidence which the children have for the adult inspires in them a willingnessto cooperate in every way toward the establishment of perfect group cooperation and harmony . Such a delightful atmosphere can never be attained in an organization where adults do not take pains to understand the children and to realize · their points of view .
I look back with amusement upon an episode which occurred early in my teaching career, illustrating vividly what happens when a teacher does not under stand the children she is teaching . A teacher of his tory in the high school of my native town was absent on account of illness , and I was engaged as substi
tute . In the first recitation I found that the children had a miserable preparation of their lesson . I tried to make the subject matter interesting to them ; and giving them an assignment not too long for the subse quent lesson , I told them I hoped they would have a much better preparation next time. After class a girl with whom I was acquainted told me the quaint cause of this poor recitation . She said that the chil dren disliked the teacher because she gave them too hard lessons and was not sympathetic . So they all
an
had joined academic strike agreeing not in
to , 28 New Horizons for the Child
prepare their lessons well. To my pleased surprise they presented a much better recitation next time and they beamed with pleasure when I commended them for their improvement . During the two weeks in which I had the class we had a very pleasant time together enjoying and discussing the marvels of his tory , which cannot fail to interest any child when properly presented . When I met the absent teacher upon her return she said : " How did you get on with the childrenWeren 't they awful ? I don ' t know ?
what to do with them ! They have such poor les sons !" I did not enlighten her , for I believed her incapable of enlightenment. But that episode has remained with me ever since . I remember once seeing a mother helping ( ? ) her child , a boy eight years of age , to study spelling . " Spell 'friend .' Spell ' country , ' " .etc the mother ,
fretfully the child being
at little angry to
shouted ,
a
because his spelling had been poor at
him school and she was trying improve The scene was laid out to
it . of
doors under shade tree golden autumn in , a
weather amidst glorious mountain scenery The .
boy thoughts were rambling to so he
Under her duress . 's
managed spell these words successfully but to
,
angrily and with such flushed face that had a
I
laugh was like dog learning tricks with whip It
a
a . him
aid
over Of course this was not the way the to .
child educationally and yet the mother was doing ,
of
her best within the scope her knowledge .
How important well , as
as
that mothers teach is it -
ers should understand child psychology should under Understanding the Child 29
stand how to win the child rather than attempt to dominate him by force .
How can an adult aid the child to develop to his best self ? We must sense , as it were , his inner be ing . We must be able to look into the child soul and see the reality there . We must perceive the best to he is capable of growing and developing . which Wemust be able to diagnose the causes of unintelli gence or of evil in the child 's behavior , intuitively understanding those things that are obstructing nor mal psychological growth . This cannot be done by intelligence tests , though such tests may help . It needs sympathy , intuition , ' and vision of the child s true nature . As the diagno of sis
physician determines the physical nature and a of
needs the child the educator must determine so ,
of
the psychological needs the child This means . be
of
that teachersmust somewhat adepts psychol of in
ogy though not necessarily as
the result technical ,
training that field in
.
There are many highly trained experts child in
psychology would not entrust children to
whom I
for training They have become too much institu .
tionalized too much crystallized of
the doctrines in ,
child psychology They are technicians rather than .
artists .
On the other hand there are many teachers who , -
without any technical training psychology under in
, 30 New Horizons for the Child
stand children perfectly . The first requisite for understanding the child is love , the second requisite is intuition , and the third requisite is much contact and practice with children . Technical psychology can be a great help toward the requisites , but it can not be a substitute for them . Fundamentally , the adequate understanding of the child is a spiritual process . There is a natural talent or gift for each trade or profession . The born surgeon possesses sensi tive fingers , quick and accurate mind . The man who loves horses knows instinctively the personality and character of every horse he deals with . Some
all people have a knack with flowers and growing things and seem able persuade them their best to
to growth Some people have knack with children
, a .
be
and they are the ones who should teachers
.
growing recognition our public is
There in a
of
maturity of
school system the need those who in
deal with little children longer preparation insur A .
ing greater intellectual development and maturity is
rapidly changing two year normal courses into teach -
ers colleges requiring four years of study as
prep '
a
aration for teaching .
order help secure excellent teachers for the of to In
first years schooling where the great the child , 's
est insight into child character required public is
,
school systems are beginning equalize salaries put to
, Understanding the Child 31
all ting the primary grades on a salary level with the
on grammar grades some cities even level with
in —
a high school grades
. prejudice
of this country there somewhat
is In
a against married teachers But why The married
.
? of woman who has had children her own who has
, patient and understanding with chil be learned to
dren who settled her ways and willing devote
to is
in ,
herself earnestly the school work without too to
we may well of much dissipation social nature
— a
consider that such woman excellently equipped
is a
handle children In
France the married to
teacher .
much prized is
.
We cannot too muchover estimate the important - of
the part of
necessity on
love the teacher for the of
perfect understanding Maria as
child the means .
Montessori lays great stress upon this point The : “
educator often fails understand and love the so
to
not exaggerating that the school to
child say is It is .
of
teacher often the persecutor the child uncon -
persecutor This warfare of
scious course exists ,
.
everywhere even the family The parents are in ,
If . . .
strong and the children are weak The parents are dictators judges without appeal Everything these ,
of
persons say right up
grown the child not is is
. -
he
their opinion surely wrong , is
.
We find ourselves as
educators singular con in "
a 32 New Horizons for the Child
dition , the origin of which is very primitive , a state of criticism which resembles hate . Certainly this is the opposite of love. What do we look for in the child ? It seems we are looking for its faults , not
he for only the wrong things has done but even for
by he might We are terrorized
do those which this
.
an fear which becomes with
us obsession
. This why say not love but fear and hate
it is
of is
, I "
that the foundation our attitude toward chil is
of dren For one who loves finds the object his
in .
love all that good not only qualities that are vis , is
ible but also hidden virtues He who loves has
so
. to to , .
him speak the gift second sight which enables of ,
perceive qualities which others cannot distinguish when love begins grow weak that one dis is
to It
being
It covers faults the whom one has loved in
. when love dead that one astonished have is
is
is
to at all
been able love such person to
a
.
evident that education has not yet been of of on is It "
of
placed the plane love since regards only the it ,
faults children fails establish the atmos to It .
phere mutual confidence which the child needs in
attain his best maturity to
develop to
Too often the . do
do
adult and the child not know each other not ,
understand each other and struggle arises be ,
a
tween them .
The essential requirement of education , to of so is "
simple and yet very complicated question do is It
a . or of
hostility love What we must fact in
is ,
, .
change fundamentally our attitude towards the child Understanding the Child 33
and love him with a love which sees not his faults but his virtues ; and which instead of condemning him him and sets him free . encourages " Sympathyand good intentions are not sufficient. Love is dynamic . When we love anyone we want to do something for that person . And so , if we fail to love children , they become aware that they have been neglected and forgotten , in a world of the adult filled with the pursuit of superfluous affairs . It is necessarythen that we pursue quite another path by which we not only render children happier , but equip ourselves with a new vision which will bring illumination and inconceivable riches into our lives . "
very important point in dealing with children is A
that adults should conceive the child as an equal . Equal not in years nor in experience ; not in attain ment of technique and skills ; not in ability of expres sion nor in acquired knowledge and wisdom . But equal soul to soul. Equal as regards earnestness about life . Equal in sincere desire for self -expansion and self - improvement . Equal in zest for enjoyment of the rich environmental culture . Let us receive the child as seriously as we would receive an adult who approaches us. Whatever the
? " Education as a Social Problem , ” l'Ecole Nouvelle , November , 1932." Translated from the original French by the author. 34 New Horizons for the Child
child has to say should meet with the same courtesy and attention as if an equal in age were address ing us. So many adults are apt casually to put off the child if
of affairs were worthy
no its
if as as consideration
; of no talk its
as importance
of ideas were were
it , . if ;
a ing doll instead human being Children feel
a
of instinctively this attitude even though
an adult
it on be
disguised formal politeness
an Such attitude of in
. the part the adult does not help children de
to velop but makes them shy and causes them
to seek ,
retirement from the world of the adult order
to in On
find their real selves the contrary when one
, .
of equal its accepts the child plane capacity as an
on
; its with entire seriousness accepts confidences and its
answers questions jokes with and gives one ;
it
's then the child enjoying richly the society to
self — it
as of
the adult gladly seeks means for mental it
a
and social stimulus and development .
The child finds the adult superior wisdom and in
a of
ripeness thought while the adult finds the in ; a
of
child liveliness pristine beauty both body and , a
a
soul which conveys distinct pleasure Thus the a
.
social relationship between the child and adult may be mutually and profitable enjoyable Each gives .
pleasure the other and stimulates the other From to
. us
this charming child before artless prattle its
with bright ways its
and quick we derive much social as ,
pleasure from many adults who seek our do as
we time and attention . Understanding the Child 35
I cannot too much repeat and emphasize this fact : that sympathetic social consideration on the part of the adult is an immense factor in the development of children . It encourages them to expression . It stimulates and sharpens their intellects . It causes their child souls to expand in a world of higher values than the one in which they are accustomed to be and move when with their coevals . So we find that children love the society of those adults who , they feel , love and understand them .
masin Parents who establish and maintain this cordial relationship with their children this intimate con ,
fidential relationship have the best chance
of seeing , up
their children grow into sturdy wholesome char acter and develop into self confidence without that -
rift between parent and child which leaves the parent of
helpless before the waywardness adolescent youth . Education is not mere instruction . It is training for adjustment to the larger and brighter life of the race . In the case of children there is apt to be too much instruction and too little education . The pres sure that tries to induce extensive knowledge is in danger of lessening vitality without giving corre sponding power , success or happiness .-- Henry Dwight Chapin , M . D ., “ Heredity and Child Cul ture ." CHAPTER THREE
The Behavior of the Child
GREAT change has taken place during the last generation in the philosophy and prac tice of child - training . The patriarchally ex ercised authority of the adult toward the child is passing . Modern child psychology has discovered many serious flaws in this age- long system of do mestic autocracy . This kind of training does not produce , at least in the modern world , a wholesome personality . It is apt to develop complexes in the
child which manifest themselves later in life in ways not to be desired . Moreover , in this swiftly changing civilization of today we are beginning to question what right we have as adults to decide dogmatically upon the child 's pattern of development . Is anyone authorized , even by the fact of parenthood , to determine the destiny of another ? It used to be fairly easy to condition children into the path desired for them by society , but who will today venture to choose the path the child should walk ? The reproduction of past patterns of society has not resulted in a perfect world . Quite the contrary ! Therefore we are beginning to wonder , even though 38 New Horizons for the Child
we might claim the right to dictate to the child the growth and development whether
its direction of
it , attempt privilege this
to wise exercise such
in is
to
a extraordinary changing epoch
,
. Up the present
an has been adult world into to
which the child was born it which the child was
in , trained and for which the child was expected
to ,
of qualify The adult had distinct ideas what the .
be
child should trained for and the child must be , . of
bent this idea the adult who wiser and more to
is powerful than of he
The lack the
on to submission of
ideals the adult was considered badness the part on of
the child and punished Thus chil as
such .
dren the whole were conditioned into behavior patterns designed for them by the adult as .
by Naturally the behavior of
children desired of ,
adults was type which interfere little as
would a
be of
with the life as
possible the adult Therefore .
expected to
children were quiet speak little in in to ; of
the presence adults practice tranquil and to ;
active behavior the house in
.
al
Houses have been designed for adults only , by
though inhabited past generations more chil in by
dren than adults Everything the world has in .
been designed for adults And into this adult world . its
the child has had grope way until was mature to
it as
enough itself an
function adult to
. the
The Behavior of Child
recent years however both parents and edu In
,
, cators have been prone take different view They
to
a
. us say Let make world which the child will feel
in a : “
. be home Let us of at
of adults considerate the child
, . its
us feelings and desires Let surround with
it its environment adapted And an
child nature
to
in -
. supreme
be this child world let the child -
." . of This new psychology education has tended
to has been wonderful of
create world the child It a
a experiment wonderful creation this world
in — , a
which the child moves about the normal citizen as
and which the adult becomes the comrade and in
helper Very interesting results of
the child child
in . be
of nature can noted from this reversal ancestral situations Children become fearless independent ,
, .
initiative and develop quite early into ma of
full , of
turity thought and action .
of
But when we carry this new vogue child train -
ing the extreme we get into quandary the If to
. a be
child supreme and the adult subservient his is
to to
needs and demands then we have merely reversed ,
tyranny Now the child becomes of
the old situation .
the tyrant He expresses his demands without any .
consideration for the adult He wants what he
wants . he
yields this impe If
to
when wants the adult it .
the part of the child we have situation on
riousness ,
a
not only bad for the adult but bad also for the child .
quite evident how much confusion and dis It is
brings of
turbance the self willed behavior children - · 40 New Horizons for the Child
the
of into life the adult The American child has
. become synonym for bedlam hotels boarding
in
, a houses and apartments this country and abroad
in ,
. frazzle Many are brought
to Parents are worn
a
.
by of
of the verge nervous prostration the actions to
their children . We must look into this situation not only with
of regard to
the comfort discomfort the adult
or
. may be the part an
of admirable attitude It
on the
his willing be
parent own beatitude for to
sacrifice to
what might be
beneficial the child But the im to
. portant question whether this excessive freedom of is,
this privilege the child dictate the adult
to to -
world good thing for the child is —
a
.
The power and opportunity dictate as to
to others
is not good for children just not good for ,
is it
such tyrannic power ha of
adults The expression .
bitually produces serious flaws character The by in
.
quality tyranny exercised of
an
individual is
good neither for that individual nor for any one he tyrannizes over was bad for the child formerly If it .
the part of
object tyranny be
of
on
the the adult to so to
,
bad for the child find opportunity to
now it is
exercise tyranny over his protagonist .
Undue freedom permitted children does not make them happy On the contrary we find that such , .
point being of
are nervous even to
children the be
neurotic They are apt their be to
hectic in . The Behavior of the Child 41
havior. Why is this ? It is because , as in the case of neurotic society women , their desires become too ni numerous and too avid to find adequate satisfaction even with the utmost freedom of action . These children demand the attention of the adult in un natural ways . raucous tones . They They speak in push forward and seek centerstage at all times . Such attitudes militate against a child ' s wholesome and serene development . This abnormal expression of the child ego has been going on in America for almost a generation , and we can now study the serious results flowing from such a training or lack of training of the American child . These spoilt children , when they grow up , tend to have career obstacles because they have not been used to subordinating their own desires to the needs of a group or an organization . They find it difficult to harmonize in marriage , and so divorces are fre quent . Their lives have not been rendered happy or successful by advised license during childhood ill -
.
There fundamental difference between is a
of a
wholesome freedom for the child and spoiling ,
a its
giving way by
the child whims There should to
, . be
we have previously the most deli as
indicated ,
cate loving consideration for the child the part on its of
of
the adult consideration needs and normal , a
be
desires but there should no permission for the ;
selfish whims and desire for power of
expression over the adult . 42 New Horizons for the Child as well as adults thirst for power and Children tend to become tyrants when not subdued to a just and balanced behavior . A child , given any leniency , will inevitably increase attempt toward winning
its the right way will
go
as
as of far can The
it ;
it
. tyrannous parent has become somewhat anom
an of aly this day and age but the tyrannous child in
is ; of as
of now emerging the fruit epoch which reverses
an the old order things . These two things are plainly incompatible free
, the part one per
of and tyranny
on dom Freedom .
son cannot mean the right subject another person to
of tyranny No Freedom means the right to
each ! .
individual move his own natural orbit the right to
in
; have wholesome preferences the right exercise
to to
;
judgment and decision the right express normal to ;
individuality .
But what normal individuality the de It is
is ? of
velopment and expression individual tastes within of
the scope cooperation with the needs and desires of
all
other individuals The key mutuality it
is to
, .
harmony non infringement upon the normal rights ,
- of
or
others be they children adults —
. of
The behavior children and adults toward each mutuality be
of
other should one There should .
reciprocal respect and consideration be
Parents a
.
and other adults dealing with children should neither be
too selfishly demanding of
nor too generously ,
slaving for the child Each group of
that adults of ,
— .
and that children should duly respect the other -
's
rights and needs . The Behavior of the Child 43
The child has certain specific rights and needs that pertain to immature but rapidly
its
as
an nature growing and developing human being these rights
; by be should respected the parent On the other
.
as hand the parent has certain rights and needs
an ,
established mature being with certain fixed habits legitimate its mode rights
by as of life adult these to
; and needs should respected be the child Mutual
. unselfish consideration and courtesy will solve all the problems of
the home .
The same principle equally applies the school
in
. be
of Teachers should considerate children every
at turn They should make realized that their whole it . aim
of
the benefit the children that they exist is
;
in for the sake the proper develop of
the school only at of
ment the child On the other hand the children , .
give due consideration every
to must turn the teacher schools where this rule of behavior In
is .
reciprocally practiced we see developing beautiful a of
quality among the children quality courtesy —
, a
loving consideration for the adult that reflects the of
courtesy and loving consideration the adult habit ually shows for the children We find also these in .
as
children poise and serenity such are never found a
tyrannic tyrannized children or
either in
.
As regards the behavior of children towards other of
the same principles apply as
children the case in ,
the prin of
the behavior children towards adults 44 New Horizons for the Child
ciples of mutuality , of cooperation , of reciprocity , of kindly considerateness . The more appreciation and sympathy a child has for the rights of other children , the more harmonious and happy will be the life of the group and the life of the individual child as well . Harmony is undoubtedly the greatest factor of happiness in life . Where you find children harmo nious , you find them happy and wholesome . On the other hand , where there is lack of harmony you find children irritable and inclined to be neurotic . Therefore the most important thing to be established in the relationship of children with each other is harmony . In progressive schools a system of self - government or partial self -government is of great value in estab lishing an atmosphere of harmony . Children are generally willing , I find , to forego private revenge if they know they can have ready recourse to organized justice. And it is much better for the children to bring up points of dispute , discuss themand adjudi cate them than for the teachers to handle these things . A child is much more impressed by the criti cism of his equals than he is by the criticism of his adults . By discussing the social behavior of each other , by weighing and judging such acts and dis pensing punishment if necessary , children tend to form an attitude of respect of law and respect of the rights of others . Finally this sense of justice becomes ingrained in their being , because they are not hearing it preached to them but are actually The Behavior of the Child 45
the practicing it in
of working out their own self government institutions
. this school court the pupils bring all their To
very interesting present
at of be troubles
is
to It . . such session One sees keen sense justice expressed a
a by
children their opinions and judgments about in
of each other Also there great deal generosity
is
, a .
MO more think than holds the relationship of so
in I
adults with each other Children are willing wipe
to . the slate clean and begin again equal footing
on
an of
of friendship harboring no resentment the past ,
.
all One thing which try chil to
eliminate from no be to I
dren the desire tease each other This is
is a no . by
quality which can designated other term than evil has valid There little It
excuse is .
of .
teasing the part group which on
tendency to
a
has been trained these progressive methods of in
discipline But sometimes new child will come into a .
the group from the outside world bringing with it a of
teasing say to
habit such children who have a I .
tendency What Do to
tease you find pleasure in , "
!
causing unhappiness others This causes them to
" ?
light say to
see their action new Then in
— a
I .
How did you get treated when you to
came this "
school Did the children tease you or
did they act , ?
kindly toward you They acted kindly Then ." " ? ”
“
why don you act kindly takes good them It to
a 't
? ” of
deal repetition perhaps and some punishment to ,
, 46 New Horizons for the Child
rid such a of his acquired habit of teasing . But child a school tradition and atmosphere of mutual kind
ness and consideration will revolutionize most of this anti-social behavior .
One delightful result of having a small school in which children of various ages mingle as if in one big family is the opportunity that the older boys and girls have to show consideration for the needs of smaller children . It is delightful to see how kind they are to their younger schoolmates — helping them upstairs upon their arrival , helping them to take off their things , running to them when they fall and are hurt, playing the big brother and sister to the little tots . Also it is delightful to see the kindly considera tion which the children display toward other children who come into their midst handicapped in some way or other . In such anatmosphere of kindliness and sympathy children rapidly develop to the best that they are capable of . Do we not find this true , also , of our selves as adults ? In an atmosphere of understanding and kindly we can be at our best ; consideration whereas an unsympathetic or formal atmosphere chills us and prevents us from expressing our highest capacities of thought and feeling . How much more are children , sensitive as they are to every breath of their environment , susceptible to influences of psy chological and spiritual nature ! The Behavior of the Child 47
That the child should be allowed to behave and express himself according his own nature , untram to
meled by adult direction — this Rousseausque re action against authority in education is responsible for some of the extremes of behavior which have appeared progressive schools . Children left to in themselves are little savages and will retain more or less the bad qualities of savage nature . All progress , civilization based upon the per all
is of
fecting nature whether physical True
or human ,
, . there certain native charm to wild uncultivated is
, a
land but man has not for that reason been content let ,
will He has taken hold as
nature develop of to
it
.
nature and improved tremendously And
so it
. improved and should be
with human nature can should It .
and improved from the basic animalistic foundation be
,
animalistin which the capital apital with with which every individual is
starts life .
Children need training just flowers and fruit as
trees need training important point an
But here is .
of :
training adapted be
the needs to
this should a
individual subordinated to
each rather than seeking , ;
of or
restrain warp the individuality the child to
an ,
.
We not wish artificial product like potted do
dwarfed trees We want every child or
plants to . .
become his own best self For this undeniable goal needed the wise guiding hand of
the adult is
.
What the new education has very properly reacted against for mere docility the part on
the demand is 48 New Horizons for the Child
of the child - the endeavor to mould the child into fixed patterns of behavior tending to reproduce the existing social , economic , and political order . If the
its chief purpose of society is to maintain existing institutions without change then the most important
, qualities of children are docility and obedience
If, . however we wish society progress develop
to
to ,
, perfect
in and better modes establish more
to new
, stitutions what we need encourage self
to then
is , —
of expression the part
on initiative and creativeness , children This cannot be done when too much em .
phasis mere docility and obedience on
laid is
. recapitulate We should seek from the To
:
child harmony rather than conformity Conformity
. means following fixed pattern Harmony means a
.
such adaptation existing things flows together as to
with them without violating either their basic nature or
of
one own The law harmony permits much . 's
flexibility and variation What we should prize
in .
ability and willingness harmo to
the child then ,
, is
nize combined with bold creativeness which super ,
a
sedes conformity . CHAPTER IV
Character Training IN THE last few years a great deal of atten
tion has been character development. paid to
The need for this is obvious . The authority of the family and of the church over the life of child hood and youth has been constantly diminishing . The influence of ancestral morality and of religious precepts is about as feeble as in any period the his torian can point to . Therefore the school is desper ately turned to as a sociological and ethical as well as intellectual factor in the development of the child . And this is as it should be. Education cannot escape a definite moral obliga tion . responsibilities are not Its
the intellect to
the full nature As of
alone but man and woman to ,
.
humanity has been evolving from brute homo to
sapiens education has been the major factor of ,
progress But progress cannot stop with the arrival .
go
man intellectual must the further at
to on It -
.
spiritual of
development man ethical and man In -
-
.
this higher development education has the same ,
responsibility for furthering progress that has it
always had .
folly say that education only It
concerned is
is 's to
with the child intelligence and that his moral and ,
50 New Horizons for the Child
spiritual nature must be formed by the home and the church . The higher development of man is a major operation , requiring as complete an environmental conditioning as possible . The school , which has pos waking hours apart
its session of the child for half meals certainly has equal responsibility
an from ,
of with the home for the direction the child moral
's and spiritual nature . we analyze the time left after school hours If
to ,
, of the home for the molding child character we shall
, -
, by . of chil find that great deal that time spent
is a
dren unsupervised play These play periods and in
of many other periods the day outside of
school
, be
must from the time which the home subtracted definite character development to
can devote Then
, . too the home lessons increasing proportionately ,
, of
of with the age the child carry the shadow the ,
school into the home preempting for , its own use , of
valuable hours home life What time then has , .
of the home devote the way moral to
the child in to
instruction compared that which the school has to
?
Only small fraction And from that small frac a
.
tion the child mental vitality has been pretty well 's by
sapped school hours and home lessons .
The school cannot avoid responsibility for the ; by of
complete development the child has taken the It .
child from the home legislative power for the ,
,
better part each day and thereby has assumed of
it
more than half the responsibility whether acknowl ,
person that child grows of
edged not for the kind or
,
be to
. Character Training 51 Progressive schools realize this responsibility and cheerfully accept it . They deal not with the child as intellect but with the child as human being . They are concerned with everything that pertains to the child ' s development .
The progressive methods tend to produce a higher ethical quality than can generally be found in other types of schools . There are certain factors in progressive education which definitely make for the building of character . Intellectual honesty , sincerity , and earnestness are the result , in the progressive schools , of the elimina tion of the old -fashioned marking system which offered rewards for scholarship almost wholly ex ternal to the actual development of the child . The new type of schools — with their motivation of aca
demic work , their methods of arousing interest and desire on the part of the students , and their efforts to adapt the curriculum to the actual needs and na ture of the individual child - produce a complete sin cerity in all the work that children do either with their hands or with their brains . No longer do we find the former speciousness and intellectual cunning which seeks to elicit marks solely as a means of pro motion . Instead of this we find uniformly prevail ing among students in progressive schools an admi rable quality of intellectual integrity . Secondly , we find in progressive schools a truth 52 New Horizons for the Child
seeking quality courage of conviction . The and a
students find themselves in an atmosphere of intellec tual freedom .are encouraged to think for They themselves . Their ideas are listened to respectfully by both teacher and fellow pupils . They can ven ture to differ from the text and from the teacher . And they find in the teacher a type of intellectual
all honesty and comradeship which is too rare the
in standardized type of school
. of Thirdly the social quality progressive schools ,
strongly formative character ofThe unsuper is
. large public schools
of vised recreation and social life
of produce type aggres of
certain character that
, a
sive independence whereas the supervised skillfully
, ;
guided recreational and social life of children pro
in gressive schools forms character independent
of is it , a
true but not aggressively Added qualities so ,
.
kindliness courtesy cooperativeness and harmony ,
,
by
are achieved progressive schools the way in
in by which social situations they arise are met as
the ,
, or
children the teacher .
The large atmosphere which prevails of
freedom progressive school gives opportunity the child to in a
for those decisions self restraints and self guidance ,
, -
. - can
which alone create sturdy character Where a
arti an
decisions are too much made for the child ,
ficial semblance of character produced which has is
, of no
however power endurance because not it is ,
deeply rooted within of
the soil the self .
Lastly discipline progressive of
the methods in ,
by
of
schools largely means cooperative student and , Character Training 53
teacher government , effect and change the child from within . It is extremely interesting to watch a child newly enter a progressive school with habits of mis chievous anti-social and anti-adult nature well de veloped , and see the effect upon him of the admoni tions and disciplines administered by the students ' self-government organization . At first such a child is amazed that his behavior , instead of winning ap plause from his fellows , results only in disapproba tion . The steady , continuous effect of student dis approval and punishment is very wholesomely trans forming to such a boy or girl .
Parents , in their home care of the child , can profit greatly by these character discoveries and achieve ments of progressive schools. They should at all times be intellectually honest and sincere with their children . They should encourage their children in these same qualities . Above all , they should never deride or ignore sincere efforts at the expression of newly forming ideas . The dream life of young chil dren is as real, as important , and as necessary for them as the creative life of the adult. And as the child matures and begins reason about life , the to father and mother should prove true comrades in this quest of knowledge . Here is the one place where the parents ' influence with the child is stronger than that of teacher or preacher . Nature made the parent as the older guide and comrade of the child . 54 New Horizons for the Child If this parental function is properly administered , the child will gain enormously . No other single in fluence can be so potent . The social development of children in the home is much handicapped , in themodern family , by the lack of numerous progeny and the too great adumbration of the adult group . The social character is best formed in the relation of the individual with his peers. No influence of parents upon a single child can perfect that child socially as can the influence , under proper supervision , of other children . Hence the need in the home , as emphasized in the follow ing chapter , of other suitable playmates , borrowed from neighboring families .
In matters of discipline , there is already a potent influence of the new freedom at work within the home . Children are helped to do the right thing by a spirit of reasonableness rather than by the author ity
, of
When punishments have be autocracy to if .
given possible have the child concur to
best is it
,
,
of
the logical and necessary quality this punish in
ment .
very successful chain of
The founder and owner he a
drug stores once told me for of
learned from a
mer superior of
his when the railroad business in ,
, of a
human management which had proved of
secret inestimable benefit This superintendent never let . or
disciplined discharged employee leave his office a Character Training 55
without a clear conviction of justice rendered ; and what is even more important , without a feeling of harmony and friendship toward his disciplinarian . Is it too difficult to carry out such a psychological procedure with our children ? It takes time, energy , and great self -restraint and calmness . Too often we punish children more because their escapades have proved disturbing to us than because of any intrinsic wrong . We punish in a spirit of irritation in which there is prone to be an exaggeration of severity. Such a kind of punishment is not justice ; it is revenge . If we would seek always to be impar tial and kindly administers of justice to our children and win their allegiance to the necessary disciplines , we should sow then on each such occasion the seeds of real character development in the conscience of the child . Abstract preachment has little place in character training . Children are quick to detect insincerity or grandiloquence . It is rather the way in which adults and children together handle all emergencies of be havior which arise that little by little forms the char acter of children . Teachers should be spiritual and earnest in their lives . They should reflect to the children an integrity of character which calls forth the esteem and admiration of these younger souls seeking to walk the paths of right . All adults who come in contact with children have a grave moral responsibility . They must serve as examples of justice , of consideration , of kindliness , of earnest and spiritual living . It is not so much 56 New Horizons for the Child what we adults say as to what we do that influences children . Sermons to children are inadvisable ex cept on rare occasions when some event brings forth a need of moral or spiritual discussion .
The concern of the educator today for the de velopment of character in his pupils is not confined
its to benefits to the individual . Human society in
of collective activities crying need more earnest in is
conscience and more ethical behavior Of what use
. purpose exploita
of train intellects for the to it is
Better perhaps not to
tion sharpen mental swords ?
of
that may penetrate the vitals society
If educa merely powers .
of to
tion increase the materialistic is
man leaving his moral qualities unchanged we may ,
, of
well despair civilization .
Dr Arnold Hall formerly president of the , B .
.
University of Oregon gave me very vivid account ,
a of he of
how became convinced early his educational in , of
career the necessity developing character ,
in
giv of
proportion the training In to
the intellect .
ing course political science early his teaching in
in a
the University Chicago he made the at
of
career subject unusually concrete and vivid detailed ref by
politics the state capital Among he to
at
erences other .
things gave picture how graft works of
clear so ,
a
of
state and city government that two his students in
the ensuing year were able put these methods into to
practice their fraternity stewardships the fune to in
, Character Training 57
of several hundred dollars . Dr. Hall told me of his consternation , upon being confronted with these facts by the president , with the realization that these students had been actually helped to crime by the de velopment of their intelligence without a correspond ingly awakened conscience .
The value of religious teaching enters markedly into this matter of the training of character . Edu cation has had to fight for centuries to free itself from medieval dogmas and concepts antipathetic to scientific discovery and to human progress . As a result of this struggle , we have arrived at the com plete separation of education and religion . Is this to be the final settlement of the case ? we are We can do very well without religion when we are dealing with facts . But can we do without religion when we are dealing with character ? Ethical con cepts and the practice of morality in the daily life de pend very closely upon the truths revealed in reli gions of the past . Character training without illumi nation of spiritual vision or enforcement by the con science of religion is not as effective as it needs must be . One generation can live on the ethical momentum inherited from a previous religiously -minded genera tion . But when that momentum is spent , beware ! We are witnessing to - day , in the enormous spread of crime among our youth , the effects of a religionless for 58 New Horizons the Child
the home and school have failed
as age which
in agencies character training
of
.
of Children pathetically need the assurance those definite moral values that are religion and the
in
, motivation which comes from spiritual earnestness
at or . be not necessary that religion dogmatically is It
creedally taught Children nevertheless should ,
, .
of least realize that principles right behavior inhere the spiritual pattern the universe They should of in
. feel and realize adults about them spiritual in
a that will help
in an consciousness them grow into spiritual principles right
of structive adherence to
behavior .
the spiritual life could of
Certain basic truths
, I all
the pub . be
believe taught children even those in ,
,
schools First that there divine Power lic
is ,
a of
which controls the destinies the universe causing ,
not only the creation but also the evolutionary prog of
of
ress both matter and mind and that this is ;
a
Power that one can have faith and turn for aid to in
.
Secondly that every human being has rather or
is ,
,
,
infinite energy living during life of
soul possessed ; a
of its
upon this planet only minute fraction eternal in a
existence continuing activity and progress after . di it ;
its its
leaves this earthly scene and deriving destiny it ;
rectly from the actions has built into character What we sow that also shall we reap Every .
thought and deed has effect upon the develop its Character Training 59
ment of the inner Self, and hence its fateful conse quences upon one s future . In such truths as these , ' I am convinced , the greatest incentives for right
lie
of action To emphasize the great universal law .
progress the light infinite growth and develop
of in
of ment presents ethics the child from point view
to
a that strongly motivates right conduct And this
is a . harmony with the findings
of truth modern science in
. be not something that will have unlearned It
to is
later life in
. of
of One the greatest services religion the indi
to vidual give focus The to
concrete idealism to is
a
. be of
history civilization shows this distinctly to true
. Although fundamentalist religion has doctrine in ,
practice frequently proved oppressive an
and and , in
retrogressive force clear that on
the other hand is it ,
be
religion has proved itself to
the most definite and gladia of
of
vivid focus reforms The abolition , . of
torial combats Rome human sacrifice among in of
the Druids and slavery modern times trace is ,
in
able directly the high idealism and zealous self to
of
of
sacrificing activities religionists Hundreds .
minor reforms to
modern times are traceable the in
same source The reasons for this are clear any to .
of
one who studies the psychology religion .
What pity reject the schools all to
then from , , a
the vast appeal and deeply effective motivation which religion lend to
idealism ! 60 New Horizons for the Child
In intermediate grades of the Chevy Chase Country School we have established , as an effective focus of character training in the formation of idealistic concepts , what we call " The Order of the Kingdom of Peace .” The statement is so worded as to be nonsectarian and applicable to adherents of any religion . These principles indeed can appeal to all earnest seekers for a more perfect humanity , whether religionists or not :
MY BELIEF I believe in , and desire to help bring about that perfect World Civilization wherein universal love and justice shall reign — the Golden Age to which philosophers , seers , and prophets have dedicated their lives. I believe that the troubles in the world today are due to quarrelsomeness , selfishness , unfairness , jeal ousy , hatred , and cruelty .
I believe that in order to improve the world I must practice unselfishness , justice , non -aggression , kindness , love, and cooperation .
MY PLEDGE To be just to everyone . “ To think not in terms of personal gain but in terms of gains to the human race .” — Mrs . Franklin D . Roosevelt . Character Training
To do unto others as I would like them to do unto me. To refrain as much as possible from anger and from quarrels . To think of all people of the world as my brothers . To wish and work for the prosperity and happi ness of all
peoples .
This program better humanity appeals very for a
strongly Each pupil presented to
our children
is .
simply framed copy beautifully printed of its with a
-
duo toned gold paper on
blue One devotional in
-
. period ceremony built about to
week devoted is a
a
by this program The Belief boy and recited is
a .
girl jointly and then all join reciting the Pledge ,
in
. After this follows the recitation or
reading of of mate or
rial bearing upon the progress perfecting man kind Events also are reported pertaining world to .
peace world conciliation and world understanding ,
,
. These concepts are often found cropping out later in of
class discussions and the discussions the student in ,
self government association I -
.
nothing better all the history of of
know in
thought of of
human and endeavor than this concept the Perfect Civilization this utopian dream — of
idealists the ages down fur It
world thinkers ,
.
nishes broader and more satisfying inspiration for a
idealism than any gospel personal salvation of
. can
This program which anyone dedicate is
to a
be
himself Indeed seriously considered it
to is , . 62 New Horizons for the Child
whether the world can go on at all unless the indi viduals composing it are willing to dedicate them selves to this aim of a perfected civilization . The establishment in any school of such an ideal center around which to rally the spiritual and ethical life of the children helps to tinge all thoughts and actions of the school with idealism . CHAPTER FIVE
The Child at Home THAT is this being that is given us as parents care for , train , develop to and educate ? Sometimes we can see in the child hereditary reflections of our own gifts , temperament , and ten dencies . Often we find ( and this is the very crux of the foundation of human progress and evolution ) a quality in the child superior to that of either parent , so that we are held in wonder before the still unex plained phenomenon of child genius . Many children are geniuses , in more or less de gree . Using the term broadest sense we may its
, in
of say that every child has some quality spark or
genius that he possesses some special gift apti or in
tude which makes him unique setting him off an as ,
individual different from all other individuals . of
The primary derivation the word genius fits " “ by
this latter definition As used the Romans it .
per of
meant spirit presiding over the destiny a
a "
fol of
son The broad usage the word English in .”
by
lowing this derivation The as
given Webster is
:
mental endowment peculiar individual that dis an to
; of
position aptitude mind which qualifies person or
a
special success spe of
for certain kinds or
action ; a
cial taste inclination disposition natural bent or ,
,
;
. 64 New Horizons for the Child
I think every parent should study carefully this definition of genius , because there is implied in it the
entire philosophy of the new education . We are dealing , in child development , with an individual be ing different from every other individual being .
its How can we help this child to develop to fullest
by individual capacity not Surely attempting
to ?
mould into some standardized pattern Should it
. no we mould into any pattern matter how individual , and adequate we believe that pattern we might
be to
, misleading destiny for the child be
acting as a
. For the reason that the child possess
to certain is
some qualities and gifts different from our own and quite likely possess genius superior our own to
to
, a us
safe for attempt Will to
pattern fix it is
to
a
not that pattern partake inevitably our own pre ? of
dilections and tendencies Will not tend ap it
to of ?
proximate duplication ourselves But what we a
?
of
want the fullest possible development the genius is of
be
the child and that genius bound con to is —
siderably not extremely different from our own if ,
,
.
static periods culture where the preservation of In
, of of
things seems the chief de of
the existing order be
the genius subordi to
sideratum the child has ,
of
genius to
nated the the race Varients from the . The Child at Home 65
racial pattern are not desired , and individuals are forced to develop according to fixed standards . Only in turbulent periods of great discovery , of mental and emotional activity , of cultural renaissance or revolution , is the individual allowed and encour aged to be himself . Of such a nature was the golden age of the Greek art , science , and philosophy ; the Italian Renaissance ; the Elizabethan period . And is not every portent proclaiming today that we are on the eve of just such a great reconstructive period of the human race ? Standing as we do on the strand of an unknown sea , shall we not man our ships with sailors and captains who are above all things intrepid , adventurous , true to their own selves and to the visions which spring from their own cre ative genius ? It is toward such a goal of development , I think , that wemust direct our child training , whether in the home or in the school.
Every true mother tends to esteem her child a unique being - prizing it because of its
very indi viduality its special tastes its gifts and powers She ,
,
.
longs most truly itself be
help this child That to
is , .
she desires above all things life see her child to in
grow and mature into the largest possible success .
Her aim How can help my child develop the is
to I :
fullest capacity her genius of
his or
as ?
the na as
great individuals of
The lives well , 66 New Horizons for the Child ture of great epochs , teach us that the maximum fruition of genius is attained when the individual is given freedom to grow and develop in accordance with innate tendencies , and encouraged or at least permitted to express innate predilections and talents . How could Walt Whitman 's father , carpenter, see any good in his lazy apprentice son , who spent whole days lying on the beach listening to the waves but very few useful hours with saw and hammer and nails ? Walt , always the observer of life rather than the doer , later spent his days riding back and forth on the platform of Brooklyn horsecars talking to the conductor and to the passengers . “ What a misspent life ! what a failure !" thought the practical father . But the poet soul was destined to coin these hours of leisurely absorption into the gold of poetic all
expression — a treasure rejoicing humanity for generations whereas his utmost efficiency car as ;
penter could have benefited but few temporarily a a
it . us be
dreaming inactive child may just lazy or , A
of
may have qualities genius Let not decide this .
point too early the child life in
. 's
up
Intuition greatly needed sizing child in is
a
.
Woman usually more gifted with intuition than the is
biologically fostering disposition of
male and is ,
. a
her very nature and function nurse weakness It is
to
of
she who perceives by
into strength reason is It
, .
her innate sympathy and intuition the oak the tiny in ,
acorn the eagle the fledgling the swan the ugly in
in ;
;
great of
duckling woman achievement or
the man in ;
the wilful sulking child . The Child at Home 67
If freedom for the child to follow the bent of
of its own genius the foremost factor the fruition
is
in individuality almost equal im
of second factor , a portance rich and ample environment Full is a
. “ many flower born blush unseen sings the is
it to
, a
” or true that genius will poet Whether not
is .
deprived fa
if
of meet with absolute frustration
a voring environment certainly true that the aver it is ,
age individual needs both opportunity and stimulus his native powers are reach their richest devel if
to
opment Therefore evident that the more it is .
varied the environmental stimuli presented the
to of child the better are his chances really discovering ,
the things he wants do to
.
The average home the variety
as , of to as
limited is
environment can offer children Parents should it
.
however endeavor surround the child with as to ,
rich cultural and stimulative and broad vo a
a as
cational environment possible There should is
.
be books music art carpentry mechanical work ,
,
,
,
, of
nature study gardening sciencemas much such ,
,
opportunities the home life can afford and as
as
the child may seem crave and appreciate to to
.
addition these opportunities within the In
of
home parents should avail their children the ,
opportunities that exist their civic and national of in
environment the way museums concerts whole in
,
,
some plays and movies automobile trips historic to ,
scenic splendors or to
sites . 68 New Horizons for the Child Very important , also , is the human environment with which the child finds itself in contact . Parents must constantly seek to enlarge ' the child s acquaint ance ance with helpful and stimulating playmates and with adults who may prove inspiring comrades or guides .
The new principles of education help the child , in the home as well as in the school , to be more creative , more active , more joyous. This necessitates not only a considerable change of the traditional parental attitude , but it necessitates also a careful considera tion of the child ' s needs as regards the planning and equipment of the home. The modern school is designed for the sake of the child . There is plenty of sunlight for each school room . Cupboards house material which the chil dren will use in their activities . There are collec tions for nature study , growing plants , a bowl of fish ; and in the school yard , perhaps some animals being raised — a family of rabbits or guinea pigs . There are school gardens planted by the children and cared for by them , where they may watch with de light the growing power of nature which they have assisted by the application of science and toil . In the home , also , there should be adequate provi sion for children 's predilections and necessities . How strange it seems, when we think of it , that The Child at Home 69
houses the past have been planned wholly for in
adults . Architects , except in a few modern homes , have taken no thought for the needs of children . On the farm there are plenty of play places for children , in the barn loft as well as out of doors . But in the modern suburban or town house there has been too little attention given to the needs of chil dren . Every home should have , if possible , some place where children can keep their toys, their knick knacks , their materials for creative work . Here they can spend happy hours in rainy weather . Often the unfurnished attic has been used in this way . Now with the modern automatic oil or gas heaters the basement can easily be fitted up as a recreation room for children . In the yard there should be plenty of play equip ment : swings , slides, seesaws , old automobile tires hung from trees . For those who can afford it I jim
of
recommend the jungle - system ladders built , a
together vertically and horizontally wherein children can climb over and through with endless amusement and helpful exercise .
For growing boys there should workshop be a
equipped with carpenter table and simple tools If . 's
the father has the inclination and the time work to
, of
with his boys guiding into interesting forms ,
them
woodwork and stimulating their creative endeavor great gain the boys not possi to
this this is
is If a
.
Saturdays be
ble some young man can engaged for ,
and perhaps other afternoons and other neighbor ; be
hood boys can enlisted woodwork class to
form . a 70 New Horizons for the Child
One of the great social needs for children in the modern home is the presence of other children . The
ten old - fashioned family of five, seven , children fur nished social group which could plan and carry out a
endless amusement But today families towns
in .
or
or and cities have often only one two children
if , ; be more there may great interval between their ,
a ages .
One
so of
the reasons that children love their life progressive schools because these schools fur is in
social environment the single as nish such child a
he
Here his own age
of craves finds other children
, .
with ample opportunity during the school day for social contacts and for games and sports together
. Often this single child feels great difference his
in a he
social environment when returns from the school his home which seems lonely him because there to
to , no
are other children play with to to
. be can
of
What done remedy this loneliness the single child this domestic need for social group —
a
? by
Many parents wisely solve the problem inviting other eligible children the home play to
to
A . of
group parents the neighborhood may well join in
together this way taking turns having groups in
,
or in
their homes Saturday holidays for afternoons in
,
, By
after the school period cooperative fund it .
a
possible engage someone supervise the play to
to of is
such group a
. The Child at Home 71
Even where there are two or three children in a family , we find usually that these children do not socialize perfectly together . This is a perennial source of amazement and disappointment to parents , who question : " Why my children play happily
can 't together Why many quarrels troubles and dis
so
, ?
harmonies ? ”
of
The cause bickering within the family group
is partly biological partly psychological The chil ,
. dren all have hereditary qualities common Be
in
. ing together too constantly is form of psychologi a cal inbreeding Children the same family see
so in .
be no of
each other that there apt special
to much is
charm for them their association together in
. Then too the differences ages and sex tend
to ,
,
in
produce dissatisfactions disagreements and hector ,
,
ing Therefore very wise thing for parents is it .
a
two bring chil or of of
three children to
even in by
dren other families invitation take meals to ,
,
and play with their own children Such arrange to
. be
ment should reciprocal The other parents should .
take their turn such informal neighborhood play in
parties .
cannot emphasize too much the imperative need I
of
social group outside for as
young of
children a
of as
well school hours Parents single children in
.
can contribute very significantly their children to
's
happiness and development they will take the pains if
by
ro of
with playmates to
furnish them system a
tating invitations between several such families . New Horizons for the Child
There is another aspect to this combining of only children into supervised play groups . By coopera tion a number of mothers can take turns supervising the children 's play , either with or without a paid assistant . This plan will relieve such a group of mothers from spending so much of their time in play ing nursemaids to their children , while at the same time assuring the children a happy , and develop mental social environment . Recently a group of nineteen wives of Columbia University professors have announced such a plan of cooperative housekeeping . They have moved into a remodeled building near the university , where the experiment after a month was reported as run ning smoothly . The mothers take turns , with one , paid supervisor in the care of the twenty - five chil dren of the group . One apartment in the building has been converted into a nursery and play room for rainy days , and on the roof they have built a sunny , airy playground surrounded by a high climb - proof fence . Each mother takes her turn for half a day each week . The children of the pre -school age spend from nine to twelve o ' clock each morning and from two to five o ' clock in the afternoon playing together . The idea is being extended to include noon lunches and , at small additional expense , care of the children during the evening by a nurse . This experiment will be widely copied when par The Child at Home 73
ents come to realize how great a factor in the young child ' s development is play with other children under intelligent supervision . The era of entire home care of pre -school children is rapidly passing. The kindergartens and nursery schools have so abun dantly proved their benefits to children (not to speak of benefits to parents ) , that the education of the fu ture seems destined universally to extend downward the school age of the child almost to the cradle .
It must not be thought that parents should simply do can
try to discover what they make their chil to
should also havee re
re . re dren lives happy Children . 's
of sponsibility the home plenty responsibility in
-
Psychology has pretty well proved the maxim
of ligion that the happiest people are those who are ,
of doing something to
serve others The reverse .
many the quarrelsome be
this can noted homes in
— of
re do ness and discontent children for whom parents everything and from whom they ask nothing in
turn .
of
Schools are beginning carry out this dictum to by
psychology assigning various duties which chil dren individually committees assume responsi or in
bility for Not only children enjoy these respon do .
sibilities but they are developed character by in
of
Sill the Kent of
means them Rev Frederick H .
.
.
School remarkable educator considers responsi so ,
, a
he
bility essential character development that to 74 New Horizons for the Child
has all of the work of the school , except the actual cooking of food , done by the boys . These boys come mostly from privileged homes where they have had no duties or responsibilities . The modern home, with diminished opportunity for chores , must find some ways in which children can express service and responsibility . The provid ing of such work may be more of an inconvenience than a help to the parents , but it is of the utmost importance to the child .
There is another lesson that the home can learn from the school . The home may well adopt some of the principles of organization which keep a resi dent school running smoothly . There should be regular hours for meals . The meals should be eaten in an orderly cultured way , and not too fast . Chil dren should wait for dismissal from the table . There should be regular hours for bed , and these should seldom vary . This bed -time rule should be observed automatically without habitual yielding to the ingenious pleadings of children for delay . Once such habits of delay are formed , bed time becomes an endless agony for both parents and children . On the other hand , habits of regularity can be made automatic , with great saving of wear and tear on the part of both children and parents . Parents are handicapped as regards the discipline of children in comparison with a school organization . The Child at Home 75
In the school there is plenty of machinery to take care of any punishment which needs to be inflicted upon the child . But in the family life such organi zation is lacking . Let us take a concrete example : A mother is taking one or more of her children to
some entertainment or on some excursion . One of the children , let say behaves very badly us such
in ,
,
a way that the just and logical punishment for him be
be he
be
of would that should deprived this trip
no . he
But how deprived the trip to
of there
is In if is
home with whom he can stay at
one such case
a ?
up may parent be
better for the give the trip
to it
at
entirely and home order enforce to
remain
to in the necessary discipline . of
the home discipline great In
children there
is a of
regularity organized very of
need effort
is It
a .
frequent occurrence that children who have behaved badly into organized life at
to
home soon learn fit
For here they to
when they start attend school .
find discipline working smoothly discipline — a
a
which they cannot escape discipline which they may , a
be led only for their own advantage Re to
see is is
.
belliousness the more easily overcome when is it
pointed out the recalcitrant individual that the to
other children willingly carry out these rules realiz , ing
that they are for their own good This power .
of example has great effect upon children a
or . In
the home where there are only one two chil organize of
dren rather difficult the life the it
to is
of
child definite way Yet feel the utmost is it in a
I .
importance that this should be done for the sake of 76 New Horizons for the Child
the child 's physicaland psychological needs . It should not be necessary to argue and dispute with the child on every occasion , or to have to inflict fre quent punishment. Where the child ' s life is wholesomely organized it will be found that the child is more poised and robust , that his whole development - physical , psy chological , and emotional — is better than in those homes where lack of organization leaves too much
be and for
opportunity wilful capricious , hectic
, havior .
of be
cannot too much emphasized that the It
it is . of of sacred duty parents give the best attention to
and care the developmental needs children to
. the first obligation parenthood of
This is
of
All requires great on of
this deal attention and a of
the part the parents especially on
effort the , of
part job bring into the to
the mother If
is it
a .
world children still bigger job raise them to it is ,
a
healthily and wisely This the major obligation is .
. of
period many years until her of
the mother for , a
children have reached maturity If
mother wishes a
raise her children the best way possible then to
in
, ,
lunch parties bridge parties dances movies and ,
,
, of
other adult forms recreation and social expression must hold subordinate place her life the place in
to a
which her children hold These recreations and cul . an
tural activities have important place woman in a
's The Child at Home 77
life , it is true , and there should be some opportunity for them ; but the responsibility for the children is primary . A lady with three beautiful , healthy children play ing around her was accosted in a Washington park by a childless woman of mature age . The second woman : " My ! what lovely children . I would said years my life ten
give ", of have such children
to
!" did
Madame responded the mother , I, "
. Yes fifteen twenty years not too much or
ten
is ;
give out
of her life
to expect woman the to
to a
raising children than which there
of no of
profession
is , human activity more pregnant with possibilities good for the future world .
The faults engendered luxury lov by children in
- ing pleasure seeking who women neglect their ,
-
as
duties their children are vicious endanger so to
to
very stability society We note for instance of
the .
the history Rome that when mothers were sim of in
up
ple and dutiful to be their lives their sons grew in
of
useful and noble citizens the commune and nation ;
the other hand when luxury crept on
that and in ,
,
mothers became pleasure seeking and loose char in -
acter and behavior neglecting entirely their duty to ,
their children the males upon maturity showed ,
a
laxness their character self indulgent pleasure ,
, in
a
-
seeking quality the moral fiber so
which weakened , of
the Roman race render helpless before the to as
it
onslaughts the more virile and wholesome Nor of
of
any civilization may be
dics Thus the decline .
traced definite degree luxury and voluptuous in
to 78 New Horizons for the Child
ness creeping in and corrupting the women , vitiating wifehood and motherhood , and ruining the character of the growing generation .
The responsibility of training and bringing up children , however , does not rest solely with the mother . It is very important that the father take his part in this . Children need the influence of the father . Especially do boys need a masculine hand in their training — figuratively always , and literally sometimes . Women of mild disposition have a dif ficult time rearing male children of strong , aggres sive personality . Frequently , perhaps in the ma jority of cases , a woman of gentle , yielding temper ament marries a man of the opposite temperament . If the boys take after the father , and there are sev eral boys in the family , the mother will have a very difficult job training these boys . She will need the father 's help . He must stand back of her, reinforce her physical and temperamental weaknesses , and give such practical and psychological support to her discipline as the principal of a school affords his teachers . If the children come to realize that in all their misbehavior they are to deal with two , not one - with a virile male as well as with a gentle fe male - they will behave much better than if they have only the mother to cope with . too frequently poor all
The American man is a The Child at Home 79
father because he gives his vitality to his business and saves none for his family . How can he disci pline or train his children when he has no energy to bring to the task ? The result is that the training of the children is left altogether too much to the mother. In this lopsided training we find one of the greatest weaknesses of American culture . How ever wise and practical themother 's training may be, it is not able to supply those masculine qualities which growing boys , and girls too , need in their de velopmental environment . Let us hope that the New Economy , by bringing to pass a shorter work ing day , will release masculine energy for the due exercise of paternity . It is not only a father 's discipline that the boy needs . He needs also his father 's companionship . It is difficult for the mother to be a perfect outdoor chum for her boy . This is a function the father can more easily and more naturally Boys prize fill , .
those fathers who are pals this way taking them in
hikes playing outdoor games with them sharing on
,
,
with them the joys the great out of of
recreation in
- of
doors Such ties paternal comradeship count for .
great deal when the dangerous age of
adolescence a
approaches .
What the ideal organization the family of is
It ?
organization suited be
must to an
the new freedom 80 New Horizons for the Child
for the child , democratic rather than autocratic , yet so truly cooperative that harmony and order shall reign . In the old patriarchal type of family the organiza tion was very set . Such a type of family organiza tion gave great stability to civilization . In China , for example , Confucius twenty - five hundred years ago laid down rules of behavior of wife to husband and to the husband 's parents ; of children to their parents and parents to their children ; younger broth ers to older brothers , and older brothers to younger brothers ; of children and parents to their relatives of various degrees . These rules have prevailed in all
relationships the family life from then until of
the present generation What has been the result
of ? . If
we take the word Occidental observers of
Chinese life the Chinese have attained remark to ,
a ably poised social relationship More harmony has .
reigned within the family group and other social groups China than anywhere else the world in
, in
aggres. of
of an
There has been absence egotism rough of
siveness and rude behavior There has ,
.
always been courtesy considerateness and ,
, a
a
a of
subordination self the social group Conse to
. of
of
quently the life the peoples China has been characteristically more happily harmonious than any where else the world be in
by .
of
may critics observed this system that it It
has not led progress system necessarily to
Such a .
produces stability rather than progress In
the face . The Child at Home 81
of modern scientific industrialism this family system of China is now rapidly disintegrating . But what is taking Until some new mode its place Chaos
! ? of
relationship discovered and universally applied
is
, China will be bad way in
. a this country we somewhat similar tran In
see
a family relationship
of sition from the stable system
the past founded great deal upon religion of
to ,
, a the anarchic condition which characterizes family
re of of of life today What we chiefly hear from the youth .
today the right self expression to
freedom is
to , -
the individual There too great throwing off is
a .
of
of restraint rejection authority and denial ,
, sponsibility .
Plainly we can never return the hidebound sys to
patriarchal authority our an of
tem with which of
of cestors held sway this age democracy In
be as , .
the right of
of
well as
freedom individuals the of ,
right no
the group the adult can longer the , of
of
arbiter the life youth But the family It to is an if .
all must again become organization at
exist it ,
.
must reorganize along new lines What are the new .
laws that will hold the family together this new In ? as of
organization the family see the laws are ,
it, I of
kind be derived from the Golden Rule Do to a
: “ as
you would like them do
unto others unto you to
."
Mutual courtesy mutual understanding mutual con ,
,
the part of
sideration the adult and the child on
this the rule which will again produce har is
a of
monious unit the family . New Horizons for the Child
Already we see such a relationship between adult and youth being worked out in progressive schools in many parts of the country . We find here perfect harmony , perfect understanding and cooperation in stead of arbitrary authority imposed from above . Whatever expression of authority there is on the part of the adult is in clear terms of welfare of the children , in such way that the children themselves a aim
of understand the and the method the adult
in aim dealing with them They understand this and .
entirely friendly and they feel be
method to
to to it , They themselves be
considerate turn wish ,
, in .
exert friendly and considerate attitude towards the a
adult Mutual courtesy the law that reigns and is
it , .
as
solves all problems As far possible the children .
by led
of
are rule themselves means self govern to
-
by ment associations and restrain themselves is to
right But when of
their own ideas what seems it .
necessary the adult does not hesitate direct the to
children and then the children because they are , ;
of
sincerity of
convinced the essential and fairness the adult his daily contacts with them cheerfully in
,
and promptly obey .
Here then we see perfect type of
the new social of ,
,
a
be
group adults and youth can worked out and It .
every family As far pos as
must be worked out in
.
be led be to
sible children should face their own ,
be of
havior They should accept the authority the .
ap
adult when necessary that this authority is it The Child at Home 83
see plied to situations . They should this authority authority solely upon their as a reasonable based wholesome development When they
of own need
. come conceive perfect respect and confidence for to
the attitudes of their parents there will
be very little
, will
be friction the family life And the children in
. happier healthier and far more normal their
up in ,
development when such , situation built
is a
. .
up important that children should grow with It is
high ideals worthy citizens Every be
they are if
to
.
of individual addition fulfilling the obligation in
to ,
be of
earning living should
to some service his , a
community and country of .
All that we inherit of
comfort and culture all
, opportunity of
of
our assurance freedom and this — of
has come through unselfish efforts us to
other men we but take advantage of of of
the past If
and women .
the labors the past enjoy life for ourselves we to
,
important values of
of
have missed one the most as
We should not pen willing be
existence live to on .
of
sioners the bounty those who have pioneered the way before We should desire ourselves us
to .
of
make some contribution the progress humanity to
. do
The school can much but the this direction in
,
ex of
home the normal for the absorption place is
by
by
ideals Not only precept but deed and , , .
ample parents should train their children habits to
and ideals integrity We of
and humanitarianism . 84 New Horizons for the Child
must not continue to bring up the children of today to be selfish oppressors and exploiters of the ensuing generation . Far better that a child had never been born or educated than that it should grow up to do injury to mankind . We can reasonably expect that children should be so trained in idealism , so interdoctrinated with the values and needs of society , that they will at ma turity voluntarily devote some of their energy to human life and progress . Almost, one might say , this is the most important single factor in the edu cation of the child , important for the happiness and normal expression of the individual as it is for the welfare of society . CHAPTER SIX
The Child as an Individual
DUCATION , in the light of modern psychol ogy , can mean only one thing , the develop ment of the individual child up to the capacity of his talents and abilities . Not
all this complete
of
as be
development can given the public schools in constituted today this larger In
fact education
in , .
of wholly the responsibility be
sense never can the state .
the public at
But this least incontrovertible — is
schools should harmonize their aims and meth in ,
ods with this developmental conception educa of ,
go
tion and not contrawise other words to it
In
, . . of by
every effort expended the schools should help forward the fruition the individual and not , or
limit mar that fruition
The progressive educator sees each child as a
unique individual No two human beings are made .
exactly the same pattern not even twins Varia in
—
. of
of
tion nature method development the is
's
species the most important step natural evolu in as —
human progress Shall we the educa in
tion in ,
. 86 New Horizons for the Child
tional process penalize variation , or shall we recog
its nize and cultivate values
? of The inherent dowry the child the gifts with
, of which born that essence the individual which it is
, we call personality not this the foundation upon
is —
be which the whole educational structure must erected ? us
Let for moment leave off looking educa
at a
the viewpoint ad
be of tion from how can
it as
as ministered mass movement and look upon
it , a
meant bemindividual development Let to
what is it
. us
bring home ourselves this question What to
:
do do an
would individual have liked education as
to I,
I ,
for me What would today like education
to ?
for me Have any undeveloped long talents that I
I ?
Have express desire for the further pursuit of to
a I ?
knowledge organized way under trained pro an in
fessional leadership ?
this light be at
When we look education it of , in
institution and more means an
comes less human a of
culture To the leading youth ancient Greece and .
of to
the aristocratic youth the Renaissance this was what education meant And with them education .
produced marvelous results .
But how can each individual be given such cul a by
tural training the free universal public of
means ,
education which characterizes modern democracy a
?
The problem we should consider not however is
,
, The Child as an Individual 87
whether the cultural education of the individual child is a feasible thing to accomplish today . We need ask : Is this the ideal we should only strive toward ? For if we once reach a sound conviction that such a type of education is valuable both for the individual and society , we can and must begin to adapt present day education toward this goal, no
its ultimate attainment may
be matter how distant
. general chief with several million raw re in A
- -
cruits suddenly whip into shape for war must to
of
give them type mass training which the indi in a
-
vidual completely submerged From the reviewing is
.
private citizen may see army corps pass an
stand a
of
giving evidences perfect military training by
. a
imagine the plight of cultured civilian us let
But a an
us
educator artist let say among those trans or
,
-
by
formed into parading soldiers converted the pro daily express of
cess militarism from individuals ing individual tastes and abilities into indistin guishable patterned units regiments of
im
such In . of
prisonment may vividly be
the self realized some of
the restrictive effects upon sensitive children of
,
,
regimentation the public schools in
.
education has become more institutional Public regimented of as
ized and the numbers individuals 88 New Horizons for the Child
seeking this privilege has grown vaster . Such was to be expected . But it is not an ideal condition . This can be nothing more than a temporary measure of expediency in the effort to meet the gigantic re sponsibility of giving an effective education to every child . When England Joseph Lancaster , toward the in end of the Nineteenth Century , conceived the idea that every child should be trained to literacy in order to be able to read that Sacred Book which was to him the guide of life , he devised a unique plan for making possible his vast and humanitarian project . By his monitorial system , in which older pupils helped the younger , he was able to assign one thou sand pupils to one paid teacher ; and by skilful eco nomies , such as learning to write in sand , he kept expenses down to less than four shillings per capita per year . It was because of these economies and the small capital required that Lancaster was able gradually to convert leaders in public life and humanitarian his
of
people of wealth to giving . of
unheard idea -
free public education every child to
Why should we pay taxes of
educate the brats to "
the lazy poor said the childless rich And took it . ? ”
privately supported propa of
almost half century a
ganda and educational activity before the first public of
grant money was made England for public in
education .
Later Lancaster was invited this country to to
demonstrate the possibility giving public educa of The Child as an Individual 89
tion at slight expense . And this visit marked the be ginning of the great free public education movement in the United States . We are still struggling with the Lancasterian prob lem - how to educate the greatest number of children with the least possible expense . In our great
; . of some thirty millions
its public school system with pupils we have accomplished much that admirable
is We have evolved fairly satisfactory curriculum a
of have perfected methods teaching and have given
of to ;
of more and more adequate attention the hygiene the schoolroom and the child But the real possi .
of full cultural and of
bilities as
education means a
all round development the child we have hardly of -
yet conceived We are too easily satisfied with things .
not yet realize how pre as
do
they are because we
its the jewel individuality and how easily of
cious is
be
radiations can dimmed . If
our aim education standardization then in
, is
we shall not want individuality would stand It
in .
the way At the Naval Academy where , U
I .
. I S.
taught for three years was set musing one sum to ,
Li of
the sight plebe drawing from by
mer the a
read and report of
brary the poems William Blake to
of
rare personality on
Here was youth sixteen — a
a .
reading the mystic Blake from choice But such indi .
vidual richness was not needed appreciated nor ,
, 90 New Horizons for the Child wanted at Annapolis . It was only an obstruction to the duties that lay ahead of an incipient naval officer . When the plebe year began in the autumn the daily routine of the Academy would close down upon this youth and he would not have time to read Blake ; would not have time to linger on the magnificent terrace of Bancroft Hall to enjoy superb sunsets . Moreover in the lingo of the mess hall , the dormi tory , and the yard he must beware lest he express uniqueness . Let him not wear his heart upon his sleeve . Let him not dare to be himself . For what is wanted here is not an individual , but a machine -unit cast perfectly to pattern . Now let us see how another government institu personnel
of its
Stand In
tion handles the Bureau 's .
greatest geniuses of
ards one the world the
in theory and art making glass given of
certain is
a problem work out such research and experi In to
.
He he
mentation practically his own master is
. daily report nor keeps any daily pro no
makes to
gram He left absolutely himself bring of to in is
to
it to
in .
his report his own good time For has been .
put any time limit on
found that him threatens the failure the whole enterprise but that he is if ;
be
given free rein he will time may month it —
, in
in a six
may be
months bring uniquely it
success in — in
a
ful solution .
Why the great difference at
the methods used in
of
the Naval Academy and Stand at
the Bureau ards because the former wants and needs is It ?
of
standardization while the latter spite the ,
in ( The Child as an Individual 91
implication of
its name needs and wants individual
, !) ability resourcefulness and initiative ,
. What are the educational goals which we wish
to establish for the thirty million students our
in schools today This will determine both our methods ?
and our broad educational policy
. When art student enters great atelier Paris an
in a he left pretty much his own resources left to
to to — is
feel his way Above everything
he must learn , .
he
be himself Once has discovered himself the
, .
great master teaches him how more truly and be to
more adequately himself . be
Shall this not help
to our aim education in
— realize their full and best selfhood Or to
children shall we determine pattern for them and gradually ? a
mould them into it ?
of
Education for the development individuality is
not mere theory but possibility already put into ,
a
practice Progressive schools for over two decades .
have been demonstrating that the child can remain of an
individual even when member an
educational ,
a
group and that remaining an
individual the child in ;
of
able develop admirable qualities personality is
to
which hitherto have been neglected and inhibited in
the process of
education . 92 New Horizons for the Child Progressive education not only allows for dif ferences in personality , but it encourages such dif ferences . It seeks to develop the individual child to the full extent of his powers , whatever these powers be. This consideration of the individuality of the child does not mean lack of training or discipline . But it does mean the careful adaptation of training and discipline to the personality of the child . The progressive school is a new kind of school in which the genius child , as well as every other type of child , can feel at home. A parent and educator writes me anent my book , " Discovering the Genius Within You :” “ I have been educator for fifty an years . . . . I have come to the conclusion that every child ( except the idiot ) has some precious jewel which you call ' genius .' An enormous amount of talent lies undiscovered . I am the father of a genius - Deems Taylor, the composer and writer and he had much difficulty with his early teachers . He was in five public schools and didn 't get along well in any . I didn 't know what was the matter . What he got in school had no nourishment . This boy finally was sent to a progressive school , where his individuality was respected and provided for ; and there he remained for seven years happily and suc cessfully preparing for college ."
What do we intend in demanding that the school realize the child as an individual ? Let us be explicit . * Joseph S. Taylor - educator and lecturer . The Child as an Individual 93
We do not intend , by this , individual education . Pri vate tutoring has been the recourse of well - to -do families for centuries . This type of education has
its its advantages disadvantages
It has also .
. Nor does educational recognition
of the individ uality require my thinking of
of way
to the child
,
, as that the child make individual progress the
in do Winnetka method or that the child be free his
to ; by
as work the contract plan the Dalton method
to in
up ; or
be
that the child allowed choose and build his own curriculum .
my understanding progressive education does To
education not imply child centered " schon school nor child . a
a - "
"
" made curriculum Thered These are radical experiments . "
ficulum . of
the results which are everywhere being watched with interest Yet would seem that the prevailing it
opinion and practice even progressive schools
of is in
not this direction but rather the direction in
in
application ofmodern educational principles an
such will assure of as
the child the full benefit the to
knowledge wisdom and guidance of
the adult world ,
,
. by
To what extent shall the teacher stand and ,
what extent shall the teacher teach This prob to
?
lem has not yet been answered satisfactorily even for
for progressives and certainly not educators ", "
general the major problem now confronting It in
is .
progressive education and one for which the author will not attempt to
give solution a
.
The trend certainly toward teacher guidance is
, of -
rather than teacher aloofness The crux the mat -
.
of be
ter What shall the nature this guidance and is : 94 New Horizons for the Child
how shall it be exerted ? We do not wish to return to the teacher and text -book authoritativeness of the past . The intrinsic desires , the needs, the psychology
be of the individual child must at points
all con sidered This matter for experience the new
is
to in a .
education rather than for theorization solve ,
,
. Of one thing we may be certain that the individu
as , ality
be of
the child should held more sacred than the curriculum As Christ considered that the Sab .
bath was made for man and not man for the Sab bath education we may believe made for the so
is ,
, -
child and not the child for education
.
Education for individuality does not mean neglect of
the necessary academic training The founda .
tional subjects reading writing and arithmetic the —
,
,
skills and techniques upon which further education , in re . be
depends these must acquired by
every child —
, no
gardless individuality more of
The child can of
vestigate the world knowledge without these skills can explore his physical world without he
than as
having learned walk But learning to
to
walk in
be , .
learning the three consideration should so
in
, R 's
given the child personality temperament and to
,
, 's
ability .
's of
small part we moderns ! as
But what education , a
conceive these three constitute They form , it
R of
Temple Learn of
but the ritual initiation the in
ing Education apart from special vocational pro or , . The Child as an Individual 95
fessional training , is supposed to be for the sake of culture . But how can culture be anything else than individual ?
As education goes on , we should allow more and more for the expression of individuality , not only in choice of subjects but also in method of work within the field of any given subject . Individual differences in the way of interests and affinities determine what aspects of a given subject will appeal and what details will be assimilated . The same reaction cannot be expected on the part of all students . This is neither necessary nor desirable educationally . The extension of the research method , characteris of
graduate education the very lowest tic
to
down , of of
primary grades one the most successful and im is
By portant experiments progressive education .
this the great discovery has been made that of
means by
even child may profit the opportunity for the a
of
expression predilections initiative and self direc ,
,
-
the process of
tion education in
.
This does not mean necessarily that each child It of
any field be
free work independently to
need in as
knowledge chooses the university it
in ,
.
means there may be some freedom of choice as
be studied by the class or to
the subject group to
,
the sepa of
and even more freedom to as
choice by
rate topics the subject indi be of
undertaken to 96 New Horizons for the Child vidual children . Furthermore , there is provided opportunity for a wide range of interest, ability , and effort on the part of individual children in finding material to enrich the group -project . The research project , more than any other yet discovered , permits and encourages the expression of individuality . When supplemented by group conference and dis cussion , by further individual study and tests , as similation as well as discovery of knowledge can be assured . Even then it is not to be expected that all children will achieve uniform results . Just as different plants draw different nourishment from the soil , according to their constitution , so different individuals will choose and assimilate different materials from the field of knowledge . This is where progressive education parts com pany with the old type education . Uniformity , standardization , precision of parts — these things are desirable in machines but not in human beings .
Let us see how a famous secondary school of the progressive type attempts to discover and aid each individual student. " Every boy at Avon is placed under the special charge of a master who is known as his tutor , each master having a group of perhaps seven or eight boys . It is not the function of the tutor to cram a boy or make him do out of hours what he is sup The Child as an Individual 97 posed to do in the classroom and study hall . He doesn t ' 'tutor at the narrow sense of the all in
word . His interest is the whole boy - his work , his recreation , his friends , his hobbies , his health , his home, his likes and dislikes , everything that has a bearing upon his life and progress school He con
at
. stantly studies this boy corresponds with his parents
,
, talks with his teachers Every Monday
, he sends
, a Dr Kammerer and he . .
as report about him tutor to
consulted whenever question raised concerning
is is
he a
the boy specialist the subject
on word In
,
is a
a us . of let
say Bill Jones ,
, ,
.
of Obviously let of
example on
the face
an this
is it, "
go us
individual attention But little farther .
to . a The objective this tutorial plan of
not simply is all
isn find out about Bill Jones Information the .
't essential thing The essential thing the use that is
is . of
you want If
made information see Avon to .
tutorial plan actual operation good way 's to
begin , in
a
drop into master study almost any evening to is
a
's
after dinner where you will find group sprawled a
comfortably about blazing hearth and you will of a
great deal great many subjects on
hear talk a
a
.
These boys are not invited they just come They ;
. . all
always welcome That at
come hours They are .
's
the way with good friends .
The real objective the tutorial plan then far of
,
, , "
of
from being merely supervision boy work . is a
's of
the cultivation personal relationship with him a
rests squarely the belief that boys are led on
And it go
of
forward every line achievement chiefly to
in 98 New Horizons for the Child
because of just such a close relationship with some one whom they admire and for whom they feel rather than what they think . " The thing that strikes me at ' Avon , ' wrote a father after a visit to the School , ' is that I see there no faces that look troubled - or unhappy — or afraid . ' “ It is no accident that this is so . Perhaps those
words come as close as words can come to expressing the spirit of the place . "
At this point a distinction should be made between the proper cultivation of individuality , and a form of individualism which implies aggressive , egoistic , or capricious self - expression . Individual develop ment means the development of the best self of the child , not the inferior self . The right education for individuality does not render the child whimsical and selfish ; it rather helps the greatest heights of character the child to attain and achievement that it is capable of. It is important in the modern society that the in dividual, however superior his endowments and training , should be able to harmonize with his fel lowmen and to integrate himself in the machinery which society sets up in order to accomplish the world 's work . Each individual must know how to be a loyal and cooperative subordinate , as well as how
to play the part of a leader . Progressive schools , The Child as an Individual 99
therefore , pay great attention to the development of the individual as a social being . There are occasions for the expression of initiative and leadership . There are also occasions which call for cooperation ; for harmonization of personal powers and predilections with group needs. It is the harmonious social self that is aimed at in the new schools not that indi vidualistic , egotistic self which in later life becomes such a foe to happy , harmonious , and successful living . In every child the progressive educator sees the potential wage -earner , mate , parent , and citizen . These are the selves to be successfully developed . The development of the individual child , therefore , does not mean a full of egotism but a child all child sides of whose nature are being harmoniously ex pressed in accordance with the essential and unique rhythm of his own personality .
Was not this the kind of training that Christ gave ? He treated every one who came to him as a distinct individual . He penetrated to the essence of their being and helped them to clear away the moral débris under which lay buried and inert the true beauty of their souls . He did not say to the courtesan or publican _ “ You have a right to live your life in your own way ." Rather he held up to them a magic glass on one side of which they saw
the selves they were then living and on the other 100 New Horizons for the Child
side of which they saw the true selves which they might become. This contrasted view , to souls ripe for reform , was sufficient to motivate and energize into transubstantiated lives. Fundamentally , education is the spiritual unfold ment of the child . Therefore the educator should study Christ used for unlocking the the methods soul treasures of individuals who came within the radius of His benign influence .
The new education tries to avoid that egotism and personal vanity which the old education so strongly its
fostered with competitive examinations and superiori . of prizes public proclaiming its
, its
marks ,
,
of
ties and inferiorities success and failure The old of
education partook the vices that selfish compet of
itive socio economic system which now seems des -
yield ground more cooperative system to
tined to
a of
society And for such New Society new edu a
a .
cation distinctly needed is
.
, of as
At present education to
limited the aim is , “
suring personal survival competitive society and in a of
the effect this mental and moral strangulation is of
personality its
leave the essential core under to
—
standing fundamental purpose and its motives of
—
overwhelming influence already to
an of
the perverted society As the expression of
collective a .
social mentality education can and must deal with ,
basic human values . The Child as an Individual 101
" Spiritual education is the education of the whole being for useful life in a united society which derives its laws and principles from the universal law of love . It is education conscious of the modes of social
its evolution and hence subduing the means of life to true purpose and outcome One single generation
. by
raised spiritual education above the false guides who rationalize class race national and religious
,
, prejudices can give humanity definite foothold
in a of
the new age cooperation and unity
'2 .' The World Economy Horace Holley of
Baha Ullah
— "
”
. The first thing obvious to children is what is sen sible ; and that we make no part of their rudiments . We press their memory too soon , and puzzle , strain and load them with words and rules ; to know gram mar and rhetoric , and a strange tongue or two, that it is ten to one may never be useful to them , leaving their natural genius to mechanical and physical or natural knowledge uncultivated and neglected ; which would be of exceeding use and pleasure to them through the whole course of their life. Children had rather be making of tools and instruments of play ; shaping , drawing , framing , and building , etc ., than getting some rules of propriety of speech by heart. And those also would follow with more judgement and less trouble and time. - William Penn , " Reflections and Maxims. "
CHAPTER SEVEN
The Child as an Active Being
" HE world has always realized that children are active . But it has remained for progres sive education to discover that children should be afforded scope for activity within the schoolroom itself . In past education , activity has been taboo within the schoolroom . Learning was a sedentary process . Mental activity in physical passivity was the ideal of the old education . Children at the age of leaving their free play six
of and the glorious outdoor life for the confinement schoolrooms fixed desks long rows five hours ; in ;
; , all
indoors mostly sedentary recesses too short ; ,
by
enormous classes taught hectic overdriven teachers this travesty and injury child to
cannot , -
hood be abolished , ? can
fair way being abol be
Yes and It
to
, is in !
ished The kindergarten pioneered the way show to , .
how children may be gainfully active and happy in
And now thanks Francis to
the schoolroom W , .
.
Parker John Dewey and Patty Hill we find also in ,
,
,
primary grades movable furniture replacing the fixed desks We find active blackboard work edu of
rows , .
cational games activity projects enlivening the ,
scholastic day We find some public school sys in .
tems work bench every primary room We find in a
.
104 New Horizons for the Child rhythmics and dramatics introduced into the school room . We find outdoor projects such as gardening or the building of miniature representations of group shelter from savage huts to modern villages . We find children making excursions to the neighbor ing stores, to the dairies and farms, to museums and to civic centers . Infact , we find our whole educational system , both private and public , committing itself to leaven ing sedentary education with the yeast of Dewey 's “ learning by doing .” And some schools have gone far
activity of so the direction the classroom in
in
to of that they have taken the self assumed name activity schools hardly necessary- So
that is it "
.”
day argue that children need and should have to
of
some degree activity within the schoolroom that
by ; fact has already been fully ascertained the psychologist the physician and the child welfare ,
- specialist Our problem on as
educators discover is to ,
of , .
how the need for activity the part the child can in need for learning and for be
harmonized with its
tellectual development .
The young child needs some activity even the in its , of
schoolroom for the maintenance best psychic ,
and physical health But this were the only reason if .
for introducing activities into the schoolroom such , be
activities would naturally marching to
limited ,
simple gymnastics rhythmics and frequent black ,
, The Child as an Active Being 105
board work . There is another , much more important pedagogical reason , for introducing activity into scholastic work1 ., The young child is very much a sensory animal . He has not yet outgrown his babyhood method of exploring the world by handling things and by watching moving objects . To this desire for im mediate contact with things and materials is now added a desire to construct . The will to learn by sensation , perception , and creation is strong ; the will to learn by ratiocination or dealing with concepts is weak . The human race started mental training its through sensory experiences From the hand the eye
,
, .
the ear streamed many nerve adventure the
to a
brain forming and expanding The child repeat it ,
, an . of
ing the history the race gets important amount , of
brain development from manual skills and ex of
pressions How large proportion our mind is a .
gained this way we may never accurately know in
but enough certainly justify the slogan learning to , ,
“
by doing if ."
Now the child natural desire for handling ob 's
jects and for making things can be
turned toward of
channels academic achievement then the educator ,
has found way guide the child activity nature to a
- 's
into paths that are beneficial academically as
as
they are pleasing and wholesome to
the child of . of
One the greatest innovations Twentieth Century education the called activity project so is
.
Usually this group project chosen by the group is a 106 New Horizons for the Child
from among a certain number of possible projects suited to the age and educational advancement of the group . For this project the children make his torical research with the aid of the teacher . They read about the subject of their project ; gather pic tures and materials for it ; visit local museums in order to study exhibits ; make sketches of the life of the given period ; weave vea it into their dramatics and assemblies ; and at last they construct and assemble their reproduction of past or foreign life. Through group excursions the children in pro gressive schools learn about their neighborhood , their civic government , the operation of various in dustries , the nature of modern transportation , and the simple physical , chemical, and biological facts about the wonderful world they live in . The construction of models to show the develop ment of shelter and transportation ; excursions for the study of local geology ; nature trips , and the care of plants , aquariums and pets within the school ; trips to museums and historical sites ; modeling and painting of relief maps ; the graphic or concrete con struction of historical periods such as ancient Egypt , Greece , Rome, the Age of Chivalry , the discovery of the New World — these , with countless other proj ects , give scope for the child ' s expression of activity in terms of academic value . Inall of this preparation and in con the final struction of a project the children are active ; they are finding scope for their instinct to learn by means of movement and sensation . They are thus led to The Child as an Active Being 107
abstract knowledge ( for the knowledge of life at a chronological or geographical distance is abstract ) by means of concrete experience . This method of direct experience has been used from the very be ginning in the teaching of the modern sciences , astronomy , geology , biology , physics , and chemistry . It is now being successfully applied to almost all forms of teaching .
But, you may say , though all this very stimulat
is of
ing children how much real knowledge ac
of is to
, by
quired activity experiences This criticism the ?
project method will be
dealt with the subsequent in
chapter But let first realize this psychological us .
truth that experience may leave its teaching too -
deep bedded for quick memory reproduction the in - of
form words while yet the knowledge acquired by ,
such experience really functioning the individ is
in
ual .
of
George Rommert the Biologisches Labora torium Munich G ermany who has been demon in
,
,
strating this country his use micro projection of in
- aid to as
of
dramatic visual the teaching science to a
young pupils asks and answers one of
the to ,
chief objections the activity method with which ( be
his method would also classed since the children ,
themselves gather from ponds the animalcules be to
studied and use no texts but only observation ,
) : 108 New Horizons for the Child
“Do the children preserve any clear recollection of this observation of the microscopic world of animals and plants ? A science teacher of the old school would probably doubt that much knowledge would remain — knowledge , that is to say , as he under stands it , of the type which makes a show in exam inations . But , if this be true, has the actual observation of the microscopic world been valueless ? Is it true that only those things which we retain so that they can be reeled off on demand become our mental possessions ? Or is there another kind of learning , namely , the unconscious assimilation of deep personal experiences which are perhaps never again put into words but which , as imponderable values , are anchored none the less securely some where in our minds and influence our thinking and acting ? "
How an activity approach to a subject will enliven it for children and motivate their attention and cultural reaction to it is strikingly demonstrated in the Chevy Chase Country Day School in the annual performance of Shakespeare plays by children . The , its
play is cut down to about a third of original long speeches are condensed all
length but the (
)
original language of
Shakespeare and the dramatic continuity are preserved One period week for to a .
half year these children aged eight fourteen ,
, a The Child as an Active Being 109
live dramatically the thoughts of Shakespeare and " body forth the forms of things unseen .” When the final performance takes place , it has a perfection and a power that holds adult audiences spellbound for an hour and a half . Indeed , the beauty and sincerity of the acting at times compels to tears. But the values of acting Shakespeare are not only histrionic in nature . There are important reactions from the point of view of literary culture . For months the children recite , and hear others recite , the great melodic lines of Shakespeare . They are get ting an ear for rhythmic and beautiful language. By the time that they graduate from the eighth grade they have acted in four or five plays of Shakespeare . These children grow to love Shakespeare . Many ask their parents to buy them sets of Shakespeare and they go on reading other plays not acted by them . One boy of ten , not of the bookish type , always carried a small volume of Shakespeare in his pocket to read when waiting for his father in the family automobile . Contrast this early enthusiasm for Shakespeare with reaction of high school stu the unfavorable dents obliged to study Shakespeare in a purely , abstract method and you will begin to perceive some of the values of the direct , experimental , activity approach to knowledge and culture . are
The plays that seem to lend themselves best to child acting : As
Julius Cæsar Taming of
The Merchant Venice You Like , ,
,
It, the
and Two Gentlemen of
of
Shrew Verona . for 110 New Horizons the Child
Student activities and projects outside the curricu lum receive warm approval from educators Such
. a activities have increased much late years especially
in
, the junior and senior high schools where volun in
, tary clubs carrying out many different cultural aims These clubs meeting
at are fostered some hour
, .
do outside the regular school program not con
, flict with the academic work Rural schools all
in . grades admirably lend themselves activity proj
to ects closely connected with the agricultural back of
ground the child The Clubs have become H .
of inspiration and notable guide an
hundreds
to a of
thousands boys and girls rural districts There in
. are also the well known extra curricular activities -
-
long associated with schools and colleges school :- orchestras and school papers business management ,
, of
athletic teams glee clubs dramatic clubs modern ,
,
,
language clubs liberal clubs and the like , ,
.? of
These student activities outside the curriculum , provided they not absorb too large proportion do
a of
time are immense good an
the student since ,
, 's
they foster and develop youth those very qualities in
which make for success life Prowess and achieve in
.
ment such activities during the secondary school in
years have important bearing upon selective col an
by
lege entrance and the selection the business and ; bit
as
first hand testimony in of
of
the value to
to
these clubs is A be •
-
page on
found the student letter quoted 's
. The Child as an Active Being 111
industrial world from the annual list of students graduating from college is more affected by student achievement outside than inside the classroom .
Progressive schools have made a distinct contri bution to the development of school sports . In stead of allowing these sports to be the monopoly of picked teams with the rest of the student body getting only vicarious exercise as spectators , pro gressive schools provide supervised sports for all take part all
and require These sports properly to
, .
directed are not only physical but also great psy ,
a
chological and social benefit the child Many a to
.
be an
introvert who other schools would never —
in
granted his fellow students any opportunity for by
his of
sports because poor coordination absentmind ,
edness and general inefficiency progressive in ,
a -
developed and coached as
school athletics just is
in an
extrovert who was poor and retarded academ ically would coached along be
his studies Such in
.
children with the proper sympathy and aid become ,
,
able take normal part games and sports in to
a
.
The progressive school concerns itself with the all of
of
around development the child and leaders ,
progressive education know that the social develop of
ment going bear fruit that will to
the child is
equal importance be of
later life his intellectual to in
progress . 112 New Horizons for the Child
Whatever be the limitations of the activity project method , it is quite certain that education will not suffer if more activity than generally exists at pres ent is introduced into it , from the kindergarten through the college. It is the balanced life that education must seek to bestow , and we have not yet reached the ideal in this direction . Too great a proportion of the scholastic day in our high schools and colleges is given to sedentary brain work of the most exacting type - a proportion which few adults repeat in their life work . In respect to this sedentary nature of education , life in our higher institutions of learning is very ab normal, more so for women than for men . Better in the grammar , school in the high school and the college to cover less of the field of knowledge with an interest and zest that carries over into later years assuring a continuity of education and culture , than to attempt to crowd so much of knowledge into a small space of time that distaste and revulsion make book learning a thing to be forever dropped once the coveted degree is earned . Certainly the progressive movement has made a great contribution to education through its con ceiving the child as an active being . If it has done nothing else , it has eliminated the gulf between the school life of the child and the life outside of school. It has made the schoolroom a place of joy , and learn ing the happy process which normally it should be . The Child as an Active Being 113
But progressive education has done more than this. It has extended the experimental laboratory method of the university down to primary grades . It has developed powers of observation , of compari son , of analysis and of expression . Most valuable of all
has given scope and stimulus for powers it , of
of
- of initiative leadership persistence and con ,
, tinuity effort toward self chosen goals its of
And
it . has group projects developed marked
to in
a of
of degree that spirit cooperation mutuality
of ,
, service which the world needs today more even than needs powers of individualistic achievement it
. The modern school is an active school.
Its pupils things making things
be are doing must not
It ,
. inferred from this that the acquisition knowledge
of slighted On the contrary thor or
deprecated is
, , .
oughness and proficiency whether intellectual
in or
pursuits
of the arts and crafts one the lead of is in
, of
ing objectives the new ways teaching But
. what one can do considered more important than is
Knowledge that does not function he
what knows . of
little value Jesse Newton is
—
H .
.
.
I14 CHAPTER EIGHT
The Limitations of Activity Education THERE are so many clearly demonstrated values for the child in activity projects that
its this educational method is rapidly taking place elementary Un of
the curriculum schools in
. doubtedly an
educational device that has come is it
stay to
.
that byso
The tendency today not much the be is
activity method will not used teachers , as that , by
As be
will abused every reform there it
in
them .
danger too great of
reaction is
a
.
common defect the use of activity projects in A
the neglect If assure definite cultural results is
to
.
the project allowed remain merely pleasurable , to is
a
great deal it at its
activity for the child of
loses it
a
educational value The project should convey .
definite knowledge of
least certain minimum ; a
of
should lead further voluntary pursuit the sub to
by
ject illustrated the project and be
should made it ;
of
inspiration the definite development cultural an
to
tastes and interests other words the activity In
, .
project should be
means toward definite educa a
tional goals and not an
end itself in
.
IIS 116 New Horizons for the Child
Apart from the misuse of the project , there are
its certain definite limitations to use that should be recognized learning
of The tools and techniques
as such
— reading writing and arithmetic cannot be learned ,
,
_ by
by the project method but only motivated
of it . by be These skills must made automatic means much drill and practice the same situation
is It learning the three 's . learning play the
as in
in
to R
piano beginning of
be The piano can made interest .
by ing and attractive game
of the child means to
, a project activity but not until the scales the an , ,
, , ; a
of fingering the chords and the reading music are by
ef mastered much practice can anyone perform fectively upon the piano And with the it so
is 's . of
techniques the three they can be mastered ; R by
only repeated drills , .
Lazy unambitious and slow emperament chil ,
-t
not respond well the project method do
dren to
. by
of
They learn very little means Such children it .
by
cannot achieve their best academic results except of
means academic pressure and discipline .
Retarded children definitely above the border line of
intelligence need thorough drilling the tech in
niques reading and arithmetic more than they of
Right here lies one of
need activities the most .
dangerous temptations the activity method of
. of
Mental work leading the mastery the tech to
niques what such children most need Yet there is
. The Limitations of Activity Education 117
is a tendency in some circles to consider that these children are not academic -minded , and to solace them with practical activities . Academic handicaps on the part of normal but retarded children can be overcome by careful technical work on the part of teachers ; but if such children are abandoned to
manual arts and project activities they are thereby condemned to suffer throughout their academic career , and perhaps throughout life, from educa tional inferiorities which could easily have been overcome on the lower educational levels .
There are also important psychological limita tions to activity education . " Learning by doing " is an excellent formula for inducing interest and effort in children and for awakening in them a consciousness of how the human race hasmaterially progressed . It is the best method of learning any trade , profession , or art. But has this formula any prominent place in the acquisition of the racial knowledge accumulated over immense periods of time , or in the development of abstract thinking ? The children of savages can be taught orally and through activities all the knowledge of their tribe . But the children of civilized races must acquire their knowledge of racial culture — so immense in its
rami fications mainly through the printed page That —
.
knowledge which took the human race thousands it 118 New Horizons for the Child
of years to accumulate by activity and thought is stored in books . It would take any single individual centuries, nay , millenniums , to recapture this know ledge through actual experience . Reading , rather than activity , is the way to erudition . It is of the utmost importance to the in dividual to attain , in and through the process of education , the power to visualize from the printed page and to thus make concrete the abstraction of print . When this power is developed , the book — so ubiquitous , so catholic , so friendly — stands ready to carry the reader into magic worlds of the past ; or to distant events and places ; or into illimitable realms of thought and fancy . Consider how immensely the world ' s knowledge has grown and expanded since the invention of printing, the rise of universal education , and the wide distribution of books and magazines . The world had had “ activity education ” for six thousand historical years and knew very little at the end of that period . But during the relatively brief period when the world has been practising education by means of book - learning , knowledge has grown its
apace Humanity has learned hundred fold more . it a
- .
the last three centuries than had learned during in
previous six
the thousand years
Orient the traveler will see beautiful ob In
the by
jects made hand The Orientals through thou , . The Limitations of Activity Education 119
sands of years of practice in the arts , have acquired a marvelous dexterity . Similarly the peasant peoples
of Europe and the American Indians together with other uncivilized races exhibit great skill in all their handicraft . These peoples have " learned by doing . " In the things they have learned to do they cannot be surpassed . But their knowledge of the universe and of the world they live in is below the level of normal six
year old children civilized countries in -
-
. By far the greater part
of education must come through abstract rather than through concrete us to
And even
as channels those fields such science in .
where concrete methods are applicable and desirable
, of knowledge of
vast that most be so
the extent the is
facts we want accepted
on know must the basis to be of
what other peoples have done and reported must
; gleaned other words purely from the printed ,
, in
page .
by
We can learn doing But what we Yes is it ! . by
can learn doing Chiefly that thing which we are ?
doing all the things do
And we cannot possibly .
we want or
to
need know .
helpful motivating our us be
Activity projects in
r
can study and preparing understand what we in
to
read But nine tenths would say ninety nine hun -
I
to - .
us
dreths what we moderns know comes from — the
printed page The creative imagination feeding , .
material conveyed books and other to on
from it
printed material work expanding the at
busily , is
of
racial knowledge rounding of
field individual and ; 120 New Horizons for the Child
out our conception of the universe, of the physical planet , and of human society upon the planet . Activities and experience , it is true, bear a close practical relation to the gleaming of knowledge from books . They point the way to truth from the firm basis of actuality ; they stimulate interest , effort , analysis , discovery , and assimilation ; they assure a constant correlation between the world of the ideal and the world of the real . Activity correlated with abstract thinking is the method par excellence of scientific discovery , in which observation and experi mentation both inspire and verify ideas . We must grant that the educational functions of activity are valuable and indispensable . But we cannot afford to let activity crowd out the functions of abstract education . Certain things can be learned much better through doing than thinking , but other things can be learned only through thinking . "
There are some people who confer immense bene fits upon humanity by self-chosen activities and proj ects . There are others whose achievements are in the realm of pure thought . Alexander the Great , through constant doing , learned how to conquer the world and how to con ceive vast schemes for universal culture which proved
1 The author cannot agree with those educators who would classify book - learning and thinking under the term “ activity project .” This is begging the question . The Limitations of Activity Education 121
to be of great importance to human progress . Napoleon , in constant active pursuit of conquest and glory , found time and inclination to start a college here and there , to organize the judicial system of France , and to broaden the basis of her economic democracy . Such men as Alexander and Napoleon think upon their feet . With them activity is not only a stimulus to thought , but almost , one might say , a mode of thought . Aristotle , on the other hand , lived chiefly in the realm of the mind , and by so doing bequeathed to us an organizationof human thinking about the world we live in that has guided humanity ever since . Plato , Bacon , and Emerson also made their great contributions to the world chiefly from the plane of the abstract .
There are two main types of personality — the concrete minded , practical , motor-active type ; and the abstract minded , contemplative , bookish type . In the industrial civilization of today the former type predominates in leadership . Probably that type always has predominated . It is the industrialist , the inventor , the engineer , the business man , the politician who have been building up our modern civilization . And if our contemporaneous civilization were satisfactory , the activity type of human would undoubtedly continue to lead and to rule . But our industrial civilization 122 New Horizons for the Child
does not today seem perfect . It reveals great faults and weaknesses . Therefore it may be that it is time to carry out Plato ' s idea of calling into leadership the philosopher ripened in thought and capable of more than action - capable of direction . Into the government of our country today such men are being called . And it is not unlikely that the thinker , from now on , will participate in the leadership of affairs and will take his place at least abreast of the motor active type . Let us not make the mistake of concluding that only activity is effective . Ideas are effective also . It was a man miserably ineffective in managing his own life but remarkably effective in creating and projecting ideas who became the greatest single in fluence in the evolution of modern government and education .
If we want to educate for a motor -active civiliza tion , then we should do well to educate chiefly by means of activities . But if we want other values of a more abstract and contemplative kind we should do
well to insist on education striving to develop the power of abstract thinking : the power of translat ing into concrete terms the magic symbol of the written word ; the power of visualizing from the printed page conditions , situations , facts , and modes
* Jean Jacques Rousseau . The Limitations of Activity Education 123
of existence beyond the possibility of our immediate experience . There is a danger that the innovation of activity education may be an expression rather than a guid ance of our hyper -active American civilization . It is well adapted to the American type and therefore destined to still further successful development .
Its contributions are vital and needed But we analyse
if .
of our national character and the structure our national civilization shall we not discover necessary ,
goals which other than activity education must to
- us
lead ? · The new theory of education is not satisfied with the idea of mere adjustment . Man can control his environment . Therein lies all possibility of prog ress. Control is more than adjustment . It is creation . The new theory of education finds in the child the creative impulse , which is capable of modifying the environment . - Joseph S. Taylor , Assistant Super , intendent of Schools New York City .
CHAPTER NINE
The Child as a Creative Being
F ALL the contributions of progressive edu cationschool and society , the most out to standing and most valuable is the recognition of the child as a creative being . “ Release the cre ative energies of the child " is the slogan of the new education . Hitherto education on the lower levels has been considered as but a preparation for higher education or for a vocation , and the creative side of the child has had little place or legitimate op portunity for expression in such a scheme . Indeed , so outside the main purpose of education have creative activities on the part of the students been considered that the special term " extra -curric ular " ( outside the curriculum ) has been invented for them . This term in itself is sufficient revelation of the unimportance attached to creative expression in the minds of old -time educators. And in the col leges , where especially education should be creatively stimulative , it has been almost wholly of the passive learning type. Even in the graduate school the final theses of those preparing for a doctorate have as a rule been confined to topics of such minutiae as to
handicap those very creative powers which they were supposed to evoke . 126 New Horizons for the Child In brief , educational institutionalism has not con sidered itself as dedicated to the development of creativeness in the child , and it has not known what to do with creative ability when discovered
its in
midst .
When the progressive educator sets forth re
to as of lease the creative energies the child not
it is , , merely the fine arts such modeling painting
, (
wood work music rhythmics but the whole educa ,
,
) tional process which considered is
. Education become real value oflife
to it
to if
is ,
, the part of the child be
on
must creative endeavor a
. For unless the child actually participates his own
in mental training and inspired exert himself from is
to
the very depths of
his heart and soul the mental in
make during his he
endeavors called upon to is
school training will depart from the school he ,
neither thinking being able intelligently share to a
an of
the life society nor awakened being con in
,
stantly striving toward further intellectual and cul tural goals .
of
The acquisition factual material for purposes of
recitation and examination not sufficiently edu is be
cational There must digestion assimilation ,
, .
a of
knowledge of
functional use made this material it it .
absorb but little and assimilate to to It
were better perfectly than lot and fail make to
absorb a
function . The Child as a Creative Being
The progressive educator tries every point and
at
, every way possible
to cause education function
to , in
of the life the child not only function his
to — in
in intellectual being but also his emotional psychic
in
of ,
, by and social being And the principle adapta
. the individual previous to
tion described
to in a ( chapter progressive schools are able bring about , )
proper educational functioning
as
as slow well
as in a
well
as quick students motor active mental in
in
in ,
- types .
of
This sort educational miracle is
It
so is in . a
as basic contribution education that to
the case a of all
great discoveries will take generation for it
society general realize its magnitude And a to in
. the only way really appreciate this momentous to
educational change study progressive school is to
a
action and realize the earnest spirit which all in
in
the children undertake all their work whether mental , or
manual .
President Lowell upon retiring from Harvard ,
University made some trenchant statements re ,
garding latter day trends education along the of in
recogni of
lines greater correlation knowledge , a
tion of the principle of self education and stimula , - of
tion more vivid intellectual interests .
Feeding living fowl says he
different ,
, is "
a
a ”
“
thing from stuffing If
goose with chestnuts the . a
President Report 1931 1932 , 's *
-
. 128 New Horizons for the Child object is not so much to cram a mind with isolated facts as to learn how , the student must to use them be brought to compare them , to discriminate between their relative importance , to verify them , and must try to combine them into a system more or less con sistent with itself . 'Self -education is based on the principle that, beyond the mechanical elements , no one can really be educated against his will , or with out his own active effort . Unless the student desires , or is provoked , to learn he will profit little . He must be made to educate himself , working out things by his own effort . To absorb and give back the infor mation and ideas of the teacher may win good marks in many courses , but for training and fortifying the mind it is less valuable than power acquired by voluntary exertion in pursuit of an object . In short, all
of
the essence of institutions higher learning be
should self education under guidance Stimu -
. “ of
lation more vivid intellectual interests the most is '
course always of all
important point has It
of
, , .
of
been the aim and despair serious educators de ; of
spair because the most difficult their problems of is ,
it
strong vocational incentive It
the absence is in
a
to .
natural for teachers pay most attention the to
industrious and proficient students and yet while , ;
these usually obtain the greatest benefit they are ,
not always the ones that need attention most This . of
of
particularly true young men superior ability is
whose intellectual tastes and ambitions have not yet of few &
been aroused the entering Freshmen come ; The Child as a Creative Being
of ardent thirst for knowledge any subject
an with
. must be acquired here It
."
of Lowell reveals the gravest failure the old ype
-t education stimulates fairly success that while
it fully the book minded student acquire knowledge
to
, -
lamentably inspire the motor active
to has failed it
- by of
type which course far the predominant is ,
type our public and private schools
of Few the in
. “ of he
says ardent thirst for
an Freshmen come with ",
, “
be knowledge any subject It must acquired .
here ."
of But President Lowell need remind you what ,
,
I
gigantic almost impossible take men to is task it , a
tally atrophied intellectually stultified youths eight , -
-
by or
of years age and any system of
een nineteen up
scholastic exercise warm them intellectual and to
cultural endeavor The remedy comes too late . ? of
Like case infantile paralysis where the wasted a
be
limbs have been allowed harden little can to
,
done but furnish crutches to
.
begin the development of
The place cultural to
and intellectual interest the kindergarten and is in of
primary grades This spark curiosity and interest .
kept alive and nourished not be
should constantly , by
by
dulled mental routine and stifled scholastic regimentation through the as
on
the child goes ,
grammar and high school grades The spark should .
glow ever brighter from year year until to
reaches it
clear flame that time can never quench . a 130 New Horizons for the Child
If, as I believe it to be , true educationis itself a
creative process , then it is of vast importance that the creative nature of the child be awakened and maintained from the very beginning of school life . Progressive education pursues the psychologically sound course of developing young children along lines in which they are naturally creative — i.e ., in physical movements such as rhythmics , in handi crafts , in music and modeling and painting , and in activity projects of various kinds . If the creative side of the child ' s nature is not made to function , and kept functioning , from the very beginning , the routine school work of acquiring skills in the 3 R 's and of later absorbing factual knowledge will be but a slavish , compulsory use of the intellect from which the child revolts more and its
more as discrimination and will grow stronger suggestibility grows less its
and .
The point wish make clear that the pur to
is I of
of
pose the creative aesthetic development chil ,
dren aimed progressive schools not art for art is in
's of
sake but the emotional illumination all scholastic ,
, en
work with that radiance which an
comes from lightened creative soul exerting itself from within and of its own volition .
at
at
any on
You have but look children work to
see
of
subject progressive schools this quality in
to up
as
mental radiance lighting every face contrasted , or
with the apathy coldness revulsion which char , The Child as a Creative Being
the old
of so acterizes the faces many children
in of time type school
. The progressive educator considers creative ex
of pression be one the chief modes human de
of to
of velopment and creativeness
be one the most
to ,
important goals that education can aid the individual The progressive school sets out dis
to reach to
.
cover the creator every child in
All children are naturally creative As far .
as . all
that concerned human beings have within them is
,
divine spark which can be
kindled into creative a
a . of us spark very feeble most some It
fire is
of in
, a .
thing that languishes for want oxygen Everybody creator who applies his own ideas is a
as him
way to
the world about such create to in
a
something new whether be producing flowers it —
, fruits and vegetables erecting sky scraper manu ,
;
; a
facturing goods making discoveries and inventions ;
of ;
expressing ideas and visions the concrete form of in
art organization or
the human society ,
in
. do
Children show markedly the tendency and to
for the reason that life has not yet im to
create ,
prisoned and stifled hampering that flexibility ,
them of
soul which necessary for the conception of
ideas is
of
and their eruption into the plane action . of
The customs organized human society this in
mass production and standardized urban life of
age tend inhibit creativeness This fact apparent to
is . 132 New Horizons for the Child
the when one sees universal facility and originality handcrafts and art expression which characterize in peasant peoples
or savage
. that the natural creative powers
of pity is It
a
be children civilized countries should glossed in
As of by over and smothered what we call education
. by we approach the machine an
era leisure created
, we need more than ever universal expressiveness a
of and creative culture the part the people on
. There can be little doubt that one the greatest
of "
difficulties which will develop our economic and as
social order continues change the use of leisure to
is by
by
time not only the child but well says as adults
, ” of
of the parent teacher child attending one the a -
notable progressive schools parent who perceives — a as
as of
the needs education both mother and a
a us
teacher The problem upon and will con it is . "
tinue become more acute We should therefore to
. .
us of
give every consideration Some may not it
have mastered the art ourselves our own satis to
all
being parents we hope parents as
faction and ,
,
,
of
that our children will if do
do
always better job ,
a
But we expect them overcome themselves to it
in .
being entertained rather by
the inertia encouraged up
entertaining themselves de us
than to it in
is
to ,
vote ourselves specifically to
that end .
Lenore Bartlett recently teacher the Town and Country in , K *
a .
School New York City ,
. The Child as a Creative Being 133
" The constant influence of radio , lurid movies , the funnies , and myriads of ready-made toys of every description make constructive use of our children 's leisure time a most difficult problem for progressive parents . We are aware of the threat to creative ability which these passive activities hold for our children . We want to find a substitute which will foster the coming generation the joy of emotional in
release through self -realization and the urge for new drives which comes from creative effort ."
Though progressive education does not teach art for art 's sake , yet in the teaching of the arts and crafts it has blazed the way to new techniques and methods . The remarkable achievements of pupils in progressive schools have demonstrated the notable fact that all children are capable of interesting and worthwhile expression in the different art media ; and that many ( far more than would have been sup old
posed possible under the art of
formal methods teaching are capable really artistic expression of )
.
the pictorial arts of
the realm believe that In
I as
literary be
expression can made universal just ,
expression has been made universal through modern of
of
modes education Art any form the result is .
of emotionalized vision expressed through some medium Any normal person can master any .
of
degree This mere matter to
medium ,
is a
a . New Horizons for the Child practice The chief question What have you
, is “ . express to
” ? the things you see life and the intensity
in It is
an with which you respond that make you
to them
, artist The average person when under deep emo
, .
tion may become artistically creative ,
be . Love or bereavement tends expressed
to
in poetry song The peasant the freedom of his or
in , .
fields and native heath expresses his emotions
in , songs which become the chief source of themes for the great composers We too could express our .
of selves song but we are held dumb because in
—
of .us what our neighbors would say public speaking we find wide and almost In
a of
universal outlet expression among Americans
, otherwise emotionally self conscious and restrained -
. What with all our church and school organiza tions our clubs and our politics we are doing
an ,
of
of amount public speaking and much good it (
) not equalled elsewhere history save ancient in
in
Greece .
anybody who has the courage and the will to as
Just power can become proficient enough undertake it of
the art public speaking express ideas with to in
lucidity and adequate vocalization even not with if ,
anybody any so
technique of
force can master the ,
of
art sufficiently express with some degree to
it in of
adequacy And course such training the arts in .
far easier undertake and accomplish when to
to is
the individual young is
. The Child as a Creative Being 135
“ Children can learn to draw or paint as naturally as to write ," says Florence Cane , art director of the Walden School , New York . " Man is born with the creative impulse and this impulse may become the means of revealing and developing the self . But infinite care must be taken to do nothing that may stifle the creative . . . . The greatest harm that teachers of art can do is to let the acquiring of technique postpone or exclude creation .” The work which children have done under such inspired teachers as Florence Cane , Cizek , Man gravite , and Carrethors gives ample testimony of the that the art impulse in children is uni claim versal and can be universally developed . In the field of poetry children in progressive schools have been led to produce interesting and in many cases artistically beautiful things . Hughes Mearns says : “ Children speak naturally in a form that we adults are accustomed to call poetry - there fore it is not necessary to teach your children to compose poetry — it is only necessary not to destroy this divine gift and poetic insight by adult bureau cracy ." 4 See
• Creative Expression Through Art Progressive Education ”, “
Magazine April 1926 ,
,
.
of
For remarkable collections children poetry see Creative *
's
"
Youth Hughes Mearns Singing Youth Mabel Mountsier ”,
”, ;
; "
Almond Blossom Sampson Low and Creative Expression ", ",
;
“ "
through Literature Progressive Education Magazine Jan 1928 ,
.
. by
Also for examples poetry making the Chevy Chase of
of
children ,
- see
Country School Appendix ,
. for the 136 New Horizons Child
-
of Rhythmic dancing the most expressive all the
, arts something that appeals innately children
to is ,
. progressive schools children have daily rhythmics In
as which the boys the girls take part
as as well in
. Almost expressive the drama rhythmics as
is
. Here also children are their native element for
in
, By every child innately histrionic beginning early is
. and maintaining practice dramatic expression
in
, keep mental
of children open this valuable channel and emotional expression .
progressive schools the drama given the im
is In
portant place which deserves the development it
in of
human culture Children compose their own . as
plays group projects around themes from Greek
of or
Roman anthology themes from the days ,
American History or
Chivalry themes from They ,
.
make their own costumes and stage settings And .
addition these more ambitious presentations to in
, of
dramatization simple and spontaneous nature a
has frequent place the classroom and the in
in a
weekly school assemblies .
Progressive educators make quite different use a of
the drama from that prevailing the ordinary in
by
school where casts for plays are selected compe tition and only the ablest pupils very small pro (a
portion are given parts Progressive , of
the whole . )
educators believing dramatic expression be essen to
the all around development of
tial to
the child see , - The Child as a Creative Being 137
to it that every child in the school has frequent opportunities for such expression . In the Chevy Chase Country Day School every child takes part formal plays given before an in adult audience three or four times a year , in addition to informal plays gotten up for school assemblies . I have found in the course of my dramatic work with that every child of normal intelligence children can be led to adequate and successful dramatic per formance . It is necessary only to insist on four things : first , that the children speak their parts slowly ; second , that they speak loudly enough ; third , that they enunciate carefully every word ; and last all
and most important of that they conceive the , of
meaning every word they say These rules are .
simple but their application children requires to ,
a vigorous persistence part on
of
the the dramatic For children we all know as
trainer tend rush to ,
, .
their words speak rather than to to
to
es to themselves , ,
the audience slur over many important sounds sential speech and mumble of
distinctness to
to ,
their words together sing song way which pre in a
-
vents half the meaning from getting across the foot lights The time train children correctly is to
from .
By
the very beginning insistence upon the simple .
technique above mentioned children can very early of
form habits correct enunciation and diction which of
two or
three years of
make them the course in
such practice wonderfully proficient handling any in
dramatic material within their range . 138 New Horizons for the Child
Here in this matter of technical training we come up against a very important question connected with the creative teaching of the arts . In general it has been found that it is better to let the child be
by gin
of any form by art expression creating freely rather than being taught technique Even the
in in . the piano the best method vogue today of
teaching for young children help them to
to play real pieces is
, matter how simple before assigning practice no
, work .
experiencing the joy actual performance of of In
, children push into any field art with eagerness and prefacing ex energy whereas the old method of ;
pression with long tedious drills technique made in
by art distasteful all but those inclined special to
gifts .
progressive school you will see children So in a
of
boldly and happily plunge into the work model of
of
ing painting composing poetry unconscious — ,
, of
of
technique but only conscious creative desires and their free expression .
Yet somewhere technique must enter best in
It is .
brought be
bear upon the child as
this technique to he if
of its
becomes individually aware need .
The methods vogue the progressive schools in in
follows as
are somewhat : The Child as a Creative Being 139
1. Awaken in the child the desire to create some thing . Here suggestion is needed , whether of idea or by examples of other art work . 2 . Aid children to conceive clearly what they are going to create , or how they are going to render a dramatic part . 3 . Then leave children free to create as their own personalities , tastes and abilities dictate . 4 . Gradually bring improvement in technique . At
this point criticism is both legitimate and affective .
all By these means teachers can get children
to freely and eagerly express themselves various art
in mediums But creative type teacher needed of
is .
a
for this The artist type rather than the administra , .
tive technician should directly handle children or
,
, leaving the technically minded discover and elabo to -
of rate the scientific principles upon which the art education based is
of .
The training an
children art rather than is
a science The ideal teacher comrade and guide is a
a .
of
the pursuit knowledge and truth not task in
,
a
master He she must understand children in or .
tuitively must have delicate and subtle appreciation ;
in in be of
think and create must to
children efforts ; ; 's
strong sympathy and encouragement keen in
understanding high moral sense and able in
to ;
spire children toward noble goals . by
Such teachers are joyous both temperament ,
and practice They help maintain and increase the .
be of
natural joyousness children Such teachers can .
happy only when using creative methods progres in 140 New Horizons for the Child
sive schools ; and progressive schools can exist only by virtue of such teachers VIS .. " Richerresults may be expected of children than the standardized schoolmaster has hitherto con sidered possible , ” says Hughes Mearns , " and that richness will come no faster , I expect , than the com ing in greater number of the gifted artist -teacher."
In creating , children are usually active ; and , it goes without saying , they are expressing their own individual selves . Thus we can see that the threefold vision of the child as an individual being , an active being , and a creative being is in reality a unified vision . For the active child , the individual child , and all
the creative child coalesce into that unique being the child —
.
This kind of
child you and were once but we did , I
not have that delightful freedom of expression which the modern child has Many parent witnessing the , a . by
things done children progressive schools has in
,
Oh how could have had an
said wish education ,
,
I
I “
like that !"
of
the field arts and crafts many motor active In
a
- or
child many slow minded retarded child finds ,
of , a
-
for the first time the joys and satisfactions suc invaluable psycho an
cessful achievement This is .
logical experience not necessary to
excel is It .
feel the thrill of
others such work order in
to in
all
Just express one self adequately at
success to .
's The Child as a Creative Being 141
is a distinct joy . In the free expression of the indi vidual there can be no such thing as competition , be cause no two individuals are alike . No one else can create just the thing that we can . It is our own past achievement that we should strive to surpass , not thework of others . Creators are the happiest of people . They have what the psychologists call " the victorious attitude toward life .” It is this expressive being which the progressive educator would evoke in the child . “ In searching always for the child ' s deepest center and in assisting him to draw from that ever -living well lies the one essential service to childhood ," says Florence Cane . The factual examinations which have prevailed throughout the academic tradition do not test that which the universities profess to demand and foster , namely , superior powers of intelligence . They test persistence in acquiring information and factualistic technics , the patient , neutral , obedient readiness to accumulate data , which are the joy and pride of the drudge . They favor the mediocre mind ; they offend and repel the superior mind. It is an essential char acteristic of the superior mind , particularly in youth , to be impatient , hotly resentful of requirements which baffle its eager and stormy intellectual aspira tions. These examinations would hitch blooded horses to a plow ; they produce runaways and broken lives . - Martin Schutz , “ Academic Illusions ."
CHAPTER TEN
Training Children to Think
TIGHLY as we may value creative art expres sion , there is no question that the creative use of the intellect is of even more value to the individual and to the race . For while art is an expression of the emotions lending beauty and joy to life , abstract thinking is the necessary process by which human progress is attained . Exact thinking , though it lies within the capacity of every human being , is not a widespread habit . Still rarer is the power and habit of thinking in abstract as well as in concrete terms . The masses of humans on this planet live a mental life very little above that of the animal . They do some thinking about their concrete environment in the endeavor to successfully satisfy their basic needs . But animals are also capable of this . Thinking in abstract terms concerning that which is distant in space or time; re lating things or events into an orderly system of thought ; making deductions and inductions leading to particular or general truths ; conceiving the nature of existence and studying how to successfully adapt one's life to the universal laws of the Cosmos (whether we name this Nature or God ) — this is what animals are incapable of. And precisely this is the crowning glory of human beings . 144 New Horizons for the Child Yet the average man passes his life in “ getting and spending ," using only a small portion of his mental capacity and using that chiefly for concrete and self-centered ends .
Because a relatively minute percentage of civilized peoples have constantly forged ahead as pioneers intothat world of abstract or applied thought which we call science , the whole human race has im measurably profited . But these thinkers , the scien tists , are not abnormal beings . They are merely human beings who have learned to think — some through their own self -impulse , some through im pulses acting upon them from their human environ ment . What they have done , all men have some capacity to do ; for men , as differentiated from the animals , all have the magic gift of intellection . In the course of time humanity will arrive at an average ability of clear thinking equal to that of the ordinary scientist of today . This is the intellectual goal, therefore , which education must set for itself - to arouse children to think . We educators must work incessantly and with the most effective methods to convert , during the long years of schooling , un thinking into thinking beings . The way to do this is not to cram facts into the mind . Not by drills in ancient languages can think ing beings be made . And while training in mathe matics makes good mathematicians , it does not Training Children to Think 145
necessarily make good engineers ; certainly it does not develop the ability to think clearly and scientif ically concerning the issues of life . Some mode of education must be discovered that will develop the power of analysis , of comparison , of judgment , of invention , in relation to all personal or public needs. How can this be done ?
Progressive schools , desiring above
all things
to arouse thinking power their pupils have worked in
, out definite methods for accomplishing this The
. first important step
. of the encouragement children is
express themselves freely and fluently the
In to
kindergarten and primary grades some time given
is daily for free oral expression
of The children tell .
events their daily life describe things they have in
,
seen and discuss with great interest and acuteness ,
matters that thus are brought before them Also , .
when projects are being planned group discussions ,
preliminary step This oral as
necessary ex
are a
.
pression and discussion stimulates enormously thought and thought power matures children and It . -
sharpens their mentality .
important oral outlet for the questions Another of
of
and ideas children found the type class is
in
work which prevails progressive schools in
. 146 New Horizons for the Child In the old -style formal recitation conducted in most schools as an oral quiz for the purpose of as signing marks, there can be little opportunity for questions or ideas of the children to come forth . Their part is but to regurgitate the facts they have learned . Furthermore , in the immense over crowded classes now so prevalent urban public in
schools it is next to impossible to give opportunity , or to cultivate an atmosphere , for free questioning and discussion . There needs to be not only time and opportunity for thinking into the subject of study but also a defi nite attitude of freedom and fearlessness on the part of the children . Children in standardized schools , where marks are all important , fear to ask questions lest they seem ignorant of the subject they are reciting on . And if they raise their hand to con tribute a fact or idea , it is often for the specious purpose of impressing the teacher who holds in her power the dreaded tyranny of marks . Children in such schools also hesitate to make voluntary con tributions to the recitation for fear of the ridicule of their classmates . The result of all this is that gradually children in standardized schools become less and less expressive and ingenuous, and more and more secretive and in sincere . Intellectual earnestness and integrity vanish by degrees . Thus the recitation , far from being an incentive to thought on the part of the students , becomes a deadly bore in which the bright students Training Children to Think 147
who have learned the lesson well must submit to hearing it murdered by the poor students . All of this situation , so disadvantageous for thought , is abolished in progressive schools . Classes are small . Teachers are not unnaturally driven by programs and supervisors , but are allowed to be creative and to take time to aid their children to think . Most important of all , the children are with out fear either of their teachers or of their class mates . The atmosphere of mutual sympathy and consideration which reigns fosters intellectual sin cerity and courage . Children are allowed freely to express opinions that may differ from those in the textbooks or those advanced by the teacher , and in doing this they do not expect sarcasm or ridicule . They are unafraid of marks . In such an atmosphere can
sincere discussions take place Children can ask .
or questions points that have puzzled them ex on
, press their own particular reactions the thing to
under discussion .
Thus every class session progressive school in
a
in of
becomes means cultivating both intellectual a
terest and intellectual power the part of
the stu on
dents There time think inclination think is
to
to ,
, .
and encouragement to
think .
Even with the large classes public schools the in
ar be of
free discussion methods recitation can 148 New Horizons for the Child
ranged as follows :- Give a very brief written quiz ( say of ten minutes ) for the sake of securing marks, and also in order to avoid encouraging speciousness on the part of students who try to beguile the teacher into prolonged discussions . In ten minutes the formal work of the period is over and the rest of the time is open for discussion and elucidation . It is then up to the teacher to provoke and guide worth -while expression on the part of the students. This open -forum method was used very success fully by a noted teacher of secondary school English , Andrew J. George , in my native high school of New ton , Mass. After ten minutes of written work the class became an open forum . “ Andy,” as we af fectionately called him , seldom said a word . The students , however , said plenty ! How we loved that English hour. Discussion ranged from the poems or essays assigned for study to almost any subject under the sun . Instead of seeking soporific alleviation from the boredom of others' recitations , we were alive and eager . Almost every brain working at white heat , a dozen hands were in the air at once seeking his
the privilege of the floor . By thus using English of
means encouraging thought and ex as
classes , a
pression combining with this thorough system ,
a of
written reports home reading assignments on
,
George of
Andrew achieved the reputation send to J .
ing out colleges and universities the best prepared any Eastern high school of
students .
easily applied to
geography be
This method can ,
history sociology economics English fact to ,
,
,
—
in Training Children to Think 149
almost any subject except foreign languages and mathematics . Teachers , I beg of you , use your class recitation as a means of getting your pupils to think . Cease to
make the recitation a mere regurgitation of ab sorbed factual knowledge . Else , I warn you , you will stulify rather than develop the minds of the children and youth committed to your pedagogic care .
The research method - comprising direct observa tion , the study of sources , and the organization of material from different texts — is a valuable intel lectual process . This method of study is rapidly dis placing formal recitation work in progressive schools and colleges , thus eliminating a stupendous and archaic source of apathy and mediocrity in student work . The honors method , first used in this country at Swarthmore , is being used now in other colleges . At Princeton the application of this method to seniors has produced remarkable student zeal. One zealous senior , at the time of graduation , asked per mission to continue study on the subject of his thesis for another year , and then succeeded in making suc cessful arrangements for book publication of his senior thesis .
1 The author has used this method successfully in both secondary and collegiate work . It is not necessary to correct all the papers . One set out of three will assure a just marking . 150 New Horizons for the Child
The research method has been very successfully applied in progressive schools to the grammar grades , extending down as far as the fifth grade where the reading has become proficient art of enough to permit of such a method . Research methods demand and inspire on the part of children initiative , clear understanding , judgment, interpretation , evaluation and powers of organiza tion . The research method often reveals hidden powers . A boy who came to my seventh grade from public , school retarded chiefly by slight speech defect and consequent inferiority complex , did the best work of the class history research where he could work in long and patiently . He gained enough self -confidence and mental training in one year to enable him to re turn to the public school and make good in the eighth grade. Another boy of fifteen , retarded by asthma and too frail to do regular full -day school work , brought me in a masterly piece of research work on the his tory of slavery ( ancient and modern ) in connection with the study of American History . He had typed the report and presented it neatly assembled in a loose -leaf notebook . I happened to meet this lad the other day . He is now twenty -two and a rather suc cessful magazine writer . He told me that his first im petus and aid in the direction of literary work came to him when he did that history project for me. He had remained with me only a few months , on account of his health , yet one piece of research work well Training Children to Think 151
done in that short time had been of inestimable value tohim .
Another very efficacious method of stimulating children to think is by having them read different texts relating to the same subject and see wherein and why they differ. The mere memorization of printed facts and the submissive unquestioning ac ceptance of textbook authority is not conducive to thinking . Children are forced to think for themselves when they find authorities disagreeing. At first this ex perience is very puzzling to them ; for they , like the vast majority of humans , are prone to accept as truth anything stated in print . The necessity of doubting one or all diverse statements about the same event or subject is the beginning of wisdom . It leads children to investigate and to get to the bottom of things . A very interesting situation is created , for ex ample , in comparative history if the causes and in cidents leading up to the American Revolution are studied in as many American and English histories as can be procured . In regard to the Mexican War , one would have to search in a great many American histories in order to discover that this was a war of aggression on our part . How much more vital a way of studying history this is than the slavish acceptance , memorization 152 New Horizons for the Child
and regurgitation of facts as found in a single text book ! Let us lead the child to see the real need for investigating , for delving underneath the opinion expressed in a printed page . Says Edward Pulling : " Weare slaves, many of us, to the printed page . It
his is the duty of the schoolmaster to free pupils from this slavery .”
O
of remarkable instance the comparative study A
by Josephine Maloney of
history that described is
, eighth grade teacher the training school Mil of
of waukee State Teacher College . , 's
magazine article Plea for the Unvarnished A
A "
intimated that some the history text of
Truth " ,
of books were not authentic and that the account , as
the Boston Tea Party found the average text in
book was not accurate The group were shocked
of , .
and decided investigate After prodigious bit to
, a .
research comparative histories the children wrote in
of
group letter the article asking the to
the author a
of
he
sources his information This did not give , - .
he
but referred them text book which said con to a
of
tained accurate account From the author an
this .
text they secured his sources and after to
reference , a
studying the sources decided that the writer of
the ,
article Plea for the Unvarnished Truth was ,
, A
" “
his
himself only partly correct statements Thus in
.
acquired investigating an
the whole class attitude , An
Progressive Education Magazine April Activity ,
,
1929 . ? “
”
“
Program for the Early Adolescent .” Training Children to Think 153
and learned the need of verifying all questionable statements before accepting them as facts .
There is an immense sociological value in this com parative , questioning attitude toward
all statements presented books magazines newspapers
or Such in
,
to ,
. of
habit mind would tend safeguard populace a
a from subtle and misleading propaganda Immense
. of
the gullibility the average human mind toward is
printed statements fact the literate populations In !
large of
civilized countries are more susceptible
to scale propaganda today than were the illiterate pop of
ulations century ago states Lord Bryce his
in of a
(
History Democracy for the simple reason , '' ) "
that printed propagandic ammunition can shot be
so far and fast so
.
if future for democracy or
safety no
There is
by
vast populations can insidious propa be
moved ganda the degree which the World War to
as
demonstrated possible .
my mind one To
of
of
the most important types intellectual training secondary schools and colleges of
the comparative study be
could give would books , of
magazines and newspapers with the aim dis ,
,
covering any possible bias back of
statements made . of
or
Readers newspapers magazines should real of
ize the particular interest backing such organs purported information and wisdom we know the If . of
psychology back every statement that appears in 154 New Horizons for the Child
print, we have at least a chance to weigh and balance varying opinions and arrive at some measure of truth . But if we are totally unaware of subtle self interests dominating the printed opinions presented to us as truth , we are liable to be led by the nose by
any propagandist who can wield a skilful pen .
A new method of thinking lately evolved and now being widely used in conferences and somewhat in schools is what is called " group thinking ." Here the group unites with cooperative spirit in a free dis cussion , having as its motive neither forensics nor victory by argument but rather a sincere desire to arrive at truth . Such a discussion tends to become creative . Several
minds collectively and cooperatively bent upon as certaining truth can often accomplish this search bet ter than the same minds plying this search inde pendently of each other . We see this illustrated vividly in the group -method of scientific investigation as carried on by the General Electric , the Bell Tele phone Company , and other similar organizations , whose discoveries and inventions are mostly the re sults of organized group effort . How far superior as a method of intellectual ef fort is this group thinking than the old - fashioned its
specious of
debate with insincere exaggeration ,
favorable points and unfair attitude toward op its
posing points Debating teaches one not how find to . Training Children to Think 155
truth but how to conceal it ! Group thinking , on the other hand - since it concerns no particular , selfish purposes trains in open -mindedness , sincerity , rea sonableness , intellectual honesty and magnanimity . It is an excellent training for youth who are as future citizens to guide the destinies of a great democracy .
There has been a stupid dogma prevalent in pedagogy , to the effect that children before adoles cence are not capable of dealing with generalizations and universal truth ; and that during this period , therefore , they should confine their mental work to accumulating a store of facts to serve as a basis for generalization later on . This is as bad a pedagogic error as the college- preparation curse of secondary schools . The best way to prepare children for col lege is to give them desirable and stimulating edu cation in high school. And similarly , the best way to prepare children for an earnest use of their intelli gence in the secondary school is by training them to think in large terms during the grammar grades . I have conducted some very interesting experi ments , with my seventh and eighth grades in joint session , in courses requiring a great deal of broad logical thinking both of a deductive and induc tive kind . One year I gave this group a modified course in sociology , using Elwood 's “ Social Prob lems” (a text frequently used in college freshman 156 New Horizons for the Child
classes ) . Another year I gave a course in what might be called universe knowledge — the story of the stars ( astronomy ) ; the formation and structure of our planet ( geology ) ; the evolution of life forms (biology ) ; and a minimum statement of the physical and chemical structure of matter . In these courses the method used was as follows : - A half-hour conference was held twice a week in which I used the Socratic method . I drew out as much information or thought as I could from the pupils before presenting to them a set of new facts . In the universe -knowledge course , field and museum excursions were made and many of the pupils brought in specimens . The children took notes which they copied out neatly and looked over before the following conference in order to refresh their memory . A brief oral review quiz was held at the beginning of each conference , but no marks were given nor was any memorization of the material re quired or any final examination . The purpose of the courses was to arouse interest in these important fields , broaden the cultural foundations , stimulate the children to think acutely on broad and universal problems . Questions and discussion were encour aged . The reactions of the students were thought ful and earnest , and at times extraordinarily bril liant and intuitive . There was ample evidence in these three courses that children as young as ten can begin to think in large and general terms, and are capable of making all
deductions and universal judgments . Not the Training Children to Think 157
children in the group were able to function in this way . Some comprehended only a part of the mate
all rial presented and discussed . But followed the courses with extreme interest
. no There question but that the broader and is the presentation any subject the
of more universal greater interest and thought is arouses with children
it
, as
with adults Adults lose interest when
or an article
, .
prolific or
book lecture goes into unnecessary , a
a
detail And children share this same human nature .
lot finding little interest un of
of the extent
in to
a of or
facts which may
be related facts even lot in —
a
related the adult consciousness but not the
in in
child 's .
let
Therefore fundamental us
as
take this a
that the larger , of
of
axiom thought the psychology ,
the issue the more earnest and attentive the mental attitude Therefore is you want arouse to if , .
earnest thought colle or
children youth in in
in ,
,
gians present large vital issues dynamic in to ,
them a of
way properly geared to
their stage intelligence ,
knowledge and experience ,
.
of as
Shall we ever again teach geography study a by
isolated nations one one How can we study ?
apart from Germany Europe apart or as
as
France ,
my grade on
from Asia color to
asked seventh , I ?
of
all
outline map the world an
countries red that , by
Europe and all other or
were ruled colonized ; the New Horizons for Child
countries blue The overwhelming proportion
of red
. blue called for explanation This led study
to of to
a .
of gunpowder and printing and
of the invention
, the Industrial Revolution We studied the differences
. between countries which had evolved technolog
a
of ical civilization and countries living the state
in or primitive agriculture nomadic culture When we
. listed the countries predominantly industrial we found that they were all of Nordic race
an this
Is . accident due some racial quality Or Is
is to it
it a of of ?
? be matter What the relation
to climate the is
in , ?
of
future technological culture
to countries low ,
high technological culture Will Oc of
countries
? cidental imperialism always prevail We got
to in parent who had spent ? us to
lecture weeklytwice a
twenty years missionary work China and who in
in
the course these years come the con of
had in
to clusion that many respects the Chinese were in
socially far more evolved than we were We ended . of
the year with appreciation of
good deal Asiatic a
of
culture and with some appreciation the deepest ,
of es how unity can be
problem of
internationalism -
tablished between the enormously diverse cultures the Orient and Occident .
Why wait till college study and think to
begin to
along these broad constructive lines Educators , I ?
warn you that you postpone real thinking until if
college you will get very little out of
reached it is
youth there because their minds will have been of
, by
of
stultified chronic distaste the abstract minutiae of
the discipline subjects so
called -
“
"
. Training Children to Think 159
With the social sciences there is some chance of our educating youth to be really builders of civiliza tion . We can encourage them to think for them selves . We can confront them with the vital prob lems of the day . We can help them to develop a technique for criticising and evaluating contempo raneous institutions . We can free them of restraints of timidity and self -consciousness and inspire them to exercise whatever creative abilities they may posses .
The time to awaken the thinking process is before adolescence . Conceive what education might be if children entered high school with their native capac ity
for thought stimulated to
the utmost earnest , all
and eager their approach knowledge and in
to
if they there continued develop still further their ; to of
powers thought under program and method a
a
stultifying the intelli of
which stimulated instead gence !
of
the University Chicago of
Professor Freeman has pretty well demonstrated that the intelligence of
the individual not fixed quantity but can be ex is
in
,
right environment by
panded the Differences in . “ he
schooling says are sufficiently large and im to ",
, "
portant modify differences inheritance Thus in
. up
bringing of
of
education capable the intelligence is
the masses important that we give children the It is .
opportunity and encouragement think to
.”
us
Amen Professor Freeman Let give to
this ,
!
children opportunity and encouragement think to
! Economic and social crises in the past have been reflected by crises in the educational world . It is not surprising that it should be so at the present time. There are again periods of adventure and discovery civilization when it seems more impor in
tant to discover ways of dealing with the new and the changing than simply to learn the old conven tional patterns . There is not the slightest doubt that the pro
lot of gressive movement in education got rid of a no
dead wood There doubt that the whole edu is .
by cational world has been freshened the emphasis by on
freedom spontaneity the interest the future
in ,
,
rather than obeisance the past The revolt was to
.
the past the paralyz of
revolt against the dead hand ,
ing hand authority the repressive hand of
of fixed , its
discipline for own sake .
But there has been failure distinguish the dif its to a
ference between discipline for own arbitrary sake , of
and that discipline mind and habits which con tributes the only effective freedom two senses In .
of
there necessity and already the symptoms the is a
of
beginning more adequate realiza to
the return a of
. of
of of
the relation the past the present and to
tion discipline Irwin Edman Professor , to
freedom , -
Philosophy Columbia University .
CHAPTER ELEVEN
The Eternal Battle Between Romanticists and Classicists
are
on NY parents perplexed upon hearing
, M A the one hand strong praise progressive
of ,
movement expressing the as
education a of
needs our times and the other hand strong on ;
,
, as of
criticism lacking the necessary disciplines , it
. Such parents they could visit progressive it if
even a school and compare from what they observe and -
what reports they could gather concerning with it — of
the schools the old disciplinary type would still , be
not position evaluate progressive educa to in a
tion .
The progressive movement this experimental in ,
or
stage now not uniform standardized is is
in , it
.
one school will not give one sufficient of
Observation grounds for estimating the whole movement In In . .
single visit single school might give to
deed , a
a
a
distorted picture .
One bound hear many adverse criticisms of is
to
progressive schools they exist action today as
in
.
Much complaint well founded What shall of
this is
.
some particular pro of
be our judgment then not ,
,
of
gressive school our midst but the progressive in as
movement whole a
?
162 New Horizons for the Child
the pro
can We
of best clarify our understanding
as gressive education movement we realize
if
it
a revolt against old established forms but one
is It . of example our midst the eternal battle between
in
es romanticism and classicism between those who
, ; teem spirit more than form and those who esteem form more than spirit
We shall perceive .
of better the full value this on
struggle going we look the his
at if education in
tory art The fine arts are always fluctuating be of
.
of
of tween periods classicism and periods romanti Every attempt art to
- of cism establish new school a .
by of
painting music be
whether literature or it
as is , -
bitterly assailed the contemporary classicists destroying old values being loose minded ex as
as of ,
, do -
pressing the revolt group who not have the a
ability the disposition undertake the serious or
to
disciplines necessary adequate creative work to
under the already established forms The romanti .
of their part accuse the prevailing schools on
cists ,
, of
of
dead formalism crystallization outmoded ,
, of
dogmas obstinate blindness values hitherto to ,
unperceived but now being successfully expressed of .
And what happens The new romantic school of , ?
its
art always prevails of
spite faults exces —
in
sivism and accompanying undisciplined fadism pro -
vided this new school really introduces the expression of
new creative values hitherto unseen and unreal ized . Romanticists and Classicists 163
This is seen the history of paint very clearly in ing . When Constable began painting trees and grass as green he was hooted at , because the prevailing dogma of the then classic landscape school was that trees should appear as brown upon the canvas . Yet Constable was right and the classicists were wrong . Again , there were hoots of derision for the artist who first painted shadows on snow as purple . To day , however , every artist knows and practices the truth that colors in juxtaposition affect each other in the eye of the beholder . When Millet chose to paint humble subjects such as peasant girls , cowherds , bent and stupid men with hoes , he was more neglected than derided . But other French romanticists of his period were fighting also , and more aggressively , for the privilege of portray ing on canvas any theme which life itself presented to them , whether beautiful or common or even horrible . The English landscape school, the Fontainebleau school, the Impressionist school, and the ultra modern schools of the present century have intro duced new visions and new values into art, and have left in consequence an eternal influence .
The same fact is apparent in the history of music . Hayden became angry and dismissed the shaggy 164 New Horizons for the Child
haired Beethoven when the latter bumptiously de clared that the greatest living master of music had nothing more to teach him . Yet Beethoven was right ; and he lived to prove that he had values to give to music of which Hayden the classicist had no conception . Again Wagner met with classicist opposition and ridicule when he attempted to create new and unheard of values in orchestral and operatic music . Today those values which Wagner created have put him in the very van of musical genius .
And so with the modern French musical school of imagism , the impressionistic Russian school, and the modernistic school of jazz in America . Each in turn has to fight way recognition yet each succeeds its
to
, adding new values that break with old established in
forms .
in English literature the romantic movement In
by
troduced Burns Wordsworth Byron and Shelley ,
,
, of
brought new types beauty into poetry and im measurably influenced subsequent poets and prose writers America Walt Whitman made good In .
his claim that poetry should be
of
free treat any to
theme whatsoever and his peculiarly formless yet ;
deeply rhythmic poetry became the cause of
modern free verse .
Romantic movements are usually closer the to of
of
spirit life and the vital pulse the people than to
are the classic schools against which they revolt On . Romanticists and Classicists 165
the other hand , romanticists are apt to go to ex cesses in their disdain of form and their negligence of that inwrought beauty which comes only from stern self - discipline . The chief function of romantic movements is to breathe life into dead forms, to reinvigorate art with fresh vital impulses and with new vision , and to insure a close fundamental relation between art and the people. In their first flush of youth romantic movements go to extremes in their revolt against the prevailing classicism . They repudiate , old -established forms that are too fundamental to become destroyed even by excess in zeal of reform . Romantic revolts win out because they are borne forward by incoming tides of evolutionary destiny . But this does not mean the permanent defeat of classicism . When the forces of change are spent a
new humanism emerges - obedient to form , but to a
form acceptable to the new age .
This preliminary consideration of the nature and destiny of romantic movements is essential to an adequate understanding of progressive education , which is essentially a romantic movement expressing all the faults and all the virtues of romanticism . This new education reemphasizes the fact that teaching is
an art , that teachers must be artists , and that the art New
for the Horizons Child
be that teachers practice must appealing their
to pupils
.
of Progressive education bases the art teaching understanding
of upon adequate the child who an
is . of being taught understanding psychol
its its on an , - ogy Learning its needs emotional responses ,
, as
process brought more closely contact with
in , is a
. of life itself than the formal disciplinary type in school against which the progressive revolting
is The gulf between the school and the world outside the school between the child and the adult ,
, is . of eliminated new breath life animates forms A .
that had become devitalized Old forms are de destroys as
stroyed new wine old bottles ,
. Progressive education has all the élan which characterizes great romantic movements
It is a . . as
as Cause enlists parents well educators
in It .
willing its
loyal and aggressive ranks make It
to is
battle for what considers to
to
sacrifices endure it If ,
,
right unduly vociferous evinces both it in is
in , it .
propaganda of
practice and depth conviction a of
and zeal .
With all its
its
merits and splendid contributions the art of teaching progressive education like to
,
-
all romantic movements has certain definite faults —
.
tends neglect discipline form and technique It
to
,
in as
proportion on
insists interest vitality expres it
,
,
sion initiative and creativeness ,
. Romanticists and Classicists 167
One hears many stories about progressive schools : that the behavior of the children is apt to be rude , or at the best self-centered ; that there is not enough definiteness about the work of the children ; that while the new method may be good for some chil dren , it is ruinous to others ; that children in pro gressive schools often fail when examined for en trance into other schools or colleges . Let us grant that some of this criticism is true. If so , what conclusions shall we draw concerning progressive education ?
In the first place , let us realize that there are great differences between individual progressive schools . This new movement is as yet unformed , unstand ardized . It contains within its
fold many degrees of
philosophy and practise ranging all the way from ,
, Its to
extreme radicalism conservative liberalism .
schools are well manned and managed some cases in
poorly manned and managed others in
.
world sitting judgment cannot with fairness in A
indict the whole progressive movement for there is ;
no organized unity indict but only individual to of
which lack very much regard to
schools some in ,
form and discipline others which would satisfy of ,
these respects even the conservatives in
.
Secondly we must realize that progressive educa , as
an go
tion revolt movement was bound to to ,
, a 168 New Horizons for the Child
extreme ; and, as an experimental movement , was destined to make mistakes . The important point at this stage of development of themovement is for the progressives to take stock of themselves and of their work , to eliminate their mistakes , and to retrieve whatever of solid good in the old scholastic disci plines they may have been neglecting or wilfully rejecting . that this second stage of growth It is inevitable should be reached by the progressive movement . In fact, there is every sign that it is now being reached . And it is indeed essential to the widespread progress of this vitally reforming movement that it should undertake critical self -examination in order to con its
gains and any impediments . of solidate rid itself to its
unnecessarily checking advance of
spite In
however certain excesses and certain , of ,
,
or
progressive of
faults commission omission education far from being unscientific more scien , it is of
tific than the formal type education displacing is
.
Progressive educators are conducting careful re search the most advanced techniques for the in of
teaching reading and arithmetic They are mak .
ing valuable contributions curriculum research and in
experimentation what subjects are best at as to :-
suited the child each age level how children to
; Romanticists and Classicists 169
and youth think , feel, and react to different learning situations ; how young people can best be helped to realize and meet the changing conditions of to society . These are only a few of the many directions in which progressive educators are making careful scientific research . In mostprogressive schools achievement tests are used to check up on the academic progress of the pupils . In this way the results of experiments in new methods of teaching and in curriculum changes can be intelligently studied in terms of standard formal requirements . To the individual child , most careful scientific at tention is given . Never has education so concerned as all
itself with the complete round welfare and de -
velopment these progressive of
children in
schools Medical are consulted for hidden experts .
factors which might of be
health the cause academic of
retardation The science mental hygiene evoked is .
aid the emotional and social perfectioning of in to
the child Close touch maintained with the home is .
of
life and the parents the child that the expert so ,
be
knowledge the school organization may of
at
the of of
disposal the parents establishing to
aid home in
a as
training high the training during as , an
order school hours Finally the progress and development . of
the child not only mental but also physical emo —
,
tional and social carefully watched and recorded is —
from year year that consecutive picture so to
is a
can
disadvantageous cor be
formed and trends ,
rected and advantageous trends encouraged . 170 New Horizons for the Child
Fundamentally , the whole concept of progressive education is more scientific than the fundamental concept of the old - style formal education . The latter is based on the assumption that the child can be mentally disciplined into a condition of educational culture , and that the learning process can take place by means of drills . This mental discipline theory of education contains one glaring fault . It does not of the child . And take into account the psychology all
learning is after psychological process a
. be
To best accomplished education must enlist the , of
sincere cooperation the student This psychologi .
by cal truth thoroughly appreciated and utilized is
every agency and organization dealing with adult
by education but has been woefully neglected it ,
those authorities dealing with the obligatory educa
al of
tion the child Because the truant office can .
ways enlisted the child has become helpless under be
Its
the authority of
the school likes and dislikes its , .
needs and desires have not been sufficiently consid ered .
of
All the faults exuberance committed the in of as
progressive education are nothing com of
name pared with this fundamental fault the old style - of
education the fault neglecting child psychology , —
failing of
of
ignoring child interests and base edu to , on
approach an
cational methods the child which to
of
would enlist his sincere cooperation the process in
learning . Romanticists and Classicists 171
The progressive school makes full use of the principle of interest . It enlists complete cooperation of the child in the process of education , and insures this cooperation in all the work of the school , whether in projects or in necessary drills . Progressive education is in full accord with the findings of modern child psychology and of mental hygiene . Many a child who was suffering in mental and nervous health because of factors inherent in the old -type school system have become healed under the benign and scientifically correct atmosphere and environment of the progressive school . Thus we may see that it is not merely because progressive education is a revolt that it is succeeding , but because it offers something of tremendous value to the child . And is not this same thing true of all successful romantic movements ? They succeed not merely be cause of robustenthusiasms , vociferousness , and iconoclastic methods ; but because they contain some new and really valuable contributions to the science and art of living 15 .. The progressive education movement does not contain all truth , nor is it the only field in which good
education is being given . The acclamations of pro gressive educators may be annoying to some school men . But the question before the tribunal of society is not : " Are these claims being too loudly vocifer ated ? " but — " Are these claims true ?” . 172 New Horizons for the Child Let us seek to perceive the new values , if there be any , whichprogressive education offers the world . Romantic movements are not to be condemned be cause they are lusty and youthful provided they bring — as so many romantic movements have brought - a contribution of distinct value to the evo lution of civilization and of human culture .
On the other hand , progressive educators must realize — as indeed most of them do - - that there are values in mental discipline and drills that can never be discarded ; and they must realize that it is not revolution so much as evolution in education which they are effecting . But did progressive educators ever claim dif ferently ? As far as the organized movement is con cerned , progressive education was from the be ginning aware that it was correcting and enriching rather than destroying previous systems . The first manifesto and declaration of principles issued by the Progressive Education Association ends with the following statement :- “ The school should be an educational laboratory , where new methods are en couraged , and where the best of the past is leavened by the discoveries of the present , and the result freely added to the sum of educational knowledge . "
try
of
When we progressive to
measure the values of
education terms old style drill method stand in
- Romanticists and Classicists 173
ards of achievement , we are attempting an impossi bility . For the new can be somewhat measured , but never altogether measured , by standards of the old . The very goals and methods of progressive educa tion are different from those of the old - style so
education that any comparison based on the same terms of measurement is difficult and unfair . The old education has sought - by methods of mental discipline in the preparation of assigned lessons — to attain as goals a definite body of factual knowledge and the ability to carry out necessary tasks thoroughly and effectively . . . Whereas the new education — by methods of freedom , in terest , and initiative — seeks to develop a desire for knowledge , a power of educational self-direction in the acquisition of facts , and the habit of creative expression . It is difficult , therefore , to evaluate progressive education in terms of achievement such as constitutes the ideal of mental-discipline education , because the very achievements sought in these two systems are different .
The values of humanism ( if we may so designate the mental-discipline type of education ) are not by any means negligible - form , exactness , self -re straint , faithful effort in the accomplishment of set tasks , and an intelligent understanding of the past as a basis for comprehending the existing order of things . 174 New Horizons for the Child
Is the new Romanticism inclined to neglect these values ? In so far as it does neglect them it lays itself open to just criticism . But the new education offers in addition new values not only fundamental in their own right, but today in relation to the needs of a changing society absolutely essential - in tellectual eagerness , initiative , power of self -direc tion , love of cultural activities , courage and technique for questioning the present order of things , and creative ability applied to one 's own life and to the building of a better society .
ability
its Humanistic education has proved
to definite body of
of drill facts into the minds stu a
dents But has this process developed cultural of a .
society Has developed society thinking it
, a ?
creative beings ?
of
As groups of
look into the faces college I
alumni that variously meet with often wonder , I
I
they have the ability analyze correctly what to if
is on
going the world suspect their cerebral in
I to .
of
functioning limited gleaning the surface the , is
world news and that their ideas are tinged with so 's
be
almost worthless for the recon as
self interest to -
of
struction better world cannot see upon their a
I .
faces any signs that they have learned think to
honestly acutely and creatively about life either ,
,
. - or
of
about their own life the life the world Nor do
see signs that the almost universal I Romanticists and Classicists 175
spread of secondary education has proportionately increased human culture in this country . It is short sighted , to say the least , to use methods of instruc tion in high school and college which cause in stu dents an aversion to thoughtful books , an aversion to anything that smacks of serious study . It is not the period of schooling which stamps man or woman as cultured or uncultered . It is the use , rich or poor , which we make of our cultural environment after leaving college . The most cul tured man I have ever known was not a college graduate . He had gleaned his culture through the study of books , of paintings , of music , and through human contacts . Progressive schools are trying to bequeath as un dying possessions to their students rich cultural tastes , intellectual avidness , habits of research and of creativeness . To the extent to which they ac complish these aims will they be judged by posterity .
Say what you will , pro or con , the new education was destined to arrive during this epoch of rapid evolution and of world upheaval . Romantic move ments of human thought and culture inevitably characterize periods of adventure , change, and ex pansion . The old drill of education is outmoded . type Modern youth will not lend itself to studies which exist in the curriculum for the mere purpose of mental discipline . Education must present subjects 176 New Horizons for the Child
that appeal their own right, must show present in
as well as future values if it is to enlist the real co operation of the children and youth of today . In this dynamic age — vibrant with change and progress , full of explosions of old forms— can we expect our students to be satisfied to con pages of Latin and Greek ? To derive pleasure from reading Johnson and Addison and Dryden ? To find ex hilaration in algebra and geometry ? To have appe tite for ancient history taught in ancient ways , when modern history is so vividly in the making ?
Let us not be so credulous as to expect that youth will find satisfaction today in any mental- discipline type of education . Only a dynamic type of educa tion will suit this volatile epoch — an education that concerns itself with activities , activities of the stu dents matching activities of the world ; accomplishing the necessary skills and knowledge through sheer pull of enthusiasm to get at the sources and meaning and values of activity . And do not be too fearful of the gaps and rough edges in such education . Imperfections there are bound to be . But as desire is the most effective source of effort and accomplishment , so we shall see great achievement whenever and wherever students set
on
are fire .
or
Be patient friend humanist generation In ,
a .
two all this turbulence will die down Then the new .
revolutionary education will have become the tradi and Romanticists Classicists
tional education The progressive will have become
. humanist The erstwhile romanticist will find de
. light in form
. But never will education lose the values
is it gaining from the progressive movement The edu
. the future will not fail recognize and of
as to cation
as active being an
an cherish the child individual
,
, as
and potentially creative being The education a
. or
do of
the future whatever else does does not
it ,
, will effectively nourish the expressive genius quality of
childhood .
The new romanticism education more than is in
a It national movement world wide flared It is .
. forth simultaneously and indigenously on both sides of
the Atlantic With no connection mutual or .
awareness the Progressive Education Movement ,
"
" was being put into organized form this country in
England and Europe of
while the New Schools “
”
were being organized into the New Education Fel "
lowship .”
Experimental education along these lines being is
Europe of
carried out every country and most in
in of
South America Russia Turkey and China have ,
, .
based their whole new educational structure upon progressive education of
the tenets . be
The present reaction Russia was expected from the to in
which she went putting education into the hands of to
extremes in
the child Those who want realize the dangers to
to
which the .
the
new education liable should study carefully Russian experi is
ment . 178 New Horizons for the Child
The country has most intelligently elabo which rated and applied the progressive principles to mass education is Mexico . Faced with the prob
as lifting lem
of densely ignorant but time will
a
( of
of show gifted race out a the medievalism )
illiteracy the national department
of education has ,
its
of achieved superbly intelligent plan adapting the background and needs the village to
of education of communal life the peasant The rich artistic
. of
past the Mexican Indian has been drawn upon
, his racial pride touched his ancestral crafts restored ,
. And the three have found their proper and pro R 's
of portionate place the midst this creative and in
desirable program .
And now for our American Indians through the Indian Affairs which has fallen , of
Bureau
to the progressives being planned similarly of
guidance is ,
a progressive educational system .
The day will come and not far distant when the ,
of ,
whole world will modify its
systems education of as
adopt the clearly demonstrated values so
to
the progressive movement Much confusion there .
bound be the process But there con to
so is
in
is .
many other departments human thought of
fusion in
and activity which are now becoming revolutionized of
under the stress changing destiny . a
of
We cannot avoid going forward because un On the other hand we must en
certainties route , "
." Romanticists and Classicists 179
not be blind to risks and dangers . As educators in this romantic age we cannot fail to be adventurous . But we must beware of pursuing will- of - the -wisps . The battle between romanticists and classicists is an eternal battle . The romanticists enjoy the struggle more than do the classicists . Is this because they think time and destiny are fighting with them ? The University should be a place where classroom experiences and faculty contacts should stimulate and train youth for the most effective use of all the resources with which nature has endowed them . Difficult and challenging problems , typical of the life and world in which they are to live , must be given them to solve . They must be taught under the ex pert supervision of instructors to approach the solu tion of these problems in a workmanlike way , with a disciplined intellect , with a reasonable command of the techniques that are involved , with a high sense of intellectual adventure , and with a genuine devotion to the ideals of intellectual integrity .-- Doctor Arnold B . Hall, Former President of Ore gon University .
CHAPTER TWELVE
Builders of a New Civilization TE call upon our youth to build a better civili zation . But how can they do this , unless in the process of their educational training they attain to new and superior powers of discrimina tion and creative vision ? Is the prevailing educa tional system capable of giving them such develop ment and guidance ? Will drills in Latin and Greek , in algebra and geometry , do this ? Will the routine study of English classics and rhetoric do this ? Will the text -book system , with
of implication its
passive authority print do of
subservience the this to
,
? At
present we are giving the youth our to
schools neither enthusiasms nor convictions in We are .
not training , of
them habits intellectual initiative in
and judgment We are not except some few in of .
departments science heightening their creative ,
powers .
memo If
education means only the compulsion to
rize and mumble with averted minds symbols and going fulfill the imperious of be
formulas to
able is it
to ,
need of the time that remaking the world ?
progressive ideals and methods of
The infiltration and
elementary rapid is
into education effective .
182 New Horizons for the Child Such a headway of contagion is now at work that the organized propagation of progressive principles is hardly a needed enterprise at this stage of ele mentary school development. The leaven of the new education is doing work effectively although
its
of it ,
( be
must has amount
an confessed immense
it ) to do work still . At
present the high school however almost by ,
,
is untouched progressivism Even the outstanding
. progressive schools are not able progressive
to use
a or
progressive the secondary
on curriculum methods level The demands for college entrance prescribe .
and necessitate mental dis of
most the curriculum
. - cipline methods rather than creative methods
If even the progressive schools are necessarily non
be progressive their secondary level what may on
, our average high schools of
said ?
Millions parents can testify of
the total lack to of
inspirational quality high school education in
as . Boys and girls pour daily through these portals , They go
do
do
do
clerks not their or to
office ,
, . On
obligatory tasks the average they work hard .
. of
large percentage faithful and slow minded - A
hough not stupid students work much too hard . ) (t
of
diploma indi do
And what they get out all it
A ?
cating the successful termination of their course and , of
possible certificate college entrance a
.
all the inestimable of
of
But values the new education already discussed these pages high , in
school students obtain but lamentably minute a
portion . Builders of a New Civilization 183
There are many causes of this defective educa tional situation in our high school system . The chief cause is that secondary education has not been per mitted to develop as an independent unit . It has been held too much in subservience to college en trance . Strangely enough , even the general courses for the non - preparatory students have failed in the vast majority of high schools to make a creative use of educational freedom . their The main energy and concern of every high school has been to effect and maintain success in college entrance . The demand of progressive educators for the revolutionizing of the high school is this : Let us find out what studies and what methods will appeal to youth of high school age , and then build up our secondary system upon this scientific educational foundation . There is little use of cramming our high schools full of young people , and then giving them things they do not want. That accomplishes little educa tionally . Far worse , it may even cause intellectual stultification and aversion to culture .
" But adolescent youth is self - willed and sophisti cated ," you say , “ and rebels against all learning . " for
* A foundation research man looking progress high schools in he
has stated that could not find even among high schools not com ,
mitted college preparation single school that making to
is , a
a
creative attack upon the curriculum . 184 New Horizons for the Child
Not true. Post -adolescent youth is sophisticated and blasé only as to pose . In reality there is nowhere in the life of the individual a more restlessly surging period — no period when enthusiasms can reach deeper into convictions , ideals , and conduct. But to arouse or maintain enthusiasms in youth the educator must seize hold of the normal interests of boys and girls at this vitally important age and lead these interests into wholesome fruition . It is true that adolescent youths are wilful . And a good thing it is that they are wilful , else they
would remain forever under the possessive rule of adults . If adolescents are developing strong wills and crit ical minds , then why not make use of these very qualities in a system and method of education which will be fertile field for the aggressive , skeptical quality of youth ?
| The high school situation bad , with its
is sub of its
servience college demands antiquated meth its to
,
ods and already huge quota restless boys and ,
girls which now the depression there has been to
in
suddenly extra eight hundred thou an of an
increase as
of
sand But bad this situation there are signs is , .
rapid improvement darkest just be The night is .
fore the dawn And there now dawning the in is .
minds our educators the idea that the secondary of Builders of a New Civilization 185
school level imperiously needs renovation and ref ormation in order to adapt it to the present emer gency and to the future needs of multitudinous youth
who in the new industrial leisure will increasingly throng our high schools . The idea is rapidly growing among educators that it would be a good thing if the high school could become an independent educational unit and solve
for of own problems instead servilely toiling its
,
a college presidents and of of
group absentee landlords
( deans admission ) .
This bright ideaalready bearing and it is
is , a
fruit remarkable concession has been wrung A .
pro of
of group from college deans admission by gressive secondary school men working for several a years under grant from the Rockefeller Founda a
tion Some two hundred and fifty colleges almost .
( of
all the colleges importance have agreed upon
a )
notable experiment devised for the purpose of allow ing educational independence the secondary to of
school group about fifty progressive second A .
ary schools selected by
the committee will have the privilege for five years beginning 1936 send in
to ,
,
of
these colleges any boys they recommend free to
of
examination and free the ordinarily prescribed preparatory program for college entrance These .
the making be
schools will allowed great latitude in of
their curriculums The whole experiment cover , .
ing eight years will demonstrate hoped that is it ,
in a (
)
youth of
group normal intelligence of
educated ,
high school along lines that make inherent and an the
for New Horizons Child
natural appeal youth will be able hold their
to
to , whatever colleges they may choose
to own attend
in
. While the Progressive Committee experiment has
of won only liberalization curriculum and methods
, , a
President Ellery Union College Schenectady his of
, all has made public plan
to abolish curriculum requirements except three units high school Eng
of lish The only other requirement for entrance
is .
that the candidate must have shown himself profi four possible group of
of cient some one studies in
or fine arts mathematics and science languages ,
,
, social studies Union College longer asks no . “
students for particular curriculum to
schools fit
a
contrary nature and hence futile Union to
task . a
College its own curriculum to
fits the student whom the school sends reasonable process —
A a
. . . of . by
normal boy the time he years age of is
or
has given some indication his individual intellec tual bent He good something he promising at is
is ; .
college material He should be admitted college to .
he
may of
proficiency even though on
the basis such ,
the subjects hitherto pre all
not have qualified in
scribed for college entrance President Ellery calls .”
his plan The Union College Plan for the Intellec “
of
tual Advancement Youth .”
An even more radical experiment announced is of by
the newly appointed President Joseph Brewer H .
Olivet College Michigan Not only will he ad ,
. Builders of a New Civilization 187
mit high school graduates on the basis of their needs and purposes , rather than on the basis of hard and fast entrance requirements , but once in the college they will take no test or examinations until the end of their second year . Then they are examined to see if they merit continuing their education for the A . B . degree , and at the end of the next two years
will occur the only other examination of their col lege course . This experiment in self -education will be watched with great interest . " The only possible education is self -education ," says Brewer . “ It is
inevitable that the lockstep of courses , time sched ules , hours , points , credits , quizzes , grades , course examinations , all the elaborate machinery by which we conceal ignorance , should be broken up . "
What studies have the power to fire the imagina tion and elicit the intellectual effort of youth ? An excellent statement of what the youth of today need in our high schools and colleges ( adapted respec tively to each stage ) is given us by Frederick L . Redefer , executive secretary of the Progressive Edu cation Association . " The greatest needs in education at the present time are : first , a clearer understanding of the per plexities of our civilization ; and second , the develop ment of a sense of social responsibility for the intelli gent and effective solution . All people engaged in 188 New Horizons for the Child
education should definitely devote their attention to the task of developing social responsibility . This may be partially attained by including in the curricu lum studies bearing upon specific difficulties which bewilder our modernworld , studies which give a more comprehensive understanding of the individual and the collective efforts to solve these problems . " The social sciences have for years proved themost compelling of all courses offered college youth . When properly adapted to the secondary age level , they will prove to have an equal attraction to youths in our high schools — as indeed they have already demonstrated their strong appeal to children on the elementary and junior high school level . The social sciences must be taught to pre -college youth in a very concrete way , with frequent applica tion and inspiration from activity projects . They must be related to the life of the community and nation . They must also be related to and derive their chief motivation from the exciting events of the contemporaneous world . Historical backgrounds must be given only as the need is felt on the part of peda old
the students and not on the basis of the gogic dogma Study ancient history for few —
a “
be
years and you will then competent approach to ,
of
the study history the making in
.
The secondary school world indeed all afire with is Builders of a New Civilization 189
the spirit of reform . Everywhere committees are studying the psychology and educational needs of high school boys and girls ; the possibility of re formed curriculums ; the need and feasibility of building the secondary curriculum around the focus of community and contemporaneous life . fact , the nation ' s educators are beginning to In
realize the special responsibility of the secondary school to meet the present emergency with an in spiring and effective curriculum . Here and there a private preparatory school or a public high school is doing daring things in the way of actually trying to suit education to the clients ' needs. One of the most striking of these rebellions against the old classicism is that staged in one of the former strongholds of conservatism , Andover , principal Dr Fuess its
by new , .
.
as Within after his appointment month head a "
master quote from Porter Sargent enlivening , I "
's
and informing Private School News Dr Claude ,
. "
Fuess had formulated and announced new curricu a
lum for Andover one that would have been re ,
on
SA national at
committee curriculum research present is
engaged thorough psychological study people of
adolescent in a
nineteen years age how of
from twelve they think feel act to
,
,
, -
respond within and without the school This com to
situations .
considering the import of
mittee contem to
also education is
how education can help young its
poraneous society and changes ;
people meet these changes successfully the development and needs ; of
high school pupils relation their community and home life to in
.
determine what curriculum of
All best suited to
this research is is
adolescent development and needs to
. for the 190 New Horizons Child garded heretical and radical only
as few decades
a ago
In .” Dr
It no of no discussing the changes Fuess has
,
of . hesitancy saying studyThe course some
in
,
in “ our preparatory schools has almost so called - relationship American civilization to
. . . be
of should the function the preparatory school not merely get boys ready for college but also to
to extend their interests beyond the entrance require ments and stimulate their intellectual curiosity
. The school program now emphasizes the study of "
the world which we live physical and economic , in
. Beginning next spring boys may graduate from ,
be Andover knowing But history no
Latin con
to is .
tinuous throughout the four years culminating
in ,
a comprehensive course American history civics in
,
, and current problems dealing with the development ,
of our nation and emphasizing opportunities for public service .
Requirements mathematics have been reduced in "
make more time for biology physics and chemis to
,
,
try Required for the first time are courses ap in .
Many of
preciation art architecture and music ,
,
.
astronomy be
new elective courses will offered —
,
philosophy harmony Greek Testament American ,
, ,
,
literature geography current history social prob ,
,
lems etc ,
.
Andover represent at
The changes determina a “ of
genuine progress Dr to
tion keep abreast its . ."
Fuess intent that Andover shall send out is '
" Builders of a New Civilization 191
graduates even better equipped to play their part in a complex and exigent world .”
More significant still are the murmuring of rebel lion rising from secondary school administrators , supervisors , and superintendents the whole country over . Recently speaking before the commission on secondary education of the Southern Association of Colleges and Secondary School , a Mississippi State high school supervisor made a radical plea for a type of high school program that would really educate . He urged that individual needs of the social and high school pupils be met by a curriculum that was not a creature of standardized college - entrance re quirements . " The findings of science must be heeded , the de mand of colleges for 'pattern ' high school credits must be superseded , before we shall see a general response to the social demand for a shifting of em phasis to the social and individual needs of high school pupils , and , therewith , relief from the pres sure of the social prestige of the academic pattern high school course . The progressive high school executive must emancipate his school from the rule of college preparation and set it free for community and social service . High school standards must be freed of unbending rigidityand picayunish pro visions if they are to render the service demanded of them in these critical times ." 192 New Horizons for the Child
The secondary world is changing ! Where is it coming to ? I predict that within two decades it will arrived at the same universal tendency have toward progressive principles and methods at which the elementary schools of the country have now ar rived . How could it be otherwise ? The leaven of pro gressive education in the elementary school was bound to work upward into the secondary school. A type of education that has proved effective with children cannot be stopped at the portals of high school . It will inevitably accomplish
its invasion
. At
present education secondary just on
the level
is where twenty years ago education was the ele
on mentary level The reform there was just reaching . up
from the kindergarten and primary Right
on it .
goes .
be
And the college will not the limit either ,
the vast adult population our country ! of
There is
needing continuing education the accruing leisure in of
our New Deal And where can adult education .
better turn for guidance than the psychologically to
principles progressive of
true and proven education the principles of
interest self initiative and cre —
,
, -
ative expression ?
friend wrote me recently as follows There are evidences & A
" :
everywhere spreading interest progressive education of
Yester in
. of
day telephoned of
member the National Board the M
C A a
Y . . . .
girls They on
me for information these lines for unemployed ,
. Builders of a New Civilization 193
The time is not far distant when each stage of education will ask of the prospective pupil not the bureaucratic question of the past : “ Are you pre pared for entrance here ? ” — but the socio -educa tional question of the future : “ What do you need ? What do you want ? How can we help you in your educational development from the point at which you now are ? " A decade or two ago when Marietta L . Johnson repeatedly proclaimed in her walls -of-Jericho trum pet voice that the secondary school and college should accept any individuals possessed of capacity and earnestness and help them to get to where they wanted to go educationally , she was ridiculed by educators or ignored as not worthy of attention . Yet within a few years of rapid educational develop ment we find the presidents of Union College , Olivet College , Bennington College , and others , publicly maintaining this very same standard of liberalism . In effect they say to the secondary school : " Bring your youth to us. If they have proven capacity , never mind what has been their past education . We will give them what they crave and need .” old
had established along some classes type school lines which , -
bring the part the girls no
on
response they dropped of to
seemed ;
The Board decided that they or
out after attending once twice .
would better get touch with the progressive education schools in of see
found more nearly fitting the be
something could not if
and needs the girls .” 194 New Horizons for the Child
Not only are colleges becoming more liberal as regards their admission requirements, but they are also boldly experimenting with changes in curriculum
aim
of and methods . The the progressive college find ways really reaching the inner core of
of to is
the student thus enlisting his own sincere efforts
in ,
of the great enterprise education
. not necessary into detail concerning
go to It is
these experiments They have been announced .
widely the public press and the whole educational in
,
world watching their progress with deep interest is
. Any discovery that can transform the blasé diploma
, hunting attitude of the average college student into interest and active intellectual par an
of
attitude
of ticipation will deserve outrank the discovery to
planets of
stellar galaxies or
. his
Lincoln Steffens Autobiography points out in
“
" of
the whole problem college youths If
the crux .
could be led see that intellectual and moral dis to
coveries still await their adventurous attack and that the world calls out for revaluation and re to
them forms they might not be content specialize in to ,
"
football p etting parties and unearned degrees ,
,
."
Steffens believes that possible get an to it is
”
university at
education has been done But It a
.
. Builders of a New Civilization the proportion college students who get
of small
is start interested methodical study in a
. My expectations college life were raised too
of "
thought breathing
, be
an high would atmos
in of I
, I .
phere thought discussion and some scholarship
; working and reading and studying for the answers
,
be questions which would threshed out debate
in to
of and conversation There was nothing the sort , .
. As for questions the professors asked them not the
, students the students and not the teachers
,
, ;
answered examinations them in ,
. . . . .
no of No one ever developed for me the relation "
my required subjects to
those that attracted me
; .” of of of one brought out for me the relation anything
I was studying anything else except course to
to ,
,
, that wretched degree The relation knowledge .
life even student life was ignored to
to ,
,
Things are little better now But not good a
.
enough No one think this state will dispute ,
, I .
do
ment that colleges could much more than they ,
are yet doing toward correlating education with life and toward stimulating their students that to ,
self effort education which the only possible in
is -
foundation for culture and for real mental develop ment .
Still more important this critical epoch at
seems it ,
, of
the duty college faculties help youth to
evaluate is for
the New Horizons Child
. of the civilization today and inspire them creative
to intellectual effort With this revolution going secondary schools
on in and colleges there our educating
of some chance
is be
of youth really builders to civilization
. We can encourage them think for themselves
to
of . We can confront them with the vital problems the day We can help them
to develop technique
a .
for criticising and evaluating the contemporaneous We can free them
of
of institutions restraints .
timidity and self consciousness and inspire them
to , -
exercise whatever creative abilities they may possess
. More than this we cannot We cannot dictate do . of
youth the future world society be the pattern to
. , cause we see part dimly as only glass it
in
,
, in a of But we can set youth upon the path progress with free swinging gait This our opportunity is a
.
. This the most critical responsibility that faces the is
of
educator the established generation dealing in of
with the members the oncoming generation . us of
The world the future will judge educators by of
today this one thing how far did you In — "
help youth apply their full potentiality the up to
to of
building better world ? a
” ! APPENDIX
POEMS TO SPRING EXAMPLES FROM A PROJECT IN POETRY -MAKING
IN THE SECOND AND THIRD GRADES
OF THE
CHEVY CHASE COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL
· ,."', ~ c
a
· we> , u
· "-<>" "0 , Digitize<' by Go gle Original from UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN THE WHIPPOORWILL All night when the moon shone bright I heard the whippoorwill sing. Oh whip -poor -will ! Oh whip - poor -will ! How sweet you sing ! You sing a note I ' ve never heard before A tune of far off lands !
If I could hear them in the day I' d happier be than any one I know , Oh whip - poor -will ! Oh whip - poor -will ! - Robert Lane
THE RAIN Oh gentle rain that patters down , Oh tell me true . Do you like to patter down fill
And the dry streams And water the thirsty earth ,
Or are you sorry To
leave your cloud homes With all your brothers and sisters ?
Eliza Miller -
.
A BUTTERFLY
I, a butterfly ! blooming flowers on fly
To about
. Just think !
butterfly I,
, a
From brown and warm cocoon a
butterfly ! fly be
To a
!
To wherever choose I
With beautiful wings against the sky !
Jacqueline Parsons -
.
IN THE SPRING
The wind through the branches Goes rustling around , Beauty , just beauty ! All's pretty around you . Beauty , just beauty ! Beauty ' s all around you ! The birds are singing all around you . - Tom Goldman .
HAPPY SPRING A happy child Went to the woods And saw a robin And talked to it And said to it ; " What do you want to do this rainy day ?” " I do not want to go south , I want to stay ." - Meredith Coonley .
THE WIND
The wind whistles so loud ! The wind tosses the birds around in the air . God makes spring So that all of us can be happy . The wind comes whistling around the house The wind blows, and the fairies dance to the music , And the dwarfs skip to the music . Spring is here once again To make little boys and girls happy . - Golden McClain .
solicitados THE SPRING
Oh pretty robin How sweet you sing ! And pretty bluebird Do you remember You sang your song To me one morning And the happy children liked you . They wanted you to stay . O , pretty birds
I like your song ! And you , oh , mocking bird , Where do you get all of your songs ? You have so many That I like to sit
under the oak tree And hear you sing .
Margaret Springer -
.
SPRING
I saw you , little nut hatch , Darting up a tree . I spied you , flaming cardinal , Flying through the sky ! I heard you , lovely mocking bird , Singing in a tree . And all these wondrous creatures all
God made them for me .
Mary Dawson -
.
IN DREAMLAND
At night when mother puts out the light, I go to dreamland - an ' there I see wonders Mountains and elves and fairies .
I saw them dance , I heard them sing And then when the morning 's rays peep through my window , I hear my mother call “ Get up you lazy bones !" . - Bob Lane .
Spring is here ! Spring is here ! And tulips are in bloom . And purple violets Vie with them To chase away the gloom . - Eliza Miller .
The little buds in silver For the spring The violets in purple Their sweetness bring . - Emeline Bennett .
WHEN WINTER DIES
Spring is here Flowers are near When winter dies The violets rise .
Spring is near Oh can ' t you hear The birds in the trees And the honey bees ?
Spring is here And oh what cheer With little girls singing And little boys swinging . - Helena Evans .
The violets are beautiful in the woods ; The dandelions shine in the sunny meadows . But the pansies in my garden Are more beautiful than these . - Mary Dawson .
The sunshine is beautiful But at night it goes away . all
Then it gets dark , go
And . to
have to
bed , I I
And don like it 't
Mary Virginia Sherly -
.
JACK IN THE PULPIT Oh Jack in the Pulpit How straight you stand ! Do you ever get tired Preaching all day long In the green and grown woods ? I' d think you would ! - Margaret Springer .
A BREATH OF SPRING Oh the golden dandelion Peeps through the green grass . And the purple violet Smiles through the green at last . - Eliza Miller .
RAIN
Rain , rain that patters down Upon the seeds and flowers , You water the thirsty earth And make the flowers grow . Flowers grow everywhere ; In the woods and in the parks ; And today I saw some wild geranium In the woods ; And the trees love you , and The flowers love you too . - Mary Dawson .
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. ~
a we>
Digitize<' by Go gle Original from UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN THE WIND
The wind whistles so loud ! The wind tosses the birds around in the air . God makes spring of all
be
So that happy us
can .
The wind comes whistling around the house The wind blows and the fairies dance the music to ,
, And the dwarfs skip the music to
.
Spring here once again is
To make little boys and girls happy .
Golden McClain -
.
THE SPRING Oh pretty robin How sweet you sing ! And pretty bluebird Do you remember You sang your song To me one morning And the happy children liked you . They wanted you to stay . O , pretty birds
I like your song ! And you , oh , mocking bird , Where do you get all of your songs ? You have so many I like to sit
That under the oak tree And hear you sing .
Margaret Springer -
.
SPRING
I saw you , little nut hatch , Darting up a tree. I spied you , flaming cardinal , Flying through the sky ! I heard you , lovely mocking bird , Singing in a tree . And all these wondrous creatures all
God made them for me .
Mary Dawson -
.
IN DREAMLAND
At night when mother puts out the light , I go to dreamland — an ' there I see wonders Mountains and elves and fairies .
I saw them dance , I heard them sing And then when the morning 's rays peep through my window, I hear my mother call “ Get up you lazy bones !" - Bob Lane .
Spring is here ! Spring is here ! And tulips are in bloom . And purple violets Vie with them To chase away the gloom . - Eliza Miller .
The little buds in silver For the spring The violets in purple Their sweetness bring . - Emeline Bennett .
WHEN WINTER DIES Spring is here Flowers are near When winter dies The violets rise .
Spring is near Oh can ' t you hear The birds in the trees And the honey bees ?
Spring is here And oh what cheer With little girls singing And little boys swinging . - Helena Evans .
The violets are beautiful in the woods ; The dandelions shine in the sunny meadows . But the pansies in my garden Are more beautiful than these . - Mary Dawson .
The sunshine is beautiful But at night it goes away . Then it gets all dark , And I have to go to bed , And I don ' t like it. - Mary Virginia Sherly .
JACK IN THE PULPIT
Oh Jack in the Pulpit How straight you stand ! Do you ever get tired all Preaching day long the green and grown woods In
? think you would I' d
!
Margaret Springer -
BREATH OF SPRING . A
Oh the golden dandelion Peeps through the green grass .
And the purple violet Smiles through the green at
last .
Eliza Miller -
.
RAIN
Rain , rain that patters down Upon the seeds and flowers , You water the thirsty earth And make the flowers grow . Flowers grow everywhere ; In the woods and in the parks ; And today I saw some wild geranium In the woods ; And the trees love you , and The flowers love you too . - Mary Dawson .