"This is my Golden Tower, little Karl," she said. I am very proud of it, for it is made of the curls of all the little boys and girls who come to the Golden Island. Just put your hand on it, and see how soft it is." And, sure enough, it was as soft and silken as Karl's once beautiful hair. The Queen stooped and kissed Karl's cheeks, and her crown dazzled his eyes with its sparkling jewels. "Is'nt it beautiful, little Karl?" she asked. "You don't mind giving up your curls for me, do you?" "Yes, I do! I do! I do!" cried Karl. "I want my curls, and I want my mother, and I wish I had never seen your old island." The tears streamed down his face, and he clenched his little fists, and, all in all, he looked so funny standing there with all his curls cut off that the Queen and all the midgets laughed and laughed. And the old woman whom the King had put out of his house appeared and stuck out her tongue at him, and shook her umbrella in his face, as if she were glad he had lost his curls. "You're a mean, mean lady to cut off my curls! I hate you! I hate you!" he cried. And he stamped his foot, in a terrible temper. Then everyone laughed again. "Karl, Karl, no one has cut your curls." It was a kindly voice, a voice like his mother's! He looked up. Sure enough. That was mother! Where was the Queen? And his curls! his hands. Why, he had not lost them! He put up And he was on the grass, in his own garden, with his head in mother's lap! "A bad dream, son?" she said, stroking his head softly. "The Golden Queen in the story, mother. I saw her. But I don't like her. She cut my curls for her Golden Tower." And mother smiled, and held her little boy tight. A STORY ABOUT BOYS WHO ATE GOOD FOOD Jenny B. Merrill, Pd. D. Today I shall tell you a Bible story about four boys who ate only good food and drank only water. One boy's name was Daniel. Daniel and his three friends were taken away from home to live in a king's house. The king thought that they were fine, strong boys and would grow up to help him. You know that a king lives in a large house and has many servants. He often eats rich food that is not good for children or even for him. The king liked Daniel and his three boy friends so much that he sent them food from his own table. He even sent them wine to drink. Now Daniel's mother had told him that wine and rich food would make boys sick. Daniel was a brave lad. He asked to have the food he was in the habit of having at home. (Paraphrase Dan. 1.8-reading with the Bible open.) At first the king's servant was afraid that the king would not be pleased if the boys refused to eat what he sent and drink wine too. He did not know that water is better for us all than wine. But Daniel said "Please try us for ten days and see if we do not keep well and grow fatter than all the other boys who eat the king's rich food and drink his wine." (Paraphrase verses 12-16.) Show picture "Three Members of a Temperance Society." This story of Daniel and his three friends may readily be dramatized. Let the children suggest how to play it, even making the dialogue. At the close several of the government Food Posters may be displayed as banners, and the school march, singing "Dare to be a Daniel.” Mary L. Ferson, instructor in the school for blind at Janesville, Wis., writes us as follows: School for Blind, Janesville, Wis., April 26th, 1918. To the Editor: Kindergarten Primary Magazine. For years we have taken your magazine in our school and have used it in our kindergarten department and enjoyed it very much. You would be interested to see how much our little blind children enjoy the kindergarten work and how beautifully it may be adapted to their needs. Yours cordially, May L. Ferson. THE BUILDING OF THE NATION In the history of nations the story of our America has a place that is all its own. The American nation came into being in response to a clear and definite purpose. A theory of human life and of human government was conceived and put into execution on a remote and inaccessible part of the earth's surface. The moving cause of the American nation was the aspiration for civil and political liberty and for individual freedom which was already stirring in the minds of western Europe in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. . . . There is not yet a nation, but the rich and fine materials out of which a true nation can be made by the architect with vision to plan and by the builder with skill adequate to execute.-Nicholas Murray Butler. From a Contributor to the Armenian Fund. "I am poor," writes a woman, who contributes a single dollar to the fund. "I am poor, but I cannot let another week go by without sending some money to the Armenians. I know the amount is pitifully small, but it is all I can afford just now. God knows my prayers go up to Him for these dear children. . I shall ask Him each night that this dollar may do some good to some poor children. May His presence be with them is my own desire." A child seated in the center of the circle has cardboard objects as circle, square, oblong, triangle, cross, star, etc. He holds up these objects, saying, Tell me what I hold today, Come in the circle, come and play. The child called upon names the object and changes places with him, or goes out of the game. Another way to play the game is to have the leader show one object at a time, and say, Close your eyes, if you are wise, He hides the object in the room, and claps his hands for them to wake. The child who finds the object may be the next to hide one. All sing, with closed eyes, tune, "Twinkle, Little Star." Close your little eyes today, In a very pleasant play, Open them we understand, When our leader claps his hands. 2. The children choose one child who carries a banner with the word "June" printed on it. They form a circle, clap hands and say, facing out at the last word, Clap the hands, clap the hands, Clap the hands, clap the hands, The child outside drops the banner behind a child and changes places with him and the game contin ues. 3. Game based on "The Greeting." The children stand in line, choose a leader who faces them. Shake the right hand now in greeting, Bow your head to left and right, They say the verse and shake hands with partners and bow. The child who leads, says shake the right hand, but in going up offers left, or right, or both, to any child. The child must do what she says, no matter which hand is offered. This game tests the attention and is a merry one to play. Those who make mistakes go out of the game. THE BEST GAME YOU EVER PLAYED By Miss Nora Walu, New York Giving is fun if you know how to do it. But to give you must save, Saving is one of the most useful lessons you could ever learn-and an interesting one. If you want to know how to manage thousands of dollars when you grow up, learn how to manage your pennies now. Make one penny do what two used to do. It is as much fun to give a little starving Armenian child a piece of bread as it is to buy five cents worth of candy for yourself-five cents worth of satisfaction plus five cents worth of bread, all for five cents. THE GAME. (1) Take The-Give-Up Stamp Book and a bank to go with it. (Your teacher will give you one, or send to us-The J. H. Shults Co., Manistee, Mich. (2) Persuade some of your friends, who have about as much spending money as you have, to start using the book at the same time. (3) See who fills the book first and receives his button for it. (4) Keep an account book for a record of what you have spent for yourself. (5) When you have filled the stamp book, meaning you have saved $2.00 for twelve starving Armenian children, count up how much you have spent for yourself, and allowing seventeen cents to each child see how many more children you could have saved if you had not spent that money for yourself. Try being an Armenian child for one day. If you don't believe those children suffer when you don't send your pennies, try being without any food for one whole day. If you suffer think how much more they suffer when they have nothing to eat for many days. They need your pennies right away. Will you play the game? Our boys are in France to help put the eternal quietus on such murderous doctrines as this which is put forth by the German militarists: "Because only in war all the virtues which militarism regards highly are given a chance to unfold, because only in war the truly heroic comes into play, for the realization of which on earth militarism is above all concerned; therefore it seems to us who are filled with the spirit of militarism that war is a holy thing, the holiest thing on earth." Block Building Suggestions for Primary THE CHILD'S RESPONSIBILITY TO OTHERS Hilda Busick (Report of a Lecture by Prof. Earl Barnes, Feb. 28, 1918.) The child's social hunger is the beginning of the problem of social consciousness, that thing within him which drives him to get close to others. A child three days old has this consciousness; he may cry in his crib when there is no reason for it, when he will not cry if held on the lap, because the lap is social and the crib is not. One reason is that for nine months of his life he has lived in the closest bond of physical union with his mother; all his physical functions have been performed for him, and then he is launched upon the world alone. This aloneness is only equalled at the other end of life, when he goes out of it alone,-as he came into it. We are stocked with this longing to be near as we are stocked with other things, hunger, thirst, music, etc.; it is an accumulated experience of the ages,an instinct. The greatest punishment for the most hardened criminal is solitary confinement. Any person, after two or three days of such confinement, would trade anything, everything for companionship. It is the base of all human happiness. To find in what degree children possess a realization of their responsibility to others, a study was made, several years ago, among some 3000 London school children. This question was put to them:"Three boys were going fishing. In a ditch in a field, Tom, one of the boys, found a shilling. If you were Tom, what would you do with the shilling?" Forty per cent keep it; then among the younger children it would be given to parents, showing the feeling of responsibility to the family group, which is simply another way of giving to self; this however vanishes as the children grow and the next step is that of sharing with companions,-the gang spirit, group loyalty; the third step is the consciousness of a larger outside group,-the attempt to find the owner of the money. Responsibility to others grows thru these stages, and the development of each makes the next possible. Therefore devotion to the family group should be encouraged thru personal service, doing something for some member of the family as early as possible. At first he should not have a set series of things to do, because his idea of time is slight. He should have some housework, to help set the table, for example. It is thru such activities that he learns to function his social instincts. He must have recognition for his work, for this is another great hunger of the soul, and it builds up his egotism which is necessary before he can branch out into altruism. The family must give him support; it is the institution out of which everything grows. A child without a family is most unfortunate; the best orphanage can not take the place of the family, where social life, social training, social spirit grow. Here he learns to function socially; if not able to function socially he becomes a feeding ground for unsocial life, that is, crime. Next he must learn to function with his own kind. Social functioning between mother and child is somewhat artificial. When the mother has a child she becomes somewhat like one, but she is really functioning out of her field. The child must have a social life on his own level. Real need for a kindergarten exists at two years old. If a child cannot have another child with whom to function, pets become of tremendous value. When the child reaches the age of four he should have some kind of organized life, at least for a little time each day. The separation from his mother is good for him, helping him to form the habit of right social contact. People who come to the house are another means to social contact; more should come. Happy is the home that is the playground for the children of the neighborhood. The home is the heart of the world, the center of the universe. However the real social functioning with his peers, is in the life of the street. After this comes other elements, as loyalty. Loyalty is the base of other activities; it grows as the child grows older. At first he is loyal to a leader, but an adult who has no higher loyalty, is suffering from arrested development. The development of leadership is important in a democracy. Leadership is first developed by good "discipleship." This must be accomplished in schools, especially in the sixth, seventh and eighth grades. At thirteen years of age there should be societies for the exercise and function of the social instinct. This has been neglected in the schools, and has been taken up by religious and secular groups, resulting in such organizations as the Scouts and Camp Fire movements. The instinct is ripe for these things at this age and the schools should not "police" these things out of the children. The teaching of manners is another social functioning. The teaching of manners is the turning aside from reality, but it is necessary because life must be balanced between the social need and the life of the individual. The child must not give expression to every impulse that rises within him. Dr. Merrill addressed the Y. W. C. A. at Mt. Holyoke College April 7th on the work of Daily Vacation Bible Schools. Mt. Holyoke students have supported a school in New York City for several years during July and August. Last year the students in charge were Miss C. Comstock, Miss M. F. Anderson and Miss Stewart. The students are interested in the industrial work of the children as well as in Bible-story telling. They also spend one day in Central Park. No man has a right to do as he pleases, except when he pleases to do right.-C. Simmons. Blessings ever wait on virtuous deeds, and though a late, a sure reward succeeds.-Congreve. Friday, June 7. We love to go Heigh-o for home. Review and choosing day. A review is really a "new view." The conversations and stories, the work and play of the week will take form in childish ways. Possibly some outside home or street experience will appear. Have clay and other materials used during the week in sight and give perfect freedom in choosing, meanwhile study the children. An inexperienced kindergartner may not be able to give the children as much freedom as she will later. Try. Do not lose this ideal. Speak quietly but firmly. Encourage politeness and teach "Two little golden keys," "Thank you" and "If you please," as the best helps in discipline. With a constant aim at politeness on the part of both kindergartner and child, with a growing understanding of "The Golden Rule," there need be no fear of freedom. Unless you see the children work freely without too much direction, you will never know them as individuals. They will lack in self-control and later on change into rough children if not watched constantly. From the beginning aim at self-government and express surprise if a child forgets. Let the others decide what it is best to do. "Sit alone." SECOND WEEK. COUNTING. may Monday, June 10. Greetings. Conversations and tales of Saturday and Sunday. Listen. Suggest that children can be polite to each other as grown people are. They must try not to interrupt. The calendar says what day it is in June. Who can show where it says June? Where does it say Monday? Where does it say "10?" Let us point to all the numbers from 1 to 10 and read them together. That is the way you may do when you are promoted. (2) Rhythms. Clapping 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4. Tapping 1, 2, 3, 4. Stepping 1, 2, 3, 4. Singing 1, 2, 3, 4. (3) Building. (a) Farmer Brown's farm contin ued according to children's suggestions. Count blocks used. (b) Massing with seeds. Cannot count so many. (4) Out of doors. Free activities or walk or work in the garden as desired. Count flowers. Can we count the leaves? (5) Story. How Mrs. Brown churns. Churning Song. (Poulsson) Making butter in the bottle by shaking. (6) Games. Free choice. (7) Making another garden or daisy chain. Children suggest more boats or house for the sand table. Place them. (8) Homeward bound. First we say good bye Then away we fly. Mothers sometimes wait By the garden gate. THIRD WEEK. THE SEASHORE. Monday, June 17. Conversation. Refer to Flag Day just past. Sing "Three cheers" and other patriotic songs suggested by children. Calendar. Mount a flag on June 14 if not done already. Count the days in June up to 16. Find words May and June. Write several children's names on the black board putting May and June among them. “Some little girls are named May." "I knew one called "Jennie June." Perhaps some child reports a trip to the seashore. Shall we play seashore this week? How? Children give suggestions. "We can make it on the sand table." "We can make boats." (2) Rhythms. Waves with arms up and down in a ring. Also rising and sinking rhythm, really saying "Swish-swish." Two lines formed opposite each other. One makes waves, the other runs away. (3) Building. (a) The seashore in the sand table. (b) Older group fold boats. Take them to the sand table. Decide where to place them. First group ties strings on sticks for bathing poles and ropes. Build bath houses with blocks. (4) Rest period. Sing a song of the sea as "Every little wavelet had its night cap on Night cap, white cap, etc." (5) Story. Dora and the light house or The life-saving station. (6) Games. Making a little drama of the story. (7) Tablets or stick laying. Boats with triangular sails. (8) Good bye. "Our work and play are over And we are going home. Be kind to every one." Tuesday, June 18. Examine shells from cabinet. Also other sea objects if on hand, as star fish, seaweed, colored pebbles. Were pebbles always How do pebbles get so smooth? Can a star fish walk when it is alive? I wonder what other animals live in the sea? Show pictures. smooth? (2) Building. (a) Making an inclosure with blocks or sticks for a pond or aquarium. Cut fishes to swim in it. (b) Cut star fishes for the sand table. Place shells and pebbles on the sand. (3) Rhythms. Waves. Rowing. Sailing; hold arm up for mast. (4) Rest. Out of doors. Balls. (5) (a) Modeling fishes in clay. (b) Coloring fishes and star fish cut. (6) Games. An aquarium of children! "Happy the fishes now appear Swimming in water bright and clear." (7) Story of the little fish that was caught. (8) Good bye. Don't be like the naughty fish. Mind mother! Wednesday, June 19. Child tries to tell story of yesterday. Did you all tell it to mother? Finger plays-fishes. How quietly the fishes swim! Shall we be quiet today? (2) Ball games. Bouncing. Tossing to rhythmic music. Rest period in the garden. Lullaby on reAll play "go to sleep.' (3) turn. (4) (5) Clay modeling. Free. Song period. Words of a new song. (6) Games. The Farmer. "Do you know how the farmer?" (7) Making a garden in paper. The children enjoy twisting bits of colored paper and pushing them thru slits in a sheet of paper, alternating green for leaves. The edge of the sheet of paper may be turned up an inch all around for a fence. Lines or cuts may be made for the fence or it may remain simply as turned up. It is a pleasure to see the children's delight in these gardens or in the old time "poppy show." (8) "Farewell, dear children, good and true, God bless, protect and care for you. Be always kind to every one, Farewell, farewell, our work is done." Note. This song was the good by song in the kindergarten conducted by Madam Kraus-Boelte in New York city. The kindergartner, and indeed all teachers, should never weary of the courtesies of life. Greetings and good byes are an important feature of every good kindergarten and help to humanize and socialize the young child. Thursday, June 20. Story. Why Busy Bee visits clover blossoms. (Just a simple nature story composed for the occasion.) (2) Finger play of the bees and their hive. "Here is the bee hive (hand closed on table) But where are the bees? Hidden away where nobody sees, Now they come creeping out of the hive, Played also with children. Make several bee hives and let five children go in and come out. A circle is the bee hive with hands uplifted and touching all together over the bees. (3) (a) Tablets, sticks, rings, seeds. Make flowers with either and bees with smaller tablets and quarter rings. Use inch sticks if there are no tablets or rings at hand. (b) Draw bee hive, flowers, bees, using colored crayons. Illustrate "Bee and Clover" story. Bees and clover. (4) Games. Free choice. (5) Out of doors to rest. (6) Sense games. Smelling flowers. Which can you tell by its odor? (Teach a new word frequently as odor and then use it until it becomes part of the vocabulary. (7) Building or modeling. Hive. PLAYING SCHOOL, EXHIBIT AND MOTHERS' DAY ..Monday, June 24. Plan to visit next grade or tell story about what you did when you first went to school. Who has played school with big girls? Show several picture books. Read from a First Reader or have a child from primary come in and read. Rhythms. Marches by ones, twos, fours, in companies. Arches. (3) (a) Drawing for our exhibit. Draw anything you want to show Mother. (b) Cutting out dollies and coloring. (4) Rest. Out of door frolic or possibly visit to upper grade. (5) Games. What shall we play? Show us the way. We are all ready To do as you say. Review. The farmer game in case the mothers are to come while class is in session, also May pole. (6) Folding envelopes for Mother's invitation. Give note previously prepared to fold and put in the envelopes. Mount a colored square for a stamp or a cancelled postage stamp which children have cut from an old envelope. (7) Review favorite songs to sing for mother and the primary class if invited. (8) Good bye. Bring mother to see us tomor row. Tuesday, June 25. Mothers' Day. (It may be preferable to have this day earlier in the month or to have it after school hours.) If during the session I advise having the day as much like a regular day as possible. (a) Greetings to Mothers. (b) Calendar as usual. Find word June. Find (f) Work at tables as usual. Building blocks at one table. Coloring farm animals at the other. (g) Rest-lullaby. Run out in care of some friendly helper. (h) Talk to Mothers about "vacation plays." Questions. (i) Games. The park games. The seashore. The country. (j) Farewells. Please, Mothers, come again. Wednesday, June 26; Thursday, 27; Friday 28. Story hour every day. Children choose. Drawing every day. Illustrative. Songs every day. Children choose. Games every day. Between times let children help wrap perishable materials, wash the blocks, clean the cabinet, take down decorations, etc. Ask each child to bring a toy or doll one day and have a social time. Play party. Have crackers and cream if convenient. Teach children how to behave at a party. Be extra polite and helpful. Do not let the closing days drag. Let the children watch you protect the worsted articles and tell them why. The scissors too may rust. Why? What shall we do? Give a few papers and sticks to each child to work with. Show a doll's bed in a box. Make a doll's house in a box if you have not done so before. Remind children about keeping clean hands and faces and teeth so that they will keep well. MIZPAH. "The Lord watch between me and thee while we are absent one from another."-Bible. Ist. Lesson.-Experimentation in sewing, Give each child a strip of card board, perforated along the edge at half inch intervals, and a shoe string. Let the children experiment in sewing. The result will be a variety of stitches, line stitches, over stitch, etc. Selection. Select the over stitch and have each one make that stitch. Then go one step furthur, and teach them to throw the thread, thus making the over casting stitch. The children readily learn the over casting stitch, following the experimental work. 3rd. lesson. The children learn to thread a needle. THE QUILT.— Two pieces of material 7 by II or approximately that size, are padded between with the cotton, care being taken to have the cotton evenly distributed. Thread a large eyed needle with yarn, and the children are ready to finish the four edges with the already learned over casting stitch. The remaining yarn is used in tying the quilt in different places. The then completed quilt is very attractive. and is about the right size for the doll beds made out of shoe boxes, |