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Illustrate

"sing-sing" "tee" "to" "too" "taw" "tah"

Then those exercises to enlarge the throat and magnify the sound, the word "sung" may be used as the word "sing" in the previous exercise. The "ung" enlarges the throat; then let the same vowel sounds pass through the nose.

Illustrate "sing" "sung e" "sung o" "sung oo" "sung aw" "sung ah"

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To summarize we have first, the word "sing" with vowel sounds for a resonant quality: second, "tee" and vowel sounds for clear articulation; third, "sung" and vowel sounds for depth and richness.

In bare statement of fact this is Dr. Fillebrown's method, his theory and exercises, and they form the foundation on which we have based the exercises used in our kindergarten.

The repetition of these exercises would be most uninteresting for the children and without their interest we know nothing could be accomplished. To make this feature interesting and gain their attention, the Mother Goose Rhymes, Stevenson's Child's Garden of Verse and other similar rhymes with which we wish the children to be familiar, may be used to this effect. After a simple preliminary drill always with the word "sing" ("sung" and "tee" later as the exercises progress) follow with some familiar rhyme said in the monotone singing voice in the same manner as the word "sing."

That is, first properly pitch the voice with "sing," then repeat the rhyme.

Illustrate "sing e 0-00

"Hickory, dickory, dock, etc."

aw

ah"

Repeat others in the speaking voice for articulation. As a little point of interest let individual children try, and in that way each child may receive special attention and have the experience of speaking clearly and quietly.

Like all other things begun in the kindergarten we .do not look for results, so when the children are playing or on the street and harsh piercing voices greet our ears we are the more forcibly impressed with the great need of early voice culture.

KINDERGARTEN WORK IN ART.

ANNA M. DEVEREAUX, NORMAL SCHOOL, LOWELL, MASS.

[Editorial.]

Miss Devereaux spoke of the many opportunities available to kindergartens that would aid them in the arrangement of all the occupations for a more artistic effect. She then explained the system of definite "Art Work" used in the Lowell kindergartens and showed charts on which were mounted samples of the children's work in designing and painting.

KINDERGARTEN WORK IN ART.

ADELINE T. JOYCE, BROOKLINE, MASS.

During the last decade there has been an awakened appreciation of the rôle which art should play in life. Our World's Fairs have taught us much of the beauty of massed effects, and our Mr. Olmsted has shown us truly that the "wilderness may blossom as the rose." Yet side by side with this consideration of beauty and its proper setting, there is steadily creeping into our civilization vulgar commercialism which seeks only for gain, and we have the gaudy bill posters, the lurid newspapers full of their gross cartoons. These form the only picture world to hosts of children. What is the realm of knowledge that such pictures open to them, and what is their influence? We must inevitably answer that these are negative influences which stunt and dwarf any finer sensibilities and tend only to destruction.

Is it not then the duty of the educator to step in and take such children by the hand and lead them into "green pastures and beside the still waters ?"

This, I believe, is the privilege of every honest Kindergartner to lead her children early to know and appreciate something better in the field of art.

Alas, Josephine Durham's Ardelia from the slums of New York is not an unusual type of child. There are hundreds and thousands of children in our large cities being fed upon just such nauseating environment as that in which she reveled.

We might have been such had it not been for environment, and that through our environment our eyes

were opened and we saw. But to my subject. Have you ever thought how much we owe our great artists apart from the pleasure we derive from their pictures? Are they not discoverers, revealers to us ordinary mortals of hidden beauty?

It is they who first showed us on canvas the blue violet lights, the beauty not only of sunshine but of shadow, the harmony not only of mountain and sea, but of sand dunes and marshes.

As we study their pictures and look through the eyes of these wise and clever revealers of our world, do we see at first in miniature this beauty, and by degrees we get their point of vision. So in a sense each teacher must be an artist. She must know and feel these things for herself, if she is to lead her children into the world of color. Take the children into the presence of the beautiful. A little girl whispered in awe, as she came to the grand staircase of the Boston Public Library, "Mother, is this God's house?"

Again, lead the children to notice and comment upon the varying aspects of nature, the soft greens of spring, the rich browns of fall, and the purples, blues and whites of winter. For children love color. But an affected talk about "the gloriousness of color" is futile unless backed by experience.

Does not the sight of the dandelion, the tulip, the apple blossoms, and the lilacs cause your pulses to quicken and your hearts to leap with joy? Give to your children these experiences.

In addition to taking the children into the presence of the beautiful, we must make our rooms attractive and harmonious.

We have a great mission to perform in this direc

tion, not only as an elevating influence upon the children, but as we were, I believe, pioneers in school decorations, so we should strive always to keep a very high standard. Let us simplify our rooms by eliminating a lot of claptrap and meaningless dust collectors, and by classifying and keeping in order our decorations. Have a rotary system of decorations, taking down and replacing, leaving but a few vital things before the children. Above all have something really beautiful ever in their presence.

For this purpose nothing can exceed the beauty of well stocked window boxes.

The practical work of the children in art in the kindergarten must of necessity be elementary, but for that reason it need not be ugly. Simplicity must characterize our work, but pleasing results may be obtained through repetition and the use of clear color.

By doing we become, and so by doing, the child acquires knowledge. For, as Miss Williams told us at Rochester, there must be more of an "acting out than pouring in" with little children.

By reproducing from life some simple flower, the child enters into a closer relation with that flower than he could through months of hearsay. The simple stroke work on narrow strips of paper, and the laying on of the brush, are absolutely legitimate work for kindergarten children, and lead to attractive nature work. I should speak of results, but instead I have left a blank, for results are not in our hands. If, however, by our art work we have led even a little child through the gates and into the world beautiful, then indeed we have accomplished much.

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