s about him; to inculcate the love of
industry, helpfulness, independence of thought and action, neatness,
accuracy, economy, beauty, harmony, truth, and order.

The gifts and occupations are only means to a great end, and if used
in this sense will attain their highest usefulness.

No dictation with any of the kindergarten materials, no study of
lines, angles, oblongs, triangles, and pentagons, no work with numbers
either concrete or abstract are fit employments for little children,
if not connected in every possible way with their home pleasures and
the natural objects of their love. Only when thus connected do they
produce real interest, only thus can agreement with the child's inner
wants be secured.

Actual experiences in the child's life are its most natural and potent
teachers. We need constantly to remember that the prime value of the
kindergarten lies in its personal influence upon individuals, and seek
to develop each separate member of our class according to his
possibilities.

An Objection answered.

The objection has been made that the study and practice with straight
lines, angles, geometrical forms, cubes, and other rectangular solids
would fit the child for later work in the exact and mathematical
sciences more than for other branches of study. But yet it is
difficult to see how, when the child's powers of observation are so
carefully trained in every way; when he is constantly led to notice
objects in nature and reproduce them with clay, pencil, chalk, or
needle; when these objects are so frequently presented for his
critical inspection and comparison; when he is led to see in the
flowers, plants, rocks, and stars, the unity which holds together
everything in the universe; when beauty and harmony, mingled freely,
constitute the atmosphere of the ideal kindergarten,--it is difficult
indeed to see how he can receive anything but benefit from the gift
plays, which present at first mainly the straight line, seemingly
deferring the curve to a later period when it can be managed more
successfully.

READINGS FOR THE STUDENT.

Paradise of Childhood. _Edward Wiebe_. Pages 45, 46.
Kindergarten Guide. _Kraus-Boelte_. 373-417.
The Kindergarten. _H. Goldammer_. 173-78.
The Kindergarten. Principles of Froebel's System. _Emily Shirreff_.
17-20.
Industrial Art in Schools.[77] _Charles G. Leland_.
Childhood's Poetry and Studies. With Diagrams. _Emma Marwedel_.
The Grammar of Ornam