In conclusion Mrs. KRAUS illustrated with the Kindergarten Material supplied by Mrs. NOLD, of Louisville, Ky., and from the work of the following of Professor and Mrs. KRUAS's pupils of their Normal Training School for Kindergärtners in New York, viz: Mrs. CATTIE MADEIRA and Miss BESSIE MADEIRA, of Covington, Ky.; Miss M. M. PORTER, of Eminence, Ky.; Miss EMMA CLARKE, of Dubuque, Iowa, now Kindergärtners in Louisville, Ky. The illustrations were supplementary to those which Mrs. KRAUS gave last year at Baltimore before this Association, resting particularly, not only on the physical and mental, but especially on the moral effect. This was followed hy an interesting and instructive discussion.

When Mrs. KRAUS in her illustrations spoke of the tablets, she said, that "the laying games with the tablets are also a good preparation for mat-plaiting; for almost all the patterns in mat-plaiting can likewise be represented by the different tablets; and that the patterns produced by the tablets can also be utilized in practical life for patterns of flowers in wood or stone, for an inlaid table, a work-box, etc. Such exercises are, therefore, not only acknowledged as valuable perceptions to the child, on account of the mental training which they afford, but they can also be utilized in the practical affairs of life. As an example of this, the following occurrence, of which I was an eye-witness, I will here give. I was at the time studying with FROEBEL'S widow, who had been selected by him, from among his best pupils, to carry forward, under the prestige of his name, the work which he had inaugurated. One morning a stranger, to all appearances a working man, bringing with him some large object carefully wrapped in paper, called upon Mrs. FROEBEL. He apologized for the liberty he was taking, but explained that his little boy now about five years old, had been for two years past a pupil in the Kindergarten. He stated he himself was a joiner by trade, but as he had not sufficient means to carry on this occupation with profit, he had, some time since become greatly discouraged and disheartened. It was about this time that he noticed his little boy, who was accustomed to come into his workshop to play, when returning from the public Kindergarten which Mrs. FROEBEL was conducting, and watched him as he played with the chips which he found scattered around the shop. At first the father had not paid much attention to the child's play, but one day he noticed that he had made a combination of very beautiful forms consisting entirely of triangles which he changed regularly and methodically from one form into another. Becoming interested he sat down by the child's side, learning from the little After a while he too began to arrange the forms in the same way and according to the law of opposites so unconsciously carried out by the child-a law which the maturer mind of the man grasped at once. The result of this occupation was that in time he had manufactured some very beautiful tables, the surfaces of which, formed according to the rules practiced in the Kindergartens, were inlaid with parti-colored wooden triangles. These tables he had disposed of at a considerable profit, he had been enabled to relieve the wants of his family and better his own circumstances; his trade had materially increased and he was now becoming quite prosperous. He, therefore, called upon Mrs. FROEBEL to ex

one.

press his gratitude and begged to offer her as a token of his thankfulness the little table which he had made and which showed upon examination, the star-forms produced by following the law of opposites, which his little boy had been taught to find in the Kindergarten.

An instance, how in the Kindergarten a child was cured of selfishness and greediness:

If time would permit, I could give many instances in order to show, how the fellowship in the plays, the prevailing freedom and gaiety conjointly call forth in the hearts of the children moods and sentiments which may be considered the forerunners of a conscious love of the good and the beautiful. Elements so injurious to the heart as a stubborn se‐ clusiveness, obstinacy, quarrelsomeness, imperiousness, or pride, are entirely banished from these regions. It cannot be conceived-unless seen-of what importance it is, when children are brought and kept together on the principles of harmonious work and of equal claims to culture, development and the care of the Kindergärtner. Here more opportunities offer to be kind and forbearing; selfishness is given up, the good example of others is followed, and it becomes a habit for life. Here but one example, the outgrowth of the social meal, the children's lunchtime: One little boy of five years brought a very large and choice luncheon; he ate more than he needed, and hardly ever could eat all he brought. It happened several times that one child or another had forgotten his lunch. For this emergency I kept a box with crackers; but in order to cure our little "Epicure," I did not offer the crackers, and asked him instead to give his friend who sat next to him without anything to eat on his plate, some of his luncheon which he thought he would not need. He shook his head and said: "Now I don't want any more, but I shall eat it all when I go home,”—and without taking notice of the other child he put the remains of his luncheon into his basket. I did not give him up-I knew-though loving his food too much, he would learn to overcome this weakness. The next morning, finding that another child had forgotten his lunch, I tried the little boy again; but he had still the same answer for me: Now I don't want any more, but I shall eat it all up when I go home." This continued for a week. The following week in the morning, when all the children were assembled, instead of telling them a story as I mostly always did, I began to speak about the sparrows which the children could see on the balcony and in the Park, and that they could see the children at their luncheon, and that-in the sparrowlanguage they had expressed their surprise, that the children never gave them a crumb of their luncheon. I showed the children a box, which I would send ronnd the tables to all the children, so that they might help to feed the hungry birds. Every child put something into the box-some gave rather too generous a share, some only a few crumbs-only the boy for whose benefit this had been arranged, refused to give anything. "I shall eat it all up," he said--as before. Of course, I did not yet give him up, but-persevered. After a few days, when at lunch-time the box was again sent round, as we did now daily, our little boy took a roll from his basket and placed it in the box, saying with a broad smile: "that is for the sparrows." I said: "that is very kind in you to give some of your

lunch to the sparrows,"-when he answered to my dismay: I bought it for the sparrows; my own lunch I will eat all myself! What could be done? Nothing but-persevere. Again some days passed, and the little boy bought daily a special roll for the sparrows-in order that his own dainty lunch he might eat all up, as he always termed it. At last one morning-he came to the Kindergarten and brought no roll for the sparrows-and broke off a tiny piece of his own luncheon,—and his face was shining with pleasure whilst he did so. Each following day he contributed a larger share for the "poor hungry sparrows," and after a while he was one of the most generous children in the Kindergarten.

DISCUSSION.

Prof. RICHARDS, of Washington, arose to ask a question as follows: "How many of this audience, who have listened to the papers and explanations on the subject of Kindergartening are now able to give a clear and satisfactory account of it? How many can now go home, and say to their friends, 'We understand Kindergartening? Will any one reply?"

As no one is ready to reply I wish to make a few remarks. In the first place, let me say that I believe in the principles upon which, I understand, the Kindergarten is based; and I further believe, that they are the true principles, upon which the work of Elementary School training should be based.-FROEBEL evidently saw that the usual method of training children did not recognize, as it ought, that every child has a physical, as well as an intellectual and moral nature; and that the training of these natures should be carried on together-" that the five senses should be trained, pari passu with the intellectual powers.-But I am inclined also to believe, that in the practical part of FROEBEL'S System of Kindergarten training, there are erroneous notions.

In the first place, the child is not to be considered or treated as a young, uneducated angel, but as a human being, inclined "to go astray as soon as he is born;" and no kindergarten training can ever make him an angel.

But in the second place, I desire to show what I am forced to consider a great mistake in the System, in not incorporating language training as one of its essential parts.

Four years of the child's life, and the most impressible portion of it, from three to seven years of age, are spent in mastering FROEBEL'S twenty gifts. The child's sense of hearing is trained, I admit, to get ideas from sounds, words, and names; but no effort is made to qualify the child to gain ideas through printed word-signs, which are the great storehouse of ideas to be gained through the medium of sight.

He is taught to give names to all sorts of figures, and geometrical forms, when presented to his eye, but he is kept ignorant of the printed wordforms which represent the same ideas.

Take the first gift-a ball. The child is carefully taught to call that pretty object a ball; and that it is round, &c. Now, while the child can understand the word ball, and the meaning of the word round, through

the ear, why can he not understand the same words, at the same time, by presenting their form to the eye? Surely he can do this just as readily as he can give the name hexagon to a figure of six sides, upon paper.

The Kindergarten offers one of the richest opportunities for language training; or for getting ideas from printed words.

What the child most needs in early training, is to become familiar with the word-forms, which represent ideas, so that he may learn how to use them and gain knowledge himself. He should get ideas of course, and get them methodically but he should also become just as familiar with their representative word-forms. Words, names, and the ideas they represent, are what our children need to learn.

The discussion was continued by J. J. RUCKER, of Georgetown, Ky.

The Committee on the Nomination of Officers reported the following, which was adopted:

President, GEO. P. BROWN, Indianapolis, Ind.

Vice-President, SARAH E. RICHMOND, Baltimore, Md.

Secretary, WM. J. DAVIS, Louisville, Ky.

Adjourned.

Third Day's Proceedings.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 1877.

The Department met at 3 P. M. Miss LYDIA D. HAMPTON, of Louisville, Ky., read a paper on

FIRST LESSONS IN READING.

[This paper was in the hands of the Secretary, but at the request of the writer was returned for revision. The revised copy has not been received.]

After the reading of the paper Miss HAMPTON gave a practical illustration of the method presented.

The card class consisted of six children of from four to six years of age. The reading class (First Reader) consisted of fourteen children that had been under instruction from two to ten months. The following were the pieces read:-"The Fireside;" Tennyson's "Lullaby;" "Pulling GrandPa's Hair;" ;""The Runaway Boy; Benny and his Rabbits;" "John's Ride;" ;""The Fox and the Grapes." There was not time to call on the remaining members of the class.

Adjourned.

INDUSTRIAL DEPARTMENT.

First Day's Proceedings.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 14, 1877.

The Industrial Department met in one of the rooms of Liederkranz Hall at 3 P. M.

The President and Vice-President both being absent, the meeting was called to order by the Secretary, who read the following letter from the President of the Department:

PROF. C. Y. LACY,

Dear Sir:

LANSING, MICH., Aug. 9th, 1877.

I regret that circumstances beyond my control will prevent my being present at the meeting of the National Educational Association at Louisville.

The meeting promises to be an interesting one, and the papers to be read in the Industrial Section will undoubtedly prove valuable aids to those engaged in Industrial Education.

With the best wishes for the success of the meeting and exceedingly regretting my inability to be present,

I remain yours truly,

M. MILES.

On motion of Hon. S. R. THOMPSON, Dr. J. R. BUCHANAN, of Louisville was elected Chairman pro tempore.

on

The Hon. S. R. THOMPSON, of Nebraska, then read the following paper

RELATIONS OF THE COMMON SCHOOL TO INDUSTRIAL

EDUCATION.

Prof. THOMPSON, on taking the floor, remarked that the ground of his paper had been so well covered by the opening address of the President of the General Association that he would attempt little more than a summary as follows:

Our common schools may be divided into two classes, quite different in their condition and management. The ungraded schools mostly found in the country districts, and the graded schools of the towns. In the latter are included the Free Public High Schools. He would confine his remarks principally to the country schools:

The term "Industrial Education," as used, has two meanings. First