KINDERGARTEN

school founded by Frederick Froebel, in 1837, at Blankenburg, Central Germany, on a system based on self-activity of the pupil. Teacher is benevolent superintendent who studies child nature, and aids that nature to develop itself. This is the principle underlying the very elaborate system of gifts and occupations which form euch a prominent part of the Froe bell i an scheme, The six ‘gifts’ are as follows: (1) Six balls of colored worsted, representing the primary and secondary colors; (2) a wooden sphere, cylinder, and cube; (3-6) three large wooden cubes divided up in various ways—e.g., 3rd gift is subdivided into eight smaller cubes; in remaining gifts subdivision is carried further, and parts include square, rectangular, and triangular prisms, as well as cubes. A great deal in ingenuity is shown in inventing games in which these gifts are utilized. in first two gifts work is mainly perceptual; in remaining four, opportunity is afforded for exercise of self-activity; child is encouraged to make new combinations: (1) forms of beauty; (2) forms of knowledge (illustrating number and rates, etc.); (8) forms of life. There are many other occupations, including beadwork, stick laying, laths, sewing, paper folding, paper cutting, mat plaiting, brickwork. Games, stories, and songs form an important part of the system. Kindergarten methods in some form or other now constitute part of the operations of every properly conducted infant school.