of his pupils, where his principles were reinforced by apt illustration, by delicate suggestion and gesture and expression, for there were volumes in his smile and in his anger. I am not of those who think that his work was done or that his life was so completely rounded. I am sure that he did not think so of himself. In our last interview, covering some hours of close companionship, and shortly before the tragic close, he was constantly looking forward to the great things that were to come with the splendid opportunity that awaited him, and if fate had kindly permitted a few years more of active life I am sure that we should have seen the richest fruitage of his splendid career. The permanence of his influence will rest very largely with those who shall discuss to others his character, his principles, and his methods. An interesting chapter in educational history is yet to be written in order that this intense spirit may show its majesty to new generations and fire them with some of his passionate ardor. DEPARTMENT OF KINDERGARTEN EDUCATION SECRETARY'S MINUTES WEDNESDAY, JULY 9, 1902 The Kindergarten Department met at 9:30 o'clock Wednesday morning, July 9, in the First Congregational Church, Miss C. Geraldine O'Grady, president, in the chair. Dr. D. L. Kiehle, professor of pedagogy, University of Minnesota, gave the address of welcome. The president appointed as nominating committee: Miss Sarah B. Goodman, St. Cloud, Minn., chairman. Mrs. J. N. Crouse, Chicago, Ill. Miss Corinne Marcellus, Chicago, Ill. The Committee on Resolutions was appointed by the president, as follows: The president prefaced the more formal papers with a statement of the aims of the meeting. The following papers were then read: "Hindrances in the Development of Language," by Miss Cecilia Adams, supervisor of kindergartens, Denver, Colo. "Froebel's Suggestions on Fostering Language," by Mrs. Alice H. Putnam, superintendent of the Chicago Froebel Association Training School. These papers were discussed by Mrs. J. N. Crouse, of Chicago, Ill. The Girls' Glee Club, North High School, sang: (a) “Annie Laurie," Dudley Buck; (6) "The Broken Pitcher," arranged by A. N. Edwards. The discussion was then resumed by Miss O'Grady; Miss Ada Van Stone Harris, supervisor of kindergartens, Rochester, N. Y.; Miss Minerva S. Jourdan, Kindergarten Magazine, Chicago, Ill.; Mrs. Alice H. Putnam; Miss Sarah C. Brooks, principal of Teachers' Training School, St. Paul, Minn.; and Mrs. Alice W. Cooley, department of pedagogy, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, who summarized the topics under discussion. Miss Mary C. May, director of kindergarten department, State Normal School, University of Utah, read a paper on "The Need of English Study by Kindergarten Students." The paper was discussed by Mrs. Ogden, of Minneapolis, and Miss Goodman, of St. Cloud, Minn. The nominating committee reported the following names: President-Miss Anna Williams, Philadelphia, Pa. Secretary-Miss Clara Wheeler, Grand Rapids, Mich. The report was adopted and the nominees declared elected as officers of the department for the ensuing year. The meeting then adjourned. THURSDAY, JULY 10 A joint session was held with the Department of Elementary Education, in accordance with the program as given in the minutes of the secretary of that department. The following resolutions were submitted at the joint session, and passed by the kindergartners present: WHEREAS, The kindergartners in attendance upon the National Educational Association at Minneapolis in July, 1902, appreciating the many courtesies extended to them, desire to make the following expression:] Resolved, That the kindergartners attending the convention express their appreciation to the local committee which has so carefully provided for their comfort, and especially to Miss Stella L. Wood, chairman; to the board of trustees for the use of the First Congregational Church; to the press of the city for reports of meetings; to the Remington Typewriter Company for valuable service; and to the Elementary Department for participation in the department meeting on Wednesday, and in their courtesy extended in the Thursday meeting. MINERVA S. JOURDAN, Chairman. Miss Baird being absent, Miss May took her place on the Committee on Resolutions. The department then adjourned. MARY C. MAY, Secretary. PAPERS AND DISCUSSIONS ADDRESS OF WELCOME DR. D. L. KIEHLE, PROFESSOR OF PEDAGOGY, UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA Ladies and Gentlemen, Representative Kindergartners of America: It is always a pleasure to us Minneapolitans to welcome representative Americans to our fair city. We are modestly proud of our virtues. We are especially proud of our young city, its scenery and its life. To you, kindergartners and lovers of childhood, we offer the hospitality of our city and its surroundings, and present it as the magnificent kindergarten of the Northwest. We have the children, and we have the equipment of a kindergarten in nature's adornments of walks, gardens, lakes, and groves of flowers and birds. We now welcome, above all others, this choice company of men and women who by their presence will quicken our love of children, and will intelligently direct us in developing their best life, until in the full capacity of their nature they are in sympathetic and intelligent unity with their threefold and complete environment. Until men and women began with the love and study of childhood, we had no philosophy of education broad enough to comprehend humanity in all its relations and all its powers. Until the rights of childhood and the obligations of Christian and civil society to the care of children in the attainment of the freedom to which they are by nature entitled — until these were recognized there was no adequate interpretation of education applying to all its stages from the cradle to the grave. But I shall not take advantage of this opportunity of welcoming you, and take the time in talking that belongs to you who have come from far and near to be heard. Our most cordial welcome will appear in the appreciative attention we give to your inspiring words, expecting to gain an uplift which will make us all more loyal to the principles of Froebel, and more intelligent in applying them to the education of our youth. May your abiding with us be pleasant, your return to your homes safe, and your memories laden with kindly feelings and good thoughts as the fruitage of your journey. PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS MISS C. GERALDINE O'GRADY, TEACHERS COLLEGE, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY, NEW YORK CITY My attention was called some years ago to the importance of language in connection with our work, and I have found the study of it exceedingly profitable, In a very old book, the beauty of whose ideas and language is acknowledged even by those who do not believe its teachings, there is a parable of a valley of dry bones, breathed upon by the spirit, and of how "bone came to his bone," and they arose and stood upon their feet an exceeding great army. Like this, it seems to me, words without the spirit of thought are disconnected and lifeless, while thought without words is formless, invisible, inactive. The problem of the relation between thought and expression, and how to educate each thru the other, is really the problem of all education. Just because the problem has been a general one it has not been defined and limited. The only sure way to master a general idea is to master each of the special ones of which it is a synthesis. But in order to do this we must look at them one at a time. I was awakened to this problem thru my experience in training normal students, and at the same time thru my work as a primary teacher and kindergartner. I have worked on what is called the "development" method, and this has made me observe the ideas and expressions of those whom I taught. The children showed in both thought and words an incomplete, partial, and poorly mastered power of expression. This was only natural; it could not be otherwise, and was to be overcome by time and education. But when I realize more and more every year that not only the children, but the majority of normal students, express vague and indefinite ideas, in incomplete and indefinite language-that I rarely come upon one whose thoughts and expression are clear and definite - I feel that these defects have not been overcome by time and education, and that in this line at least we have very poor results from twelve or more years of school life. It seems as if teachers who show to such a degree the same defects as the children are not likely to help them to clear ideas and definite expression. I have realized this even more since I have made some special study of children. Their own expression is largely thru action, material, and other incomplete phases of, or steps toward, language; but these are, or ought to be, only phases of expression: the climax surely ought to be full power to think in words. What is the use of our recognizing the rudimentary forms of expression as a starting-point, if we never carry the process to its completion? What is the use of trumpeting the principle of "going from concrete to abstract," if we never arrive at the abstract, that is, at power to deal with it? Many people, of course, have recognized such defects in our education; the efforts to secure improvement in preparatory English made by Harvard and other colleges of late years, and their result on the high school curriculum, show that this problem has been recognized. But what proportion of our teachers go to college? What proportion of teachers in the elementary schools have had a high-school training which included adequate work in English? As long as 90 per cent. of our population does not go farther than the elementary school, are not our educational problems concerned chiefly with that? It seems to me, therefore, that we may well study, more than we have done, how far it is possible to increase clear thinking and clear expression in the earlier years. Froebel speaks over and over again of the value of "the illuminating word" and of the "peculiarly human spiritual power of language." He says that to arouse the child to consciousness of himself and his powers is as much the task of education as that of life is to make man conscious of his. This morning we will consider one aspect of this power. HINDRANCES TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF LANGUAGE MISS CECELIA ADAMS, SUPERVISOR OF KINDERGARTENS, DENVER, COLO. In the beginning of child study the kindergarten was devised to meet the needs of the normal child; but as our experience widens we find many classes of children in various stages of development, and the methods and mental food suitable for one stage will not develop and nourish the child in another. It is our duty, then, as teachers, not to appeal to any one class, but to understand the different shades of mentality and give light to those below normal as well as to the bright and precocious ones. The child seems to have two births; the one liberates the physical body, and the other, due to environment, liberates the soul. It is the latter with which we have to work in our educational methods; and the question comes: How shall we, thru environment, bring freedom to |