VISIT TO LIBRARY

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 185, 2 May 1940, Page 4

VISIT TO LIBRARY

Kindergarten Delegates

Entertained

Delegates to the kindergarten refresher course which concludes in Wellington today met at the Taranaki Street Kindergarten yesterday afternoon after an interesting hour in the new Central Library, where Miss Kathleen Harvey, who is in charge of the children's section, entertained the. delegates. Afterward Mr. A. Campbell, director of the New' Zealand Institute for 'Educational Research, addressed the gathering on “The Psychology of the Adolescent.” After Mr. Campbell’s lecture, interesting talks B ive “ iby tlle P rlncipal of each kindergarten association, on how the kindergarten is meeting the needs of its adolescent students. The following points were specially emphasized : — In each case, the immediate need is the congenial occupation for the allimportant years of late adolescence. Kindergarten provides a real occupation ; it gives an interest that can take up as much time as the student is willing to devote to it. The interest is a human one which seldom falls to rouse the student to great enthusiasm. Such a training is most satisfactory to the adolescent, in whom many emotions are struggling for fuller expression, and whose “feeling life” is very pronounced. The training satisfies the student’s need of independence, and the acceptance of responsibility, also her need of being treated as an adult. A course in adolescent psychology should be part of the post-graduate course for all kindergarten directors and assistants. In some associations, the are given a medical examination on entrance. This was stressed as being Important, as defects can be remedied and it also rids the student’s mind ot any worries she may feel about her general health. A course in child hygiene, sanitation arnd children’s diet directs the student’s attention to com-mon-sense living, and to the value of preventive methods. It is this principle of “prevention is better than cure” that the association seeks to emphasize throughout its theory, and also its practice. The ideal education for the adolescent student is one which gives rise to true self-expression. In many ways kindergarten achieves this by training in constructive interest for leisure hours, keeping in mind that “thoughts fly best when hands are busy” through direction in reading, and perhaps most of all in providing a satisfaction for the emotional life of the student, through the work, effort and constructive thougnt that a - group' of young children demands.