Part 13 (1/2)

By free gymnastics I mean those which are given without any apparatus.

Such gymnastics are divided into two cla.s.ses: directed and required exercises, and free games. In the first cla.s.s, I recommend the march, the object of which should be not rhythm, but poise only. When the march is introduced, it is well to accompany it with the singing of little songs, because this furnishes a breathing exercise very helpful in strengthening the lungs. Besides the march, many of the games of Froebel which are accompanied by songs, very similar to those which the children constantly play among themselves, may be used. In the free games, we furnish the children with b.a.l.l.s, hoops, bean bags and kites. The trees readily offer themselves to the game of ”p.u.s.s.y wants a corner,” and many simple games of tag.

[Ill.u.s.tration: DR. MONTESSORI IN THE GARDEN OF THE SCHOOL AT VIA GIUSTI]

[Ill.u.s.tration: (A) CHILDREN THREE AND ONE-HALF AND FOUR YEARS OLD LEARNING TO b.u.t.tON AND LACE. (B) RIBBON AND b.u.t.tON FRAMES. These are among the earliest exercises.]

EDUCATIONAL GYMNASTICS

Under the name of educational gymnastics, we include two series of exercises which really form a part of other school work, as, for instance, the cultivation of the earth, the care of plants and animals (watering and pruning the plants, carrying the grain to the chickens, etc.). These activities call for various co-ordinated movements, as, for example, in hoeing, in getting down to plant things, and in rising; the trips which children make in carrying objects to some definite place, and in making a definite practical use of these objects, offer a field for very valuable gymnastic exercises. The scattering of minute objects, such as corn and oats, is valuable, and also the exercise of opening and closing the gates to the garden and to the chicken yard. All of these exercises are the more valuable in that they are carried on in the open air. Among our educational gymnastics we have exercises to develop co-ordinated movements of the fingers, and these prepare the children for the exercises of practical life, such as dressing and undressing themselves. The didactic material which forms the basis of these last named gymnastics is very simple, consisting of wooden frames, each mounted with two pieces of cloth, or leather, to be fastened and unfastened by means of the b.u.t.tons and b.u.t.tonholes, hooks and eyes, eyelets and lacings, or automatic fastenings.

In our ”Children's Houses” we use ten of these frames, so constructed that each one of them ill.u.s.trates a different process in dressing or undressing.

One: mounted with heavy pieces of wool which are to be fastened by means of large bone b.u.t.tons--corresponds to children's dresses.

Two: mounted with pieces of linen to be fastened with pearl b.u.t.tons--corresponds to a child's underwear.

Three: leather pieces mounted with shoe b.u.t.tons--in fastening these leather pieces the children make use of the b.u.t.ton-hook--corresponds to a child's shoes.

Four: pieces of leather which are laced together by means of eyelets and shoe laces.

Five: two pieces of cloth to be laced together. (These pieces are boned and therefore correspond to the little bodices worn by the peasants in Italy.)

Six: two pieces of stuff to be fastened by means of large hooks and eyes.

Seven: two pieces of linen, to be fastened by means of small hooks and worked eyelets.

Eight: two pieces of cloth to be fastened by means of broad coloured ribbon, which is to be tied into bows.

Nine: pieces of cloth laced together with round cord, on the same order as the fastenings on many of the children's underclothes.

Ten: two pieces to be fastened together by means of the modern automatic fasteners.

Through the use of such toys, the children can practically a.n.a.lyse the movements necessary in dressing and undressing themselves, and can prepare themselves separately for these movements by means of repeated exercises. We succeed in teaching the child to dress himself without his really being aware of it, that is, without any direct or arbitrary command we have led him to this mastery. As soon as he knows how to do it, he begins to wish to make a practical application of his ability, and very soon he will be proud of being sufficient unto himself, and will take delight in an ability which makes his body free from the hands of others, and which leads him the sooner to that modesty and activity which develops far too late in those children of to-day who are deprived of this most practical form of education. The fastening games are very pleasing to the little ones, and often when ten of them are using the frames at the same time, seated around the little tables, quiet and serious, they give the impression of a workroom filled with tiny workers.

RESPIRATORY GYMNASTICS

The purpose of these gymnastics is to regulate the respiratory movements: in other words, to teach the _art of breathing_. They also help greatly the correct formation of the child's _speech habits_. The exercises which we use were introduced into school literature by Professor Sala. We have chosen the simple exercises described by him in his treatise, ”Cura della Balbuzie.”[11] These include a number of respiratory gymnastic exercises with which are co-ordinated muscular exercises. I give here an example:

[11] ”Cura della Balbuzie e del Difetti di p.r.o.nunzia.” Sala.

Ulrico Hoepli, publisher, Milan, Italy.

Mouth wide open, tongue held flat, hands on hips.

Breathe deeply, lift the shoulders rapidly, lowering the diaphragm.

Expel breath slowly, lowering shoulders slowly, returning to normal position.