that "kindergarten work is not more difficult, but takes more time." Another thinks "the work is not more difficult, but is more of a strain on the nerves, and requires more patience. By the time the firstgrade teacher gets the children, they have become disciplined, have gained the power to listen, can pay attention, and take directions to some extent." One kindergartner thinks that her work is easier because she has no responsibility for promotions; she "does not have to bring all the children up to a uniform standard." Those who feel that the work is harder give the following reasons: "A kindergarten teacher has two sets of children the same size as the primary teacher, and so has to respond to many differing personalities." "The primary teacher has the same children all the day, and so each one under her care knows her at her best in the morning hours." "If the kindergartner is responsible for the two sessions, she has to repeat much of the same work in the afternoon, and in this way loses buoyancy and enthusiasm." "Primary teachers plan to have lighter subjects in the afternoon, but the kindergarten is another cycle." "It is harder if the kindergartner is responsible for the work of an untrained assistant." The general opinion seems to be, as stated by one kindergartner: "Just as much preparation of work is necessary, just as much energy is needed, and conference with mothers is just as important in the primary as in the kindergarten." Division of children for different sessions.—It is curious to note the similarity of the reasons given for having children attend a certain session and yet the dissimilarity of conclusions drawn. Ten kindergartners state that the younger children need more sleep, but for this reason 4 infer that it is better to have them come in the morning, so that they can take an afternoon nap, and 6 think that the afternoon session would be better because the little ones like to sleep late in the morning. Six state that the teacher is fresher and more alert early in the day, but some conclude from this that the older children who are to be promoted should have the benefit of the teacher at her best, as they "need quick response, enthusiasm, and alertness on the part of the teacher." Others say that the younger children require more play spirit and adaptability in the kindergartner, and therefore should come in the morning. There is as much divergence of opinion when children and not teachers are considered. Some say that as more intensive work is expected of the older ones, they should attend in the morning, while others think that a younger child needs more help and therefore should have the benefit of the morning hours, when he is at his best physically. These answers all imply that the most developing work can be done in the morning session, when both teachers and the children are at their best, and a different standard must be set for afternoon work. Forty kindergartners state that the difference in the length of the sessions is the main reason for determining when the children shall attend. All but 2 would have the older children for the longer period. Fourteen say that there is no division according to age, the children attending the session which suits the convenience of the parents. Rank of kindergartners.-Thirty cities report that the teachers are classified as directors and assistants. These assistants vary all the way from the untrained "cadet" or training student to the kindergartner who has had equal training with the director, but has had less experience. The kind and amount of assistance varies also from the mere care of the room and oversight of table work to an even division of work between director and assistant, one taking charge of the morning session and the other of the afternoon session. In several cities the number of children enrolled determines the number of assistants. Cities like New York, Chicago, Utica, Trenton, and Salt Lake City report that there are two kindergartners of equal rank. Of course in such cases the two teachers divide the responsibility evenly, each having charge of one session and assisting at the other. Effect of double session.-The answers to question 6, concerning the effect of the double session upon the teachers, were evidently given from different standpoints. Some understood the question to apply to kindergarten work in general and others understood it to apply to the effect of the double session. The first set of answers were disregarded in the summary below,1 since the double-session problem was the specific point of the questionnaire. Another confusion arose from the fact that some kindergartners felt that a choice must be made between one session with perhaps 70 to 90 children under two teachers, and two sessions each with half that number. Other kindergartners appeared to view the matter from a standpoint of 40 to 50 children only in the morning or that number twice a day. Of those who considered the question from the standpoint of one session with large numbers, as contrasted with two sessions with small numbers, the following are the answers: Health..... Buoyancy... Quality work.... Visiting in homes. Mothers' meetings.. Study... .better..5; poorer..11; same..1 ..more...5; less..... 8; same..2 .better..9; poorer.. 8; same..5 .more...0; less.....16; same..3 ..more... ...0; less.....14; same..5 ..more...0; less.....14; same..5 The spirit of play which must pervade every true kindergarten is the free creative spirit of the artist. There is loss of buoyancy with the double session; health is affected; and the quality of work is lowered. 1 But not in the table, pp. 32 f. Where small groups were considered for both morning and afternoon, it was felt that double sessions resulted in Health... Buoyancy.. Quality work. Visiting in homes. Mothers' meetings.. .better..0; poorer..45; same..23 These statistics seem to indicate that all kindergartners find the double session a drawback to the work outside of the immediate teaching, and even the quality of teaching would be somewhat affected by the lack of time for study. Where the double session is a question of dividing the number of children so that half come in the morning and half in the afternoon, there is no greater strain upon the teacher, and of course the children have the benefit of more individual attention. Where only half the children could be accommodated with the single session, a larger majority of the teachers felt the great tax of the second session. Advantages and disadvantages.—The answers to question 7, concerning the advantages of double sessions, were also given from the viewpoints stated above. Therefore 27 state that the advantages · of double sessions are: Possibility of smaller numbers, greater freedom, better grading of the children, and more opportunity to allow expression of individuality. Others who consider coming in contact with twice the number of children as the results of double session declare that more children are accommodated, expenses are decreased, and kindergartners are placed on an equal footing with primary teachers, receiving the same salary. On the whole the kindergartners feel that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages, although 25 think that the strain upon the teacher hardly outbalances the good to the children, as the kindergartner is not able to give of her best to all. The greatest advantage seems to be the standing given to the kindergarten idea in the community. This is voiced in the following: The double session promotes a general feeling on the part of the community, the teaching body, and the teacher that the kindergarten is a vital, integral part of the school system and not a luxury, exceptional in its organization and privileges. Our board of education regards the kindergarten largely from an economic point of view. The proposition of caring for a group of from 70 to 80 children in one room with two teachers makes them willing to establish a kindergarten, whereas the expense of the one-session plan with groups small enough to be of value to the children would be considered too costly for practical purposes. Better use of afternoon hours.-Interesting returns came in answer to the last question. It is here that the kindergartner reveals her idea of the scope of her work. That many kindergarten teachers feel their function as connecting link between the home and the school is shown by the fact that 38 would like to spend some of the afternoon hours in visiting in the homes and 21 in holding more mothers' meetings. Seventeen state that assisting in the primary grades, in story telling, in overseeing manual work, and in leading games, would be a desirable way to spend the time. Six speak of social settlement and playground work, showing that they believe the kindergarten spirit should function outside the limits formerly relegated to the teacher. Twentytwo would like more time for study and 15 for preparation of work. Twenty-six have no suggestions to make as to better use of afternoon hours, and yet 19 of these have stated that few visits are made or mothers' meetings held because of the double sessions. These kindergartners must feel that the benefit of giving more individual attention to children or of having more children in the kindergarten must outweigh the value of learning home conditions and getting acquainted with parents. Just one individual states that "with parent-teacher's associations and the services of a school nurse, the need of kindergartners in home-visiting is reduced considerably. Cases not covered by these means are still met by the kindergartners." Yet there are many strong pleas for more visits in the homes. "Double sessions give an opportunity to study a child in small groups, but we would understand him better still if we saw him at home." "Home visiting is a difficult task when it must be begun at 4 o'clock. Often you trespass upon the preparations for supper. 'Pop calls' are of no value when you wish to get at home environments." Conclusion.-In many cities the double session seems to have been found an economic necessity to accommodate all the children of kindergarten age, that is, in groups that are small enough to be of benefit to them and yet without too great an expenditure for equipment and for the teachers' salaries. That the hours of the kindergartner should be slightly shorter than those of the primary teacher seems permissible, since coming in contact with the many different personalities of the two sets of children exhausts the vitality. Whether the younger or older children should have the advantage of the morning hours seems to be a matter to be decided by the particular locality. If good work is to be done in the afternoon, the kindergartner who has charge of the afternoon session must be spared as much of the responsibility as possible for the early session. As stated by one teacher, "the single session under right conditions is ideal; the double session with two directors of equal ability is the next best arrangement." This judgment as to the double session with two directors is doubtless sound if the work of the kindergartner is to be exactly similar to that of the grade teacher. If, however, she is to be the link between the home and the school, more time must be given her for home visiting and mothers' meetings. The kindergartner is not only a teacher, but a social worker. She comes into very intimate touch with the mothers of the community. The little child separated from home for the first time creates a close bond of sympathy between the kindergartner and the mother, and by means of it the kindergartner can become a strong influence in the shaping of the home life. The kindergartner's work may be partly outside of the school building and yet be as difficult as that of the grade teacher. Each city or town must determine the type of work needed when considering the advisability of the double session for the kindergartner. If it is more important to accommodate large numbers of children, then the double session may be introduced; but if the kindergartner is to take her rightful place in the community as an influence in the home as well as in the school, if she is to give the best educational help to the children under her care, then she must have some afternoon hours free. The table which follows shows in detail the replies to the questionnaire on double sessions: |