1966
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.
[No. 47

2. Nature Knowledge.—(i.) Plant Life: The general structure of a plant and the uses of its different parts, illustrated by the simplest physiological experiments. The flower, and the formation from it of the fruit. The commonest means of seed dispersal. Experimental study of the germination of seeds. The structure and germination of the seed of the bean plant, the oak, and maize (or wheat). Special study of the growth and development of the crocus, daffodil, and potato.

Life-history and structure of the buttercup, pea, foxglove (or snapdragon), and daisy (or sunflower). Pollination on the visits of insects to flowers.

The recognition of the following trees at different seasons by means of various parts and organs, such as buds, bark, leaves, flowers, &c.—the oak, plane tree, willow, wattle, blue-gum, pinus insignis, manuka.

Study of the winter resting bud of any common fruit tree.

The care of garden plots, and the use in the Kindergarten of school gardens and class-room plants; school excursions.

(ii.) Animal Life: The general characteristics, habits, and life-histories of the following:—

(a.) Cat, dog, cow, horse, sheep, rabbit, mouse.

(b.) Fowl, pigeon, sparrow, starling, thrush.

(c.) Fish and frog.

(d.) Bee, moth, butterfly, house-fly, spider.

(e.) Earth-worm, slug (or garden snail).

N.B.—(1.) In both plant and animal life special attention is required to be given to natural environment, and to any notable adaptations of structure and habits to the general living-conditions. (2.) Sketches in illustration of answers will be regarded as essential.

(iii.) Earth and Sky Study (chiefly in connexion with gardening and the needs of Plant and Animal Life):—

(a.) Water—its general properties and the importance of these to life.

(b.) The sun, sunlight, the variation in its strength throughout the year, and the effect of this on plant and animal life.

(c.) The earth—different kinds of soil and their varying power of holding water; the dependence of life on the soil.

(d.) The sky—observation of the sky, both by day and by night; and the reasons for the waxing and the waning of the moon. The identification of the following stars or star groups of the southern sky—the Southern Cross, the “Pointers” in the Centaur, the Milky Way, Orion, the Pleiades, Sirius, Canopus, and Achernar.

3. Kindergarten Principles.—Lives and work of Pestalozzi and Froebel. Effect of these on modern education. Froebel’s principles—their application and recent modifications. The principles, physical and mental, underlying educational handwork. The educational value of different kinds of handwork and their relation to other subjects in this connexion.

4. Kindergarten Practice.—The provision made in the Kindergarten for the child’s development at successive stages between the ages of three and seven years by means of play, stories, verse, music, observation of natural surroundings, and employments of various kinds; outdoor and indoor games of various forms suitable to young children, and their adaptation to educative purposes. The means of developing ideas of number, size, weight, and of training in language. The Kindergarten room and its furnishing, its toys, pictures, &c. School programs of correlated work. Preparation of simple materials and apparatus for lessons.

5. Class Teaching.—Candidates will be expected to occupy a class of children of any age between three and seven years for forty-five minutes in a manner suited to their stage of development and with due regard to their need for variety.

The following, of which (a) and (b) are compulsory, are suggested subjects from which a selection might be made to occupy the time allotted. Notes must be prepared showing the proposed program:—

(a.) Giving a lesson—e.g., a Nature lesson, or a lesson on a trade occupation, &c., or some other feature of the child’s environment.

(b.) Telling a story.

(c.) Conducting a game.

(d.) Superintending the children’s play with such material as sand, building blocks, or with any of Froebel’s “Gifts.”

(e.) Superintending the children’s employment in any definite form of handwork.

The class of children may be changed for one of a different age in the course of the forty-five minutes allowed.

6. Educational Handwork (I and II).—The examination in this subject will aim at testing (i) the candidates’ own skill, and (ii) their ability to guide the work of children between the ages of three and seven in a progressive series of exercises in accordance with the underlying principles of educational handwork. The examination will be essentially of a practical character, but may include a certain amount of written work bearing upon the application of any tests that may be set, the choice of material and the reasons for choice under varying conditions, the nature of the work that may reasonably be expected from children of different ages, and the relation to other subjects of the special work concerned.

Candidates must be prepared to execute, in the presence of the examiner, and at his election, one or more exercises in educational handwork under each of the following headings; they will also be required to submit at the same time for inspection and assessment a set of exercises as detailed below done during their period of training and certified to be of their own unaided execution:—

I. Handwork the chief object of which is to supply means of expression and to employ the motor activities of children in gaining clear ideas, as exemplified by (a) drawing with crayon or brush, (b) modelling in clay or other suitable medium. For younger children also exercises in building with Froebel’s “Gifts” and other material.

II. Handwork exemplifying simple processes of construction-work suitable for children, such as weaving (with raffia, wool, &c.) and basket-making, or that gives scope for the making of objects interesting to children and satisfies their love of design—e.g., folding or cutting paper, and arranging this or other suitable material; mat-weaving for younger children, with suitable materials and good colours; special domestic activities; and the making of useful articles and toys.

Candidates should not only know how to make isolated examples of the above forms of Handwork, but should be able to combine them into groups—e.g., a doll’s house and furniture, a farm-yard, scenes of primitive life, scenes of foreign life, &c.

The following are the sets of exercises of candidates’ own execution that they will be required to present for inspection and assessment (this list is subject to amendment on twelve months’ notice):—

Obligatory.

(1.) The course of drawing with crayon and brush done during training, the set to include the students’ rough studies as well as finished examples.

(2.) Modelling in clay or other suitable material: Six simple natural objects or simply arranged groups in low relief, chosen to illustrate plant or animal forms (age of class to be stated).

Selective.

Also any two of the following, (3) to (8):—

(3.) Six examples of handwork in different kinds of material, such as children under seven might execute in order to reproduce objects seen in their own homes—furniture, pottery, wearing-apparel, &c.

(4.) Six simple objects in paper or carton such as children under seven could make, to be produced by folding and cutting only, without the use of a ruler. (These objects must not be copied from a series in a book.)

(5.) Six examples of weaving in raffia or other material suitable for young children. (Loom or frame to be shown, and to be of student’s own construction.)

(6.) A set of six toys such as children might be encouraged to make, using inexpensive materials only.

(7.) Six pictures made by cutting out objects in paper without the help of an outline, and arranging or mounting them so as to form a picture or scene.

(8.) Six simple but useful articles made of any materials, and ornamented with simple patterns to show taste and originality in the application of design. (These need not be all for children of the same age or for children under seven.)

7. Blackboard Drawing.—(1.) From Nature—common natural objects, including flowers, leaves, fruits, and domestic animals.

(2.) Enlargement of an outline sketch provided at the time of examination.

(3.) An illustration of a lesson or story prescribed at the time of examination.

8. Singing.—(i.) To submit the names of four kindergarten songs, and to sing from memory one of those chosen by the examiner. (The literary and musical value of the song will be taken into account.)

(ii.) To answer questions as to the key, rhythm, and other points of notation belonging to the song, and also to indicate the best method of teaching the song to a class.

(iii.) To imitate short phrases sung by the examiner. These may involve easy rhythms.

(iv.) To sing at sight an easy test in any major key involving both time and tune. The time may be 2/4, 3/4, 4/4, or 6/8.

(v.) To answer simple questions on the best methods of ensuring good voice production by the children.