A STUDY OF THE PLAY SCHOOL MOVEMENT WITH AN INTERPRETATION OF ITS PROBABLE INFLUENCE UPON TRENDS IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PRACTICES.

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University Microfilms 300 N orth Z e e b R oad A nn A rb or, M ic higan 48106 A Xerox E d u c a tio n C o m p a n y

LD3907 .E3 1951 • E6

r1 ' 5 ' 8 4 3 8

F o c k , D o r i s L i p o v c t z k y , 190CA study of the p lay school ovenent v.-ith an i n t e r p r e t a t i o n o f i t s ; r o b a b l e i n f l u e n c e upon t r e n d s i n e l e m e n t a r y school pt^actices. v i s^ 72p„ i l l u s . T h e s i s ( P h eD. ) - l h Y . I i . , S c h o o l ' . f E d u c a t i o n , 19?1»

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E i b l i o r r a r by ; p . clp39 s-Wf-9 * C?0185

Xerox University Microfilms,

Ann Arbor,

M ich igan 4 8 1 0 6

T H I S D I S S E R T A T I O N HAS BEEN M I C R O F I L M E D E X A C T L Y AS R E C E I V E D .

S p o n s o rin g Com m ittee: P r o f e s s o r Alonzo F. M yers, P r o f e s s o r Adolph E. Meyer and P r o f e s s o r R o bert K. S p eer

.

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Sv„% m . frfcP _ J ; 19 b |

A STUDY OF THE PL AY SCHOOL MOVEMENT w i t h ah i n t e r p r e t a t i o n o f i t s p r o b a b le i n f l u e n c e upon t r e n d s i n e le m e n t a r y sch o o l p r a c t i c e s

DORIS L. BOCK

S u b m itted i n p a r t i a l f u l f i l l m e n t o f t h e r e q u i r e m e n t s f o r t h e d e g r e e o f D octor o f P h ilo s o p h y i n t h e School o f E d u c a tio n o f New York U n i v e r s i t y

1950

PLEASE NOTE:

Some pag e s may have i nd i s t i n e t Filmed

U n ive rs ity

as

M icro film s,

p rin t. received.

A Xerox Education

Company

TABLE CP CONTENTS

CHAPTER

Page

I

THE PROBLEM............................................................................................. 1 General Statement o f th e Problem.......................................... 1 Educational S ign ifican ce o f the Major Problem. . . 1 S p e c ific Problems................................................................... 1 C la r ific a tio n o f Term inology......................................... 5 D elim ita tio n s............................................................................ 5 The Problem in P ersp ective..................................................... 7 The Need for the Study ................. 8 The In v e stig a to r 18 Relationship to the Problem . . 9 Related Research.................................................................................10 Summary .................................................................................12

II

THE COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS OF DATa ...............................................15 Procedural Steps.................................................................................15 General Method o f Approach . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 V a ria tio n s.................................................................................16 Sources o f Data...................................................... 17 Treatment of Data........................................................................ 19 R elationship o f Individual Problems to the Total Study 21 Expansion o f the Study....................................................................22 Summary................................................................................... 25

III

TWENTIETH CENTURY CHILD CARE ....................................................... 25 The Century o f the C hild.......................................................... 25 A Backward L o o k .............................................................. 27 The Birth o f the Play School....................................................... 50 The Contemporary Scene (1917-1947)...........................................52 1917 . . . . . ........................................................................52 1918 ................................................................................................. 55 1919 ................................................................................ 40 The Golden ......................... 44 The Depression Years . . . ...............................................55 World War I I ............................. 67 The Postwar Era......................... 92 A Forward Look. . ......................... I ll Summary .......................................... 115

ii

CHAPTER

P age

IV

SPONSORSHIP.................................................................................................. 119 Basic P attern s o f Development........................................................119 Pour Major A im s.......................................... 119 Service to Children. ....................................................... 120 121 Experimental Programs.................................................. Parent and Teacher E d u cation ..................................... 122 Community Cooperation......................................... 125 Community Cooperation in 1918........................................................124 Later D evelopm ents............................... .......................................... 128 Sponsoring Agencies.............................................................................129 ....................................................................... 150 General Types S p ecific O rganizations. ............................................... 155 D irection al Trends................................. l40 .................................................................... 146 Cooperating Agencies Expanding R elation sh ip s......................................... 152 E l i g i b i l i t y Standards .................................. . . . . . . 154 Service Areas . . . . . . . . . 158 Major Sources o f Support............................................................161 Summary...................................................................................................... 1^5

V

CHILDREN AND FAMILIES........................................................................... 168 The H isto r ica l Eknphasis on the Family. ...............................168 Emergency Measures andLong-Range P la n n in g .............................172 Home and Community Influen ces onChildren................................. 180 Play School N eighborhoods........................................................182 Play School Children*s Homes....................................................192 Serving Play School Fam ilies ................................................... 202 Programs for P a r e n t s ........................................................................ 205 204 Parent Education................................. Parent P a r tic ip a tio n .................................................. 210 ............................................... 215 P u b lica tio n s fo r Parents. Strengthening Horae-School T ies ...................................218 Family Survival in a Changing World............................. 222 Summary...................................................................................................... 227

VI

PLAf SCHOOL PERSONNEL............................................................................. 251 The Headquarters S ta ff . . . .............................. . . . . . 251 Emerging P atterns o f Leadership......................... 255 The V o lu n te e r ........................................................................... 257 The P ro fessio n al Worker ................................................... 245 Changes in S ta ff Composition......................................... 245 A Modern Play School S ta ff . . . . . . . 249 Composition .................................................................................249 Sources o f Supply .................................................................... 250 S electio n o f Personnel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254 Contemporary Working Conditions and R e sp o n sib ilitie s . 258

iii

CHAPTER In -S ervice Training o f S ta ff............................................... P u b lic a t io n s ........................................................................ O rientation S e s s io n s ............................................... . • ......................................... Meetings and Conferences Workshops and Demonstrations . . . . . . . . . . Supervision.................................................. S ta ff Evaluation. ......................... Pre-Service Training Program s........................................... Cooperation v»ith C olleges and P rofessional S c h o o ls ......................... Observation end Student T ea ch in g.............................. Demonstration end P a r tic ip a tio n .................................. Other Training P r a c tic e s ....................................................... Summary...........................................................................

286 291 295 29^ 298

VII

THE PLAY SCHOOL PROGRAM............................................................... Evolution o f the Flay School Program.............................. Basic P h ilo so p h y ............................................................... Changing P ra ctices . . . . . ...................................... The Importance of P l a y ................................................... Contemporary Educational O b je c tiv e s .............................. Aims o f the Elementary School...................................... Aims in Social Group Work............................................... Play School A im s............................................................... O bjectives for All Children.......................................... ............................................... Curriculum Content. Organization in Selected Elementary Schools. . . Organization in Play Schools ................. . . . . . The Younger Children. .......................................... The Older Children. . .......................................... The Daily Frogrgp ......................... The Elementary School Day........................ The Play School Day. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The P hysical S ettin g . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Room Arrangement . . . . . . . . .......................................... M aterials and Equipment. Records and Reports . . . . . . . . . . . .................. Educational Experiments . . . . . . . .......................... Summary . . . . . . . . .

501 501 505 507 51^ 518 518 520 525 525 526 526 551 552 555 55^ 555 558 5^2 5^5 5^7 552 555 558

VIII

INFLUENCES............................................................................................. Local and S p ecific Influences . . . . . ...................... The Public Elementary Schools...................................... Classroom Teachers . . . . . ...................................... Methods and M a t e r ia l s ............................. Community A g e n c ie s ...........................................................

5. p it . , p. 115. William Jansen, The S ocial Agencies and Public Eduoation in New York O ity, p. 55*

-2 9 -

Although the f i r s t of the play schools treated in th is study was not opened u n til 1917* the beginnings of the movement may be traced back to e a r lie r days.

A report published by the New York C ity Board o f Education

in 1899 describes the a c t i v it i e s of i t s vacation schools and playgrounds under the t i t l e , Report on Play Schools. year o f operation.

1899 was actu ally the six th

The A ssociation fo r the Improvement of the Condition

of the Poor had opened four vacation schools in New York City in 1894. These were taken over and continued by the C ity Board o f Education in 1 1898. "In New York C ity, in 1915* Caroline F ratt estab lish ed her Play 2 School—-now the City and Country School." The f i r s t play school of the organized movement under con sid eration here was estab lish ed at the Hudson Quild, a lower west sid e settlem en t, in 1917*

I t s opening took place

almost immediately follow ing America's entry in to World War I .

I t is

in ter e stin g to note th a t four years before the f i r s t play school, as an educational summer experience for children* was opened, a now famous ex­ perimental school—City and Country— began as a "pley school." Two years after the s ta r t of th e f i r s t summer play school a group of forward-looking educators, under the leadership of Charles E lio t, and la te r of John Dewey, organized the P rogressive Education A ssociation (now the American Eduoation F ellow ship )•

A number of other educational ex­

periments knew th eir f i r s t flow ering at about t h is tim e.

Terman's Stanford

R evision of the BinetfSimon T ests appeared in 1916, with t e s t s and direc5 tiona for computing I .Q .'s from early childhood to m aturity. World War I ' s use o f mental te s tin g added further impetus to th is aspect of

1. 2. 5.

Francis J . Brown, The Sociology o f Childhood, pp. 286-287. Adolph E. Meyer, The Development of Eduoation in the Twentieth Century, p. 52. Ib id . . pp. 150-151.

-5 0 education.

The Dalton* Winnetka and Gary plane were a ll born during

th is r e la t iv e ly b r ie f, dynamic period in eduoational h isto r y .

I t has

been said* perhaps flip p a n tly * but c e r ta in ly frequently* th at a customary lag o f some twenty years may be predicted between the statement of an eduoational philosophy end i t s actual ap p lication to educational p ra c tic e . The tr a d itio n a l pattern o f chronological seasoning appears to apply to th ese developments.

In th e World War I years and the early 1920's

machinery was aet in motion whose sta rter button had been pressed in the clo sin g years o f the nineteenth century.

With the broadening and

su b stan tiation of the s o c ia l and psychological im plications o f educational research came the beginnings of an acceptance of education as a scie n c e. The Birth o f the Play School The e a r lie s t play schools were summer p ro je c ts.

Not u n til the de­

pression years of the 1950's , and in most cases not u n til World War II and the 1940's, were year-round programs rea lized for the care of the school-age child in h is o u t-o f-sch o o l hours.

Bowman reviews^ both the

circumstances th at gave r i s e to th e need for planned summer programs fo r children and those th a t h ig h ligh ted th e need. America's fr e e public schools were o r ig in a lly provided for a pre­ dominantly a gricu ltu ral s o c ie ty .

The long summer vacation permitted

children to carry a su b sta n tial share of the farm work load. schooling was often severely lim ited by

Even winter

a way of l i f e requiring c h il­

dren's a ctiv e p a rticip a tio n in the p rovision of food* sh elter and oloth ing for the fam ily.

1.

The sohool day end the school year s t i l l r e f le c t

LeRoy E. Bowman, Community Programs for Stumer Play Schools, pp. 1-2.

-5 1 ttie cu ltu re patterns of t h is e a r lie r era in our economic development. As organized industry brought more and more fa m ilie s in to the o i t i e s , children had le s s and le s s to do with the production of fam ily income. Urban f a c to r ie s were no place for ch ild ren .

Neither were the c it y s t r e e t s .

The farmer was recognized, however, long before the la t t e r .

While mothers

remained in the home where they could exercise some kind of supervision, a lb e it the cry-oui>-the-window v a r ie ty , concern over the children in th e s tr e e ts was s t i l l comparatively un excited. Game World War I . dren went to pieces*

Fathers went to war.

Mothers went to work.

Chil­

At le a s t so i t appeared to a group o f p u b lic-

sp ir ited members o f the Federation for Child Study (now the Child Study A ssociation) when they determined to open the f i r s t play sch ool.

In

what i s almost ce rta in ly th e e a r lie s t printed b u lle tin on the su b ject,

1

there appears a strong statement c r it ic iz in g summer liv in g cond ition s for ch ild ren in New York C ity.

We are told that draft examinations have

revealed how serio u s the s itu a tio n i s , and furthermore, thats Thousands upon thousands of -the c it y 's children get worse, in th e ir vacation, every summer, instead of b e tte r , because of the n eg lect and ignorance of parents— and of the community. This p hysical and moral d eterioration was so str ik in g , and promised to become so notch worse, because o f war co n d itio n s, th a t we estab lish ed a Play School at the Hudson Guild in 1917* The experience so con clu sively t h is se rv ice was so very great tend and improve the work. We o f other organizations in 1918 Play Schools.^ 1. 2.

showed th at the need for th at we decided to ex­ secured the co-operation and estab lished several

Federation for Child Study, The Plav School—A Oomprehensive Program of 3 erv ice for th e Neglected Child, 1918. Ib id . , unpaged.

-5 2 -

The Contemporary Scene ( 1917-1947) Some referen ce has already been made to World War I and the liv in g cond i t ions p revailin g a t th a t tim e.

The follow ing i s an attempt to pre­

sen t, as gathered from many sources, a composite p icture of l i f e in the United S ta tes during the period of th is study, u t iliz in g prim arily th ose elements most d ir e c tly rela ted to children, th eir fa m ilie s, and the play school movement.

1211 On April 6 , 1917 the United S tates entered World War I .

President

Wilson proclaimed i t a war to "make the world safe for democracy." Europe

had

already been

at

war for nearly three years.

The P r e sid e n t's proclamation o f April 6 , 1917 s e t the tone for most of the h ead lin es for the r e s t of th at month.

M ilitary con scription

versus th e use of volu n teers occupied much space in the p ress. food.

So did

Famine conditions in various parts of the world appeared again

and again*

"World Food Needs to be Met by U.S." said the New York Times.

Butter a t Park and T ilfo r d 's was fifty -tw o cents a pound and eggs f i f t y cents a dozen.

In New York Oity the wealthy were leaving th e ir expensive

and d i f f i c u l t to maintain private residences for apartments. the h ig h est apartment ren t was $6,000 a year. could be rented for more than $50,000 a year.

In 1907

In 1917, an apartment 2

John Barrymore was play­

ing the t i t l e r o le o f Peter IbbetBon at the Republic.

Ann Pennington

was dancing in the New Z ie g field F r o lic s. April 24th was "Orphan's Day" at th e c ircu s.

1. 2.

New York Times, April 25, 1917* New York Times Magazine, April 29, 1917.

"7*200 l i t t l e ones

-3 3 -

from 72 In stitu tio n s" saw the circu s fr e e .

1

The next evening there was

a "large and b r illia n t assembly at the residence o f Mrs. Vincent Astor" where the g u ests paid $5,000 to see a pantomime, the proceeds to go to d e s titu te French a r t i s t s .

2

On April 29th, in Washington, D. C ., Miss Carrie Chapman C att, President of the National American Woman Suffrage A ssociation, made a p lea for equal pay for equal work, saying that the work performed and not th e sex o f the worker should determine the rate of pay, snd adding th at women who took men's plaoes in industry during the war emergency 5 were a lso assuming th e ir burdens in support of fa m ilie s. A fam ily with the necessary means oould purchase a player-piano fo r $590. or a seven-passenger Chandler touring ear at $1595*

(A very

small t e le v is io n receiv er might be substituted for the piano and a jeep for the Chandler at approximately the same cost in 19^8.) In May, 1917» Congress passed the S e le c tiv e Service Act.

In the

same month American troops began to be sent to France.

Governmental

agencies were s e t up to oontrol economic l i f e at hone.

Industry flo u rish ed .

Wages were ra ised to meet high liv in g c o s ts . Bonds.

Everybody bought Liberty

Freedom of speech and freedom of the press were sharply cu r ta ile d .

Eugene V. Debs went to prison as did many others who refused to accept or support the war h ysteria#

The American P ediatric S o ciety , at i t s

annual meeting at White Sulphur Springs, West V irg in ia , discussed preparer 4 tio n s for the comprehensive care of children during war tim es. 11In June 1917 the vanguard of the army, the American Expeditionary

1. 2. 3« 4.

NewYork NewYork NewYork NewYork

Times, April 25, 1917# Times, April 26, 1917# Times. April 50, 1917Times, May 29, 1917#

-5 4 Force, commanded by General John J . Pershing, reaohed France." June, headlined in the press:

Also in „2

"BUREAU TO HEAL COMMUNITY WOES ",

New

York C ity began i t s f i r s t experiment in central c le a r in g , now a reasonably fa m ilia r s o c ia l work p ra c tic e .

The origin al aim was to s e t up a clear­

ing house fo r cooperation between the c ity government and the immigrant population.

The work began under the auspices o f the Committee on Un­

adjusted Children. statem ent th a t:

Again in June there appeared in an e d ito r ia l the

"Last year 4,000 mothers and children received vacations

o f two to s ix weeks at the various Fresh Air Homes maintained by the so c ie ty [C h ild ren 's Aid} and many thousands more enjoyed steamboat ex„5 cursions and day outings." There followed an appeal for lo c a l c h a r itie s in g en eral, even at a time when needs created by the war were n aturally re c e iv in g f i r s t con sid eration . In October, New York C ity 's Mayor made a glowing speech at the dedi­ ca tio n o f a C hildren's Clearing Bureau in the Bronx.

The Federal govern­

ment issued an appeal to women typew riters and stenographers to come and h elp with i t s o f f ic e work. 4 European trenches."

"By October 1917* American s o ld ie r s were in

November 1917 fin d s two women, both wives of former mail ca r r ie r s, carrying th e mail in Washington, D. C.

In New Haven, C onnecticut, r e g is ­

tr a tio n o f women for in d u stria l serv ice, both voluntary and paid, is begun as part o f the w a r .e ffo r t.

Under the headline: "Plan To Drive Out

D islo y a l Teachers", the New York Oity Superintendent of Schools i s said to be req u estin g a l l school p rin cip als to submit names o f teachers of

1. 2. 5. 4.

Charles A. and Mary R. Beard, A Basic History o f th e United S ta tes, p. 4?4. New York Times, June 4 , 1917* New York Times, June 25* 1917 • Beard, op. c i t . , p. 454.

-3 5 doubtful p atriotism .

1

Hardly a day passes in December of 1917 without some new place in industry being f i l l e d for the f i r s t time by women.

They seem to be

doing w ell in the fa c to r ie s where they learn to operate d r i l l p resses end automatic screw machines qu ite as read ily as do the men, but they 2 o b ject to wearing o v e r a lls. New York Railways t r i e s out i t s f i r s t n in e g i r l conductors, explaining th at t h is i s a war measure, not taken in a s p i r i t of f r i v o l i t y .

The Brooklyn Rapid Transit s ta r t s with eleven

women, but lim it s them to wide entrance ste p le ss cars, as the superin­ tendent doubts th eir a b ility to make good conductors on other types of ca r s.

Ten women le t t e r ca rriers s ta r t on th eir rounds in New York O ity.

An e d ito r ia l* with a condescending tone that might w ell have caused a minor exp losion a generation la te r , t e l l s how women can be assigned al­ most any ta sk normally performed by men, providing i t does not require stren gth , and providing there is constant checking as women have no per­ cep tion of measurement, do not recognize the d ifferen ce between sharp and d u ll t o o ls , and so on.

I t also s ta te s that no d iscrim in ation i s

being made again st married women, "though care is taken to a scertain th at 5 absence from home does not in ju riou sly a ffe c t dependents."

1918 As the year 1917 ended and in the early days o f 1918 education re­ appeared in the news.

Teachers were being suspended for p a c if is t views

and f a ilu r e to take lo y a lty pledges.

There was considerable disagree­

ment over p a r tia l experiments with the Gary Plan applied to New York

1. 2. 5*

NewYork Times. November 16, 1917 • NewYork Times, December 2, 1917* NewYork Times. December 17, 1917*

-36O ity sch o o ls, and lo c a l o f f i c i a l s were accused of playing p o l i t i c s .

In

January, the P resident of the New York Oity Board of Education e s t i ­ mated th a t 100,000 children in the public schools were undernourished and recommended th a t a simple standardized luncheon be served to a ll children at c o s t, and fr ee to those unable to pay*

1

I t was w hile the Bolsheviki in Russia were nstaggering before the harsh terms imposed by the imperial governments of Germany and Austria 2 at B rest-L ito v 8k ,n th a t President Wilson was advised to r e s ta te our n o n -im p er ia listic war aims and plans for peace in short easy doses to be fed in to Germany and broadcast g en erally.

The r e s u lt , in January

1918, was the pronouncement of W ilson's famous fourteen p oints with th eir emphasis upon resto ra tio n o f national so v ereig n ties, freedom of the sea s, reduction of armaments, removal of trade b arriers, and th e as5 so c ia tio n o f nations in maintaining world peace. By February 1918 employment of women was double th a t of before the war.

Unless th eir husbands were unable to work or had l e f t them, married

women were not permitted to teach in New York Oity sch ools, but in February, 1918 a re so lu tio n was introduced to have the New York Oity Board of Education by-laws suspended during th e war period so th at servicem en's wives might be allowed to teach in the New York City sch ools.

4

A survey conduoted by the Society of Ind u strial Engineers indicated th a t women would not be needed in industry u nless the war continued beyond 5 1920.^ At the c lo se o f the school year in June, minimum annual s a la r ie s fo r teachers in New York Oity were raised to $1,000. 1. 2. 5. 4. 5.

New York TimeB, January 4 , 1918. Charles A. and Mary R. Beard, The R ise of American C iv iliz a tio n , p. 651. Ib id . , pp. 651-652. New York Times, February 14, 1918. New York Times, March 28, 1918.

-5 7 The n ation al scene continues to r e f le c t the s tr e s s e s and stra in s of wartime liv in g .

Although Congress had passed the Espionage Act in

June of 1917* making any in terferen ce with m ilita ry m ob ilization sub­ j e c t to heavy p e n a lties under the law, " . . .

th e President asked and

received from Congress a s t i l l more severe measure, th e S ed ition Act o f May, 1918, a sta tu te which in e f f e c t made any c r itic ism of the Wilson adm inistration ille g a l* "

The witch hunt was on.

C ollege professors

were f ir e d , Columbia U niversity leading o ff in the prooession.

"Clergy­

men were unfrocked and sent to prison for overemphasizing the Sermon on _2

th e Mount."

L ocally, the news for children was both good and bad.

In May, 1918,

a new commissioner of c h a r itie s, in an economy move to save th e cost of so o ia l in v e stig a to r s, presented a plan for apportioning child ren among 5 ch a rita b le agencies instead o f placing them in p rivate homes. In June the Educational Dramatic League announced that i t would open a play school for s o ld ie r s ' ch ild ren .

Pour hundred were already enrolled and

as many more would be acoepted as could be accommodated at the West Side Y.W.C.A. whose f a c i l i t i e s had been loaned for th e work.

Mrs. August

Belmont, President o f the League, appealed to the public to "adopt" a ch ild for the summer by assuming the tw enty-dollar cost per ch ild o f the 4 July 8 through August 51 program. T hiB p roject w ill be treated further in the chapter on play school sponsorship. In the summer o f 1918 a number o f planned a c t iv it i e s for o ity c h il-

1. 2. 5. 4.

Beard, op. c i t . , p. 640. Ib id . , p. 645. Mew York Times, May 15> 1918. New York Times, June 12, 1918.

-5 8 -

dr en were in itia te d or expanded.

In New York O ity the Central Committee

o f the Society for E thical Culture financed two new play sch o o ls, one a t Madison House and one at Arnold Toynbee House in addition to the o r ig in a l (1917) one at Hudson Guild.

Two play schools were opened in

public school b u ild in g s, th e Board of Education contributing the use o f the plantB, with financing and operation by p rivate groups. House started a center in i t s own b u ild in g.

Greenwich

A ll in a ll there were seven

summer play centers functioning in New York Oity in 1918, a l l receiv in g 1

some support, guidance or supervision from the Federation for Child Study. New York C ity playgrounds were also fe e lin g the upsurge of concern fo r children in wartime.

August 16 had been s e t as the c lo sin g day for the

seven-week playground se ssio n .

Funds were exhausted but the public

clamored to keep the playgrounds open.

The Mayor announced th at i f the

Board o f Education could not keep them open otherw ise, policemen would be placed in charge of playgrounds.

The Board of Education appropriated

$16,000 to add two weeks to the sunnier playground schedule.

2

Across th e A tla n tic, a lso , the war was serving to h ig h lig h t the im­ portance o f the w ell being of child ren .

Many men had been declared u n fit

for m ilita ry serv ice in th e period from 1914-1918 because o f hidden m aladies and emotional i n s t a b i l i t i e s .

Science was beginning to lo ca te

th e source of many o f th ese adult problems in the liv in g con ditions and learning experiences of young children.

England recognized the newly

accepted importance of early childhood by passing the Education Act of 1918, allow ing for publicly-supported nursery sch o o ls.

1. 2.

The MacMillan

From unpublished documents of th e Play Schools A ssociation . New York Times, August 15, 1918.

-5 9 s is t e r s , Margaret and Rachel, organized schools in London for the c h il­ dren of working mothers, and Dr. Abigail E lio t of Cambridge, M assachusetts, studied th ese schools and brought her fin d in gs back to th is country.

In

1918 Grace Owen of Manchester, Ehgland, published "an e x c e lle n t l i t t l e book expounding the need for sound educational planning as the b a sis for nursery school programs.

Op to th at tim e, group care of young ch ildren nl

had been supplied la rg ely on a w elfare b asis."

Experimental centers

fo r young children were opened in th is country, at about the same time at Teachers C ollege, Columbia U n iversity, at Iowa U n iversity and at 69 Bank S treet in New York C ity (th e H arriet Johnson Nursery S ch ool). In 1918, for the f i r s t tim e, large sca le stu d ies o f the growth o f young children were made. The fin d in gs from th ese stu d ies were in great measure resp on sib le for creatin g the in te r e s t th at resu lted in the s e ttin g up in each sta te o f child hygiene d iv isio n s , which, by means o f public health nursing se r v ic e s, p renatal, in­ fa n t, and child h ealth c lin ic s , snd c la ss e s for the in stru ctio n o f mothers, greatly influenced th e standards of C8re the country over.2 The fr o n t page of the New York Times for November 11, 1918, reads ARMISTICE SIGNED END OP THE WARi NEW CHANCELLOR BEGS FOR ORDER

BERLIN SEIZED BY REVOLUTIONISTS

OUSTED KAISER FLEES TO HOLLAND.

A week la te r the United States Bureau o f Education announced th at there were 50,000 teaching places vacant in t h is country and th a t 120,000 were teaching who had never taught a c la ss before.

Thousands of schools

had not reopened in the f a l l and thousands were c lo s in g .

Women whose hus­

bands were away in government serv iee were called upon to come back in to * th e sch ools.'' Such appeals appeared in the press again and again in the

1. 2. 5.

Rose H. A lschuler, Editor, Children’s Centers, pp. 6- 7» Marion L. Faegre and John E. Anderson, Child Care and Training, p. 5« New York Times, November 18, 1918.

-4 0 ensuing weeks. New York O ity was w ell on i t s way toward e sta b lifh in g a new record fo r low m ortality in 1918 when the in fluenza epidemic upset a ll predic­ t io n s . The marriage rate and the birth rate dropped n oticeab ly in t h at 1 year.

1212 'Hie year 1919 fin d s children receiving more frequent mention in the m etropolitan p ress.

Child labor b i l l s , war orphans, th e women and c h il­

dren of war-devastated areas of Europe are the major focus of ch ild wel­ fa re situ a tio n s as r e fle c te d in the news.

Pressure grows heavy for the

passage o f a n ation al women's suffrage amendment.

Women demonstrate at

the M etropolitan Opera House in Boston end again in Washington, D. 0 . They are battered and arrested by p o lice but the fig h t continues. are keeping and being kept at th e ir p o sitio n s in industry.

Women

Already the

cry i s heard th a t th e male market i s flooded and women must give th e jobs back to the men. In February, 1919, follow ing a three-month lap se due to an epidemic o f in flu en za, th e New York C hildren's Year Committee resumes i t s campaign for improvement o f child health in New York C ity. Bureau exgnines 50,000 children.

2

The Child Hygiene

E. P. Dutton announces pu b lication

of "The G reatest Modern Novel—The Four Horsemen of th e Apocalypse" at §1.90 n et.^ With th e anti-German fe e lin g s engendered by the war s t i l l strong, the Dean o f th e C ollege fo r Teachers at the U niversity o f C incinnati makes

1. 2. 5.

Annual Report, New York City Department o f Health, 1918* New York Times, February 24, 1919, Loc. c l t .

-4 1 a p lea for changing the name of "Kindergarten" to "Play School."

He ob­

j e c t s to the oontinued use o f a German name end s ta te s that: I t i s tru e, however that th e in s titu tio n which he (Froebel) founded and which has been much modified r e s t s upon th e play motive. The play s p ir it is n a tiv e . By means o f play the ch ild grows. Growth is the aim o f a ll school l i f e , and since i t i s pro­ moted in a l l childhood through the play s p ir it , why not say 'Play School1 instead of 'Kindergarten'? In May, 1919, at the request of the President of the United S ta te s, the In tern ation al Child Welfare Congress met in Chicago.

American men

and women joined with rep resen tatives of other nations who had been al­ l i e s during the war.

They met under the leadership of Miss J u lia Lathrop,

C hief o f the C hildren's Bureau of the Department o f Labor, to s e t standards for h e a lth , working age and conditions, education of the handicapped and other child w elfare measures.

I t was the f i r s t such meeting in h isto ry 2 and i t s re so lu tio n s were h ailed as the magna oh art a of childhood. A month la te r there appeared in the New York Times a fu ll-p a g e spread

on play sch o o ls.

With one minor exception, already cited in footn ote 4

on page 27, t h is i s the f i r s t recognition by the m etropolitan press of th e play school movement, althou^i in la ter years i t i s to receiv e frequent and thorough coverage. Under the headline: SUMMERTIME SCHOOL PLANS IN 5 THE CITY, there appears a subhead, reading "Cooperation of Many Agencies for Keeping the Children H ealthier and Happier Through the Vacation Period." A d escrip tio n fo llo w s of urban conditions among fa m ilie s who cannot afford country va ca tio n s, and a resumA i s given of the early e f fo r t s of the Federation for Child Study aimed at meeting the heightened seriou sn ess of

TI 2. 5.

W. P. Burns, tfPlay Sohool" instead of "Kindergarten," Education, XXXIX, No. 8 (A p ril, 1919), pp. 507-508. New York Times Magazine, May 25, 1919. New York Times Magazine, June 22, 1919.

-4 2 an already acute s itu a tio n in th ese homes, when the war took fa th ers away to th e fro n t and mothers in to war work.

The a r t ic le goes on to d escribe

how study and experiment have made p o ssib le "the establishm ent of the Play School, which contemplates the all-d a y care of groups of children under con d ition s ca lcu la ted to promote th eir p h ysical, in te lle c t u a l and c iv ic development."

There fo llow s a treatment of the many agencies co­

operating and a l i s t i n g of the 1919 play sch ools.

This m aterial w ill be

referred to again in th e follo w in g chapter on Sponsorship. graphs i l l u s t r a t e the a r t ic le .

Two photo­

One shows children cobbling shoes and is

e n title d , "Summer Play School—The Shoemaking Glass."

The oth er, cap­

tioned "Summer Play School—The Rest Period", has children ly in g on what appear to be beach ch a irs in an otherwise q uite conventional classroom. P a r a lle lin g th e play sch o o l's development in New York C ity were a number of pioneering educational e f fo r t s in other parts of the country. The Winnetka experiment, with i t s recogn ition of individual d ifferen ces in learning r a te s and i t s equal time d iv isio n s for group and ind ividu al a c t i v it i e s in the school dey^wss in stitu te d by Oarleton Washburne in 1919*

‘Hie much more in d iv id u a lis tic Dalton laboratory plan of Helen

Parkhura t made i t s i n i t i a l appearance in 1920.

Some of the elements of

both had already won the support, a decade e a r lie r , of William Wirt and h is Gary plan with i t s balancing of time for work and play, i t s extension of the school day, and i t s provision for m ultiple use of school f a c i l i 1 tie s . Children are su fferin g from m alnutrition owing to the high co st of 2 food, says the Department o f Labor. Health and n u tr itio n are stressed

1. 2.

Adolph E. Meyer, The Development o f Education in the Twentieth Oentury, pp. 166-191* New York Times, August 4 , 1919*

- 45 -

in the reports of the 1919 summer play sch ools.

On the la s t day of

school the press r e fe r s to them as the "summer h ealth play schools of the Federation for Ohild Study" in a featured statem ent, e n title d : "1,000 1 Took Ohild Study F ederation's Health Courses." According to t h is a r t ic le , n in ety per cent of the children were found to be in b etter physical con d ition , upon examination at the c lo se o f the stunner sessio n . Two v is it o r s to New York Oity in the summer of 1919, one from Chicago and one from A u stralia, are deeply moved by slum conditions here and make recommendations for b etter provision of recreation for ch ild ren . They comment upon th e "wanton disregard" of youngsters of s ix and seven, shooting d ice on the s tr e e t s of Greenwich V illa g e , join in g gangs, de­ fyin g truck d riv ers, d u ellin g with shop keepers.

They fin d seven, e ig h t,

and n in e-y ea r-o ld s washing dishes in restaurants and f i l l i n g other adult job s.

The use o f Washington Square as a playground is suggested by

the Chicagoan; c lo sin g o f f s tr e e ts a fter 6.00 P.M. for play purposes 2 by the A ustralian. In November a whole column of the Sunday paper i s devoted to review­ ing a new Federal Bureau fif t e e n -c e n t pamphlet on "Training L i t t l e Chil­ dren", where mothers are given suggestions for things to do and ways 5 to do them, with young children in the home. The F ir s t International Working Women's Congress, meeting in Washington, D. C ., recommends le g is la t io n for safeguarding mothers and 4 b ab ies. The F ir s t International Labor Conference, held under the provisions

1. 2. 5. 4.

NewYork NewYork NewYork NewYork

Times, August 50* 1919» Times, September 14, 1919. Times, November 2, 1919. Times, November 6 , 1919.

-4 4 of the Treaty o f V e r s a ille s , d ra fts f iv e r e so lu tio n s.

One o f th ese i s to

g iv e mothers s ix weeks before and s ix weeks after birth of children with 1 payment of insurance for time l o s t or s ta te indem nification. The Golden 20*a Following the arm istice in 1918, President Wilson had gone to the peace conference in France without the support of h is Congress or the people.

At V e r s a ille s the idealism of Wilson was p itted against the

realism of Clemenceau and Lloyd George.

The President lo s t more o f h is

support at home and a number o f h is fourteen points abroad, trying to build a League o f N ations.

The United S tates never r a tifie d the V e r s a ille s

Treaty and never joined the League o f N ations.

Warren G. Harding became

President in 1921, to be succeeded at h is death in 1925 by Galvin Coolidge. N ational p rosperity ro se to unprecedented h eigh ts in the 20' s .

Rural

populations decreased, urban centers grew, inanigration was sharply re­ str ic te d end the b irth r a te continued to d eclin e.

Ind ustrial mechanizar

tio n made i t p o ssib le for fewer workers to produce more th ings and tech n o lo g ica l unemployment increased.

Seemingly high wageB could not com2 p ete with even higher commodity p r ic e s. Rugg says th at at the c lo se o f the war and for some time th ereafter foreign countries continued to buy large q u a n titie s o f American goods, but by 1920 th eir own farms and busi­ n esses were fu n ction in g again and purchases from us declined sharply. American workers continued to demand wartime wage le v e ls , employers re­ fused the demands, and workers went out on s tr ik e . m illio n were out on s tr ik e in the United S tates.

1. 2.

New York Times, November 50, 1919. Harold Rugg, The Conquest o f America, p. 504.

In 1919 alone, four

-4 5 -

In 1920 th e grave lack o f teachers was stressed .repeatedly in the newspapers.

On March 15, th e New York Times stated that 18,279 schools

in t h is country were closed because o f the teacher shortage, as shown by reports o f the United S ta tes Bureau of Education.

In May the New York

Oity Board of Education rescinded i t s ru lin g against appointment or pro1 motion of married woman tea ch ers. But large numbers continued to leave the profession for more lu c r a tiv e employment.

A c a ll for New York Oity

volunteers to work on farms in the summer brought forth 1,229 r e g istr a n ts 2 on one spring morning, with many students and teachers among them. There was increased emphasis upon child health in many quarters. The United S tates Bureau of Education launched a campaign for the teach5 ing of health in the sch o o ls. N u trition al surveys were being conducted in many o f the large c i t i e s .

Examination of 750,000 school pupils brought 4 to lig h t the f a c t th at large numbers were sorely undernourished. Dr. Royal S. Copeland, New York C ity 's Health Commissioner, h e a r tily endorsed the a c t iv it ie s o f the sumner play schools and urged th eir extension to include many more of the c i t y ' s undernourished children.

During the

summer of 1920, children enrolled in the oenters had averaged a weight increase o f two pounds per p u p il.

5

After a hundred years of a g ita tio n , the Nineteenth Amendment grant­ ing women's suffrage became part o f the law of the land in the summer of 1920.^

1. 2. 5. 4. 5. 6.

The League o f Nations was born in 1920 and the Permanent Court of

New York Times, May 26, 1920. New York Times, March 21, 1920. New York Times, June 21, 1920. New York Times, November 14, 1920. New York Times, August 29, 1920. Charles A. and Mary R. Beard, The R ise o f American C iv iliz a tio n , pp. 56k -565.

-4 6 -

International J u stic e was opened at the Hague in 1922.

For more than

ten years follow ing World War I conferences aimed at esta b lish in g per­ manent peace were held in various part a of the world. Support waB growing in many areas for the development of good educar tio n a l programs for ch ild ren , teach ers, and parents.

The Merrill-Palmer

School, opened in 1921, has profoundly influenced experimentation in th is fie ld .

The Laura Spelman R ockefeller Memorial* s e t up in 1925 with

Lawrence K. Frank as adm inistrator, has contributed generously to the 1 organization of oenters for child development. In C aliforn ia, in the same year, Edward Yeomans estab lish ed h is Ojai V alley School, where the program for children and for parents represented a kind of p ra ctica l demonstration of many o f th e th eo ries of leading educational thinkers of t h is and e a r lie r days.

The approach to ch ild ren , to parents, to the

community, and to the idea o f continued experimentation at the Ojai V alley 2 School, as described by Meyer, p a r a lle ls and c lo se ly resembles th at of th e play sch ools, from th eir e a r lie s t beginnings, although the Yeomans experiment had as i t s s e ttin g a lo v ely green v a lle y and the play schools began, and for the most p art, continue in some of the n o is ie s t , most con­ gested spots in the world. "In 1921 the Commonwealth Fund of New York issued i t s Program for the Prevention o f Delinquency which has had no l i t t l e influence."^

Al­

though there were s t i l l over a m illio n children from ten to sixteen years of age employed in the United S tates in 1920, there had been nearly two

1. 2.

5.

Rose H. Alschuler, Editor, C hildren's Canters, p. 97 • Adolph E. Meyer, The Development of Education In the Twentieth Century, pp. 57-45. Ib id . , p. 156.

-4 7 m illio n in 1910.

1

A gitation for Federal ch ild labor le g is la t io n , Whose

fa te , lik e that o f Federal aid to eduoation i t seems to have been to r is e and f a l l end remain unresolved by our lawmakers, was strong in the early 1920's end resurgent anew in th e days of economic depression. 1922 a national survey committee reported th a t

2

In

ch ild labor laws were

e n tir e ly inadequate, with Federal aid reaching only f if t e e n per oent of working children, and that a m illio n were s t i l l leaving school prematurely every year. In June o f 1922, d esp ite in tim idation and pressure, the school board 5 o f Atlanta, Georgia, reelected a ll of i t s Oatholic teach ers. Radio programs were published d aily in the New York Times.

For

October, 1922, th e t o ta l l i s t i n g included two sta tio n s in New York O ity, two in Newark and one each at S p rin gfield , Pittsburgh, and Anacostia, D. C.

Schenectady, Chicago

Only fo r WJZ in Newark wae th ere a morningprogram,

but three more sta tio n s boasted afternoon programs and a ll operated over the air waves in the evening. tw ice i t s 19^9 p r ic e .

A pyrex p ie p la te , in 1922, was exactly

Such other presumably e s se n tia l feminine equipment

as h ats and s ilk stockings were r e la t iv e ly even higher priced. The cost of public education, a lso , was considered to be too high at t h i s period, and the Carnegie Foundation fo r th e Advancement of Teaching se t out to study the problem.

I t raised th e questiont

"What i s a school 4

for?"

A number o f prominent educators made answer in the p ress.

Charles

W. E lio t of Harvard asked th at the schools tr a in the senses, teach every 1. 2. 5. 4.

Department o f Commerce, United S ta tes Bureau o f the Census, Washington, D. C . j Government P rin tin g O ffice, 1925. New York Times, January 29, 1922. New York Times, June 9 , 1922. New York Times, March 11, 1925.

-4 8 child to draw, model, sing or play a musical instrument and read music. George D, Streyer of Teachers C ollege, Columbia U n iversity, concurred saying th at music and the fin e a rts antedated th e three R ' b, and that he i s a poorly educated man, who lacks appreciation of the b e a u tifu l.

William

D. E ttin ger, Superintendent o f New York C ity 's sch ools, made a plea for more independence of school boards and more education in gen eral. he:

Said

"The only antidote to radicalism i s a wide educational service." The Mayor o f New York City had not been in vited to contribute to

t h is educational symposium, but a short time la te r he gave the follow ing d u e to h is a ttitu d e on both school purposes and school c o s ts .

In June,

1925, Mayor Hylan authorized the Board o f Education to throw open the c i t y ' s school yards as playgrounds during the summer months, adding t h is admonition to h is seemingly inspired gesture: No funds are neoessary fo r t h is innovation. Requests for appropriations for play in stru cto rs, play super­ v is o r s , attendants and a s s is ta n ts to teach children how to play hop-scotch should not be made. They w ill not be granted. Children don't need anyone to t e l l them how to play. I f some a tten tio n is found necessary, c a ll upon the ja n ito rs.^ There were eleven play schools open in New York City that summer of 1925, with trained personnel to teach children how to play, in the b e lie f th at play is a c h ild 's way o f learn in g.

A yesr la te r the Teachers Union

recommended to the New York City Board o f Education th at i t attempt some new approaches to education by s e ttin g up experimental programs, in crowded d is t r ic t s of mixed r a c ia l stock , beginning with small c la ss e s for young ch ild ren , with a rich and varied curriculum based on ch ild ren 's

1. 2.

Loc. c i t . New York Times. June 24, 1925.

-4 9 experiences rather than adult coercion.

1

All columns of the New York Times for Friday* August 5, 1925, were outlined in heavy black.

President Harding had died suddenly in San

Francisco, the night before, and Calvin Ooolidge was in Plymouth, Vermont, where h is father administered the oath o f o f f ic e making him t h ir tie th President of the United S ta te s. In 1924 there were fourteen summer play schools in greater New York and one in Cleveland, a ll under the supervision o f the Federation for Child Study.

At one o f th ese sch ools, New York U niversity and the

American Child Health A ssociation had estab lish ed a teacher train in g ex­ periment with graduate students.

Support for the to ta l program of the

Federation for Child Study received the promise o f a Laura Spelman R ockefeller Foundation grant of $50,000 a year for three years, with an additional dollar to match each one raised from other sources, up to 2 $10,000 per y esr. The year 1925 fin d s the Federation, under i t s new name, the Child Study A ssociation o f America, campaigning to r a is e $100,000 to carry for­ ward i t s program and holding a widely acclaimed three-day conference on "Modern Parenthood."

The New York Times ca lled i t th e f i r s t large meet3 ing o f i t s kind in the United S ta te s, and covered the sessio n s thoroughly,

reporting the speeches o f p a rticip an ts and e d ito r ia liz in g upon the theme in general and upon the statements made by educational leaders at the 4 m eetings. Brubacher c r e d its t h is conference with supplying the Impetus

1. 2. 5. 4.

New York Times, May 18, 1924. New York Times, November 6, 1924. New York Times, October 28, 1925* John S. Brubacher, The H istory o f -the Problems of Education, p. 572.

-5 0 for the founding of the National Council of Parental Education. The m id-twenties brought renewed emphasis to the whole f ie ld of child study and a llie d research .

The rearin g of ch ildren was coming to be re­

garded as a scien ce, and as an outgrowth o f the widespread research in early childhood, mental h ealth was beginning to be reoognized as an im­ portant aim o f education. Around 1925 in s t it u t e s of ch ild w elfare were s e t up in various u n iv e r s itie s and c o lle g e s . These, by explor­ ing the psychological and emotional phases of young ch ild r e n 's development, and by acting as demonstra­ tio n centers for students and parents, brought about widespread reco g n ition o f the need for measures to promote mental, as w ell as p h y sica l, h ea lth . On May 20, 1925, Charles A. Lindbergh flew the A tlan tic Ocean, non­ stop , from New York to P a r is. The Department o f Superintendence o f the National Education Associa­ t io n held a three-day conference in Washington, D. C ., in February, 1926, to d iscu ss the needs o f contemporary education.

Seventeen o f the n a tio n 's

leading teachers were asked to respond to the question: Teach?”

"What Shall We

Said William H. K ilp atrick : F ir st and foremost they (th e schools3 must teach c h il­ dren, and n ot mere t e x t books. And most of a ll they must teach children in such a way as to make strong, in t e llig e n t , moral characters of them. This means to increase as far end as f a s t as f e a s ib le th e ir range of pupil p a rtic ip a tio n , for only by p racticin g can our children learn .

The follow in g summer, John Barrymore, starrin g in the film version of "Don Juan", had to share the lim elig h t with a movie prologue

accompanied

by music so recorded th a t the actors on the screen appeared to be making

1. 2.

Marion L. Faegre and John E, Anderson, Ghild Care and Training, p. 5» New York Times, February 21, 1926.

-5 1 the sounds.

R iva llin g t h is groat innovation, a nearby theater offered 1 Rudolph Valentino in the s t i l l s ile n t "Song of the Sheik." On the Mall in Central Park, th e eighteen play schools o f the Ohild Study A ssociation celebrated th eir tenth year with a pageant o f marching, dancing, and sin gin g. 2 of th e ch ild ren .

Costumes, s e ttin g s and program were a ll the work

1927 and 1928 find more and more a tten tio n being focused upon the pre-school c h ild .

At a Child Study A ssociation Conference held in 1927*

Bertrand R ussell speaks out in favor of more p lacid education for young 5 ch ild ren . More com on sense in tra in in g the young is valued by the ex4 parts who meet at a Child Study Conference in Chicago in 1928. Home radio receiv ers occupied much of the ad vertisin g space in the 1928 newspapers.

A ra d io la , the wonder box th a t could be plugged r i^ it

in lik e an e le c t r ic lamp, sold for $157*50» but a Super-Heterodyne de luxe model was lis te d at $895*00.

The la t t e r included i t s own loudspeaker.

President Coolidge, speaking a t th e 150th anniversary celeb ration of Phillips-Andover Academy, made a p lea fo r a return to the "old standards", for a teaching o f the old tru th s, fo r a reaffirm ation o f r e lig io n , whereupon r e s t th e foundations of enlightened c i v il iz a t io n .

5

There were twenty play schools in th e sumner of 1928, nineteen in New York City and one in Cleveland.

D irectors and s t a f f members met at

th e Caroline Country Club in H artsdale a month in advance of school open-

1. 2.

5. 5.

New York Times, July 25» 1926. Ij Oc * ^ i t .

New York Times. November 27, 1927* New York Times, February 17» 1928. New York Times, May 20, 1928.

Inga to plan end d iscu ss th e ir summer work. A three-day conference on parental education and the public schools, held jo in tly by th e Ohild Study A ssociation and Teachers C ollege of 1 Columbia U niversity,w as attended by f i f t y school superintendents. The American people were enjoying the age o f e l e c t r i c i t y .

Half of

th e fa m ilie s of th e nation had e le c t r ic iron s, a fourth had vacuum cleaners and a f i f t h had washing machines.

Everybody appeared to have everything,

telephones, ten m illio n ra d ios, more than twenty m illio n automobiles, twoth ir d s o f th ese being bought on th e in stallm en t plan.

2

"So instead o f paying as they went, ae Americans nearly always had in the f i r s t 250 years of our h isto r y , they began to borrow from the future."

Why not borrow from a fu tu re th a t most of our business men,

eoonomiats and p o litic ia n s were painting in th e most roseate hues? There were two m illio n unemployed in 1929 at the peak of our pros­ p e r ity .

There were s t i l l sp ecial feeding programs for the undernourished

in play sch ools. homes.

Most of the youngsters were s t i l l liv in g in sub-standard

"The most sig n ific a n t sin g le endeavor o f t h is (1929 play school)

season, was the transformation of a d ilap idated e a st sid e apartment into an a ttr a c tiv e and liv e a b le home, the e n tir e work being done by the c h il4 dren th em selves." Notwithstanding the apparently higb wages, la b o r 's share in the golden f r u it s of plenty was shrinking.

Speculation on the stock market

ro se ste a d ily to th e d iz z ie s t h e i^ its in a ll h is to r y .

1. 2. 5. 4.

New York Times, July 27, 1928. Harold Rugg, The Conquest of America, pp. 5°7- 509. Ib id . , p. 508. New York Times, August 26, 1929.

We are reminded

-5 5 th at: On the day of P resident Harding's death, United S tates S teel stood at eighty1-seven; on September 15* 1929, i t stood at 261 5 /4 . R eligion , education, publishing, and 'th e a rts' were a ll vibrant with th e upward surge; and as th e austere man from Vermont with a strange reputa­ tio n for s ile n c e rode away from the White House on March 4, 1929, the chorus o f press p raise drowned out a ll minor stra in s of d isse n t. The p erfect symbol of p erfect business en terp rise had passed from o f f i c i a l l i f e to the pleasures and emoluments o f retirem ent. The Depression Years Scarcely had the stra in s of the m artial music of World War I died away when the P rohib ition Amendment of 1919 ushered in a new kind of war. I l l i c i t liquor dealers fought each other in the major c i t i e s of the nation . Racketeering became a byword. in toleran ce swept the country.

The Ku Klux Klan was revived and waves of In 1928 Herbert Hoover was chosen President

of the United S tates over Alfred Smith, a fo e o f prohibition and a C atholic. Hoover inherited the business monopoly of the tw en ties,

th e high t a r i f f ,

the wild speculation, the "boom and bust" economy and, what Calvin Ooolidge had ju st escaped, the in ev ita b le crash of 1929* On October 25, 1929, three m illio n shares of stock were sold on Wall S tr e e t.

The unloading had begun.

were so ld .

On October 29, six teen m illio n shares

Inflated cr ed it collap sed as fin a n c ia l ruin descended upon

large and small b u sin esses, individuals* and even th e banks. dropped

out o f the golden buckbfc.

Homes, cars, jobs were

The bottom lo s t.

Even

liv e s were lo s t as men leaped from windows and rooftops rather than face poverty— or th eir c re d ito rs.

1.

Charles A. and Mary R. Beard, The R ise of Amerlean C iv iliz a tio n , p. 721.

“ 54Children, to o , bore the burdens o f th e depression.

"When fathers

are out o f work, the p h y sica l, mental, and moral w elfare of children de­ c lin e s .

The undernourished child cannot learn e a s ily .

is not able to put h is mind on h is stu d ies." *

The worried child

Some ohildren l e f t school

to work in fa c to r ie s for s a la r ie s as low as two d o lla rs a week.

Others,

poorly clothed and often hungry, continued to attend school and the schools did th eir best to keep children from leaving for n on -existen t jobs. Many schools even tr ie d to cloth e and feed the child ren.

Nor were the 2

schools sa fe from the a ll-en velop in g calam ity o f th e tim es.

Meyer found

th a t the in fluence of the co lla p se of 1929 was generally f e l t in the n a tio n 's schools by 1951* and th at the budget cu ttin g began with the elim ination of "whst might be ca lled m iscellaneous educational services and by delaying anticipated improvements.

,.5

Eventually, however, teachers'

s a la r ie s were cut, c la sse s enlarged, sp e c ia l serv ices and subjects aimed at curriculum enrichment cu rtailed or removed e n tir e ly from th e programs o f the schools. The f i r s t re tra ctio n among sp e c ia l educational featu res came in the 4 f ie ld o f recreation , according to Brown, who adds th at: Evening oenters were closed , supervisors withdrawn, schoolyards padlooked. At the very time when m illio n s of youth were transferred from employment to enforced le isu r e and fsm ily budgets prevented the u t iliz a t io n of commercial agencies, the s tr e e t and th e vacant lo t became th e rendezvous o f youth. The shortsightedness o f suoh a p olicy was grap h ically demonstrated in in­ creased delinquency and a r is in g t o l l of accidental death.5

1. 2. 5. 4. 5.

Rugg, ££. c l t . , p. 520. A. E. Meyer, The Development of Education in th e Twentieth Oentury, p. 588. Loc. c i t . Francis J . Brown, The Sociology o f Childhood, p. 289. Ibid. , p. 290.

-5 5 Some a d d i t i o n a l l i g h t may be th ro w n upon r e t r a c t i o n o f e d u c a tio n a l s e r ­ v i c e s in t h e New Y ork O ity a r e a by th e f o llo w in g s ta te m e n t, made as p a r t o f a r e p o r t by a co m m ittee s u rv e y in g t h e c i t y ' s p u b lic s c h o o ls a t th e lo w e s t l e v e l o f th e d e p r e s s io n : T h ree b road c u r r ic u lu m f i e l d s a r e in v o lv e d in a l l t h e s e d is c u s s io n s : ( l ) t h e r e g u l a r day sc h o o l c u r r ic u lu m , t h e v a r io u s form s o f w hich s e r v e th e d i f f e r e n t ty p e g ro u p s in t h e day s c h o o ls ; ( 2 ) a c t i v i t i e s w hich a r e d e s ig n e d t o su p p lem en t th e day s c h o o l o u r r ic u lu m — t h e summer s c h o o ls b elo n g h e r e ; and ( 5 ) su ch a c t i v i t i e s a s a d u l t e d u c a tio n , ev e n in g s c h o o ls , p la y g ro u n d s , r e c r e a t i o n c e n t e r s , and th e li k e . I t i s in t h e seco n d and t h i r d o f t h e s e bro ad c u r r ic u lu m f i e l d s o n ly t h a t t h e Board h a s a m easu re o f l e g a l c o n t r o l t h a t m akes p o s s i b l e c u r ta ilm e n ts and e l im i n a tio n s t h a t re d u c e t h e number o f p e rs o n s a tte n d ­ in g t h e s c h o o ls and so s a v e s money. The e f f e c t s o f c u tb a c k s in e d u c a tio n a l e x p e n d itu r e s a s w e ll as th e t i g h t e n i n g up o f p r i v a t e p h i l a n t h r o p i c s u p p o rt a r e c l e a r l y o b s e rv a b le in t h e e n fo rc e d c u r ta ilm e n t o f p la y sc h o o l s e r v i c e s d u r in g t h i s p e r io d . may be s i g n i f i c a n t ,

It

in t h e l i g h t o f l a t e r d ev e lo p m e n ts, t o n o te t h a t th e

p a t t e r n o f p la y sc h o o l m o d i f ic a t io n f o llo w s M e y e r's f i n d i n g s ,

2

fo r educa­

t i o n in g e n e r a l much more c l o s e l y th a n i t d o e s t h e f i g u r e s f o r r e c r e a t i o n c h a r te d by Brown,

5

w here p u b lio e x p e n d i tu r e s r i s e s h a r p ly around 1954,

d e c l in in g t h e r e a f t e r , w h ile t h e f i r s t s i g n i f i c a n t d ro p in p la y sch o o l num bers a p p e a rs in 1951* B row n's f i g u r e s p resu m ab ly r e f l e c t t h e b e g in n in g s o f F e d e r a l r e l i e f m e a su re s (1955 on) w h ile p la y s c h o o l o f f i c i a l t a b u l a t i o n s do n o t in c lu d e t h e many a d d i t i o n a l c e n t e r s o p e r a te d by F e d e r a l a g e n c ie s in c o o p e r a tio n w ith t h e New Y ork O ity Board o f E d u c a tio n , a lth o u g h t h e Summer P la y

1.

2. 5.

The S urvey R e p o r t! M eyer, o g . Brown, op.

Com m ittee o f th e New Y ork O ity P u b lic S c h o o ls , P r e lim in a ry 645 M adison Avenue, New Y o rk , 1955» P* 55« c i t . , p . 588. c i t . , p . 290.

-5 6 Schools Committee of the Ohild Study A ssociation served these centers in a v a riety of ways.

The r ela tio n sh ip between the Committee and the

emergency programs w ill be treated under sponsorship, and i t s services end influences w ill be discussed in la te r chapters, under the appropriate headings. In June, 1951» Wiley Post and Harold Gatty circumnavigated the globe by a ir . The estim ated number o f unemployed workers rose stea d ily from two m illio n in 1929 to anywhere from th ir te e n to seventeen m illio n in 1955*

1

President Hoover, while s t i l l unconvinced of the seriousness of the de­ pression, attempted to meet immediate emergencies with the Reconstruction Finance Corporation and the creation of Home Loan Banks.

In 1955 Franklin

Delano R oosevelt became the new ly-elected P resident o f the United S ta te s. He assumed the country's leadership in a tim e of c r i s is and maintained i t in a new and revolutionary way u n til h is death in 19^5»

Government

con trols were placed upon many of the erstw h ile free en terprises of American b u sin ess.

Organized labor assumed a new importance and managed

to sustain i t even in the fa ce of Supreme Court d ecision s declaring certa in Roosevelt measures u n co n stitu tio n a l.

Minimum wages and maximum hours

were le g a lly se t and ch ild labor f in a lly abolished. The emphasis on so c ia l le g is la t io n in Washington was not without i t s repercussions in the educational m ilie u , and both were probably due, in large measure, to the prolonged era of economic depression.

Up to t h is

tim e, a long u p h ill stru g g le had been fought by th e proponents of the chiId-centered school against the supporters of the tra d itio n a l curriculum.

1.

Rugg, 0£ . c i t . , p . 517

-5 7 J u st aa the former were gaining a footh old , attacks on progressive educar tio n came from a new d ir e c tio n . John Dewey haa summarized the aims and p ra ctices of contemporary edu­ cation in the 1950'8 80s I f one attempts to formulate the philosophy of educa­ tio n im p lic it in th e praoticea of the newer education, we may, I th in k , discover certa in common p rin cip les amid the v a rie ty o f progressive schools now e x is tin g . To im position from above i s opposed fr e e a c tiv ity ; to learning from t e x t s and teach ers, learnin g through experience; t o a cq u isitio n o f iso la te d s k i l l s and tech­ niques by d r i l l , i s opposed a cq u isitio n of them as means o f a tta in in g ends which make d ir e c t v it a l appeal; to preparation for a more or le s s remote future i s op­ posed making the most o f the opportunities of a present l i f e , to s t a t ic aims and m aterials i s opposed acquaintance with a changing w orld.1 At the onset o f th e depression, reaction again st the aims of progres­ siv e education had already s e t in .

One of i t s own leaders, George S.

Counts, was among the e a r l i e s t and sev erest c r i t i o s .

To him the funda­

mental weakness of progressive education, and of American education in general, lay in i t s devotion to forward motion without d e fin ite d irectio n , a d irectio n which Counts believed should be s o c ia lly orien ted. own words:

2

In h is

"The weakness o f Progressive Education thus l i e s in the fa c t

that i t has elaborated no theory of so c ia l w elfare, unless i t be that of 5 anarchy or extreme individualism ." To Counts, progressive education in th e la t e 1920's and early 1950's was an upper middle c la s s movement, m ildly lib e r a l and only d ista n tly re­ lated to r e a lit y .

1. 2. 5.

I t s emancipation from the influence of t h is c la ss and

John Dewey, Experlance and Education, pp. 4 -5 . George S. Counts, Dare th e School Build a New Social Order? New York: John Day Company, 1952. pp. 5“ ^ Ib id . , p. 7*

-5 6 i t s sub atitu tlon of a philosophy of so c ia l in doctrination for the la is s e z fa ir e p olicy associated with a ch ild -cen tered school, Counts b elieved were e s s e n tia l to th e development of a tr u ly progressive school in th e 1950*8. He considered i t to be the r e s p o n s ib ility of American teachers to conscious­ ly build toward some form o f s o c ia liz e d economy to replace the c a p it a lis t ic one which had fa ile d so m iserably to su stain i t s e l f or the American people during the depression years. Counts was not alone in h is c r itic ism o f contemporary education al­ though h is solu tion to the problem may not have been acceptable to other equally sin cere c r i t i c s .

Says Brubacher:

"Although many progressives did

not share Counts' c o lle c tiv is m , they were persuaded that the times did 1 demand a predominance o f so c ia l aims in education." From the same source, somewhat la te r , comes an in d ication of how the schools met the challenge of th e s t i l l unresolved c o n flic t between indi­ vidual and group fa cto rs in education: From the depression onward, there was a new so c ia l emphasis in democratic and progressive education. Doubtless, the New Deal, with i t s inherent co l­ lectiv ism and nationalism , had mud: t o do with th is change. Yet the individual was not supplanted by the so c ia l emphasis in education. Rather were the two emphases coordinated in the conclusion th at the in d iv id u a l's best opportunity for s e lf - fu lf illm e n t lay in a so c ia l rather than in a narrowly individu­ a l i s t i c con text. In the play schools of t h is period, the major emphasis was s t i l l upon the individual ch ild and h is mental h e a lth , but there was also evidence of a rea l concern for h is so c ia l adjustment to the group, according to th e follow ing statement in th e p ress, by an observer o f the schools:

1. 2.

John S. Brubacher, The H istory o f the Problems of Education, p. 21. Ib id . , p. 51.

-5 9 "The c la ss e s are informal, the groups of children sm all, and the methods follow ed sim ilar to those employed in the most progressive schools and camps.

A ll p o ssib le e ffo r t i s made to study th e individual c h ild , and

sp ecia l a tten tio n is paid to those who have d if f ic u lt y in adjusting them­ s e lv e s to the group." The Ohild Study A ssociation Conferences of 1950, 1951, and 1952, prim arily concerned with the pressing problems of fam ily l i f e , gave con­ siderable a tten tion , n ev erth eless, to the most recent fin d in gs in child development research and to school p r a c tic e s.

In 1951 the Association

presented an ex h ib it, illu s tr a tin g the p roject method, to help a ll teachers, although i t had been started o r ig in a lly for the retra in in g of play school teach ers.^ The depression gave r i s e to a number of changes in education, many of them more sound and valuable than might have been predicted from the accidental or emergency nature of th eir inoeption.

Government entered

the educational arena during th is period, sta r tin g at both a id s, with the very young pre-school ch ild and with th e youth who was about to leave school, or had already l e f t i t . In October, 1929, the leaving age for school children in England was raised from fourteen to f if t e e n years to reduce unemployment.

In a radio

address on September 29, 1952, President Hoover stated that a ll child labor should be eliminated and working hours in general shortened for the 5 w elfare of present and future gen erations. U ntil 1951 the only r e l i e f a v a ila b le to most depression v ictim s was furnished by lo c a l communities

T~» New York fim es, "August 26, 1929. 2 . New York Times, August 50, 1951. 5 . New York Times, September 50, 1952.

-6 0 -

in the form o f food orders, s tr e e t clean in g and repairing public build­ ings, contributions of clo th in g, cash or p a r tia l rent payments.

Toward

th e end o f 1951 and early in 1952 a few s ta te governments appropriated 1 funds for r e l i e f . New York was one of th ese. As an unemployment r e l i e f measure, the Federal Emergency R e lie f Ad­ m in istra tio n (la te r known as the Works Progress Adm inistration) in itia te d a nursery school program as one of i t s educational p ro jects.

This marked

the beginning of nursery schools as an in tegral part of fe d e r a lly sup­ ported education.

Begun in 1955, the program included approximately 1650 2 nursery u n its by 1956.

„

Emergency measures were taken at the upper end of the school program a lso .

With tax revalues reduced and great numbers of youth unemployed,

lo c a l and sta te a u th o rities faced a double dilemma.

There were already

not enough f a c i l i t i e s availab le for the accommodation of older boys and g i r l s i f they were to be kept in sch ool, and e x is tin g programs were being ste a d ily cu rtailed or abandoned for lack of funds. In t h is c r i s i s the n ation al government chose to aid youth d ire ctly insofar as taking up the slack o f un­ employment through further education was concerned. Instead of tryin g to reach youth through the e x istin g public school f a c i l i t i e s the Federal government i t s e l f set up two important agencies with educational func­ tio n s , tiie C iv ilia n Conservation Corps and the National Youth Administration, or the C.G.C. and N.Y.A. as they were more fa m ilia r ly known.* The child of play school age was e lig ib le neither for the emergency nursery schools nor for the youth programs. f e e lin g the fin a n c ia l pinch.

Tl 2. 5.

The play schools, too, were

From 1917 to 1929 there waB a gradual but

Harold Rugg, the Conquest of America, pp. 521-522. Rose H. Alschuler, Editor, C hildren1a Centers, p. 8. Brubacher, oj>. c i t . , p. 66.

- 61Steady growth in the number of play schools opened each summer. 1929 there were twenty-one centers operating. twenty-one.

In

In 1950 th ere were s t i l l

In 1951 the number dropped to tw elve.

In 1952 th e Ohild

Study A ssociation announced that i t would make a sp e cia l e ffo r t to draw in the parents as w ell as the ch ild ren , as both were su fferin g under the handicaps of economic con d ition s.

The A ssociation, fin d in g th a t i t could

serve only a lim ited number of fa m ilies at the tim e when the need and demand were greater than ever, was doing i t s b est to serve th ese few fa m ilie s more com pletely.

A new play school was opened at Sunnyside

Gardens, Long Island, in 1952.

This center was in a p rivate school.

It

served four to e i^ it-y e a r -o ld s who were not fin a n c ia lly underprivileged and represented the f i r s t move toward a broadening of the play sch o o l's socio-economic base of operations. F e d e r a l a g e n c ie s f o r th e r e l i e f o f t h e n a t i o n 's econom ic i l l s w ere many and t h e te n d en cy to r e f e r t o them by a l p h a b e t i c a l s h o r t c u t s w ide­ sp re a d and som etim es c o n f u s in g .

The P u b lic Works A d m in is tr a tio n (P .W .A .)

and t h e O iv il Works A d m in is tr a tio n (O .W .A.) w ere s e t up i n 1955*

The

F e d e r a l Works A d m in is tr a tio n o f 195^ Was fo llo w e d by th e Works P r o g r e s s A d m in is tr a tio n o f 1955*

'Hie N a tio n a l Youth A d m in is tr a tio n and t h e S o c ia l

S e c u r ity A ct a ls o ap p eared in 1955* I n 1955* G eorge O h s t f i e l d , D ir e c to r o f t h e New Y ork O ity B ureau o f A tte n d a n c e , and D r. G a te s o f T ea ch ers C o lle g e w en t t o W ashington t o p r e ­ s e n t a p la n f o r a re m e d ia l r e a d in g p r o j e c t in t h e New Y ork O ity s c h o o ls . F e d e r a l fu n d s w ere g ra n te d u n d er th e new O.W.A. t o im prove r e a d in g in ­ s t r u c t i o n in New York O ity w h ile s e r v in g th e m ajo r p u rp o s e o f g iv in g work t o t e a c h e r s who had q u a l i f i e d f o r p o s i t i o n s in t h e p u b lic s c h o o ls b u t

had not been appointed.

The program began in January, 1954 with i n i t i a l

t e s tin g a ll over the c it y .

Centers for remedial work were then estab lish ed

in tw en ty -fiv e d is t r ic t s , th e most troubled areas being se le c te d for t h is se rv ice , and two or three unemployed teachers engaged for each school in th e chosen d i s t r i c t s .

In June of 1954 the Board o f Education, in cooperar

tio n with the Department o f Parks, and with Federal funds, opened th ir ty play schools u t iliz in g for the sunnier the services o f the teachers who had been working on the reading project vdiile day school was in se ssio n .

1

The Summer Play Schools Committee o f the Child Study A ssociation conferred with Board of Education o f f i c i a l s in th e s e ttin g up of th ese schools and a ssiste d , p a rticu larly in the training of personnel, throu^iout th e ir h isto r y .

The h ig h lig h ts o f t h is development appear in la te r

chapters of t h is study, as they apply to the to p ic s under d iscu ssio n . The educational sig n ific a n c e o f th ese emergency measures has probably not y et been f u lly r e a liz e d . Meyer t e l l s us

2

th a t the United S tates, with i t s decentralized school

control end freedom fo r

private in it ia t iv e has tended to be "a paradise

for pedagogical experim entation.11 Ke adds:

"Curiously

enough, the

economic depression o f the ' 5 0 's did not crush t h is s p ir it of experimenter t io n .

On the contrary, instead of discouraging educators— in the fa ce

o f budget c u ts, economy and retrenchment, and a general onslaught against what were ca lled educational 'fads and f r i l l s ' —new experimental schools continued to appear." In 1954 a group of s ix of the outstanding experimental schools in

1. 2.

In f o r m a tio n g a th e r e d from u n p u b lis h e d r e p o r t s and in p e r s o n a l i n t e r ­ v ie w s w ith a u t h o r i t a t i v e i n d i v id u a l s d i r e c t l y a s s o c ia t e d w ith th e p ro g ram . Adolph E. M eyer, The D evelopm ent o f E d u c a tio n in th e T w e n tie th C e n tu ry ,

p. 44.

-6 5 or near New York Oity joined fo rces to form the Associated Experimental Schools, one of whose a c t iv it ie s was the co-sponsorship of a summer play school experiment, set up at the L it t le Red School House, in 1956, by New York U n iversity and the Ohild Study A ssociation. I t was in the depths o f the depression era that th e demonstration function of the play sch o o l's experimental approach to education was per­ haps b est r e a liz e d .

The play schools were able to point out to parents

and teachers the simple, y et e f fe c t iv e , methods they had developed for working with children under a ll kinds of adverse con d ition s.

Writing

about c it y children and th eir sunsnertime needs in the March, 195^- issu e o f Ohild Study, Mrs. Adele S. Mossier, now Director of the Play Schools A ssociation , stated: Today the problem has become more acute because o f the shrinkage of available public and p rivate funds for soca lled ' f r i l l s ' in the educational program. But out of our n e c e ssity we are learning some valuable le ss o n s, and one o f th ese i s how to make wider use of those f a c i l i t i e s and resources that sre at hand toward a solu tion of present needs. When one thinks of the hundreds o f public school b u ild in gs and community houses unused in the summer tim e, of the museums and other points of in te r e s t, of the nearby parka and public pools and baths, o f certain fr e e transportation f a c i l i t i e s , of the numbers of a vailab le tea ch ers, one cannot help wondering why such a wealth of resources should not be coordinated in a constructuve summer program for children. And she adds th a t the play schools have been doing ju st t h is for seven­ teen yea rs. In the summer o f 195^, a program of v i s i t s and observations was added to the work already carried on with parents in the play sch ools. Several o f the f if t e e n schools under the d irect supervision of the Ohild Study A ssociation (as distinguished from the th ir ty Federal and c it y

1.

A dele S. M o s s ie r, "Sunnier P la y S c h o o ls ," O h ild S tu d y , X I, No. 6 (M arch, 195^)» P . 171.

i

. 64—

supported cen ters mentioned above) were opened for observation by groups 1 o f teach ers as w ell as parents. Franklin D. R oosevelt was reelected President o f th e United States on November 5 , 1956, carrying every s ta te except Maine end Vermont.

The

United S ta tes Housing Authority was estab lish ed in 1957 by th e WagnerS tea g a ll Act, to help sta te and lo c a l governments in the construction o f low -cost housing p r o je c ts.

Building c o sts had reached an a ll-tim e low in

1955» but in 1955 tw o-th ird s of American fa m ilie s had incomes under $1500. a yea r.

By 1940 there was a play school operating in the Queene-

bridge Housing P r o ject. During th e summers o f 1955* 1956, and 1957, the press devoted a great deal o f space to the work o f the fed e r a lly supported, c ity operated, play sch ools, where many thousands o f children were having new and rich educa­ tio n a l exp erien ces.

Adult education also came to the fore in t h is period

when many new phases o f work in museums, lib r a r ie s , snd the arts in gener­ a l, were made p o ssib le by W.P.A. funds, under th e various auspices already mentioned. The sp ecia l p roject o f th e Child Study A ssociation for 1957 was a study o f the beat sunnier regime for city-bound children, carried on at i t s M anhattanville demonstration cen ter.

Here th e children were organized

in small groups with ca r e fu lly selected teachers from the Associated Ex­ perimental Schools aid from a number o f outstanding progressive public school systems.

There was a so c ia l worker on the s t a f f to help with in d i­

vidual children and fa m ilie s program with p arents.

1.

anda parent education adviser for th e

P rovision was made fo r observation of th is p roject

New York Times, June 17 end August 12, 1954.

-6 5 by te a c h e r s fro m th e s i x t e e n o th e r summer p la y s c h o o ls . 2

In September, 1937, Benjamin Pine reported

1

what the New York Oity

schools were doing to combat ju v en ile delinquency.

He stressed the recog­

n itio n by school o f f i c i a l s th at the five-hour school day could no longer be considered adequate fu lfillm e n t of the p u b lic 's r e sp o n sib ility for edu­ ca tio n , and announced th a t Mark A. McOloskey, the newly appointed Director of the Bureau o f R ecreational and Community A c t iv it ie s , would be in charge of the recrea tio n a l and so c ia l f a c i l i t i e s for adults end children in the school buildings now to remain open, after school hours, for service to th e ir communities.

With 1700 teachers and counselors supplied by the

W.P.A., "the Board of Education is operating 118 all-y ea r centers in ad­ d itio n to tw enty-six a ll-d a y camps, carried on with the aid o f the Child Study A sso cia tio n ."5 There were fo rty play schools under the W.P.A. in addition to the f if t e e n of the Summer Play Schools Committee o f the Child Study Associa­ tio n operating in New York City in the summer o f 1958*

A new handbook

for use in th ese schools was published by the W.P.A. Summer School Program 4 in c o o p e r a tio n w ith th e B oard o f E d u c a tio n .

A y e a r l a t e r t h i r t e e n new W .P.A. p la y s c h o o ls w ere opened in s e t t l e ­ ment h o u s e s and o th e r s o c i a l a g e n c ie s .

Added t o th o s e a lr e a d y fu n c tio n ^

ing in public school b u ild in g s, t h is brought the to ta l under the Works r -» 5 P r o j e c t s (js ic J A d m in is tr a tio n t o f i f t y - f o u r .

T h ere w ere s ix te e n C h ild

S tu d y A s s o c ia tio n summer p la y s c h o o ls in 1959*

One o f t h e s e , w ith th e

1. 2. 5. 4. 5.

NewYork NewYork Loo, c i t . NewYork NewYork

Times, August 8, 1957* Times, September 26, 1957• Times, July 5> 1958. Times, July 5> 1959*

-6 6 -

cooper «;t ion of New York U niversity and the Associated Experimental Schools, provided a laboratory center fo r students, teach ers, and supervisors, at the seme time serving as a community school for 125 Greenwich V illage neighborhood youngsters from f iv e to tw elve years of age. "In 1959, the Summer Play Schools Committee had grown to a maturity which demanded incorporation and the establishm ent of a separate head­ q u a r t e r s .A u t u m n , 1959, found the Sumner Play Schools Committee of the Child Study A ssociation newly incorporated as the Summer Play Schools As­ so cia tio n , with i t s own o f f ic e s , p rofession al s t a f f , a Board of D irectors, an Advisory Board and a Council representing the a f f ilia t e d schools.

2

As the rig o rs o f the depression gradually lessened at home, new po­ l i t i c a l ten sio n s were increasing abroad.

Hie la t e 1950's brought into

the play schools ta n g ib le evidences of con d ition s in Europe.

Although

immigration to the United S ta tes had been p r a c tic a lly at a s ta n d s till from 1920 to 1950, end the period from 1950 bo 1940 brought only h a lf a m illion newcomers to our shores, meny o f them landed in New York, and a number of the children entered the play sch ools.

These foreign children came, for

the most part, from areas su fferin g mass persecution of m inority peoples and from the invaded countries o f Europe.

Their arrival in the play

schools often posed new problems of s o c ia l adjustment.

5

Many unforeseen changes took place in th e play schools during the grey days o f the *50's .

The depression cu rta iled fin a n cia l aid from

private sources while i t undoubtedly helped to spread the play school idea, in i t s public aspects, as work r e l i e f programs came to be patterned

TI 2. 5.

Page 4 o f pamphlet, "The Play Schools A ssociation and the School-Age Ohild." 1940 Annual Report of the Summer Play Schools A ssociation. R. M. Shoemaker and D. L. Bock, The Play School and I t s Program.

-6 7 a f t e r t h e p la y sch o o l p la n .

D uring t h i s p e r io d a f o u n d a tio n g r a n t e n a b le d

t h e Summer P la y S ch o o ls A s s o c ia tio n t o i n i t i a t e a f i e l d w ork p ro g ra m p an d in g i t s s e r v ic e s t o u rb a n a r e a s beyond New Y ork C i t y .

ex­

S c h o o ls w ere

e s t a b l i s h e d in Chicago and B oston s i m i l a r t o th o s e a lr e a d y o p e r a t in g in C le v e la n d and D e t r o i t .

1

"A nother e x te n s io n o f t h e b a s i c p la n was th e

home camp movement, p a t te r n e d a f t e r t h e P la y S c h o o ls , w hich was ad o p ted 2

in many community centers throughout the country."

Greatly augmented

train in g serv ices for parents and teaohers played an important r o le in play school a c t iv it ie s in the 1950's. On September 1, 1959> H itle r 's troops invaded Poland and Ekirope was at war.

The United S tates had maintained i t s n e u tr a lity as d icta to rsh ip s,

in one form or another, assumed power in nation a fter n ation abroad.

It

had maintained i t s n eu tra lity while other nations a ssiste d in the over­ throw o f the government in Spain; i t remained neutral when th e Japanese invaded China.

The United S tates was s t i l l o f f i c i a l l y neu tral from

September 1, 1959 u n til the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7» 194-1. I t s long dormant in d u stries were rapidly r e v ita liz e d during t h is period, however, as the nation became increasingly involved in the second global c o n f lic t to enmesh the world in the f i r s t h a lf o f the Century of the Child. World War I I

Prance and Great Britain declared war on Germany on September 5t 1959* On October 2, the Panr-American Conference proclaimed a sa fety zone around th e Western Hemisphere.

On November 5* the United S ta tes N eu trality Act

of May, 1957 was amended, the embargo on arms was repealed and exports to

TT 2.

11-The P la y S ch o o ls A s s o c ia tio n and t h e S chool-A ge C h il d ," p p . 5-4. L o c. c i t .

-6 8 -

b e llig e r e n ts were placed on a cash-and-carry b a sis.

1

In April o f 1940, the German Army occupied Denmark and invaded Norway. Belgium, th e Netherlands and Luxembourg were invaded in May.

Ita ly de­

clared war on Prance and Great B ritain in June, and the Germans occupied P a ris in the same month.

Japan joined Ita ly end Germany in a three-power

pact for mutual aid in the f a l l of 1940.

The Germans invaded Russia in

June, 1941.2 As th ese events followed quickly upon each other abroad, the tempo of l i f e in th e s t i l l neutral United S tates was mounting to a new crescendo. In September, 1940, the S e le c tiv e Training and Service Act was adopted. The wheels o f industry were turning f a s t .

Franklin D. R oosevelt, reelected

P resident for a th ird term on November 5» 1940, representing the United S ta te s, and Winston C hurchill, representing Great B ritain , met in August, 1941, somewhere on the h i$ i seas and agreed upon "a declaration of prin­ c ip le s , soon ca lled the A tlan tic Charter, for the conduct of a ffa ir s , not only during th e war but also after the destruction of Nazi tyrrany. The Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7*

A s ta te of war

with Japan was declared by the United S tates Congress on December 8. Germany and I ta ly declared war on the United S tates on December 11. "In a l i t t l e while nearly a ll the world was engulfed in war.

The

c o n f lic t o f 1914-18 had been comparatively 1 imited—mainly to Europe and th e A tlan tic Ocean. armed combats.

Now a ll the continents and seas became scenes of

Only minor Powers, such as Switzerland, Sweden, Turkey,

and Argentina, remained outside the c ir c le of fig h tin g or b e llig e r e n c y .1

1. 2. 5. 4.

William L. Langer, Editor and Compiler, to Encyclopedia o f World H isto ry . Boston: Houghton M ifflin Company, 1948. From the d a ily press o f the period. Charles A. and Mary R. Beard, A Basic History of the United S ta te s, p. 467. Ibid . , p. 469.

-69— No attempt has been made here to supply d e ta il in the fast-m oving panorama o f h isto r y in the making during wartime.

This exceedingly b r ie f

r e c it a l o f world events i s presented merely to h ig h lig h t the background against which the education and w elfare of children had to be carried on in a period o f in tern a tio n a l s tr e s s . of th e world?

What was happening to the children

I t is s t i l l too soon to weigh and measure the overall ef­

f e c t s of wartime liv in g upon the growth and development o f world youth, but there are a v a ila b le records of the in and ou t-of-sch ool l i f e o f c h il­ dren in various parts o f the world during the war years. Even during th e war going to school in the United S ta tes was a comparatively simple matter for most boys and' g i r l s and th eir teach ers. . • Going to school in an occupied country was u tterly d iffe r e n t. Sometimes i t was im possible because the sohools were in areas where there was fig h tin g , or because the b u ild in gs had been destroyed or req u isi­ tioned for barracks or storehouses by the occupying troop s. Sometimes the schools were closed by the oc­ cupying o f f i c i a l s . Often there were no teachers and the schools were closed, not ju st for a 'h olid ay1 of a week or two, but for one, two, th ree, four, f iv e or even six y e a r s .-*Depriving children o f th eir education was a conanonplace p ractice and i t s r e s u lt s , while they are s t i l l la rg ely unmeasured, are not d if f ic u lt to fo r e se e .

The lack o f food and clo th in g , th e removal o f teachers to con­

cen tration camps and labor b a tta lio n s, the p a rticip ation by children in underground movements have been recorded already in the s t a t i s t i c a l as­ p ects o f the war sto ry .

In Poland t h ir t y - f iv e per cent of the teachers

were k ille d during the war years, and nearly two m illion boys and g ir l s under six teen l o s t th eir l i v e s , many while taking part in the resista n ce movement.^ 1.

2.

Leonard S. Kenworthy, Going to School in War Devastated Oountrlea, Washington, D. 0 .: United Nations Educational, S c ie n tific and Cultural Organization and the Commission for International Educational R econstruction, 19^7» p» 4 . I b i d . , p. 7»

-7 0 At the time o f the Munich c r i s i s , a f u l l year before the actual out­ break of war, B r ita in 's educational system had la id plans for the evacua­ tio n of children from the congested urban areas most lia b le to mass attack from the a ir .

On September 1, 1959* "the button was pressed and the

scheme put into action."

America has read the dramatic story in books,

stu d ies, and film s o f the trek of the B ritish children to the country, then home again as they began to m iss th e ir fa m ilie s and be missed in re­ turn, only to be reevacuated when la rg e sca le air attacks on London were in te n s ifie d .

The events are r eca lled to mind only because of th eir ap­

p lic a tio n to some o f the planning in the play schools and ch ild care centers of the United S ta tes th at took place when t h is country entered the war.

As new v a r ie t ie s o f deadly weapons continue to be forged in

the lab oratories o f the world, i t may become even more pertin en t for us to consider evacuation procedures for our co a sta l c i t i e s , should the peace­ making e ffo r ts o f the n ation s f a i l again. For more than two decades play sohools were operated on a summer time b a sis.

The i n i t i a l change to an all-year-round program was made

p o ssib le by a foundation grant in 1940.

As th e work o f the schools came

to include more p a r tic ip a tio n in year-round programs, the Summer Play Schools Association became the Play Schools A ssociation.

The change in

name did not occur u n til 1942, although demonstrations of year-round programs for children were w ell under way even before the United S tates' entry into World War II brought about the in clu sion o f all-d ay care in n ational and lo ca l government planning.

1.

Mrs. Adele S. M ossier, Director

The B ritish M inistry o f Information, The Schools in Wartime. Issued on behalf o f the Board of Education, London: His M ajesty's Stationery O ffice, 1941» p. 4 .

-7 1 of the then Simmer Play Schools A ssociation, stated on November 15, 1940, th a t: The summer period, which in r e a lit y is only part of the whole leisu re-tim e program, i s now being f o l­ lowed by a fter-sch o o l a c t iv it ie s in a number of cen ters. The settlem ents have asked for help in working out th e ir a fter-sch ool programs; and we our­ s e lv e s have estab lish ed an a fter-sch o o l center in a public school in Washington H eights, (fo llo w in g up the summer project there) p a rticu la rly adjusted to the needs o f th is community where parents frequently work la t e . There were six teen play schools in New York Oity in 1940.

Ten were

in Manhattan, two in the Bronx, two in Brooklyn, and two in Queens.

They

were organized in settlem en ts, public and p rivate school b u ild in gs, community cen ters, a u n iv ersity and a housing p ro ject.

2

The United S tates was not yet at war, in October, 1941, when Dr. Martha M. E lio t, A ssistant Chief o f the C hildren's Bureau, United States Department o f Labor, announced that the national emergency made i t im­ p erative for communities to plan for the care of children whose mothers were employed in defense in d u stries.

Dr. E lio t included school-age

youngsters in t h is planning, recommending the provision o f recreation cen ters to f i l l in the d aily gaps between the sch o o l's c lo sin g time and the arrival o f mothers from th eir work.^ The A ssociation opened i t s f i r s t play school in a public housing de­ velopment at the Queensbridge Housing P roject in 1940.

Ih is experiment

began as a summer program, with ju st f i f t y ch ild ren , and was continued during the winter as an a fter-sch ool serv ice at the request o f the Board

T. 2. 5.

1940 Annual Report o f the Summer Play Schools A ssociation, pp. 6 -7 . j^ id *i p. 2. Prom a ta lk by Mrs. Fred M. S tein, President of the Play Schools As­ so c ia tio n , at i t s 25th Anniversary Luncheon, Hotel Commodore, New York, October 25, 1941.

-7 2 1 o f D irector b of the p ro ject. Rapidly expanding war in d u stries were h irin g more and more women a ll over the n a tio n .

As esr ly as 1940 so c ia l agencies end leaders in h ealth

and education, alarmed over the mounting child care problems created by th e employment of mothers, began to organize committees to help them meet th e increased demands upon th eir own f a c i l i t i e s and se r v ic e s. C onnecticut, for example, had a working organization known, from Ju ly, 1941 on as the Child Care Committee of the State Defense Council, but i t had been functioning u n o ffic ia lly for some time already.

Represented

on t h is committee were the State Departments of Education, Health and Welfare, the Connecticut Manufacturer's A ssociation, the Employment Service, labor and the p u b lic.

2

lfce Comnittee ca lled upon s p e c ia lis t s

in the ch ild care f ie ld , prepared and published m aterial for use in ch ild Care cen ters, and participated in community planning at the lo c a l, s ta te , and n ation al le v e ls , a ll before the autumn of 1941.

The farsigh ted n ess

o f t h is one small s ta te , Connecticut, in i t s coordinated planning, repre­ sen ts the kind of preparation for an emergency before i t s f u l l implicer t io n s reach the t o ta l public th at has characterized the a c t iv it ie s of the Play Schools A ssociation throughout i t s h isto r y .

Connecticut, in ci­

dentally* was the f i r s t o f -the fo rty -e ig h t s ta te s to u t il i z e Lenham Act funds in the serv ice of children of working mothers in war impact areas.

5

As the war abroad continued, increasin gly, to involve the in d u stries and p o lic ie s o f the United S ta tes, concern was growing also over ch ild care problems, in many quarters.

Representatives from a ll over the

T.

1940 Annual Report o f the Summer Play Schools A ssociation, p. 6.

2.

Prom a May* 19^2 r e p o r t o f t h e C om m ittee.

5.

Maureen McKernan in the New York P ost, March 2, 1942.

-7 5 n ation met on July

and August 1, 1941 in a conference on Day Care of

Children o f Working Mothers, held under the auspices of the C hildren's Bureau, United S ta tes Department of Labor.

In B ritain , the M inistry of

Health and the Board o f Education, having had to meet these problems be­ fo r e we did, had announced, early in 1941, that wartime n u rseries and day care programs were the b est so lu tio n .

They had tried evacuation pro­

cedures and found that the disturbance of normal family l i f e involved was too great a p rice to pay for the p a r tia l insurance of physical sa fe ty . New York C ity had i t s own sp ecial problems as w ell as those conanon to other

large c i t i e s .

Although mothers were working in ever-in creasin g

numbers,

Federal funds for

ch ild care under the Lanham Act were applicable

only to war impact areas, and the in d u stries of New York City were not considered to be prim arily or d ir e c tly related to the war.

During the

period preceding America's entry into World War I I , New York was also the point of arrival for a new group of emigrants from Europe.

The special

needs o f th ese new Americans were recognized in play schools. "The arrival o f refugees in t h is country, not only from Germany but a lso from a ll the warring European coun tries, has made a d is tin c t d iffe r ­ ence in th e Play School population and parent groups.

Eknphasis, th erefore,

i s being given to an enlarged and in te n s ifie d Americanization program to meet the needs of the newcomers and the attitu d es o f th eir n a tiv e American neighbors. In 1941, one o f the winter after-sch ool centers that represented the year-round outgrowth o f the summer play schools, had as i t s purpose the o r ien ta tio n of new Americans and the improvement of community r e la tio n s

1.

Annual Report o f the Summer Play Schools A ssociation, 1940, p. 4.

-7 4 aJnong the lo n g -se ttle d inhabitants and the recent a r r iv a ls.

This center

continued to serve the more conventional needs, a lso , of children whose 1 mothers were at work outside th e home. The entry o f the United S ta tes in to World War II altered many o f the con d itions of fam ily l i f e . care were in ev ita b le .

Ooncomitant changes in provision for child

The immediate rea ctio n s to the declaration o f war

included everything from parental panic over the p o s s i b il it ie s o f bombings to hoarding o f sup p lies in a n ticip a tio n of shortages o f food and commodities in general.

There were other more su b tle repercussions which are not as

rea d ily measured or described.

Contemporary h isto r ia n s t e l l us that!

In resp ect of i t s regim enting and d isru p tive e f f e c t s in American s o c ie ty , the Global War was so revolutionary that i t made the World War look lik e an episode. Every branch o f economy— a gricu ltu re, industry, and labor— a ll the r e la tio n s o f men, women, and children, every phase of education, every medium o f expression and communica­ tio n , a l l processes o f government, were a ffected by the impacts o f the t o t a l war and presented far-reaching re­ action s. Many o f th e rea ctio n s—perhaps a ll o f them— were o f in ca lcu la b le sig n ific a n c e for destiny and opportunity in the United S ta te s. The common problems of urban liv in g were sharply accentuated by the war, and new war-bom problems arose.

In many communities f a c i l i t i e s for

housing and education were t o t a lly inadequate to meet the sudden influx of fa m ilie s coming to seek employment in war in d u str ie s.

As fath ers

sh ifted from peactime jobs to war work, or chose or were chosen to enter the armed fo rc es, patterns of fam ily l i f e were threatened.

As more and

more mothers went into industry, the situ a tio n became in creasingly hazardous for ch ild ren .

1. 2.

Juvenile delinquency r a te s rose, delinquent behavior occurred

Annual Report o f the Summer Play Schools A ssociation, 1941. Charles and Mary Beard, Basic H istory of the United S ta tes, pp. 472-75*

-7 5 more frequently in younger age groups, and the focus on ch ild care sharpened. In the period between the two wars many fo rces had been developing that could now point the way toward so lu tio n of some of the w ar-in ten sified so c ia l dilemmas.

The emergency measures of the depression, the recommenda­

tio n s o f the White House Conferences, the fin d in gs o f research, a ll had pre­ pared the way for combining the resources of education and s o c ia l work to meet the coamunity problems created or accentuated by the war.

The play

sch ools, born o f a wartime need, and strongly slanted in the d irectio n of a combined education and so c ia l work philosophy, had developed, through the years, programs geared to meet many of the now immediate emergencies. "The work o f the Play Schools A ssociation has been profoundly affected by the war.

Born in World War I , i t fin d s i t s e l f in World War I I facing

the same problems which called i t into being—wiser because o f experience 1 and ready to expand and serve in whatever d irectio n demanded by th e times." Fortunately for h isto ry , perhaps, the increased demand for child care serv ices during the war was matched by a tremendous growth in in te r e st and support for p rojects o f t h is nature. Early in 1942 a group rep resen tative of public and p rivate agencies and lay in te r e sts was organized as the C hildren's Bureau Commission on Children in Wartime. The 'C hildren's Charter in Wartime' formulated by t h is commission served as a guide for s ta te and community groups throughout the country. In August, 19^2, the commission adopted a program of 'S ta te Action for Our Children in Wartime', and la te r in the same year outlined measures which appeared tg be urgently in need of atten tion by lo c a l communities. Public in te r e st had become aroused.

In many areas, however, i t con­

cerned i t s e l f prim arily with the ch ild o f nursery age or with the teen-

T. 2.

1942 Annual Report of the Play Schools A ssociation , p. 2. Eknma 0. Lundberg, Unto the Least o f These, pp. 151-152.

SCHOOL OF

ED U C A TIO N

-7 6 ager who tended to be regarded as a p o te n tia l delinquent.

The p lig h t

of the f iv e to th irteen -y ea r-o ld under consideration here could not be expected to present ae dramatic a challenge as did the p hysical h e lp le ss­ n ess o f the pre-school c h ild , or the moral dangers b esettin g the path of the adolescent. The C hildren1s Bureau Commission on Children in Wartime held i t s f i r s t meeting March 16-18, 1942, adopted the charter already mentioned and 1 organized plans for the accomplishment of th e ch a rter's aims* Reporting on the sta te o f ch ild care in the n ation , Katherine F. Lenroot, Chief of the C hildren's Bureau, United S tates Department of Labor, said that the termination o f the W.P.A* programs for children made i t es­ p e c ia lly necessary for lo c a l communities to receiv e assista n ce at t h is tim e, and indicated p o ssib le help in the follow in g wordss There are two sources for Federal financing: 1 • The Feder al gr ant- in -aid to s ta te s for gener al adm inistration of a ch ild -ca re program; 2. The Lanham Act—which does not earmark any par­ tic u la r funds for children but which c a r r ie s a very large appropriation for wartime expenditure, under Which com­ munity p rojects for eith er construction or serv ice may be financed.^ In response to th is and sim ilar appeals a nation-w ide ch ild care move­ ment sprang into action.

S tates and m u n icip a lities a ll over the country

began to se t up programs for children with widely varying arrangements for fin a n c ia l support.

Many organizations, both governmental and p rivate,

ca lled upon the Play Schools A ssociation for guidance in the i n i t i a l planning, the se ttin g up and carrying through of a ll manner of programs in child care.

1* 2.

A Children1s Charter in Wartime, Washington, D. C. p u b lication Wo. 285, C hildren's Bureau, United S tates Department of Labor, 1942. New York Times Magazine, December 15, 1942.

-7 7 In the New York m etropolitan area, the A ssociation accepted the responsi­ b i l i t y , through actual a f f ilia t io n with c ity and s ta t e groups, for part of the functioning of p u b licly supported ch ild care programs during the war.

This a f f i l i a t i o n has been maintained in the postwar yea rs. The W.P.A. nursery schools were s t i l l in operation in New York Oity

in 194-2.

As the date se t for th eir clo sin g approached, the Child Care

Committee of the O ffice o f C iv ilia n Defense increased i t s e f f o r t s toward 1 the opening of wartime nurseries in New York C ity. Training courses were given for nursery school workers, volunteers were recru ited , com­ munity e ffo r ts organised.

The W.P.A. n u rseries closed on April $0, 194j.

On May 1, 1945* seventeen o f these nurseries reopened as part of the war­ time program under the sponsorship of the Mayor's Committee on Wartime 2 Care o f Children. While most of the play schools in New York City were maintained through­ out th e depression, play schools in a number o f other large c i t i e s were discontinued in favor o f mass a c t iv it ie s for boys and g ir ls , as budgets were cu rta iled and the demand for serving large numbers o f ch ildren grew.^ With wartime emphasis on ch ild care, however, 194-2 found the Play Schools A ssociation with a f filia te d centers throughout the country in addition to 4

the eighteen play schools in greater New York. Educational programs were provided by many d iffe r e n t agencies to meet the sp ecia l needs of children in wartime.

At the Kaiser shipyards in

Portland, Oregon, nursery schools were ppened rig h t on the premises so

1. 2. 5. 4.

P.M. , December 27, 1942. Information confirmed in November, 1949 interview with D irector of the Day 0are Program (Department o f W elfare), formerly the Mayor'sCom­ m ittee on Wartime Care of Children. 1941 Annual Report, Summer Play Schools A ssociation . 1942 Annual Report of the Play Schools A ssociation , p. 6.

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th a t parents could leave youngsters as they went to work and pick them up on th e wav home, with a minimum of wasted time or e f f o r t .

These Child

Service Centers were kept open twenty-four hours a day, with p rovision for 1 ea tin g and sleep in g as w ell as supervised play. In many p la ces school services were extended to include th e hours be­ fo r e and a fter school during times when school was in sessio n , a ll day in summer, school vacation periods, Saturdays and even Sundays, in some in­ sta n ces.

The time schedule had to be extremely f le x ib le in order to meet

the varying needs of individual children, as these were determined by the working hours o f th e ir mothers.

2

The all-d ay school program 1provides

ch ild ren with happy, f r u it f u l and h ea lth fu l a c t iv it ie s in addition to th o se already provided by the regular school program.

In many ca ses, too,

the ch ild ren need to have one or more meals provided for them during the 5 hours when th e ir mothers are away from home." Extended school ser v ice s, as a r u le , were housed in public school build­ in g s.

Although one o f the basic alms of persons involved in th e work was

to keep th e program recrea tio n a l, as opposed to having i t become merely more school, a c lo se rela tio n sh ip between school and a fter-sch o o l a c tiv i­ t i e s was maintained.

Teachers in both programs were encouraged to confer,

to observe each o th er’ s work, and to u t i l i z e cumulative records ch ild r en .

on th e ir

"Through such cooperative planning children can be led to see

how s k i l l s acquired in the regular school session can be applied to th eir ,4 a c t i v i t i e s in the extended school program.

1. 2. 5* 4.

James L. Hymes, "The Kaiser Answer: Child Service Centers," Progressive Education, V ol. XXI, No. 5 (May, 1944), pp. 222-225, 245-246. All-Dav School Programs for Children o f Working Mothers, ( School Chil­ dren and th e War Seriea—L eaflet No. 2 ), Washington, D. C.: United S ta tes O ffice o f Education, 194j. j^ id * , p* 2. R ecreation and Other A c tiv itie s in the All-Day School Program, ( School Children and the War S eries—L ea flet No. 7 ) , Washington, D. C.: United S ta tes O ffice o f Education, 194j, p.

-19D u rin g t h e summer o f 1945 a t l e a s t 275 co m m u n ities in f o r t y - t h r e e o f

th e fo r ty -e ig h t s ta te s were operating ch ild care centers for children of nursery, elementary and high school age.

Most of th ese were sponsored by

committees o f lo c a l defense cou ncils and supervised by public school per1 sonnel. Many received fin a n c ia l assista n ce from the Federal government. The United S ta tes O ffice o f Education and th e C hildren's Bureau published many b u lle tin s designed to help individual parents, sch ools, and lo c a l c it iz e n s ' groups in the so lu tio n of th e ir ch ild care problems. th e se b u lle tin s Eknma 0. Lundberg stated

2

In one of

th a t planning for the health, edu­

ca tio n , and s o c ia l w elfare o f children was p a rticu la rly urgent in t h is tim e o f n ation al emergency when the e s s e n tia l qu ality of America's guaran­ t e e s to a ll i t s c it iz e n s was h igh lighted by the war, as i t had been e a r lie r by the economic depression.

She stressed the importance of the combined

e f f o r t s of p riv a te and governmental agencies in safeguarding th e w elfare of in d ivid u als and fa m ilie s w ithin the community structu re. The exten sion o f the sch o o l's serv ices to th e community included more than keeping b u ild in gs open longer hours and more days.

In some schools

regular teach ers served in the after-sch o o l programs, because other s t a f f was not a v a ila b le .

In many schools teachers volunteered fo r part-tim e

se rv ice in emergency programs.

In schools a ll over the n ation teachers

were assigned the r e s p o n sib ility for issu in g ration books, as the purchase of many items o f food and some clo th in g was under governmental regultation during, and for some time follow in g, the war.

1. 2.

The sch ools, in turn, re-

Ju ven ile Delinquency and the Schools in Wartime, (School Children and th e War S eries—L e a fle t No. 8 ), Washington, D. C.s United States O ffice o f Education, 1945* pp. 14-15. Our Concern— Every C hild, pp, 22-25.

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80-

ceived the a ssista n c e o f such groups as the American Women's Volunteer 1 S ervices and th e C iv ilia n Defense Volunteer O ffice. On the n a tio n a l scene, the r e s p o n sib ility for emergency wartime ch ild care ser v ic es was placed la rg ely in the hands of persons engaged in pub­ l i c education.

In New York C ity, wartime a c t iv it ie s for children were

shared on a broader base o f m ultiple agency p a rticip a tio n .

The Chelsea

School P r o jec t, a p riv a te ly supported experiment carried on in a New York City public school before the war, was subjected to

sp ecia l study and

evalu ation and adopted by the Board of Education in

19^2 as part of the

regular school system.

A second school was added and the two came to be 2

known as "The All-Day Neighborhood Schools."

"The establishm ent of the

All-Day Neighborhood Schools by the Board of Education was a war measure— designed to provide care for the children of working women, and to help 5 build c it iz e n s of a democratic sta te." Aside from i t s origin al two, and la te r more All-Dsy Neighborhood Schools, the New York City Board of Educar tio n did not d ir e c tly operate or supervise the wartime centers for c h il­ dren, although such was the general pattern in the r e s t of the country. Housed in the New York City Department of Welfare and dependent upon the Department’ s human, as w ell as i t s ph ysical, resources, the Mayor’ s Committee on the Wartime Care of Children began i t s serv ice to New York City fa m ilie s with the o f f i c i a l opening on May 1, 19^5* n u rserie s formerly under W.P.A.

the seventeen

The program was expanded to include more

n u rseries at frequent in te r v a ls th e r e a fte r .

Early in the summer o f 19^5

three school age cen ters were estab lish ed in settlem ents where the need

1. 2. 5*

Usually referred to as the A.W.V.S. and the C.D.V.O. Adele Franklin and Agnes Benedict, Play Centers for School Children. Ibid . , p. 7 .

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81-

had been demonstrated and ce r ta in basic f a c i l i t i e s were a v a ila b le.

Three

other school age cen ters were added, one in a neighborhood house and two 1 in housing p r o je c ts, by early f a l l . I t was not u n til two years la te r th a t a Mayor's Committee Nursery Center was opened in a public school build­ in g.

Although the Board o f Education shared in the co st of building alterar

tio n s to make th e s e ttin g s u ita b le for two to fiv e -y e a r -o ld s, a ll equipment and operating c o s ts were furnished from other sources.

2

Movements on the g lob al fron t were frequent and fo rcefu l as the war gained impetus abroad.

On November 8, 1942 General Eisenhower led the

invasion by Anglo-American troops into North A frica.

In January of 1945

President R oosevelt, Prime M inister Churchill and the French Generals, DeGaulle and Giraud, met at Casablanca to d iscu ss the terms o f uncondition­ al Axis surrender.

In August, C hurchill and Roosevelt met again at the

Quebec Conference to plan a second fron t in Europe.

I t a ly 's surrender came

in September o f 19^5 and the Taiwan Conference in December o f th e same year further c la r if ie d the A llied p o sitio n , although the meetings with Marshal S ta lin had to be separate from th ose including Generalissimo Chang Kai-shek, as the la tte r d e a lt with Japan, and Russia was s t i l l o f f ic i a ll y at peace with Japan at t h is tim e. The United S tates F ifth Army entered Rome on June 5» 1944, and the Western Front was opened by the invasion o f Normandy th e next day.

Franklin

Delano R oosevelt was r e e le c te d P resident o f the United States for a fourth term on November 7 , 1944.

He met Prime M inister Churchill and Marshal

S ta lin at Y alta in th e Crimea in February, 1945*

T. 2.

There the three leaders

September 25, 19^5» All information on Mayor's Committee Child Care Centers appears in unpublished records and reports of the Committee.

-8 2 -

endorsed the United Nations Conference planned for April 25 at San Francisco, and pledged th e ir a ssista n ce to the lib era ted coun tries and th e ir support to the maintenance o f world peace*

President Roosevelt

died suddenly in A pril, 194-5, ju st before the f in a l collap se o f Axis fo rces in Europe.

In August the newly developed atomic bomb, a fter demon1 stra tio n s at Hiroshima and Nagasaki, ended the war in Japan* During th e four years o f United S ta tes' p a rticip a tio n in the war on

many fro n ts, l i f e at home, while never serio u sly threatened by m ilita ry attack, was str ik in g ly a ltered in many ways* Some o f th ese are s t i l l in e f f e c t .

P r ic es were fix ed on a r t ic le s in diort

supply.

E ssen tia l commodities wererationed.

t a ile d .

The American people were urged to

tio n as w ell as to support the war.

New wartime ta x es were le v ie d .

Installm ent buying was cur­ buy war bonds to avert in flar

Wages and hours were la rg ely government

con trolled; workers in e s s e n tia l in d u stries were "frozen” in th e ir jobs. The United Nations R e lief and R eh ab ilitation Administration, the Lend-Lease Adm inistration, the Foreign Economic Administration are examples o f the machinery set in motion to share our m ateriel wealth with our a l l i e s in other parts o f the world. Among the agencies se t up to care for the emergencies on the home front

were, in addition to those already mentioned, o f f i c i a l l y designated

S tate committees which coordinated the e f fo r t s o f public and p rivate ser­ v ic e s for ch ild ren .

The S tate War Council in Albany, New York, had such

a Committee on Child Care, Development and P rotection .

I t s chairman,

E ls ie M. Bond, wrote to th e President o f the Play Schools A ssociation in th ese words:

1.

"I should lik e very much to have a chance to ta lk with

For confirmation o f dates and even ts o f the period, An Encyclopedia of World H istory, compiled and edited by William L, Langer, was consulted. Boston: Houghton M ifflin Company, 194-8.

-8 > -

you about the serv ice which your A ssociation could give us in esta b lish ­ ing programs for school age ch ild ren .

I t i s a f ie ld where there i s relar

t iv e ly l i t t l e w ritten m aterial and I am sure th at you could be o f great 1 a ssista n ce to us." A few days e a r lie r , in response to a request from Oonmiseioner Hodson of the Iiew York City Department of W elfare, the Play Schools A ssociation had prepared a statement

2

presenting ways and means o f organizing end

u t iliz in g community serv ices for the establishm ent o f play sch ools, with sample programs and suggestions for operation and fin an cin g. In response to such c it y and s ta te c a l l s , and to others from farther a f ie ld , the Play Schools A ssociation broadened the scope of i t s services during the war years.

Mrs. Jean Schick Grossman, Director of Parent Edu­

cation for the A ssociation, undoubtedly reached the la r g e s t audience with her radio ta lk s to the n a tio n 's mothers, broadcast over various networks, beginning immediately a fter the United S ta te s' entry into World War II and continuing rig h t on up to th e p resen t.

There were tra in in g session s

for teachers, meetings with parents, and p u b lication s directed toward both groups, to help in the solu tion of ch ild care problems in wartime. Among the sp ecial se r v ic e s offered in th e early days of the war were courses, credited by the C.D.V.O., for volu n teers in ch ild caring organizer t io n s , not lim ited to those under Play Schools A ssociation auspices.

It

was hoped that th ese volunteers might help in some of the areas formerly served by N.Y.A. and W.P.A. workers.

In the summer of 1942 f i e l d work

for c o lle g e c r e d it was provided in student teach ing, with p re-sessio n tra in in g , weekly conferences and supervision on th e job.

1. 2.

Students from

Prom a le t t e r dated December 21, 1942 from Miss Bond to Mrs. Fred M. S tein . Dated December 15, 1942.

-8 4 other types o f c o lle g e s , a lso , were placed in and oriented to the play school program, w hile a number of sele cted high school g i r l s were briefed fo r part-tim e volunteer work.

The A sso cia tio n 's s t a f f was engaged in

the tr a in in g not only of ch ild care personnel but a lso o f teach ers in the New York City public sch ools, through i t s A ctiv ity Program course, given 1 under Board o f Eduoation auspices. Three new pamphlets were published by the A ssociation in the past year, each bearing on war problems. PLAY MATERIALS made FROM waste illu s t r a t e s th e use o f waste m aterials to su b stitu te for the ones no longer a v a ila b le. WHAT PARENTS are SAYING IN war TIME i s a d iscu ssio n o f mothers' questions and fe a r s as revealed in our parents' groups. A HANDBOOK ON play SCHOOLS o u tlin e s the b asic organization, programs, and m aterials fo r ou t-o f-sch o o l a c t i v it i e s o f elementary school ch ild ren . I t i s v ir tu a lly a blueprint which csn be adapted to any community in the country. The s t a f f o f the Play Schools A ssociation a s siste d in the train in g of ch ild care personnel in neighboring s ta te s and supplied consultant ser­ v ic e by mail for individuals and agencies at greater d istan ces from New 5 York C ity . In order to meet the growing demand for more cen ters for the children o f working mothers, the A ssociation requested and was granted an increased sumner appropriation for 194j by the New York City Board of Education.

That summer there were tw en ty -fiv e play schools a f f ilia t e d

with the A ssociation in New York C ity.

"This serv ice to th e c i t y ' s c h il­

dren was made p o ssib le through the a ssista n ce o f many a f f ilia t e d agencies, th e A sso cia tio n 's own six Demonstration Centers, and th e Board o f Educar t io n ' s appropriation to the D ivision o f Community and Recreation A c tiv itie s fo r teacher a ssista n ce, as w ell as th eir perm ission to use public school 4 b u ild in g s. Three o f the new centers were opened in public school buildings lT 2. 5* 4.

1942 Annual Report of the Play Schools A ssociation . Ibid. , p. 5» ib id . , p. 6. 19^3 Annual Report of the Play Schools A ssociation , p. 2.

-8 ^ -

in Harlem. Teacher shortages began to be f e l t in

th e play schools in 1945*

S a la r ie s were h i^ ier; teachers were apt to make sudden changes in job assignments necessary when th e ir personal liv e s were affected one way or another by wartime con d ition s.

Work with c o lle g e students continued,

with one major change. Last summer, for the f i r s t tim e, the Elementary Education Department o f New York U niversity decided to use various Play Schools as th eir observation and p a rticip a tio n centers instead o f conducting th e ir usual sp e c ia lly organized school near the U n iversity. They did th is r e a liz in g th a t th e widely d iffe r in g play school cen ters, which represent in m iniature many varied types of communities o f d if­ fe r e n t creeds and n a t io n a lit ie s , gave a f u lle r view o f a community's need than any one center p o ssib ly co u ld .* The Play Schools A ssociation joined fo rces with the Mayor's Committee on th e Wartime Care o f Children in the sponsorship o f two a fter-sch o o l cen ters under the Mayor's Consnittee plan, with the s ta te and the c ity eachsupplying one-third o f the

fin a n c ia l support, and the A ssociation

assuming r e sp o n sib ility fo r the remaining on e-th ird .

This three-way ar­

rangement held true for a l l Mayor's Committee c h ild oara cen ters, with p arents' f e e s presumably making up the p riv a tely paid on e-th ird , and the operating agency, in t h is case the Play Schools A ssociation , guaranteeing the fr a c tio n not covered by public funds.

These two after-so h o o l centers

were among the f i r s t six school age Mayor's Committee programs mentioned e a r lie r . Among th e seven hundred p a rtic ip a n ts in the Play Schools A ssociation 's 1945 a ll-d a y conference on "Out-of-School Plans fo r the School-Age Child"

1.

Ibid. , pp. 10-11.

-8 6 -

were many workers in ch ild care cen ters in u p state New York end nearby New Jersey and Connecticut.

During th e ir stay in New York C ity th ese 1 g u ests v is it e d play schools in large numbers and saw the program and i t s a c t i v it i e s at f i r s t hand. The work of the Play Schools A ssociation had grown to the point where i t s a c t iv it i e s could no longer be carried on e f f ic ie n t ly in i t s old of­ fic e s .

I t waa during the year 1945 th a t the A ssociation moved to 119 West

57th S treet, where i t has remained, with a lte r a tio n and expansion o f i t s quarters from time to tim e. There were further developments in th e f ie ld of the t o ta l w elfare o f ch ild ren in 1944.

After six years of experim entation with the methodology

o f progressive education in New York C ity 's public sch ools, the State Department o f Education recommended th at th e new program be adopted through** 2 out the elementary d iv isio n . A plan to keep Manhattan public schools open a fter 5.00 P.M. for recreation al programs to combat ju v en ile de­ linquency was proposed by Bennett E. S ieg el s te in , chairman o f the Committee for -the Physical and Moral Welfare o f Children.^

Nearly 10,000 children

were enrolled in about 240 ch ild care cen ters in the a ir c r a ft building 4 areas o f Los Angeles county. Federal aid granted to ch ild care p ro jects in New York S tate from April. 1, 1945 to June 5°» 1944, has reached a t o t a l o f 11,745,794, with add itional ap p lication s pending for grants of $5Q6t 903» In addition to t h is sum, th e co st o f ch ild care p ro jects has required a S tate expenditure o f $166,557 fo r the year beginning April 1, 1945* according to fig u r e s released yesterday e by the Committee on Child Care o f the S tate War C ouncil. 1. 2. 5. 4. 5.

Ibid. . p. 16. Johanna M. Lindlof and Frances H» Kohan in th e New York P ost, April 29, 1944. New York P ost, January 19, 1944. New York Times, November 50, 1944. New York Times, July 25, 1944.

-87In May o f 1944 there were 158 child care cen ters operating in twenty-nine communities in New York S ta te, exclu sive o f those e n tir e ly supported by 1 p riv a te funds. New York C ity had tw en ty-five year-round cen ters for school-age ch ild ren in th e f a l l of 1944 and forty play schools had been in operation during the sunnier.

In i t s i n it ia l cooperation with th e Mayor's Committee

on the Wartime Care o f Children, the Play Schools A ssociation had func­ tion ed prim arily as a sponsoring agency.

This rela tio n sh ip broadened as

the Mayor' 8 Committee asked the A ssociation to help in the o v era ll superv is io n o f i t s school-age programs.

2

The A ssociation was sharing i t s educational ser v ic e s in other ways, a ls o , with wartime ch ild care programs ou tsid e New York C ity .

In September,

Mrs. Rowena Shoemaker, the A ssistant D irector o f the Play Schools Associar tio n , on th e recommendation o f Miss Bond of the S ta te War C ouncil, con­ ducted a three-day train in g in s t itu t e for a ll workers in the ch ild care 5 cen ters o f the Buffalo area. At the request o f the Board of Education o f D a lla s, Texas, another s t a f f member spent two weeks in th a t c it y , help­ ing in th e o rien ta tio n and train in g of workers for th e ir fast-grow ing c h ild care program.

The situ a tio n In D allas was comparable to th a t of

many other war affected c i t i e s .

Whole fa m ilie s arrived to work in the

a ir c r a ft industry in D allas; great numbers o f children were suddenly in need o f long hours o f care outside th eir home; few persons or p la ces were equipped for the job. Rochester, New York, sent out a c a l l , through the State War Council,

1. 2. 5.

E ls ie M. Bond in the Foreword to Children and Food in Day Care Centers, New York: The Community Service S ociety, May, 19® . 1944 Annual Report o f the Play Schools A ssociation . Play Schools A ssociation, N ew sletter. V ol. 1, No. 2 , December, 1944.

-8 8 -

for Flay Schools A ssociation help with i t s ch ild care problems* day tra in in g in s t it u t e was conducted th ere.

A four-

R ealizin g th at i t could not

p o ssib ly meet the growing demand for such f ie ld se r v ic e s, the Associer tio n encouraged ch ild care personnel to v i s i t the New York cen ters and to con su lt with i t s s t a f f at headquarters.

The A pril, 1944 Conference

was planned to help such v is it o r s as w ell as lo c a l workers with th eir problems. C arolina.

Many g u ests came, some from as far away as Michigan and South 1

In th e lig h t o f la te r developments, one q u ite d iffe r e n t Play Schools A ssociation f ie ld experience in 1944 seems worthy o f mention h ere.

The

Home M issions Council o f North America, concerned over con d ition s among the migrant a g ricu ltu ra l workers in rural New York S ta te, sought help through the S tate War Council. A ssociation .

The Council turned to the Play Schools

I t s D irector, Mrs. Adele S. Mossier, traveled to a number

o f the migrant camps in upper New York State and talked with the teachers and c o lle g e students tho were about to assume leadership o f groups of migrantu' children rig h t on the home ground.

Renovated barns and sim ilar

h a s t ily prepared space with l i t t l e or no equipment co n stitu ted the se ttin g for a program th a t was to serve children from sunup to sundown, or longer, every day.

Following her tour of th e migrant camps, Mrs. Mossier conferred

with S tate War Council leaders on the p o s s ib ilit y o f conducting a lim ited 2 play school program even under these p rim itive con d ition s. An experiment in playground-play school cooperation was carried on, back on th e home fro n t, in f iv e selected public schools in 1944.

ll 2.

In an

1944 Annual Report o f the Play Schools A ssociation. From information obtained in interview s with Director and s t a f f o f the Play Schools A ssociation.

-8 9 attempt to meet more com pletely the t o ta l recreation al needs o f communi­ t i e s , an integrated program was set up in schools where play school and playground had operated independently before.

There was one d irector

fo r th e combined program in eaoh school and the workers functioned as one s t a f f .

Children were placed as e f f ic ie n t ly as p o ssib le in the a e t iv i1 t i e s most su ita b le to th eir individual and age le v e l needs. La th e c lo sin g months of the war, in te r e st in and expansion o f ch ild caring f a c i l i t i e s appeared

to increase rather than dim inish.

The Play

Schools A ssociation maintained i t s c lo se partnership with th e New York City Board o f Education and with the Mayor's Committee on the Wartime Care o f Children.

Forty-eight play school cen ters were conducted by, a f f i l i ­

ated with, or supervised by the A ssociation in th e summer of 1945*

Forty

were d ir e c tly supervised by the A ssociation and eigh t were A ssociation operated. b a s is .

Twenty-nine o f these centers were continued on a year-round

They were located in a ll fiv e boroughs o f New York C ity and housed

in churches, community cen ters, settlem en ts, n u rseries, housing p ro jects, and various b u ild in gs converted from other purposes t o th e day care of ch ild ren .

The year 1945 saw the expansion of Play Schools A ssociation

work in other areas, a lso . S ervices to the fam ily as a whole were more needed than ever during 1945 and t h is resu lted in an increase in our work with parents. We conducted sp ecia l o rien ta ­ tio n courses, to o , for teachers and students from a l l over the country who came to work in New York. We started production of a new film showing play schools in a ctio n . Cur horizon has kept widening, with demands for our lite r a tu r e coming from a ll sectio n s o f the world. A n ational f ie ld worker was added to th e s t a f f in order to b etter meet the requests for advice and

1.

1944 Annual Report o f the Play Schools A ssociation

-9 0 co n su lta tio n serv ice from cen ters and communi­ t i e s throughout the country. The n a tio n a l f ie ld program was launched, as a foundation grant enabled the A ssociation to accept in v ita tio n s to conduct conferences and teacher tr a in in g se ssio n s in B uffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, U tica, a number of towns on Long Isltfid , Hartford and Philadelphia*

There were many more re2 q u ests than could be f i l l e d under e x istin g s ta ff lim ita tio n s . Many in­

v it a t io n s had to be refused but the Association did return again to the migrant camp workers.

This year the Home M issions Council o f North America

and the New York S tate War Council cooperatively sponsored eighteen ch ild care cen ters for the ch ild ren in the migrant camps.

A pre-season work-

conference for teachers in the eighteen centers was provided by the Play Schools A ssociation , with demonstration to y s, suggested m aterials and printed matter on programs and p ra ctices. Going in to so many d ifferen t situ a tio n s in th e f ie ld was an illum inat­ ing exp erien ce.

Adapting the play school program to a

school day was necessary in some defense areas.

A.M. to 8 .00 P.M.

Regular public school

tea ch ers *foo took turns assuming the r e sp o n sib ility for th e long hours in c h ild care cen ters before and after school presented another problem. Making co n ta cts with parents who worked u n til 8.00 P.M. required ingenuity on th e part o f even the most con scientiou s teacher.

These were ju st a

few o f th e con d ition s met and d ealt with in th e f ie ld work program.

Many

c h ild care workers, who could not be served in the f ie ld , came t o the headquarters o f the A ssociation from both nearby and d ista n t plaoeB.

lT 2. 5.

1945 Annual Report o f the Play Schools A ssociation, p. 6 . Ib id . , pp. 1^-17. Ib id . , pp. 18-19.

They

-9 1 ware taken to observe the work in lo c a l cen ters and were given the op­ portunity to con su lt with center personnel and members of the A ssociation sta ff. The annual conference o f the Play Schools A ssociation was held on April 15 and 14 o f 1945. Over s ix hundred people from six s ta te s and twentyseven c i t i e s other than th e m etropolitan area attended, including n in e ty -fiv e rep resen tatives from f if t e e n agencies and t h ir t y - f iv e ch ild care programs. The f i r s t day was devoted to small group d iscu ssion s and v i s i t s t o ce n te rs. At the morning session o f the second day work-shop a were conducted with children of various ages p a rtic ip a tin g and using actual m aterials and equipment. This sessio n concluded with a d iscu ssion by three prominent speakers on the future of ch ild care programs from th e view points o f the school, the settlem ent and housing. The fig h tin g phase o f World War II came to an aid in th e summer of

1945

. Many o f th e con d ition s h igh ligh ted by the war were n eith er new nor

n e c e ssa r ily lim ited to war causation . The 1940 White House Conference Children in a Democracy recognized the

problems

on

e x is tin g -then, andmany

p u b lic -s p ir ite d c it iz e n s , both lay and p ro fessio n a l, have continued to organize for th e p rotection and defense of children in th e postwar years. The general report o f the 1940 White House Conference, in i t s c a ll to a ctio n , sounded a note which reverberates throu^i a ll ch ild care planning today* Recognizing th e imnediate n e c e s sity for providing again st the m aterial dangers of th e moment, t h is Conference i s impressed also with the equal n e c e s sity fo r maintaining in tern al strength and confidence among the people o f the strongest democracy in the world. I f the American people, in a world showing

1.

Ib id . , pp. 19 and 21.

-9 2 many sig n s o f break-down, can present a p ictu re o f a Nation devoting thought and resources to b u ild in g for th e d ista n t fu tu re, we sh a ll strengthen j by th ese very a ctio n s our own fa ith in our democracy. The Postwar Era V-J Day did not and the war.

There has been fig h tin g in one or another

part o f the globe at a l l tim es since the summer o f 1945* has not y e t solved the w orld's problems.

In i t s d estru ctiv e form i t has

served to strengthen the fe a r s and enm ities o f n a tio n s. i t i s s t i l l in th e hands o f the s c ie n t is t s . achieved.

Atomic energy

C onstru ctively,

World peace has n ot y et been

A s ta te o f id eo lo g ica l and p o lit ic a l anim osity, commonly d esig-

nated "the cold war", continues d esp ite many promising accomplishments in th e f ie ld o f in tern a tio n a l r e la tio n s . The c lo sin g months o f 1945 saw the birth o f the United N ations World Security Organization and the establishm ent o f the Intern ational Monetary Fund and Bank fo r Reconstruction and Development.

James F. Byrnes, Secre­

tary o f S tate at th e tim e when the Charter of th e United N ations was r a t i2 f ie d , w rites o p tim is tic a lly o f the speed, v i t a l it y and e f f ic ie n c y o f the United N ations Security Council in attain in g s ig n ific a n t r e s u lt s .

He

co n tra sts recent developments in the United Nations with th e work o f -the Council o f the League o f N ations, follow in g World War I , and p la ces h is tr u s t fo r th e fu tu re in th e United N ations. Both th e United S ta tes and the Soviet Union presented programs for world control o f atomie energy in 1946.

B ritid i troops were having a

d i f f i c u l t time with s tr e e t demonstrations, bombing and r io t in g , in C alcutta

1. 2.

Children in a Democracy. (General Report adopted by the White House Con­ feren ce, January 19, 1940), Washington, D. C .: United S ta tes Govern­ ment P r in tin g O ffic e , 1940, p. 85. Speaking Frankly, New York: Harper's, 1947, pp. 511-515.

-9 5 Oairo, Tel-A viv, and H aifa, through most of 1946.

By 1947 th e B ritish

government had announced i t s in ten tion to withdraw from India.

On August

15, 1947, India emerged as two separate dominions, India and P akistan . A few days la t e r , the United N ations recommended th e p a r titio n o f P a le stin e in to Arab aid Jewish s ta te s , with an end o f the B ritish mandate. On the home fr o n t, immediately after V-J Day, powerful fo r c e s began to clamor for the removal o f wartime economic r e s tr ic t io n s .

By the end

o f 1945, government co n tro ls had been removed from the production o f many items o f consumer goods} ration in g o f shoes and o f meats and f a t s had ended.

As production o f non-war m aterials began, labor-management con­

f l i c t s reached new h i^ i le v e ls of ten sio n .

The United Automobile Workers

(C .I .O .) c a lle d a str ik e in a ll General Motors p lan ts in November, 1945 th a t la sted u n t il March of 1946, when i t was aided with a pay increase for the workers.

On April 1, 1946, h a lf a m illio n s o ft coal miners went on

s tr ik e for h ea lth and w elfare programs.

On May 19, President Truman seized

the ra ilro a d s to avert a threatened strik e in th a t industry.

I t began on

May 25, anyway, but was s e ttle d a fter a number o f t a c t ic s had been tr ie d , including a th r ea t to induct str ik e r s into the army. The coal str ik e was ca lled o f f on December 7» three days a fter John L. Lewis had been fin ed $10,000. p ersonally, and h is union, th e United Mine Workers o f America, had been fin ed §3,500,000 fo r contempt o f cou rt.

The

former fin e was upheld and the la tt e r reduced to $700,000 by th e Supreme Court on March 6, 1947.

The R ookefeller o ffer of a New York C ity s i t e

fo r i t s permanent headquarters was accepted by the United N ations General Assembly in Deoember o f 1946. u se rs was l i f t e d in June, 1947.

The rationing o f sugar for a ll but in d u stria l On June 25, 1947, the Tafb-Hartley labor

-9 4 b i l l became law as both House and Senate overrode the P resid en tia l veto* During t h i s postwar period, price co n tro ls, one by one, to ttered and fe ll.

Rent co n tro ls were somewhat shaken but they did not c o lla p se .

Hous­

ing shortages, s t i l l acute in 1949, seriou sly affected the patterns of fam ily l i f e in th e United S ta te s.

The co st o f food, sh elter, and cloth in g

rose sharply, even with p a r tia l government con trol.

When r e s tr ic tio n s were

l i f t e d , very few commodities returned to the normal le v e ls predicted by 1 the advocates o f l a is s e z - f a ir e . In the f a l l o f 19^5 a N ational Committee on Group Care of Children was organized, with a membership drawn from the f ie ld s o f education, s o c ia l work, housing, and h e a lth .

The Play Schools Association loaned i t s nation al

f ie ld worker and o f f ic e space for headquarters to t h is Committee, whose major purpose was to help communities a ll over the nation in th e ir attempts to con solid ate th e gains made in ch ild care during the war years, and to save e x istin g programs from d isso lu tio n .

Said one w riter in th e metro­

p o lita n preset I t i s an iron ic th in g th at the sound, healthy outo f-sch o o l l i f e , provided for many children during wartime, i s now endangered by the war's ending. That ch ild ren , who led sa fe , secure and happy after­ school l i v e s in play centers which communities pro­ vid ed , now may fin d themselves playing aim lessly and dangerously on th e s tr e e t again.2 By December o f 1945 the National Comnittee on Group Care of Children had issued i t s f i r s t b u lle tin reporting th e r e s u lts o f a questionnaire, sent to every sta te in th e n ation , to discover what was being done to maintain ch ild care s e r v ic e s.

R eplies from th irty -fo u r s ta te s and

1. Dates and events in above data on United States snd world conditions from th e New York C ity press o f the period. 2 . Evelyn Seeley on Schools, P.M.. November 15, 1945*

-9 5 Waahington, D. 0 . indicated th at eighty per cent of the s ta te s respond­ ing had made d e fin ite p lan s, lo c a lly or at the s ta te le v e l, to continue ohild care programs a fter March 1, 1946.

Eleven per cent were making

stu d ies to determine how great the need for continuation was in th e ir areas, before in it ia t in g fu n d -raisin g measures.

Only nine per cent had no spe-

1

c i f i c plans under way. As soon as the war in Japan had ended, the Federal Works Agency an­ nounced th a t Lahham Act funds would n ot be availab le for day care centers a fter October 51* 19^5*

Th© storm of p ro test from parents, teachers and

so c ia l workers added to the p e titio n s and le t t e r s signed by working mothers created a n ation al ferment.

The clamor was heard in Washington.

Truman requested an extension o f tim e.

President

March 1, 1946 was fin a lly set as

the term ination date for Lanham Act funds.

George H. F ield , Oommissioner

o f the Bureau o f Community F a c ilit ie s o f the Federal Works Agency, was requested by the National Committee on Group Care o f Children to c la r ify 2 the government'8 p o sitio n . Mr. F ie ld 's answer stated th at assistan ce had been extended to March 1, 1946 so th a t working mothers might have time to make other arrangements fo r th e ir children, wherever centers were not pre­ pared to continue without Federal funds.

He added that remaining funds

had been rescinded by Congress and recommended sta te and lo c a l financing for such cen ters as might need to be continued after the fin a l date. For some communities t h is meant the end of th eir ch ild care programs. In many p laces programs were cu r ta ile d , with a few u n its being maintained on an emergency b a sis w hile help was sought. 1. 2.

Community Planning onGroup Care o f National Committee on Group Care Community Planning onGroup Care o f N ational Committee on Group Care

Financing was arranged in a

Children, B u lletin One of the o f Children, December, 1945* p. 4 . Children, B u lletin Two o f the o f Children, January* 1946, p. 8.

-9 6 wide v a riety of ways.

Most comnonly, support came from lo c a l public funds,

lo c a l private funds, a combination o f public and p riv a te, or sta te and lo ca l sources.

P r a c tic a lly a ll cen ters had to increase parents' f e e s to cover

some o f the c o st formerly carried by the Federal government.

For many low

income fa m ilie s the increase o f f e e s meant th a t th e mothers who probably 1 needed the service most had to relin q u ish i t . New York C ity 's cen ters had a somewhat b etter chance o f survival than most at t h is tim e.

Not dependent upon Federal funds from the beginning of

th e program, they were assured o f the support o f Mayor LaGuardia and of c it y funds u n til June 5^, 1946. u n til March J l , 1946.

S tate War Council moneys were available

The New York N ational War Fund, whence came the

s a la r ie s o f educational f ie ld con su ltan ts and the c o st o f equipment and rep airs fo r th e ch ild care c en ters, had renewed i t s a llo c a tio n o f funds 2 through September JO, 1946. Governor Dewey asked the New York State

,

L egislatu re, on January 9, 1946, to continue support o f the ch ild care cen ters for one more f is c a l year, placin g the r e s p o n sib ility for adminis­ tra tio n with the S tate Youth Commission.

He asked a lso th a t the centers

set up in the migrant camps be continued with New York State support to replace the no longer a v a ila b le Federal funds, for the summer o f 1946. Many communities continued to maintain th e ir ch ild care centers after Federal funds had been e n tir e ly withdrawn.

On July 1, 1946, four months

a fter the termination o f Federal aid, tw o-th ird s o f the cen ters were s t i l l 4 in operation, according to Federal survey fig u r e s. One year after V-J

1. 2. 5. 4.

Ibid. , pp. 4 -5 . Helen M. Harris, "Day Care Centers in Pe&ctime,9 Better Times, Vol. XXVn, No. 6 (November 2, 1945). Community Planning on Group Care of Children, B u lletin Two, op. c i t . , p. 5. Child Care News, New York S tate Youth Commission, Albany, New York: F a ll Issue (1946), p. 10.

-9 7 Day New York State had a t o t a l o f 188 ch ild care u n its , compared to 205 at the war’ s end.

There were 400 more ch ild days of service given in

September, 1946 than in September, 1945* however, although there were s ix 1 teen fewer u n its in operation. The drop in u n it fig u r e s was accounted for la rg ely by the clo sin g o f school-age programs in u pstate communities, as th e f i r s t economy measure, when Federal funds were withdrawn from those areas formerly e lig ib le for such a ssista n ce. The emphasis in Play Schools A ssociation a c t i v it i e s during the post­ war period followed a rather sharply defined pattern o f dual concentration of e ffo r t.

On the one hand, there was the expansion into a broad national*

even an in tern a tio n a l, sphere o f influence; on the oth er, the continuation o f the estab lish ed program for improvement in th e w elfare o f children on th e home fr o n t. is tic s .

The e f fo r t s a fie ld and at hone had two u n ifyin g character­

One was the renewal of emphasis on the r a isin g o f ch ild care

standards in general, a fter the enforced acceptance during the war o f many m akeshifts, and second b e s ts .

The other was a growing trend in the direc­

t io n o f th e mental hygiene approach to childhood. Late in 1945 and early in 1946 th e Play Schools A ssociation made an a ll-o u t e ffo r t for the continuance o f day care se r v ic e s a ll over the country.

It contributed i t s resources fr e e ly to the high speed emergency

taBk o f the National Committee on Group Oare o f Children.

O ffice space,

c le r ic a l h elp , the time and e ffo r t o f s t a f f members, p a rtic u la rly the n a tio n a l f ie ld worker, a ll were made availab le to the National Committee. When th e n ation al survey had been made, the two b u lle tin s published, the f in a l date for Federal assista n ce irretriev a b ly s e t and cen ters eith er

1 . Ibi d. , pp. 5 -4 .

-9 8 closed or reconciled to operating under changed con d ition s, th e A ssocia­ tio n was ready for the next chapter in i t s h is to r y . After March 51* 1946, c a lls for help t io n s .

began to come in from new d irec­

Communities where ch ild care serv ices were ju s t g e ttin g under way,

and others whose e x istin g f a c i l i t i e s were

being maintained in the face o f

seemingly insurmountable ob sta cles were beginning to discover and seek the se r v ic e s o f the Play Schools A ssociation.

The co a sli-to -co a st f ie ld ser­

v ic e included a s e r ie s o f conferences held at the request o f the C aliforn ia Youth Commission in Fresno, San Jose, Los Angeles and San Diego, under the sponsorship o f a wide v a riety o f public and p rivate agencies.

A s e r ie s of

tra in in g sessio n s for summer play school personnel was given in Cleveland, Ohio.

During a week o f v is it in g ch ild care cen ters in San Francisco, the

n ation al f ie ld worker conducted a tra in in g sessio n for the D irectors of 1 th e Summer Vacation Schools operated by the Board o f Education o f th a t c it y . There were stops fo r meetings and train in g sesaons, wherever the schedule permitted on the return tr ip from C a lifo rn ia to New York.

Included

were S a lt Lake City, Denver, D etroit, Ind ianap olis, L afayette, B a ttle Creek 2 and Hammond. A f u l l week was devoted to the Hammond, Indiana p roject where the lo c a l Board o f Education had requested help in i t s new summer program for one thousand ch ild ren .

Another week o f f ie ld work serv ice went into

th e s e ttin g up o f a new center for th e children o f migrant workers for the New York S tate Youth Commission, in cooperation with th e New York Farm 5 Labor Bureau. Another in d ication o f the increasin gly wider reach of play school

1. 2. 5.

Play School News, F a ll Issue, V ol. I l l , No. 1, n .d ., unpaged. (Pre­ pared in f a l l o f 1946. Public d istr ib u tio n delayed because o f paper sh ortage.) Ib id . , unpaged. 1946 Annual Report o f the Play Schools A ssociation , p. 17.

-

99-

act iv i t io 8 appears in th e number and variety o f o r ig in o f v is it o r s to th e centers during the summer of 1946. education* and

Students and workers in health*

w elfare oame to observe and study from a l l parts of 1 t h i s nation and from f iv e foreign countries. Ihese observers, ae w ell B o c ia l

as the p a rticip a n ts in the summer program*

usually took back to th eir own

communities th e published records o f play school p o lic ie s and p ra ctices to rein fo rce th e ir memories of th e program in a ctio n . The film , "Play Is Our Business", had i t s premiere showing at the Play Schools A sso cia tio n 's annual conference in A pril, 1946.

I t i s a six teen -

m illim eter sound production, " visu alizin g in the beat p o ssib le form the purpose o f the program, the children in a play school s e ttin g as w ell as 2 th e very d e fin ite and real meaning of play under trained lead ers." After i t s premiere, the film was shown across the country by the n ation al f ie ld worker.

I t was also used by schools, c o lle g e s and a wide v a riety o f other

agen cies, both governmental and p riv a te.

Play SchoolB A ssociation publicar

tio n s were continuing to reach an ever-widening reading p u b lic.

Parents,

students, teach ers and so c ia l workers in forty -fo u r s ta te s , p lu s Puerto R ico, Alaska, Hawaii, and several foreign cou n tries ordered over three thousand pamphlets in 1946.^ The b r ie f d escription in th at y ea r's report o f the 1946 annual con­ ference on "Building a World to B elieve in—For A ll the Children All the Time" str ik e s what may be a sig n ific a n t n ote.

I t s tr e s s e s not only the

la rg e attendance at meetings but the importance to lo c a l play school personnel o f meeting colleagu es from other p laces and of developing a

1. 2. 5.

Play Schools News, op. c l t . , unpaged. 1946 Annual Report of the Play Schools A ssociation , p. 18. Ib id . . p. 19.

-1 0 0 -

sense o f belonging to a largo movement for the w elfare of a ll American 1 ( s ic ) ch ild ren . The shortage o f q u a lified teachers, a serio u s eduear t io n a l problem follow in g both World Wars, was the b a sis for another con­ sid era tio n in the newly broadened scope o f play school endeavor.

P artly

to in sp ir e more promising young people to enter th e p ro fessio n , and partly to f i l l i t s own vacan cies, the f ie ld program included r e c r u itin g t r ip s to s e le c te d c o lle g e s .

Undergraduates from twenty-two d iffe r e n t c o lle g e s from

co a st to co a st worked in various apprentice c a p a c itie s in th e 1946 summer program.

2

Parents, to o , were included in the broad, reaching-out a c t i v it i e s of th e A sso cia tio n .

S ta ff members p articipated in n a tio n a l, s ta t e and lo c a l

programs and conferences in the parent work f ie ld , in addition to carry­ ing forward th e d irect work with parents in the cen ters.

Published materi­

a ls , correspondence and radio programs helped to reach mothers and fa th ers, 5 fa r and near. While a ll these large sca le a c t iv it ie s were taking place in the f ie ld , play schools continued to operate along the customary lin e s , with a few changes and some new ventures, on the home fr o n t.

The A sso cia tio n 's co­

op erative r e la tio n sh ip s with the New York Oity Board o f Education, the Mayor's Committee on the Wartime Care o f Children, and a growing number of p riv a te agencies continued. school was added.

One year-round center in a Brooklyn public

The tim e for se ttin g up and preparation o f t h is new

center having been lim ited , o f n e c e ssity , to three weeks, agency workers end vo lu n teers carried a large share of the r e s p o n sib ility for g e ttin g the program under way quickly and e f f ic ie n t ly . TI 2. 5«

Die p reviously mentioned ex-

1946 Annual Report o f the Play Schools A ssociation, p. 12. Ib id . , p . 10. Ib id . , pp. 14-15.

-101periment in jo in t play school-piayground programs in sele cted public schools 1 was further developed in 1946. The mental hygiene emphasis o f the program received fresh impetus from the presence on the s ta f f of each public school summer center o f a regu­ la r 1y assigned case worker from the Board o f Education's Bureau o f Child Guidance.

A plan in itia te d in 1945» and made more e f fe c t iv e in 1946, de­

rived from th e assignment to the play schools fo r the e n tir e surmner o f an e s p e c ia lly q u a lified nurse from the D ivision o f School Health o f the De2 partment o f H ealth 's Bureau o f Child Hygiene. During 1946 the Play Schools A ssociated operated, was a f f ilia t e d w ith, or supervised fo rty -fo u r centers fo r school-age children in a ll f iv e boroughs of greater New York. 5 s ix remained open for after-sch ool programs in the w inter.

Twenty-

O rientation and train in g of play school personnel was carried on in a number o f ways.

S p e c ia lists were c a lle d in to help at m eetings of -the

A sso cia tio n 's own p rofession al s t a f f , where philosophy and p ra ctices were discussed and reviewed in the lig h t o f e x is tin g con d ition s.

The educar

tio n a l con sultan ts o f the Mayor's Committee on Wartime Care o f Children were in vited p a rticip a n ts at many s t a f f m eetings.

In 1946 th e summer play

schools were opened three days before the children were scheduled to ar­ r iv e , so th a t s t a f f members might become acquainted with each other, the community and th eir classrooms, and attend f in a l o rien ta tio n se ssio n s.

A

weekend in s t itu t e for d irecto rs of cen ters and s o c ia l workers was held at Lake Mahopac, where plans for the summer were shared and discussed in a 4 fr ie n d ly , relaxed se ttin g . This was not an e n tir e ly new idea for the

1. 2. 5. 4.

From unpublished reports o f the Play Schools A ssociation and of indi­ vidual aohools. 1946 Annual Report o f the Play Schools A ssociation, pp. 8 -9 . Ib id . , pp. 9 and 21. From unpublished reports and minutes o f m eetings.

-102play schoola.

On page $1 reference haB already been made to a 1928 project

with sim ilar o b je c tiv e s.

F ield work for students was provided both in

so c ia l work and in teaching in the 1946 play sch ools. Evening meetings for parents were held in the cen ters.

Supper was

served so th a t parents might enjoy the d iscu ssio n s, free o f the s tr e ss of rushing home to prepare meals beforehand. opportunity to see the cen ters, a lso .

This arrangement l e f t time and

One s e r ie s o f m eetings, involving

two selected play schools, was held with a predominantly in tercu ltu ra l pur­ pose.

Invited p articip a tio n in a great many m eetings o f public and private

agencies end professional a sso cia tio n s made i t p o ssib le for s t a f f members 1 to contribute s ig n ific a n tly in other phases o f work with parents. The format o f the 1946 Annual Report o f the Play Schools A ssociation r e f le c t s a new emphasis on photographic illu s t r a t io n .

This may have been

a r e s u lt o f the almost phenomenal acceptance of the new play school film , or ju st the recognition of the increasing importance o f t h is medium of communication.

One whole sec tio n , representing nearly h a lf o f -the to ta l

report, i s devoted to b r ie fly captioned photographs o f children and teachers at work.

The remainder of the report includes one whole page of in te r e st­

in gly arranged photographs o f newspaper clip p in g s about play schools, and i s prefaced by a le t te r from the A sso cia tio n 's P resid en t, Mrs. Fred M. S tein , presented in the form of a photographic rep rin t.

In t h is le t te r

appears the follow ingt The past year has been a d i f f i c u l t one. I t has been complex and changing. The new postwar era o ffe r s us the g rea test o f ch a llen g es. In 1he f ie ld o f c h ild care we have a heavier r e s p o n s ib ility before u s, per­ haps, than at any time in our h is to r y . New strength and new v isio n are needed by a ll those who f e e l deeply th a t out o f the experiences o f th e p ast we can and 2 must build a b etter fu tu re, e s p e c ia lly for ch ild ren . lT 2.

1946 Annual Report o f th e Play Schools A ssociation , pp. 15-15* Ib id . . p. 2.

-1030n Thursday* June 6, 1946* Edward E. Hhatigan, New York C ity 's Com1 m lssioner o f Welfare, announced th at on Friday, June 7 , the program of the Mayor's Oonmittee on Wartime Care o f Children would be integrated into the Department o f Welfare.

This was in accord with Mayor O'Dwyer's action

in r elea sin g the Committee from further r e s p o n s ib ility and making the 2 newly named D ivision o f Day Care a part o f the t o t a l ch ild r e n 's program o f the Department o f Welfare. As th ese words are w ritten , at th e beginning o f 1950, P^ay schools and ch ild care cen ters are s t i l l serving children and fa m ilie s in New York C ity .

The lim ita tio n s o r ig in a lly set for t h is research, however, in­

cluded a term ination o f coverage at October 1, 19^7.

The sig n ifica n ce of

th a t date and the story o f developments leading up to i t w ill bring to a c lo s e the h is t o r ic a l phase o f the study.

Although New York C ity had in­

corporated th e work of the ch ild care centers in to i t s Welfare Department in 19^6, New York State support was s t i l l on an emergency b a sis , scheduled to end on April 1, 19^7, u n less provision were made for further exten sion . The opening days o f 19^7 were fraught with fear l e s t the centers be clo se d .

Pressure was heavy in many quarters for con tin u ation , even for

expansion, o f e x istin g programs.

The Child Welfare League o f America's

committee on day care brought to the atten tion o f s ta te departments of h ea lth , education, end w elfare, another area where the need for ch ild care help was developing rap id ly.

In t r a ile r s , Quonset h uts and a ll manner 3 o f temporary housing on or near c o lle g e campuses (J.I. students were liv in g

1. 2. 3.

From a Department o f Welfare memorandum to "Board P resid en ts, Agency Heads and D irectors o f Centers in the Mayor's Committee on Wartime Care o f Children." Successor to the Mayor's Committee program. War veteran s, pursuing c o lle g e stu d ies, with fin a n o ia l a ssista n ce from the U. S. Government.

-104with th e ir fa m ilie s . ser io u sly lack in g.

Prenatal and child care se r v ic e s were found to be A large proportion o f the young wives o f veterans

were obliged to work. 1 on most campuses.

Oare for th e ir children was p r a c tic a lly n o n -ex isten t

Enanet Gaughn, chairman o f the State Youth Commission, came to New York C ity on January 15» 1947, and toured the child care cen ters with Com­ m issioner Rhatigan end other w elfare o f f i c i a l s . His v i s i t was h a iled in 2 th e lo c a l p ress. Governor Dewey’s budget message, a few days la t e r , While i t did not mention the cen ters s p e c if ic a lly , c a lle d fo r an appropriation 3 o f $5,080,000 for the Youth Conmission. Opinion was divided as to whether or n ot t h is amount included funds for maintenance o f the cen te r s. Dorothy 4 Norman, in her featured column, "A World To Live I n ,11 surveyed the c i t y 's w elfare needs for 1947*

She reminded her readers th at Governor Dewey's

message had said nothing about continuing the s t a t e 's aid for ch ild care c e n te r s.

She added that the war emergency had served to h ig h lig h t the

need for pre- and a fter-sch ool care o f children, and th a t aid might be cur­ t a ile d or withdrawn by those who considered the program a war measure only. When Miss Norman's statement was made there were f iv e thousand children o f working mothers receiv in g care under the program in New York C ity, and four thousand more on w aiting l i s t s . The Young-Schulman b i l l continuing the S tate Youth Commission for th ree years was passed unanimously in the le g is la tu r e , upon the assurance th a t i t did include coverage o f the cen ters.

After the sessio n ended, i t

was learned that there was no commitment to continue the cen ters beyond

1. 2. 5. 4.

Catherine Mackenzie, in the New York Times, January 15, 1947* New York P o st, January 15, 1947; The Sun, January 15, 1947; New York Tinea, January 14, 1947* New York Times, February 5, 1947* New York P o st, January 22, 194-7*

-

,

April 1, 1947.

l

105 -

Parents wrote le t t e r s to Albany; newspapers carried

a r t ic le s ; c it iz e n s spoke out; a ll urged a c la r if ic a t io n o f the iss u e . Eighty working mothers traveled to the S tate Oapitol to attend a budget hearing where they made personal p leas for continuation o f the program 2 fo r th e ir ch ild ren . At a Democratic Party meeting i t was stated that the Republicans had shelved the program.

From another source came a report that the Youth

Commission's f in a l recommendations were not y et complete.

A th ird group 5 expected the matter to be considered at current s ta te budget hearings. Governor Dewey was said to sponsor a plan to scrap the program a fter

October 1, and a b i l l was introduced c a llin g for such le g is la t io n .

I t a l­

lowed a six-month period fo r tapering o f f s ta te su b sid ies to m unicipali­ tie s .

Another b i l l , continuing the e x is tin g ch ild care program fo r one

more year# was presented by the op p osition .

Hie author o f t h is b i l l claimed

th a t the S tate Youth Commission's Report, the b a sis fo r dropping the 4 program# co n stitu ted "nothing but a fraud." The whole issu e assumed the proportions of

ap o lit ic a l fo o tb a ll

w hile parents and children faced an uncertain future, sonnel began to look around for other jo b s.

andch ild

match

care per­

After weeks of controversy,

i t was made c lea r that a ll sta te sub sid ies to p rivate agencies would cease on October 1, 1947.

After that date, aid would be given to m u n icip a lities

only and was to be used for services to only those parents who q u a lifie d fo r aid under public assista n ce laws.

Up to eigh ty per cent o f the co st 5

o f such publio assista n ce by m u n icip a lities was reimbursable by the s ta te . 1. 2. 5. 4. 5*

New York Times. February 12, 1947. New York Times. February 14, 1947* Dorothy Norman in the New York P ost, February 14, 1947* New York Times, March 6, 1947. Information obtained from an unpublidled summary o f the fin d in g s and recommendations of the New York S tate Youth Commission. Confirmed by a statement in the New York Times, April 4, 1947.

-106Play school p ra ctices in 1947 followed the general p attern already described for 1946.

The ground gained was held and a few new developments

added.

The n ation al f ie ld worker again covered the country, coast to

c o a st.

Hammond, Indiana, where the Board o f Education was continuing the

year-round program for a thousand children, again ca lled on th e Associer tio n to help s e t up i t s summer work,

lhe New York S tate Youth Commission

requested the loan o f the Play Schools A ssociation 's f ie ld worker for a month o f concentrated e f fo r t in the migrant camps.

Half of her time was

spent in o rien ta tio n o f teachers and h a lf in se ttin g up school-age centers. This p roject was planned to combat the tendency for youngsters over fiv e to work a l l day in the f ie ld s , rather than to develop in the normal a c t iv i1 t i e s o f childhood. Orders for A ssociation p u blication s came from a ll fo r ty -e ig h t s ta te s in 1947.

Packets containing ten key play school p u b lica tio n s were d is­

trib u ted a ll over the world through the American Book Center fo r War Devastated L ib ra ries.

D istribution in Germany and Japan was made through

the C iv il A ffa irs D ivision o f the War Department.

The play school film ,

tra n sla ted into numerous languages by the O ffice o f Intern ation al Informar tio n and C ultural A ffairs of the State Department, was shown in many parts 2 o f the world. Preparation for the work of the summer session again included a week­ end in s t it u t e at Lake Mahopac for d irectors and so c ia l workers. s t i l l represented the tim e o f peak a c tiv ity in play sch ools.

Summer

The summer

o f 1947 found forty-fou r centers for school-age children in New York C ity.. Eight hundred teachers were interviewed in order to f i l l 155 openings in

TI 2.

1947 Annual Report, Play Schools A ssociation, pp. 5- 6 . Ib id . , pp. 6-7*

-107th e sch o o ls.

Teacher turnover was such that guidance and train in g became

as much an in -se r v ic e as a p re-service r e s p o n s ib ility .

The use of puppets

was applied both to work with parents and to the continuing mental hygiene emphasis in th e t o t a l program.

Cooperative ventures with schools and co l­

le g e s continued to supply students majoring in education or so c ia l work fo r serv ice and study in the play sch ools.

Work involving graduate and

student nurses was also included in the 1947 program. The parent education program of the A ssociation was extended in to the wider community by s ta f f p a r tic ip a tio n in lay-leaderahip trainin g o f the United Parents A ssociation, in Family L ife courses at Teachers C ollege and in the New York State Regents Committee on Parent Education, as w ell as in the planning and the program for the coming White House Conference on Family Living. The Child Hygiene D ivision of the Department o f Health and the Bureau o f Child Guidance o f the Board o f Education made th eir serv ices available to the play sch ools again in 1947.

A new year-round play school was opened

at a public school in Queens. As the summer o f 1947 waned, the termination date for s ta te su b sid ies to day care cen ters came ever nearer.

The public clamor rose again for

some b etter so lu tio n to th e problems o f children and fa m ilie s . Commissioner 2 Rhatigan announced th a t seventy-four o f the c i t y 's n in e ty -s ix ch ild care cen ters would continue to operate a fter September 50th as part o f a ju ven ile delinquency prevention program approved by the New York State Youth Com­ m ission .

Only cen ters situ ated in neighborhoods with h i$ i r a te s o f de­

linquency would be e lig ib le for h elp .

A llocation o f funds had been made

fo r an experimental period o f three months, from Ootober 1 to December 51»

T. 2.

Ib id . , p. l4 . New York Times, August 20, 1947.

-1081947.

"Rhatigan to ld so c ia l agency rep resen tatives, meeting at R ussell

Sage Foundation, th a t the State Youth Commission had approved a program covering 5,500 youngsters, about 1,000 fewer than are now receiv in g c a r e ." The Greenwich House Child Care Center, a ll o f whose 140 boys and g i r ls were children o f working mothers, was one o f those to be clo se d .

The

ju v en ile delinquency ra te in Greenwich V illage was not found hi^h enough for the e l i g i b i l i t y standard.

The lo c a l weekly paper stated

2

th a t six ty -

seven per cent o f the fa m ilie s whose children attended the Greenwich House Center would be forced to go on r e l i e f i f the center were clo sed .

Mothers

who carried the major support of the homes would have to leave th eir jobs in order to g iv e adequate care to th e ir children. Lawyers, c it y councilman, even the Borough President assured th e fa m ilie s o f Greenwich House that something would be done about i t . The 5 very next day the New York Times carried the tid in g s th a t the Board of Estimate had unanimously adopted a resolu tion sponsored by Mayor O'Dwyer, guaranteeing th e continuation of a ll n in e ty -six child care centers in New York C ity .

This reassurance did not dispel completely the confusion in

the public mind.

Some parents, hearing of new e l i g i b i l i t y requirements

such as c e ilin g s on income, said that a "new r e l i e f stigma" was being 4 placed upon the program. There were p ro test demonstrations in New York C ity.

On September 6

a motorcade f ile d up Second Avenue, led by a horse and wagon. 9 a parade and mass meeting took place at Madison Square Park.

1. 2. 5. 4. 5.

On September 5

On

New York P o st, August 20, 1947. The V illa g e r , August 28, 1947. New York Times, August 29» 1947. New York Times, September 4, 1947. From New York Times rep orts o f September 7 and September 10, 1947.

-109September 21 a motorcade o f 55° ch ild care center parents end children drove to the Governor’ s farm in Pawling, New York.

ItB

p articip an ts had to walk

the la s t two m iles as the roads were blocked by suddenly in stitu te d stru ction p r o je c ts.

con­

The Governor, who had been informed by le t t e r of the

impending v i s i t , was not at home.

Although the marchers were not able to

ta lk to the Governor, they did r eceiv e considerable atten tion from news re­ porters and photographers.

The next day the m etropolitan press covered the

story o f the trek to Albany with gu sto. dren walking,

There were p ictu res of the c h il­

orying, carrying banners, in the Daily Mirror, the New York

Post and the Herald Tribune. in th e New York Times.

There were a r t ic le s in these papers as w ell as

The follow in g day Mrs. Roosevelt devoted her syndi­

cated column to working mothers and th e Governor of New York. The postwar periods o f the early tw en ties and the la te f o r t ie s had much in common.

Teacher shortages were experienced at both tim es.

A d is­

tr u s t o f p o l i t i c a l id e o lo g ie s foreign to the American way of l i f e was re­ fle c te d in the lo y a lty Oaths o f the e a r lie r period and once again in such recent le g is la t io n as the Feinberg Law.

The comparative freedom o f teachers

to engage in the normal a c t i v it ie s of ordinary c it iz e n s , developed in the period between the wars, was again threatened after World War I I . The c o st o f liv in g rose a fter both wars.

Remembering th at the boom

years had been follow ed by a devastating depression may have given added impetus to government measures fo r the control o f in fla tio n a fter World War II.

An increase in ju v e n ile delinquency was also common to both periods

o f so c ia l readjustment. In many areas, however, the two periods were q u ite d iffe r e n t.

The

employment o f women, for instance, a fter r is in g stea d ily year after year,

1.

All on September 22, 1947.

-

dropped ju s t once* in 1920.

1

110-

After World War II, however, women not only

remained in industry, but th e ir numbers have increased s te a d ily .

For the

year 194-7» females averaged 51.1 per cen t o f the t o t a l labor force; for 2 1948, the fig u r e was 51.9 per cen t. The emotional tone o f the 1920's was qu ite d iffe r e n t from today's rather somber, in tro sp ectiv e one.

The optim isn and g aiety of the golden

years seems a far cry from the fe a r s and in s e c u r itie s o f the 4 0 's .

With

the grey days o f depression unforgotten, the A bomb and th e cold war here, and the H bomb ju s t ahead, the American people seem to be searching for personal secu rity and sp ir itu a l reassurance in th e books they read and the laws they make. Looking back upon th e postwar era in c h ild care from the vantage point o f 1950, there remains the aura of urgency, of almost constant fear and trou b lin g, th at appeared to surround every new development, every change, every threat to the war-born emergency measures for child ren .

Contrasted

with t h is tension i s the slow but Bteady progress o f the play schools toward a way o f l i f e for children who need i t , regard less o f th e economic sta tu s o f th eir fa m ilie s, regard less o f the r is e and f a l l of birth r a te s, wars and depressions.

I t may be too soon to venture p red iction s as to the

probable future of a movement s t i l l in i t s early t h ir t i e s .

However, ju st

as a backward look preceded the d escrip tio n of th e contemporary scene in the period from 1917 to la t e 1947, a forward look at t h is tim e m8y help to place th at period in proper p ersp ectiv e.

1. 2.

Frederica «J. G-. Winning, Changes in Women's Occupations, New York U niversity Ph.D. T h esis, 1952 T?rom Table L III, p. 226). U. S. Bureau o f Labor S t a t i s t ic s , 194-9*

-

111-

A Forward Look Half o f the so -c a lled Century o f -the Child i s now h isto r y .

If its

b r illia n t promises and p a llid beginnings are to be assured fu lfillm e n t, th ose who recognize in children "the only future a people has" face an era of great educational ch allenge.

There are only f i f t y more short years

to devote to the determination th a t the tw entieth eh a l l be tru ly the Century o f the C hild. Some o f the problems and con troversies touched upon in th ese pages are already on the road to so lu tio n .

Others may be resolved in the very

near fu tu re.

A few promise to remain perennial sources of fru stra tio n for

a long tim e.

One thing seems d aily to become more obvious.

It i s the

c lo se rela tio n sh ip between the question o f public support for th e w elfare o f children and the to ta l consideration o f a democratic s o c ie ty 's responsi­ b i l i t y fo r th e w elfare o f a ll i t s c it iz e n s . o f the la t t e r .

The former i s but one aspect

Federal aid to education, farm su b sid ies, low rent housing

programs, so c ia liz e d medicine, fa ir employment p r a c tic e s, are a ll examples o f frequently debated fea tu res of the t o t a l problem. recogn ition in any look forward into the fu tu re.

All are m atters for

Whatever i s done or l e f t

undone about th ese issu es w ill undoubtedly in flu en ce the future d irection o f a ll work in ch ild care. One authority in the f ie ld o f ch ild r e n 's w elfare says: Day care i s one o f the most challenging sub jects under d iscu ssion today. The wise solu tion o f t h is problem w ill have a far-reaching e f f e c t upon our philosophy of community r e s p o n sib ility and upon the whole structure o f o h ild -carin g ser v ices. During th e war years, fo ste r day-care became an emergency measure, and i t i s s t i l l engaging the a tten tion of n ation al agencies and^state and lo c a l organizations throughout the country. 1.

Emma Oct avia Lundberg, Unti Lne Least o f These, p. 287.

-112The school-age ch ild i s the central fig u r e in play school planning. Consequently, the f iv e to th irteen -y esr-o ld rep resents th e major focus of t h i s study.

Developments at the pre-school le v e l and those involving ch il­

dren o f school age have become so in ex trica b ly interwoven th a t i t may no longer be d esira b le, or p o ssib le , to draw any sharp lin e s of demarcation. There i s now reason to b eliev e th at the play school movement may be ju st one part of a whole movement in the d irectio n of guaranteeing care for the whole child during the whole day> throughout the year.

Advances made in

one area may have considerable s ig n ific a n c e for another. A Council for Early Childhood Education was formed, in New York S tate, to coordinate the e f fo r t s o f the New York S tate A ssociation fo r Childhood Education with those o f the New York S tate A ssociation for Nursery Education. This council has sponsored jo in t conferences in various parts of the s ta te . I t has m obilized support for immediate p ro jects as w ell as for long-range designs involving the t o ta l w elfare o f ch ild ren .

At the b ien n ial confer­

ence o f the National A ssociation for Nursery Education in San Francisco in th e summer o f 19^7, the united front presented by the New York S tate Council was used as an example o f how p rofession al workers a ll over the country 1

might strengthen the e ffe c tiv e n e s s of th e ir e f fo r t s in behalf of children. D espite the acute problems associated with the postwar era, housing shortages, higjh liv in g c o sts, the sharp increase in the birth ra te, the f u l l impact o f which has ju st begun to be f e l t in our understaffed and in­ adequately equipped school b u ildin gs, th ere i s s t i l l cause fo r optimism. More encouraging notes have been sounded in many quarters.

From a n ation ally

known w elfare worker comes th e statement that:

1.

Catherine Mackenzie, reporting on the San Francisco conference, in the New York Times, August 29, 194-7.

-115The need for after-sch ool a c t iv it ie s end supervision of school-age children whose mothers are absent from the home during the day has now been recognized, and many schools have adapted th eir f a c i l i t i e s to meet some o f th ese needs. Flay schools, so c ia l s e t t le ­ ments, and recreation centers conducted by churches and other organizations under public or p rivate auspices have taken steps to provide f a c i l i t i e s for the care, tra in in g , and supervision of young children and th eir older brothers and s is t e r s whosejhomes can­ not give them the care which they req uire. From an even more recent treatment o f the subject by a recognized leader in American education comes the promise th at: Educational leadership i s beginning to recognise the d ir e c t im plications o f these related fin d in g s [psychob io lo g ic a l and cultural] for a new and enlightened approach to parent and teacher education and fo r an extension and basic rev isio n of school programs for children. Communities are beginning to r e a liz e the urgency and s o c ia l economy o f more generous public p rovision s for ch ild w elfare and a broader in terp retation o f the function of the school. The number and obvious sin c e r ity of such encouraging statem ents lead one to b e liev e th at strong lay and p rofession al fo r c e s are harder at work than ever for the w elfare o f children.

The follow ing chapter w ill deal

more s p e c if ic a lly with some o f these forces, in presenting how they have combined to produce the coordinated program for ch ildren o f the Play Schools A ssociation . Summary This chapter has attempted to present two h is t o r ic a l developments sim ultaneously.

The major events in the socio-economic and p o lit ic a l

spheres have been described in a general way to show how they have given

1. 2.

Lundberg, oj>. c i t . , pp. 294-295* Laura Zirbes, rtThe Challenge of C hildren's Needs," Childhood Education, Volume 25, No. 9 (May, 1949), p. 417.

-114r i s e to movements in education and so c ia l w elfare.

At the same tim e, the

growth of one o f th ese movements has been traced from i t s b irth through t h ir ty years o f i t s a ctiv e p a rticip a tio n in the contemporary scene.

Ex­

cep t for an attempt to b etter illum inate the to ta l scene by s id e lig h ts on such tech n o lo g ica l advances as sound motion p ictu res, radio and t e le v is io n , the d iscu ssio n has been lim ited to those events b elieved to be most di­ r e c tly rela ted to the h is t o r ic a l development of the play school movement. The entrance o f the United S tates into World War I marked the be­ ginning of th e play school movement as such, although i t s p h ilosop h ical roots have been traced back to events and ideas appearing before the turn o f the century.

The f i r s t seventeen years o f the tw entieth , sometimes referred

to as the Century o f the Child, encompassed a number of s ig n ific a n t achieve­ ments in the education and so c ia l w elfare of ch ild ren .

Among th ese were

the f i r s t White House Conference on the Care o f Dependent Children in 1909, the establishm ent o f public a ssista n ce for needy children in th e ir own homes in 1911, end the creation of th e United S tates C hildren's Bureau in 1912

. For th e purposes o f t h is study, major emphasis has been placed upon

the period from 1917 to 1947.

The time has been divided into f iv e reasonably

d is t in c t blocks, as one might divide a play into f iv e a c ts.

The f i r s t

world war, which may be considered the f i r s t a ct, has three separate scenes taking place in 1917, 1918 and the postwar 1919.

These three years have

received rather d eta iled treatment because o f th eir special sig n ifica n ce for the problem under con sid eration .

The second act d eals with the period

from World War I to the onset o f the depression, covering the period of th e so -c a lle d golden tw en ties.

The depression years of the 1950*8 are

resp o n sib le fo r the mood and content of the third act.

World War II i s

-115the scene fo r Act IV, and the postwar era c o n stitu te s Act V.

The children,

th e ir parents and teachers are th e main actors in t h is play*

Constant

changes, recurring c r is e s , tech n ological d isco v eries and th e in terp lay o f people and events supply th e action .

In the background stands th e chorus

o f educational th in k ers, philosophers, s o c io lo g is ts , and master teach ers. When the aetion grows ten se and v io le n t, the chorus takes a step forward. During qu ieter moments, i t may take two steps back. The forward step s in the education and w elfare o f children probably represent th e most s ig n ific a n t contribution of t h is chapter to the t o t a l study.

Therefore they have been summarized in the follow ing chronological

ta b le : TABLE I S ig n ific a n t Events (1917“1947) in th e Promotion of Child Welfare with P articu lar Emphasis on Play Schools

Year

Event

Location

1917

F ir s t summer play school Iowa Child Welfare Research Station J u liu s Rosenwald Fund

Hudson Guild Settlem ent, N.Y.C. Iowa C ity, Iowa U.S. A.

1913

Two play schools opened in public schools Fisher Act, providing fo r public support o f nursery schools Commonwealth Fund

New York City

1919

England U.S. A.

Second White House Conference on Standards o f Child Welfare W ashington, D. C. Bureau o f Educational Experiments (H arriet Johnson Nursery School) 69 Bank S treet, New York City The P rogressive Education A ssociation U.S. A. F ir st International Lahor Conference Geneva, Switzerland The Winnetka Plan (Carleton Washburne) Winnetka, I l l i n o i s F ir st International Working Women's Congress Waehlngton, D. 0. Intern ation al Child Welfare Conference Chicago, I l l i n o i s (continued)

(continued)

Year

-116-

Event

Location

1920

Child Welfare League o f America The Dalton Plan (Helen Parkhurat) The 19th Amendment (Women's Suffrage) The Women's Bureau

U.S. A. Dalton, Massachusetts U.S. A. Washington, D. C.

1921

Merril1-Palmer School Program fo r Prevention o f Delinquency (Commonwealth Fund) F ir s t a f f ilia t e d play school outsid e of New York City

D etroit, Michigan

1925

1924

Ojai V alley School (Edward Yeomans) Laura S. R ockefeller Memorial funds applied to c h ild development* Federation for Child Study B u lletin I n s titu te o f Child Welfare Research Play school— jo in t tea ch er-train in g ex­ periment (New York U niversity and American Child Health A ssociation)

1925

1926

1927 1928

Welfare Council o f New York City I n s titu te o f Child Welfare (U n iversity o f Minnesota) Child Study A ssociation Conference on Modern Parenthood

New York City Cleveland, Ohio Ojai V alley, C alifornia Worldwide New York City Teachers C ollege, Columbia U niversity Ethical Culture School, N.Y.C. New York City Minneapolis, Minnesota New York City

National Education A ssociation Department o f Superintendence Conference on Needs o f Contemporary Education

Washington, D. 0.

I n s titu te o f Child Welfare (U niversity o f C a lifo rn ia )

Berkeley, C alifornia

J o in t Conference on Parental Education and the Public Schools (Teachers C ollege, Columbia U niversity and Child Study As­ so cia tio n ) Hessian H ills School ( a parent-owned cooperative)

New York City Croton-on-Hud son, New York

1929

Second play school out o f New York City

D etroit, Michigan

1950

Third White House Conference on Child Health and P rotection

Washington, D. C.

* Fund a ctu ally created in 1918. (continued)

(continued)

Y ear

1951

-117-

E v en t

L o o a tio n

Child Study A ssociation Exhibit fo r Teachers ( I llu s t r a t in g th e P roject Method)

New York C ity

1952

Opening o f a play school at East Boston Play school in a non-underprivileged area

B o sto n , M a s s a c h u s e tts S u n n y sid e, Long I s la n d , N.Y.

1955

O ivil Works Administration (O.W.A.) Public Works Administration (P.W.A.) Emergency Nursery School Program (The W.P.A. Nurseries)

U .S.A . (n a tio n w id e ) n n

1954

Federal Works Administration Federal support for remedial work and play schools Associated Experimental Schools

U. S.A . ( n a tio n w id e )

1955

1956

1957

1940

1941

1942

Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.) National Youth Administration (N.Y. A.) Social Security Act Play school at L i t t l e Red School House under jo in t sponsorship o f New York U n iversity, Child Study A ssociation and Associated Experimental Schools United S tates Housing Authority Demonstration Play School for Teacher Training 118 public schools kept open a ll day, year round Fourth White House Conference on Children in a Democracy F ir st play school in a housing project F irst combined play schools and playgrounds National Conference on Day Care o f Children o f Working Mothers Fair Employment P ra ctices Committee (by Executive order) F ir st application o f Lanham Act Funds for Child Care C hildren's Bureau Commission on Children in Wartime C hildren's Charter in Wartime publiehed All-Day Neighborhood Schools adopted by Board o f Education U.S. Dept, o f A griculture Food D istrib u tion to schools and summer programs

N .Y .C . p u b lic s c h o o ls N .Y .C. m e tr o p o lita n a r e a U .S.A . (nationwide) n

11

W ashington, D. C.

New Y ork C ity W ashington, D. C. M a n h a tta n v ille , N.Y.C. New York C it y W ashington, D. C. Q u e e n sb rid g e , New York C ity N.Y.C. p u b lic s c h o o ls W ashington, D. C. W ashington, D. C. C o n n e c tic u t

Washington, D. C. R

11

New York City U.S.A. (nationwide) (continued)

( continued)

Year

-1 1 8 -

Event

Location

Mayor's Committee on Wartime Care o f Children opens centers Board o f Education grants additional funds for centers for ch ild ren o f working mothers

New York City public schools

Child Care Centers for migrant a gricu ltu ral workers

New York State

1945

National Committee on Group Care o f Children Play Schools A ssociation F ield Work Program

Headquarter^ New York City U.S.A. (nationwide).

1946

Perm issive Nursery School B ill passed by L egislature Premiere showing o f film "Play I s Our Business" Wartime Child Care Centers made part o f Department o f Welfare

1945

1944

1947

Federal Agency d istr ib u tio n o f Play School film and p u b lication s All New York City Child Care Centers to be continued

New York City

New York State New York City New York City Worldwide New York C ity

CHAPTER 17 SPONSORSHIP Basic P atterns o f Development From th e e a r lie s t experiments in play school organization down to the present certa in s p e c ific trends and p ra ctices have continued to be associated with the movement. in p o lic y . con d itio n s.

There have been occasional minor s h if t s

Services and a c t iv it ie s have been adjusted to meet changing Headquarters and t i t l e o f th e o v era ll sponsorship have been

modified as growth, emphasis or function demanded, but the basic pattern of purpose and method remains c le a r ly d elineated throughout the th ir ty -y ea r period under consideration. Four Major Aims Through the years, in sp ite of war and depression, sometimes indeed because o f than, the play schools have continued to concentrate th eir e f f o r t s upon what appear to be four major purposes. in a general way as!

These may be stated

( l ) service to a ll children, beginning with the

most needy; (2) experimental programs b u ilt around ch ild r e n 's play in ter­ e s ts ; (5) parent and teacher education; snd (4) community cooperation. Two other areas where concentration of e f f o r t has increased with the years ere publication* and demonstration.

Since th ese are prim arily

t o o ls for the achievement of a ll of th e major purposes, and for th eir

1.

I n c lu d in g such a u d io - v is u a l m edia a s f il m s , r a d i o and t e l e v i s i o n

-120wider dissem ination, they are not included here as aims.

Play schools

have demonstrated, sometimes in centers set up q u ite frankly for that purpose, how th e ir programs function toward a ll four of the aims pre­ sented.

P u b lication s have also been keyed to a ll four purposes.

However,

when photographing children at work, when recording processes and situar tio n s , when opening the door to observers and v is it o r s , a sin cere e ffo r t has always been made to keep interference with ch ildren, teach ers, and program at a minimum.

Oare has been taken to safeguard work with parents,

as w e ll, from e x p lo ita tio n or exposure to in d ign ity. Service to Children Bowman s a id in 1955 t h a t !

The f i r s t play school in New York City was In sti­ tu ted la rg ely as a service to underprivileged c h il­ dren, and th e m ajority of play schools sin ce have had something o f that motive in the impetus to or­ gan ize. There i s d is tin c tly traceable, however, a growing in sisten ce that the idea is valid for a ll ch ild ren , but i s applied f i r s t to th e underprivileged merely because o f th eir more obvious and more urgent need. In the years sin ce 1955 when Bowman's study was completed, there has come in to more general acceptance a broader concept of -the once euphemistic term "underprivileged."

The application of psychological and s o c io lo g ic a l

research to education has convinced many so cia l workers and teachers th a t a ch ild who enjoys a comfortable bed, clean c lo th e s, and a w ell-balanced d ie t, may s t i l l be s o c ia lly or emotionally "underprivileged."

The im­

mediacy and in te n sity o f d isa ster-created child oare needs have continued to produce p re fe re n tia l treatment fo r the deprived youngster in much

1.

LeRoy E. Bowman, Community Programs for Sumner Play Schools, p. 18.

-121play school planning, but th e leaders o f the movement have never lo s t sig h t o f th e ir aim o f serv ice to a ll children. Experimental Programs A second basic element th a t appears frequently and c o n siste n tly enough to be regarded as ch a ra cteristic of the developmental pattern i s the experimental nature o f the play school program.

In vfoat i s probably

the second p iece o f printed matter issued by the play sch ools, the ex1 perimental aspect o f the work i s implied in i t s t i t l e . Considering the lim ita tio n s placed upon experimentation by the b revity o f the Sumner sessio n and the long period between se ssio n s, changes in personnel and even in sponsorship from year to year, not to mention fin a n c ia l u n ce rta in ties, i t seems tru ly remarkable th at so many areas o f modern education have been explored in th e play sch o o ls.

For

several years a research project was carried on In a number of selected schools to determine the tim es of day when fa tig u e appeared in child ren , the form o f expression taken by such fa tig u e, and how i t might be al­ le v ia te d .

This experiment en tailed balancing r e s t periods against the

serving o f such quick-energy food as chocolate.

In another more informal

study, varying approaches were tried to find -the b est kind o f r e s t period for ch ild ren at d iffe r e n t age le v e ls .

There was r e stin g in t o ta l dark­

n ess or semi-darkness, with complete sile n c e or s o ft musio, with quiet games permitted or with every ch ild expected to l i e s t i l l on a c o t. Q uestionnaires have been issued from time to tim e to measure the e ffe c tiv e n e s s o f experimental procedures.

1.

Graduate students from nearby

£ Handbook on th e Organization and Conduct of Plav Schools, Based on th e Experiments o f the Federation for Ohlid Study. Prepared by Benjamin 0 . Gruenberg. New York: The Federation for Ohild Study, 1919*

-122u n iv e r s it ie s have frequently sougjht, end usually been permitted, to u t i­ l i z e play school f a c i l i t i e s fo r observation and experimentation*

"The

work o f th e Summer Play Schools A ssociation has constantly grown and 1 changed to meet new demands and new needs*u Many p ra ctices now in general use in work with parents, many s to r ie s now appearing in c h ild ren 's books and magazines, many p ieo es o f indoor and outdoor play equipment now commonly used by ch ild ren , were tr ie d out long ago in play sch ools.

2

I t may seem in c o n siste n t to ascribe any kind o f pattern to a program whose d erivation has been so variab ly experimental*

On the other hand,

as th e research fo r t h is study has been pursued, th e four major aims have appeared to remain constant, regard less of e x tr in sic changes end the f l e x i b i l i t y o f year-to-year p r a c tic e s. Parent and Teacher Education A th ird part o f the play school pattern concerns i t s e l f with parents and teachers*

In -serv ice teacher tra in in g and work with parents are

in teg ra l p arts o f every play school progrew today.

Parent work appears

in the e a r lie s t play school report, dated 1918, where "Training o f Mothers" i s described as one o f th e most important outcomes o f the f i r s t play school program.

There i s no report o f teacher tra in in g , as such, u n til

the 1920's when teacher o rien ta tio n becgme an increasingly important part o f play school work.

In the summer o f 1924 New York University graduate

students were p ra ctice teaching at the Ethical Culture Play School in a

1.

Adele S. M ossier, in th e Annual Report fo r 1940, Summer Play Schools

2.

Further reference to play school experiments w ill be found in suc­ ceeding chapters.

A s s o c ia t io n .

- 125 -

tra in in g program operated in cooperation with the U niversity and the 1 American Child Health A ssociation . Various experiments in teacher train ­ ing have been carried on by the play schools alone, or in conjunction with schools, c o lle g e s , and u n iv e r s itie s ever sin ce. Community Cooperation Fourth, and the major concern o f t h is chapter, i s the remarkably co n sisten t p o licy o f cooperation with public and private agencies that has ty p ifie d play school p ra c tice

throughout i t s h isto r y .

I t has been

a f le x ib le p o lic y , for the agencies have changed and the qu ality and quantity o f cooperation broadened or narrowed from year to year, but play schools have always operated

as part of an in terlock in g consnunity

en terp rise.

when there was only one play school,

As long ago as 1917,

i t was housed at the Hudson Guild Settlem ent, estab lish ed there by the Federation for Child Study and apparently financed by the Society for Ethical Culture.

How many other organizations may have been Involved in

t h is i n i t i a l p roject i s not known.

By the follow in g summer the policy

o f in v itin g , u t iliz in g , and coordinating the serv ices o f many agencies was in f u ll swing.

As th e f i r s t play school document a sserts:

Furthermore, the work was carried on by no one s in g le agency. No e x is tin g agency can possibly g ive the ch ild a ll he should have. For a whole day of wholesome liv in g , th e ch ild needs the ser­ v ic e s o f several in s titu tio n s and organization s. To bring th ese various agencies togeth er, to give th e ir serv ices opportunity and scope, to coordinate them according to e x is tin g needs and r e la tiv e values,

1.

New York Times, August 5, 1924

-1 2 4 and to give the c h ild 's experience unity—to focus upon the groups o f children a ll th e b en eficen t fo rces and in flu en ces o f the community, was the d is tin c tiv e function o f th e Play Schools.* Since the second year o f play school operation, the overhead or­ ganization has assumed a dual r o le .

I t has, on the one hand, maintained

a c lo se rela tio n sh ip with i t s own sponsored cen ters, while serving a number o f other groups in a coop erative, p a rtic ip a tin g or supervising cap acity. Community Cooperation in 1918 The play schools at Kadison House and at Arnold Toynbee House were added in 1918 to the one already functioning at the Hudson Guild.

All

three were financed by the Central Committee o f the Society for Ethical Culture.

The use o f th e p lan ts was "donated" by the d irectors o f the

individual settlem ents.

In addition, there were, according to one of­

f i c i a l record, four more play schools opened to children in the summer of 1918, with varying degrees o f help from the Federation for Child Study. A numerically accurate account o f th e schools in operation during the early days o f play school h isto r y i s d i f f ic u lt to produce as the figu res given in one source do not always match th ose found in another.

One record

in the archives o f the Play Schools A ssociation in d ica tes that there was one play school in 1917 and a t o ta l o f three in 1918.

However, the f i r s t

complete report l i s t s , in addition to the three E thical Culture centers, (undoubtedly the same three referred to above), play schools in the f o l2 lowing settin gs*

1. 2.

The Play School—A Comprehensive Program o f Service for the Neglected Child. New York: The Federation fo r Child Study, 1918, unpaged. Newspaper accounts o f the period also tend to confirm the larger fig u r e .

-1 2 5 At the West Side Y.W.C.A* where th e "Yn d irector supplied the plant, the Educational Dramatic League financed and operated the cen ter.

There

i s no further comment made upon t h is group in play school documents, but 1 in a newspaper a r t ic le , mentioned e a r lie r , i t had been announced th at four hundred so ld ie r s' children were reg istered in advance for t h is program. At Public School Number 40 where the center was financed and operated by the P eop le's I n s titu te , the Board o f Education gave the use of the building. Public School Number 5» another s it e supplied by the Board of Educar tio n , had a small u n it financed and operated by the Mayor's Committee of Women. Greenwich House operated a center in i t s settlem ent b uilding. "The Federation for Child Study", in i t s own words, "repeated and enlarged the work at the Hudson Guild and provided a supervisor to a s s is t in th e organization o f a l l th e cen ters, to supervise the three under the auspioes o f the Central Comnittee o f the Society for Ethical Culture, and to counsel in the work o f other c h ild w elfare a c t iv it ie s during the n2 summer." In the World War I summer of 1918, the New York C ity Board of Educac­ tio n also set a pattern o f cooperation with the play schools that has been conducted along the same general lin e s , with occasional ram ification s, down through th e years.

Over and above supplying the b uild ings at Public

Schools 5 and 40 for the simmer se ssio n , the Board granted the use o f a kitch en , two woodworking diops, baths in public school b u ild in gs, plus a

1. 2.

New York Times. June 12, 1918. Federation fo r Child Study, og. c i t . , unpaged.

-126supply o f such now unfam iliar play school equipment as steamer ch a irs. I t furnished ten teachers for f iv e o f the cen ters, and su p p lies fo r f iv e kindergarten c la s s e s .

Although no statement has been found g iv in g the

a llo c a tio n o f the teachers and sup plies, a knowledge o f la te r Board prac­ t ic e s would suggest th a t th e three Federation schools and the two public schools were probably the r e c ip ie n ts of t h is s ig n ific a n t contribu tion . In surveying the resources made a v a i l a b l e t o play school children and th e ir fa m ilie s in the summer of 1918, the f i r s t major newspaper a r t ic le on t h is subject said: I t Cthe Play School) brings to bear upon the day-by­ day problems a ll the agencies o f the community th at have anything to contribute. The public agencies of which the average ch ild had never heard, and the aver­ age c h ild 's average mother has never chosen t o u t i l i z e , are brought to the c h ild . The Department o f Health, public lib r a r ie s , public d ispen saries and c lin i c s , pub­ l i c h o sp ita ls, Department o f Publio C h a ritie s, and the public baths, are made a liv in g factor in the community l i f e . And the p rivate agencies, which are even l e s s w ell known, are brought in to play. And so, in New York l a s t year, the Play School children received the b e n e fit of the a c t i v it i e s o f the Academy o f Medicine, the P eop le's Music League, People’ s U n iversity Extension So­ c ie t y , Educational Dramatic League, A ssociation fo r Improving the Condition of the Poor, Red Cross, Woman's City Club, various h o sp ita ls and c l i n i c s , the Society for E thical Culture and the Child Welfare Exhibit Com­ m ittee . And f in a lly , individuals and commercial agencies have been brought into cooperation, and have become c iv ic fa cto rs to a degree which they never would have attained had i t n ot been fo r the Play School acting as a central d istrib u tin g centre.* In the war year o f 1918, the Red Cross and th e New York City Board o f Education were the major contributors of play m aterials and teaching su p p lies. helped.

!•

Dealers, manufacturers and other in terested in d ivid u als also Equipment and serv ices were channeled to th e play schools from

New York Times Magazine. June 22, 1919.

-127many and varied sources.

1

The Food Committee o f the Council o f Organization for War Service supervised the purchase, preparation, and d istr ib u tio n of the ch ild r e n 's lunches through community k itch en s.

The School Lunch Goianittea'a equip­

ment was made a v a ila b le for serving lunches at th e various c e n te r s.

The

S ociety for Ethical Culture gave the use of a k itch en in i t s school build­ in g. The Committee on War Time Problems of Children, o f the Academy of Medicine, arranged for a ll medical examinations and for general medical sup ervision .

D is tr ic t nurses were sent by the Department o f Health from

i t s C hildren's Bureau to make home v i s i t s and to fo llo w up c lin ic a l ea se s. Eyes, te e th , throat and nose conditions were referred to c l i n i c s , and a number o f individual d e n tists and o c u lis t s gave th eir serv ices during the summer for sp e cia l ca ses. The P eo p le's Music League furnished a leader and accompanist for choral singing a t f iv e o f the cen ters.

By arrangement with the Depart­

ment o f C h a rities, the public service corporations supplied tran sport at ion for c h ild re n 's o u tin gs.

Buses were sometimes chartered by th e day through

sp e cia l donations by frie n d s.

Others gave the use o f th e ir own automobiles

fo r taking children to c l i n i c s , for transporting supplies and equipment, and for emergency needs as these arose.

The actual operation o f the

cen ters was carried on, as were the Community k itch en s' a c t i v it i e s , by a large corps o f volunteers working with the paid sta ff*

1. 2.

2

Information for t h is and succeeding paragraphs on contributing agencies c o lle c te d from unpublished play school documents. For further treatment o f volunteers and paid personnel see Chapter VI on s ta f f.

-128Later Developments The Imposing r a tio o f more than a dozen d iffe r e n t public and p rivate agencies to seven small segments of a summer program fo r ch ild ren may never occur in exactly t h is way again, but i t rep resen ts an important as­ p ect o f i n i t i a l p o licy and was maintained from 1918 through 1920.

Wars

and economic d isa ste r s appear to breed a q u ality o f cooperation th a t i t i s d i f f i c u l t to muster in normal tim es.

Something resem bling the elaborate

p ictu re, drawn above, o f o f f i c i a l and voluntary agencies working together for ch ild ren reappears during -the depression and World War I I , in what looks lik e a more fu nction al and le s s philanthropic frame. During the immediate postwar years, the strong emphasis on m ultiple agency p a rtic ip a tio n diowed only a s lig h t d eclin e.

One w riter speaks

o f cooperation as the keynote of play school success, sta tin g that: Through i t [ cooperation) the committee accomplishes double the work i t could on i t s funds, and gains many more frie n d s in the bargain. The Board of Edu­ ca tio n fu rn ish es teachers, the use o f several sch ools, the motor busses and some equipment; the c it y opens the playgrounds, the Department o f Welfare and the Interborough Rapid Transit Company supply passes for transportation to the parks; the Westchester League of Community Workers, an organization formed during th e war, d eliv er s several trucks of fresh v eg eta b les to th e Central Kitchen weekly, free o f charge; the Dairy­ men's League cooperates in giving milk and many manu­ fa ctu rers have given tooth paste and oiher a ccesso ries when they found out the work which was being done. The Child Health Organization takes a sp e cia l in te r e s t and sends i t s 'Health Fairy' upon request to en tertain the ch ild r e n .1 Some years la te r Bowman w rites th a t

2

i t was no longer p o ssib le to

maintain play schools as centers for the in tegration o f community agencies

1. 2.

Mary G ilpin Armstrong, "Sumner Play Schools in New York C ity," School and S o ciety . Vol. XVI, No. 407 (October 14, 1922), pp. LeRoy E. Bowman, Community Programs for Summer Play Schools, p. 19.

-129only, as th e ir primary purpose required that a dominant p rin cip le take precedence over even such admittedly important techniques as th a t of community cooperation.

"That p rin cip le," says he, "was supplied by mak­

ing educational or ch ild development o b jectiv es the core o f the whole program." In s t i l l more recent tim es, while play schools have continued to b en efit from the contribution o f m aterials and serv ices by numerous com­ munity agen cies, the overhead organization has become, in creasin gly, a contributor o f serv ice s to o th ers.

Hi ere w ill be found in Chapter VIII

on In flu en ces a d iscu ssion o f some o f the a c t iv it ie s th at have character­ ized the Play Schools A sso cia tio n 's extension in t h is d irectio n . Sponsoring Agenoles The gradual expansion o f the play school movement has come about la rg ely in response to th e needs and the aroused in it ia t iv e of small groups o f parents in various communities.

Today, the Play Schools As­

so c ia tio n stands ready to a s s is t such groups with the i n i t i a l steps in s e ttin g up a cen ter, when the need has been recognized.

In the beginning,

th e need had to be pointed out and th e machinery set in motion, as exempli­ fie d by the 1917 experiment, where the Federation for Child Study or­ ganized, opened, and operated th e f i r s t play school.

In 1918, community

groups, n ot n e c e ssa r ily including the parents them selves, were responsible for the in it ia t io n o f some o f the programs.

More and more, in la te r

yea rs, the impetus has come from indigenous neighborhood groups and lo c a lly organized committees.

Furthermore, whenever there has been any

th rea t of discontinuance o f a cen ter, or the danger o f lo s s o f public

- 150 -

eupport, parents have become in creasin gly aroused and a r tic u la te in at­ tempting to maintain th e advantages th a t may have baen taken for granted under calmer con d ition s.

Once a center had been s e t up, sponsorship

sometimes tended to s h if t from th e o r ig in a l, p o ssib ly philanthropic 1 auspices, to lo c a l or indigenous ones* General Types Play schools have been organized by schools, settlem ent houses, comr munity cen ters, churches, synagogues, h o sp ita ls, day n u rseries, housing p ro jects and other so c ia l serv ice agencies*

Each center has u su ally fur­

nished i t s own physical p la n t, overhead c o s ts , lunches and at le a s t a share o f th e equipment, sup p lies and teaching services*

The New York Oity

Board o f Education has u su a lly provided a number o f the teach ers, some o f the sup p lies, and th e u se of selected school buildings*

The Play

Schools A ssociation has operated some o f the cen ters, supervised the teach­ ing and adm inistration in a l l cen ters and provided for p re-service orienta­ tio n and in -se r v ic e tra in in g of personnel* Bowman stated thats

As long ago as 1955» LeRoy

"The Summer Play School i s prim arily educational in

a broad sense; and i t should be e ith e r directed by the public school 2

a u th o r ities or operated in c lo se cooperation with them*" In recent years th ere have been a ll-y e a r play schools in public school b uildings th at have become in tegral parts of the school program, but for the most part the centers have not been directed by public school authori­ tie s*

1. 2.

Considering the w idely divergent kinds o f auspices resp onsib le for

For illu s tr a tio n s o f actual p ro jects set up in a suburban community, a summer colony and a number of large e i t i e s , see Chapter IV, I t Can Be Done, o f School1s Out, by Clara Lambert. Bowman, 0£ . c i t *. p. 28.

-131operating centers* i t may not be too surprising th at th e ir most coianon meeting ground has been the play school a f f i lia t io n .

One ch a ra cteristic

i s undeniably applicable to a ll play schools* and to the Play SchoolsAsso cia tio n i t s e l f .

I t i s th e c lo s e relation d aip between so c ia l work and

education as th ese two f i e l d s are put into p ra ctice in the cen ters.

The

type of agency sponsorship w ill u su a lly , but not always, determine whether the emphasis i s weighted in one or th e other d ir e c tio n .

A play school

group in a publio school building* fo r instance* i s apt to look and func­ tio n more lik e a public school classroom than a sim ilar age group in a settlem ent house.

There have been public school play groups* however*

where the program has been more high ly individualized* even c lin ic a l in approach* than th at o f others operating in so c ia l work agencies* so desig­ nated. I t may be that the combined in flu en ce of so c ia l work and education upon play school p o lic ie s and p r a ctices represents one o f the major contri­ butions o f t h is movement in th e realm o f educational theory.

William

Jansen, now Superintendent o f Schools in New York C ity, has said that

1

the Bureau o f R ecreational and Community A c tiv itie s may properly be re­ garded as a so cia l agency.

This Bureau i s the department o f the Board

o f Education which has ju r is d ic tio n over p ro jects carried on in collabora­ tio n with the Play Schools A ssociation .

In the f i r s t decade of th is 2

century Ellwood P. Cubberley wrote th a t

our teachers would have to be­

come more e ffe c t iv e so c ia l workers i f our schools were ever to become

1. 2.

The S ocial Agencies and Publio Education in New York C ity, p. 57. Changing Conceptions o f Education, p. 66.

- 152 -

more e f fe c t iv e so cia l in s t itu t io n s .

Teachers in play schools* as a group*

have probably come clo se r to t h is goal than have th e ir colleagu es in the regular day school.

Cubberley end Jansen* w ritin g more than a generer

tio n apart, have stressed the importance o f s o c ia l work approaches in edu­ ca tio n .

A q u ite recent p u b lication p resents th e other sid e o f the p ictu re.

Says Eknma Oct avia Lundberg, in her book on so c ia l serv ices fo r children: Formerly i t was held to be the so le function o f so c ia l workers to find ch ild ren in need o f cor­ r e c tiv e treatment or tra in in g and t o secure such serv ices for them from th e appropriate sources. Now so cia l-w elfa re serv ice i s recognized as an im­ portant part o f the treatment process* and the interdependence o f the th ree p ro fessio n s o f so c ia l work, h ea lth , and education i s co n tin u a lly becom­ ing more evident.* All agencies sponsoring play schools may be c la s s if ie d under two broad headings, education and so c ia l w elfare.

The ever-dim inidling

d istance between the two may furnish an encouraging signpost for future progress in both f ie ld s .

Another general d iv isio n of play school sponsor­

ship, made on the b asis o f fin a n c ia l support, p la ces cen ters under p rivate or public auspices.

As public education and lo c a l, state* and Federal

agencies have assumed increasing r e s p o n s ib ility fo r the out/-of-school hour8 o f the n a tio n 's children, t h is lin e o f demarcation becomes ever more d i f f i c u l t to draw.

The philanthropic tone o f much of the reporting on

the privately-supported early play schools has given way to a firmer recogn ition o f the idea that play schools may be as much a part o f the accepted train in g o f children in a democracy as are th e more tra d itio n a l aspects o f public education.

1.

Unto the Least o f These, p. 17.

-155-

S p ecific Organization a I t may be true, but i t i s not e n tir e ly accurate, to atate th at schools, settlem en ts, churches, and housing p ro jects have sponsored most o f the play sch ools.

I t may be more nearly correct to say th a t th ese in s titu tio n s

have supplied the most common se ttin g s for play sch ools.

The fa c t th at a

center has been housed in a p articular e d ific e , such as a church, a school, or a housing p roject, may in d icate no more than th a t the in d iv id u a ls in authority have permitted i t to be th ere.

On the other hand, i t may mean

th a t the play school i s an integral part o f the t o ta l program o f th e or­ gan ization .

The group s p e c ific a lly resp on sib le for operational sponsor­

ship may be a consnittee or subcommittee w ithin the lo c a l agency, or i t may c o n sist o f a number o f parents or other in terested c it iz e n s whose only connection with the organization i s represented by the play school.

The

Play Schools A ssociation, for in stan ce, has operated cen ters on an interim b a s is , u n til lo c a l sponsorship was s u f f ic ie n t ly w ell organized to assume th e lead ership . No pure and simple method has been found fo r charting, or even for d iscoverin g, p recisely which groups or in d ivid u als were resp on sib le for the operation o f the various play schools in e x isten ce from 1917 through 19^7.

There i s no uniform pattern th at may be applied to the names,

sponsorship, or operation o f a ll the cen ters.

Among th e preliminary methods

o f l i s t i n g schools and sponsors attempted during th e preparation o f t h is study, the most r e lia b le appeared to be to record the cen ters alphabetical­ ly , by name or lo ca tio n , and to in d ica te, for each one, the type o f agency which housed i t . In most cases the lo c a l organization has assumed at le a s t some responsl-

-154b i l i t y for operating the play school.

In many in sta n ces, the housing

agency has been the major sponsor o f the play school.

In order to in­

clude in t h is study a ll the play schools that are known to have served New York C ity children from 1917 through 194-7 and to draw a reasonably ac­ curate pictu re o f th e ir sponsorship, Table II i s presented.

Each play

school i s l i s t e d according to the name or loo at ion by which i t has been b est known.

The type o f agency represented by the s p e c ific organization

which has housed each center i s indicated by the follow in g key le t t e r s : N

- Neighborhood house, community center, or settlem ent

R

- R eligious organization, such as a church or synagogue

H

- Health organization, such as a h o sp ita l or c lin ic

S

- P rivate school

P .S .- Public school 0 .0 .- Ohild care center

1

H .P.- Housing p roject. TABLE II Types o f Agencies Housing Play Schools in New York Oity (1917-194-7)

Play School A fter-School Center at Walden School

Type o f Agency S

All-Day Neighborhood Play School at P .S . 1?4-

P. S.

A.W.V.S. Play School at P.S. 115 ( la t e r became the Percy Strauss Play School)

P .S .

Arnold Toynbee House

N (continued)

1.

Where a c h ild care center or day nursery, housed in a church or h o sp ita l, for in stan ce, has in turn housed a play school, i t w ill appear as R or H. Only independently housed ch ild care cen ters appear as 0 .0 .

(continued)

-155-

Play School

Typo o f Agency

Avenue B C hildren's Center o f the C hildren's Aid S ociety

0 .0 .

Bay Ridge Day Nursery

C.C.

B eth -Israel H ospital

H

Beth-El

R

B rightside Day Nursery

C.C.

Bronx House Bronx Public School Centers P .S . 4 P .s . 55 P .S . 58

N 1 P .S. s. P. s .

p.

Bronx River Child Care Center

C.C.

Brooklyn Philanthropic League

N

Brow nsville Child Care Center

P .S.

Cadman C hildren's Center

R 2

C helsea Play School at P.S. 55

P»S.

C hildren's Aid Society

C.C.

Claremont House

N

Colony House

N

Community Play School at P .S . 150 Queens

P .S .

Community Play School o f the Hebrew Educational Society

N

Coney Island Child Care Center

N

Convent Avenue C hildren's Center

R (continued)

TI 2.

P .S . 4 served cardiac children from 1921-1924. Thereafter th e se three Bronx cen ters, sponsored by one lo c a l group, took tu rn s, operating one at a tim e. Has had a number o f co-sponsors, including at various tim es Hudson Guild, New York U niversity, and th e All-Day Neighborhood Schools.

- 156 -

(continued)

Play School Council House ( la t e r became Forest House) 1 East River Houses

typ® o t Agency N H.P,

East Side House (Winifred Wheeler Day Nursery)

N

Educational Dramatic League (a t West Side Y.W.C.A. )

N

Eisman Day Nursery

C.C.

E l l i o t t Play School, P .S . 67, Brooklyn

P.S.

Emmanuel Sisterhood

R

E thical Culture Play School

S

Family Center

P. S.

Federation Settlem ent ( la t e r became Good Neighbor Federation) F ir s t Hebrew Day Nursery

N C.C.

Florence Baker House

N

Fort Greene Play School

H.P.

Goddard House ( la t e r became Goddard NeighborhoodCenter)

N

Grand S treet Settlem ent

N

Greenwich House

N

Grosvenor House

N

Hamilton Grange Play Sohool at P .S . 186 Hamilton House Harlem Play School at P. S.

P .S. N

68

Hecksher Foundation ( la t e r became Sunshine Kindergarten, s t i l l la t e r , Molly Perlbinder Sunshine Kindergarten)

P. S. N (continued)

1.

Sponsored or co-aponsored, at various tim es, by Union Settlem ent, the Play Schools A ssociation and oth ers.

(continued)

-157-

Play School

Type o f Agency

H enrietta Play School

N

Henry Meinhard Memorial House

N

Henry S treet Settlem ent

N

Hudson Guild

N

Jacob A* Riia Settlement House

N

Jamaica Child Care Center, P .S . 116 Queens

P .S.

Jamaica Play Center*"

H.P. N

Jefferso n P ier Jewish A ssociation for Neighborhood Centers Center at P .S . 92 Bronx ( la t e r sponsored by Y.W.H.A.) Center at P .S . pU Bronx ( la t e r sponsored by Y.W.H.A.)

P .S . P .S .

Kingsboro Houses

H.P.

Lake Play School, P .S . 19 Queens

P .S .

Lav anburg Homes

N

Lenox H ill

H /

N (and P .S .) 4

Madison House Manhattanville Summer Play School

5

M anhattanville Neighborhood Center

P .S . C.C.

Melrose House

N

Morningside Community Center

R

Mount Calvary Child Care Center

R (continued)

1. Opened as South Jamaica Play operated by Play Schools lo c a l community group. 2. This play school was housed 5 . Operated as a demonstration A ssociation.

Center in 1944, with A.W.V.S. support, A ssociation , Eventually taken over by in a nearby public school at various tim es. center at P .S. 45 by the Play Schools

-1 5 8 -

(continued)

Play School

Type o f Agency

Mount Morris C hildren's Center

R

Mount Sinai Service at P*3. 121

P.S.

Neighborhood Day Nursery o f Harlem

C.C.

New York Infirmary

H

New York U niversity ( a t L i t t l e Red School House)

S P.S.

Park Council at P .S . 57

N

Pioneer Youth

P.S.

Play School at P .S . 5

P.S.

Play School at P .S . 40 2 Play School at P .S . 42 Bronx

P.S.

Play School at P .S . 171

P.S.

Port Richmond Day Nursery

C.C.

Presbyterian Neighborhood House Queensbridge Play School

R H.P.

Recreation Rooms

N

Rhoda Schaap Council House

N

Saint Margaret's Day Nursery

R

Saint P au l's Sumner Play School

R

Stuyveaant Neighborhood House

N

Sunnyside Cardens

S

Temple Israel Community Center

R (continued)

1* 2.

Oo-sponsors, Play Schools A ssociation, School o f Education of New York U niversity and A ssociated Experimental Schools* Received some support from Bronx House*

(continued)

-1 5 9 -

Type o f Agency

Play School Union Settlement

N

U niversity Settlement

N

Upper Williamsburg Neighborhood Center

N

Urban League

N C.C. and P.S.

Utopia C hildren's Center 2 V irg in ia Day Nursery

C.C.

Washington H eights Play School at F. S. 169

P.S.

Young Women's Hebrew A ssociation Centers Community Y.M.-Y.W.H. A., Brooklyn East Bronx Community Center (and two additional cen ters in public schools, al­ ready lis t e d under Jewish A ssociation for Neighborhood Centers) Y orkville Play School

N N

N

Table I I , as given here, ia believed to represent the only complete l i s t i n g o f New York Oity play school a operated by or a f f ilia t e d with the Play Schools A ssociation, or i t s predecessors, during the period covered by t h is study.

I t includes a ll New York Oity cen ters supervised by the

headquarters s t a f f of the play sch ools.

Such cen ters as the W.P.A. play

schools and th e nursery d iv isio n s o f the wartime ch ild care cen ters, in whose organization and tra in in g o f s ta f f play school personnel may have

1. 2. 5.

Operated by the Play Schools A ssociation; older children made use of nearby public school for part o f program. Now housed in L illia n Wald Housing P ro ject. Opened by the Play Schools A ssociation with in ter cu ltu ra l purpose.

-140assumed a supporting ro le, have not been included.

All play schools out­

sid e o f New York Oity have been omitted from the t a b le .

Footnotes have

been used to c la r if y some o f the sp ecial sponsorship c h a r a c te r istic s of in d ividu al cen ters. D irectional Trends The wider use o f so c ia l agencies and the more general acceptance o f public r e s p o n sib ility for the provision o f serv ices once la rg ely supplied by p riv a te philanthropy are readily observable trends in s o c ia l w elfare, 1 g en era lly . Jansen found th at private funds had exceeded public funds in the support o f so cia l w elfare p rojects in the years before the depression, althou^i some areas had long been accepted as th e r e s p o n s ib ility o f govern­ ment.

"For example," said Jansen, "the care o f the handicapped, the

fo s te r care o f children, and p ro tectiv e and correction al care o f d e lin ­ quents and p o te n tia l delinquents have always been supported more by pub2

l i e than p riv a te funds." While the public has been w illin g to accept the r e s p o n s ib ility fo r supplying the most obvious and immediate physical d e fic ie n c ie s in the wel­ fa re of ch ild ren , p rivate agencies hgve usually taken the lead in meeting other w elfare needs.

As th ese have been brought to the atten tion o f the

p u b lic, and more government services supplied, and as i t has grown inr erea sin g ly d i f f i c u l t to r a ise private funds, the continuation o f many p riv a te agencies has been seriou sly questioned.

1. 2,

Some agen cies, the Play

William Jansen, The Social Agencies and Public Educ at ion in New York C ity, p. 17. Loc. c i t .

-141Schools A ssociation among them, have examined th e ir own purposes and ser­ v ic e s , from tim e to time, to determine whether they were becoming s e lf perpetuating in s titu tio n s whose function might b e tte r be assumed by oth ers, or whether th e ir con tribu tion s were s t i l l v a lid . Speaking at an a ll-d a y play school conference in 1929, B eatrice Borg S te in , la te r President o f the Play Schools A ssociation , said:

"The pur­

pose o f the Summer Play Schools Conmittee has been to demonstrate a con­ s tr u c tiv e program with the hope that i t w ill even tu ally be taken over by Boards o f Education as a part o f a community p o lic y o f year-round responsi­ b ility ." 1 A few years la te r , Bowman, taking the aame stand, wrote:

"The adop­

tio n o f the comprehensive summer program in c i t i e s other than New York has served to bring out s t i l l more fo r c ib ly the experimental nature o f the play school, as w ell as the imperative need o f e n lis t in g public support 2 and even tu ally public control." I t would appear from such statements as the two quoted above that play school leadership was q u ite prepared to serve in an introductory or ex­ perim ental capacity and to tran sfer i t s p ro jects to public co n tro l.

Dur­

ing the depression years and again, in World War I I , the play schools were c a lle d upon by public agencies to help in the p rovision o f emergency ch ild 5 care se r v ic e s. A statement on the orgsn ization and support of play sch o o ls, prepared for Commissioner Hodson o f the New York Oity Department o f Welfare, at h is request, seems to in d ica te th at th e d irectio n of the

1. 2. 5.

Prom a oopy o f Mrs. S te in 's ta lk , preserved in tile f i l e s o f the Play Schools A ssociation. LeRoy Bowman, Community Programs for Summer Play Schools, p. 20. Dated December 15, 1942.

-142sponsorship trend had altered s lig h t ly .

The follow ing sentenoes from the

t o t a l statement w ill illu s t r a t e the point: Flay Schools. • • have been financed in the past on a demonstration b a sis through a combination of resources o f the Board o f Education, the Play Schools A ssociation, and other p rivate funds.To extend the work on a larger s c a le , new public sources o f money must be found to cover such item s as teach ers' s a la r ie s , food, equipment, materi­ a ls and su p p lies. . . In any such scheme, the Play Schools A ssociation would be ready to help in the planning, th e organization o f the so cia l agencies, the s e ttin g up o f the sch ools, tra in in g teachers and volunteers, guiding parents, and— in addition—continued supervision. The A ssociation would hope to be able to finance these la tt e r serv ices through p rivate sources as i t s contribution to the present wartime day-care problems of school-age children,* Interview s with present day leaders in the movement in d icate that they need and welcome public a ssistan ce in the operation and support o f th e cen ters but th a t they advocate continuation o f p rivate guidance and co n tro l.

The p rivate agency leadership i s regarded as the b est way to

insure the maintenance o f f l e x i b i l i t y and o f the four major aims discussed at the beginning o f t h is chapter.

Jansen, looking at sponsorship from the

p oin t o f view o f the public school, appeared to agree with t h i s in terpreta­ tio n , when he wrote:

"Voluntary agencies have greater freedom and they

th erefo re have a d e fin ite function in blazing the t r a i l s .

Many a c t i v it ie s

now recognized as public serv ices w ithin and outside the school system were f i r s t sta rted by voluntary agenoies."

2

Some form o f public support has been applied to play school operation sin ce 1918.

The exact amounts and kinds o f assistan ce would be extremely

d i f f i c u l t to d etem in e.

1. 2.

The teachers supplied by the Board o f Education

Prom pages 2-5 o f the statement submitted by the Play Schools A ssocia­ tio n to Commissioner Hodson. William Jahsen, The Social Agencies and Public Education in New York C ity, p. 24.

-145probably represent the most Important sin g le contribution by th e public to the c en ters.

B uildings, equipment and sup p lies, transportation and

the use o f public h ea lth , w elfare, museum and lib rary f a c i l i t i e s have be­ come in crea sin g ly important in the long l i s t of the p u b lic 's service to the play sch ools. Table I I I and Table IV, using the key given fo r Table II on page 154, i llu s t r a t e d ir ec tio n a l trends in play school sponsorship fo r the en tir e period from 1917 through 1947«

The number o f cen ters housed in

the various types o f agencies are given for each year in the movement's h isto r y .

Table III in clu d es the time from the opening o f the f i r s t play

school through 1945*

Table IV oovers the years 1944 through 1947. TABLE I I I

Trends in Play School Sponsorship as Indicated by the Number o f Centers Housed in Each Type of Agency (1917-1945)

Year

N

R

H

s

P. s .

C.C.

H.P.

Yearly Total

1917

1

0

0

0

0

0

0

1

1918

5

0

0

0

2

0

0

7

1919

4

1

0

1

0

0

0

6

1920

5

1

0

1

1

0

0

6

1921

2

1

1

1

1

1

0

7

1922

4

1

2

1

1

0

0

9

1925

5

1

5

1

1

1

0

10

1924

6

2

5

1

1

1

0

14

1925

7

5

5

1

2

1

0

17 (continued)

-144-

(continued)

Year

N

R

H

s

P. S.

c .o .

H.P.

Yearly Total

1926

9

2

5

1

2

1

0

18

1927

12

2

2

1

1

1

0

19

1928

15

2

1

1

2

1

0

22

1929

14

2

1

1

2

1

0

21

1950

15

2

1

1

2

1

0

22

1951

10

2

1

1

2

1

0

17

1952

8

2

0

2

2

1

0

15

1955

10

2

0

2

2

0

16

1954

10

1

0

2

2

1

0

16

1955

9

1

0

2

2

1

0

15

1958

11

1

0

2

2

1

0

17

1957

11

1

0

2

1

1

0

16

1958

9

1

0

2

5

1

0

16

1959

8

1

0

2

4

1

0

16

1940

7

1

0

2

4

1

1

16

1941

7

1

0

2

4

1

1

16

1942

8

1

0

2

4

1

2

18

1945

11

1

0

1

7

2

5

25

219

56

21

56

57

22

7

598

Comparative T otals

A glance at Table I II w ill show that settlem ents and neighborhood houses have supplied the la r g e st number o f play school s e ttin g s .

R eligiou s

organizations have had a sm all, but continuous play school a f f ilia t io n

-145since 191y.

The same i s tru e for p rivate schools.

H ospitals and c lin ic s

came upon the play school scene in 1921 and remained for eleven years. The influence o f h ealth programs was actu ally greater than the ta b le in d ica tes, for during the early 1920's there were a number of schools serving sp e c ia l h ealth needs (some for cardiac children ex clu siv ely ) that were not housed in medical in s t itu t io n s .

Mount S in a i's play school# for

in stan ce, was held in a public school b uild ing.

The in fluen ce o f the de­

pression appears in the t o t a ls from 1951 on, and World War II i s probably responsible fo r the upward trend beginning in 1942.

Ohild care centers

and housing p ro jects were ju s t sta r tin g to house play schools and the evidence o f t h e ir growing importance appears in the next ta b le . In 1944 th e Play Schools A ssociation assumed the r e sp o n sib ility for the supervision o f school-age p ro jects under the Mayor's Committee on Wartime Care o f Children, la te r the D ivision o f Day Care of the Department o f Welfare.

Table IV illu s t r a t e s developments during the period from

1944 through 1947 and in clu d es th e newly-opened ch ild care cen ters.

The

Play Schools A ssociation also Berved as the operating agency for a number o f the ch ild care c en ters. A ll but one o f the s ig n ific a n t in creases shown in Table IV can be traced d ir e c tly to the opening o f ch ild care cen ters during th e war and postwar y ea rs.

The one exception i s the public school fig u re .

Very

few school-age ch ild care cen ters were housed in the public schools of New York C ity, although the opposite was true in the rest o f the oountry where very few were housed any place but the public schools.

Many of

the New York C ity wartime cen ters were opened in settlem ents and neighbor­ hood houses and a goodly number in churches.

This practice is clea rly

-146-

ta b le

iv

,

Trends in Play School and School-Age Child Care Center Sponsorship as Indicated by the Number o f Centers Housed in Each Type o f Agency (1944-1947)

Year

N

R

H

s

P .s.

c .c .

H.P.

Yearly Total

1944

15

5

0

2

8

5

5

40

1945

16

7

0

1

11

a

5

48

1946

14

7

0

1

10

8

4

44

1947

15

6

0

1

9

8

5

44

Comparative T otals

60

25

0

5

38

29

19

176

indicated in the figures#

Tables III and IV, incidentally* provide what

i s believed to be the only accurate record o f the number of play schools in New York City for the en tir e 1917 to 1947 period. C ooperating A gen cies

The a f filia te d sch ools, p a rticip a tin g in the program, as w ell as the cen ters d ire ctly sponsored by the Play Schools A ssociation and i t s predeces­ sors, have shared in the b e n e fits o f many community services above and beyond the f a c i l i t i e s o f th e ir sponsorsng agencies.

The type and degree

o f cooperation offered by the various public and private agencies have tended to follow a pattern sim ilar to th at already indicated in the d is1 cussion o f play school sponsorship. The record o f one Federation for 1.

A Summer Play School, published by the Central Committee o f the Society for E thical Culture, n .d . (obviously deals with 1920).

-1 4 7 C h ild Study p la y sch o o l conducted in 1920 acknow ledges a s s is ta n c e from some t h ir t y d if f e r e n t s o u r c e s .

F iv e o f th e s e were p u b lic ly -su p p o r te d or­

g a n iz a tio n s* e ig h te e n were p r iv a t e s e r v ic e a g e n c ie s and th e rem ainder were in d iv id u a l c i t i z e n s whose c o n t r ib u t io n s took th e form o f p r o fe s s io n a l ser­ v i c e s or p r iv a te p h ila n th r o p y .

H a lf o f th e acknowledgements were d ir e c t ly

r e la te d to p h y s ic a l h e a lt h , b ein g ad d ressed t o d o c to r s , c l i n i c s , h o s p i t a ls , a san itariu m , and th e departm ents o f h e a lt h and n u t r it io n o f nearby c o l­ le g e s . tio n .

Hie r e s t were about e q u a lly d iv id ed between ed u cation aid r e c r e a ­ The Park Department a p p aren tly served both ed u ca tio n a l and r e c r e a tio n a l

n eed s.

I t had su p p lied p erm its t o th e Z o o lo g ic a l and B o ta n ica l Cardens

and a lso c o n trib u ted th e u se o f bath h o u se s and p ic n ic grounds f o r the p la y sch ool c h ild r e n . 1 One o f the a f f i l i a t e d p la y s c h o o ls , a lso in 1920, rep orted

th a t t h i r t y -

th ree in d iv id u a l or co r p o r a te a g e n c ie s had coop erated to make i t s program p o s s ib le .

T his l i s t a lso in c lu d e s a preponderance o f p h y s ic ia n s , n u tr i­

t i o n i s t s and o th er h e a lth so u r c e s, w ith e d u ca tio n a l and r e c r e a t io n a l se r ­ v i c e s rep re se n ted to a l e s s e r d eg ree.

Both c e n t e r s had te a c h e r s a ssig n ed

by th e Board o f E d u cation , d a ily in s p e c t io n s by Board o f H ealth n u r s e s , and f r e e tr a n s p o r ta tio n to e d u c a tio n a l and r e c r e a t io n a l s i t e s , su p p lie d by p u b lic and p r iv a t e so u r c e s . A 1925 sta tem en t by th e D ir e c to r o f th e p la y s c h o o ls s u p p lie s a c lu e t o th e method fo r e n l i s t i n g th e m u ltitu d e o f e o o p era tin g a g e n c ie s t y p ic a l o f t h i s p e r io d .

I t sa y s in part*

a r s n o t in o p e r a tio n , i t

"During th e w in te r , when th e s c h o o ls

[th e C h ild Study A s s o c ia tio n ] i s c o n s ta n tly a t

work search in g f o r new co o p e r a tin g a g e n c ie s and m ethods whereby th ey may 1*

From an u n pu b lish ed r e p o r t t o th e F ed era tio n f o r O hild Study from th e P r in c ip a l o f th e P la y School a t S tu y v esa n t Neighborhood House, dated J u ly 2 1 , 19 2 0 .

-1 4 8 1 b© u t i l i z e d to Improve th e P la y Sch ool program .”

In 1926 th e H e n r ie tta

P la y School was opened In a p red om in an tly co lo r e d a rea o f New York O ity through th e e f f o r t s o f a com m ittee r e p r e s e n tin g th e C h ild r e n 's Aid S o c ie ty , th e A s s o c ia tio n fo r the Improvement o f th e C o n d itio n

o f th e P oor, the

New York T u b ercu lo sis and H ea lth A s s o c ia tio n and th e C hild Study A ssociar tio n .

S im ila r com m ittees in v o lv in g th e c o o p e r a tio n o f c r o s s - s e c t io n s o f

many s o c ia l a g e n c ie s were r e s p o n s ib le f o r th e e sta b lish m en t o f o th er p la y sch o o l programs. When a f f i l i a t e d p la y s c h o o ls were opened in C levelan d and D e tr o it, th ey a ls o enjoyed t h e c o o p e r a tio n o f t h e i r lo c a l Boards o f E ducation and H e a lth .

New York and D e t r o it c e n t e r s were p a r t ic u la r ly g r a t e f u l to t h e ir

o it y park departm ents fo r s e r v ic e s in th e e a r ly d ays.

The wide u t i l i z a r

t io n o f parks and museums h a s been in e f f e c t in p la y s c h o o ls s in c e 1920. The u se o f l i b r a r i e s began somewhat l a t e r . As th e h ea d q u a rters s t a f f began to d evote more o f i t s w in ter e f f o r t s to te a c h e r and paren t e d u c a tio n , th e e n lis tm e n t o f community s e r v ic e s became l e s s th e ta sk o f th e main o f f i c e .

The i n - s e r v i c e tr a in in g program pre­

pared lo c a l s t a f f s , through work in community o r ie n t a t io n , to lo c a t e and u t i l i z e t h e ir own neighborhood s e r v i c e s .

L ater rec o rd s o f in d iv id u a l s c h o o ls

in d ic a t e th a t th ey made good u se o f community r e s o u r c e s .

One c e n te r r e ­

cord ed , among th e a g e n c ie s used in th e summer o f 1958, a community c e n te r , a number o f fa m ily s e r v ic e s o c i e t i e s , two rea d in g c l i n i c s and th e c h i l ­ d r e n 's c o u r t. D em onstrating and sp rea d in g th e p la y sch ool p h ilo so p h y r e c e iv e d con­ s id e r a b le co o p era tio n from o u t s id e a g e n c ie s a ls o .

1.

Foundation g ra n ts have

Lucy N. R e ttin g , "The Summer P la y S ch o o ls," C h ild Study, V o l. 2 , No. 4 (March , 1 9 2 5 ), p . 1 2 .

-1 4 9 f a c ilit a t o d th e organizing o f new c e n te r s, and made certa in f i e l d studies and p u b lication s p o ssib le from 1950 rig h t up to th e present.

During the

depression years the W.P.A. made important con trib u tion s to the play school id ea as w ell as to the p r a c tic a l operation o f cen ters.

Thousands o f c h il­

dren were served in the many p lsy schools sponsored by the W.P.A.

Health

and c le r ic a l serv ices end teaching personnel in such sp ecial areas as a r t, music, end dramatics were provided through federally-supported p rojects to the A sso cia tio n 's play schools. As the major emphasis in the play schools sh ifted from health and nu­ t r it io n to a broader concept o f ch ild w elfare, the cooperation o f social and educational agencies assumed greater sig n ific a n c e . The Garden P roject, 1 or Farm P roject as i t was o r ig in a lly c a lle d , was made p o ssib le by eontributio n s of space, equipment and personnel from the Edenwald Schools.

The

New York Public Library not only opened i t s doors to play school children, but furnished whole eases o f books fo r seasonal loan to the centers and sent s ta f f members on regular weekly sohedules to conduct story hours and to in te r e st th e boys and g i r l s in th e ir own neighborhood lib rary f a c i l i ­ tie s . The wider use o f other immediate community se r v ic e s in recent years has frequently come as the r e s u lt o f increased p a rtic ip a tio n in the program by the parents.

Individual centers have been sponsored by Indigenous com­

munity groups with the help o f lo c a l parent-teacher organizations, churches, and housing p r o je c ts.

A summary o f the cooperating and coordinating agencies

at work in the play schools on the eve o f World War I I sta te s:

1.

A more thorough treatment o f t h i s p roject w ill be found on page 556 in Chapter VII.

149f a c l li t a t e d th e organizing o f new c e n te r s, and made certa in f i e l d stu d ies and p u b lica tio n s p o ssib le from 1950 r ig h t up to the present.

During the

depression years the W.P.A. made important con trib u tion s to the play school id ea as w ell as to the p ra ctica l operation o f cen ters.

Thousands o f ch il­

dren were served in the many play schools sponsored by the W.P.A.

Health

end c le r ic a l serv ices and teaching personnel in such sp ecial areas as a r t, music, end dramatics were provided through federally-supported p rojects to the A sso cia tio n 's play schools. As th e major emphasis in th e p la y s c h o o ls d i i f t e d from h e a lth and nu­ t r i t i o n t o a broader co n cep t o f c h ild w e lfa r e , t h e co o p era tio n o f s o c ia l

and educational agencies assumed greater sig n ific a n c e . The Garden P roject, 1 or Farm P roject as i t was o r ig in a lly c a lle d , was made p o ssib le by contribu­ tio n s of space, equipment and personnel from the Edenwald Schools.

Hie

New York Public Library not only opened i t s doors to play school children, but furnished whole cases o f books fo r seasonal loan to the centers and sent s ta f f members on regular weekly sohedules to conduct story hours and to in te r e st th e boys and g i r l s in th e ir own neighborhood lib rary f a c i l i ­ tie s . The wider use o f other immediate comuunity ser v ic e s in recent years has frequently come as the r e s u lt o f increased p a rtic ip a tio n in the program by the parents.

Individual centers have been sponsored by indigenous com­

munity groups with the help o f lo c a l parent-teacher organizations, churches, and housing p ro jects.

A summary o f the cooperating and coordinating agencies

at work in the play schools on the eve o f World War I I sta te s:

1.

A more thorough treatment of t h i s p roject w ill be found on page 556 in Chapter VII.

- 150 -

One o f th e o b jec tiv es of th e A ssociation in which i t has been singularly su ccessfu l has been the use o f e x is tin g public and p rivate agencies. The number i s legion ; f i r s t and foremost i s the Board o f Education without whose as­ sista n c e through teacher h elp , use o f b u ild in gs, and al­ lotment o f some supplies the work could never have developed as i t has. Other agencies o ffe r in g other types o f cooperar tio n are the Board of Health, the Department o f Parks, the WPA, NYA, u n iv e r s itie s and c o lle g e s , community houses, settlem ents, housing p ro jects, museums, surplus food agencies, h o sp ita l so cia l serv ices, and case work agencies—to mention ju st a few. These serv ices have been drawn upon and in ter- l woven to make a so lid framework for the Play School program. Although New York City did not q u a lify fo r Federal aid to ch ild care serv ices during World War I I , a number o f play schools were e lig ib le for and received sta te and c it y emergency a ssista n c e .

P rivate support r a llie d

to the help o f children in t h is war period, a lso , and many functional com­ b inations o f public and p rivate sponsorehip were developed.

A center in

East Harlsm was organized and in itia t e d by the Play Schools A ssociation in 1 94l, through the combined e f fo r t s o f h a lf a dozen other agen cies.

"Among

the cooperating groups were th e New York City Housing Authority, the New York Kindergarten A ssociation, Union Settlem ent, the Department o f Public Welfare, the Board of Education and the American Woman's [ j t c ] Voluntary „2 S ervices. Of these six agencies, three are p ub lic and three are p rivate. Hie war years brought increased con tacts with fam ily agencies also, and many varied so cia l work serv ices were contributed to th e play schools. One o f the major agencies working c lo s e ly with the Flay Schools A ssociation was the Mayor's Committee on Wartime Care o f Children, under both public and p rivate auspices during the war.

Later t h i s organization became a d ivi­

sion o f the New York Oity Department o f W elfare.

1. 2.

In 1946 the Board o f

Annual Report. Summer Play Schools A ssociation , 1941, p. 2* Annual Report, Play Schools A ssociation , 1942, p. 4 .

-151Education's Bureau o f Child Guidanoe assigned a trained caseworker to each summer play school in a public school, and the Department o f H ealth's Bureau of Child Hygiene sent an e s p e c ia lly q u a lifie d nurse to work with teachers and children in the cen ters. Cooperative ventures in the play schools have been developing in the d irectio n o f sharing se r v ic e s.

The most recent reports emphasize service

by as w ell as to the Play Schools A ssociation, which stated in 1947* We value the opportunity offered by other groups to work together and to explore with them—agencies such as the Girl Scouts; a committee o f the Welfare Council which co­ operated with th e Board o f Education on two sp ecial summer groups for young children in two public schools; th e West Side Schools Community Centers; the Department o f Wel­ f a r e 's D ivision o f Day Care; the C itiz e n s Committee on Children; th e Board of Education's examination panel on k in d erg a rten -first grade; and the adult education program o f th e D ivision o f Community Education.^Publie agencies made important contributions to play school programs in 1948.

The Department o f Community Education o f the New York City Board

o f Education provided public school b uildings and teachers fo r both summer and year-round schools.

The Bureau o f Child Guidance assigned a so cia l

worker for each summer program in a publie school.

The Bureau of Public

Health Nursing provided Instruction for teachers and examined four hundred children in public school centers.

Hie permanent school h ea lth record o f

each o f these children now includes the medical fin d in g s and the tea ch er's observations. P rivate, even in d ividu al, cooperation s t i l l plays ah important part in the operation o f play schools.

1.

Year a fte r year, a manufacturer has

Annual Report. Play Schools A ssociation, 1947, p. 12.

- 152-

aent to the cen ters, sample lengths and le fto v e r p ie c e s o f wool su itin g s th a t play school children and th eir parents have converted in to u sefu l a r t ic le s o f c lo th in g .

A foundation supplied the funds to com pletely 1 equip two rooms for the youngest children in two cen ters. This g i f t not on ly made p o ssib le an enriched play environment for the youngsters con­ cerned, but i t provided a demonstration se ttin g where teachers and others could observe the program in a well-equipped classroom with good play m aterial s. Expanding R e la tio n s h ip s

The Play Schools A ssociation as i t e x is t s today i s the outgrowth of th e e ffo r ts o f many in d ivid u als working together in small groups.

Hie

Federation for Child Study undertook to demonstrate an experiment in ch ild Care as part o f i t s t o ta l program.

With the help o f the Central Committee

o f the Society for E thical Culture i t opened i t s f i r s t play sch ools. Several o f f ic e r s o f the Federation served on th e various committees which were la r g e ly responsible for the play schools during th e ir e a r lie s t years. When the Federation became the Child Study A ssociation o f America in 1925, i t included one committee s p e c ific a lly concerned with the summer play sch ools.

This Sumner Play Schools Comnittee remained a strong active

group w ithin the Child Study A ssociation u n til 1959 when i t became an independent organization with i t s own Board o f D irectors and an Advisory Board.

The leading c it iz e n s from a ll walks of l i f e who c o n s titu te the

Board o f D irectors, the outstanding p rofession al workers in h ea lth , so cia l 2 w elfare and education who serve as advisers, and the headquarters s ta f f 1. 2.

Play School News, December, 194-9, an unpaged l e a f l e t . See pp.251-5^ o f Chapter VI for a f u lle r treatment o f the headquarters s ta ff.

-155iiave continued to build and expand the rela tio n sh ip s with other cormnunity agencies in itia t e d by the com nittees o f the Federation fo r Child Study. The partnerihip o f the Play Schools A ssociation and th e New York C ity Board o f Education has had a long and continuous h is to r y .

A com­

m ittee o f th e Federation fo r Child Study approached the Board of Educa­ tio n in an e ffo r t to e n l i s t i t s aid for the i n i t i a l play school experiment in 1917.

I t was not u n til the second year of operation, however, that

any tan gib le evidence o f Board of Education cooperation appeared in the sch ools.

The summer o f 1918 found Board of Education teach ers in fiv e

cen ters and two public schools housing play sch ools.

"In the fourth year

o f th e demonstration the Board o f Education created the All-Day-Care Budget through which teach ers, equipment and some tran sp ortation are pro­ v id e d .”^ 19501s .

The transportation by buses continued u n til some time in the The present partnership with the Board of Education includes

jo in t operation o f year-round play sch ools. While the Play Schools A ssociation has maintained i t s major cooperar t iv e en terp rise involving the Board o f Education and expanded the program fo r i t s own and a f f ilia t e d schools, i t has continued to develop new con­ t a c t s with public and p rivate agencies serving child ren and th e ir fa m ilie s. Ihe A ssociation has gone out to serve the workers in migrant camps and even fa rth er a fie ld to work with schools, c o lle g e s and other in s titu tio n s concerned with the w elfare o f child ren .

Through i t s p u b lica tio n s, film s,

end co n ta cts with workers in many f ie ld s , i t s r e la tio n sh ip s have spread beyond our n ation al boundaries.

1.

Page 4 o f an unpublished report summarizing th e f i r s t ten years o f play school development.

-154-

E l l g i b l l i t y Standards Two k in d s o f e l i g i b i l i t y w i l l be d isc u sse d h e r e .

One a f f e c t s c h i l ­

dren who seek t o e n r o ll in p la y sc h o o ls ; th e o th er co n cern s i t s e l f w ith c e n t e r s d e s ir in g t o become a f f i l i a t e d w ith th e P la y S ch o o ls A s s o c ia t io n . H ie f i r s t p la y s c h o o ls were s e t up t o serv e th e n eed y .

The em ergency

n a tu r e o f many o f ttie subsequent developm ents have ten d ed to p erp etu a te t h i s p r a c t ic e , but more and more r e c o g n itio n h a s been accorded th e o r ig in a l c o n te n tio n t h a t p la y sc h o o ls have v a l i d i t y fo r p r a c t i c a l l y a l l c h ild r e n . Although th e A ss o c ia tio n h a s d iscou raged c e n te r s from a c c e p tin g a t y p ic a l c h ild r e n in r e c e n t y e a r s ,

i t was n o t always so .

During th e e a r l i e s t days

o f th e movement a number o f c e n te r s served groups o f ca rd ia c c h ild r e n and a few m a in ta in ed ca rd ia c c l a s s e s o n ly .

In th o se days th e P u b lic E ducation

A s s o c ia t io n , th e c l i n i c s and th e c i t y s c h o o ls were eager to i n v e s t ig a t e th e p o s s i b i l i t i e s o f normal p lay programs fo r c a r d ia c s and t h e p la y s c h o o ls agreed t o h e lp in t h e ir ex p erim en ts.

Some o f th e most r e c e n t a c t i v i t i e s

o f th e P la y S ch o o ls A s s o c ia tio n have again in clu d ed ex p erim en ta tio n w ith th e a p p lic a t io n o f p la y sch o o l m ethods and m a te r ia ls t o work w ith th e h an dicap p ed .

In the ordinary, unspecialized play school, children are selected from year-round contacts with neighborhood schools and so c ia l agencies. Youngsters presenting the g rea test s o c ia l, emotional or physical need re­ c e iv e preference.

Parent ap p lication s as w ell as so c ia l agency r e fe r r a ls

are considered.

During the depression fam ily agencies made many r e fe r r a ls

to play sch o o ls.

In 1959 and 1940 refugee s o c ie tie s were a major source

o f a p p lication s to play schools in certa in areas.

During World War II

-155fam ily agencies c a lle d upon the play schools for special consideration o f the ch ild ren o f working mothers*

In 19^5, fo r in stan ce, more than

h a lf o f the 127 children in a Manhattan play school had been referred by nine cooperating so c ia l agencies.

One o f th ese, a p rivate fam ily agency,

sent youngsters from f iv e o f i t s d is t r ic t s . Today18 play schools are set up primarily for children o f elementary school age.

Ihe s iz e o f groups and o f the school are determined by the

amount o f space, equipment and personnel availab le.

Groups usu ally in­

clude from f if t e e n to twenty children depending upon the s k i l l of the teach er, the s iz e o f the room, and the supply o f adequate end appropriate 1 play m a teria ls. Enrollment needs to be larger than expected attendance. Social workers are advised to know what vacancies there are before interview ing applicants fo r admission.

Results of intake interview s are

then discussed with the play school d irector.

Among the e l i g i b i l i t y ru les

fo r play sch ools operated by the A ssociation are: Maximum age lim it s vary with each school. Four and a h a lf year o ld s are accepted i f they have had kinder­ garten experience. I f a child i s f iv e , without school experience, he i s s t i l l acceptable. The m entally retarded or severely p h ysically handicapped c h ild i s not acceptable. Where there i s some question, the matter should be brought to the atten tion o f the Social Work Consultant [of th e headquarters sta ff] for d ecisio n . P r io r ity i s u su a lly given to children o f working parents vhere there i s no other plan fo r the ch ild ; to those who have been to school previously; where there i s a p articular fam ily need, such as i lln e s s , unusual overcrowding, e t c .; and where the needs o f th e ch ild c a ll for play school ex­ p erien ce.

1 . From the 194-9 D irecto r's Handbook.

-

156 -

Where there i s evidence th at the ch ild may not be able to adjust in a group because o f a severe emotional problem, attempt should be made to refer the parent to the proper agency. Play school standards today are q u ite clea rly defined and enforced public h ealth codes f a c i l i t a t e th e ir maintenance.

Even in th e early days,

the committees end organizations responsible fo r play Bchools have in­ siste d upon certa in minimum e s s e n tia ls for a f f ili a t io n .

In th e past the

term "modified play schools" was used to describe cen ters th at were eith er sp e cia lized (a s those for cardiac children) or had not y et met the physical or educational standards o f the supervisory s t a f f .

Play schools which

fa ile d or were unable to meet th ese standards, w ithin a reasonable time lim it , were dropped from a f f ilia t io n .

Some of the dropped cen ters were

continued as play schools by th eir lo c a l sponsorship, but only i f they reapplied and gave evidence o f raised standards were they e lig ib le for re­ a ffilia tio n .

There have probably always been more centers than Tables

I I I and IV (pp. 145-144 and 146 ) in d icate, for only those under Associa­ tio n supervision were included. The r ela tio n sh ip with a f f ilia t e d schools has followed a somewhat sim ilar pattern through most o f the h isto ry o f the play school movement. At f i r s t supervision was the major service supplied by the overhead or­ ganization to the a f f ilia t e d schools.

Later the contact was extended

to include teacher and parent education. Each play school was financed by i t s lo c a l sponsoring agency in 1929. The Summer Play Schools Committee of the Child Study A ssociation served as a clearin g bureau and con sultation o f f ic e for a ll the organizations at

1.

Manual f o r S o c ia l Workers, 1950, p . 4 .

-157th a t tim e.

I t supervised a ll progrsms and offered a short train in g course

for teachers in th e spring and a monthly meeting for d irectors and teach­ e rs during th e w inter.

A d escription

o f the relation sh ip

between the

Summer Play Schools Committee and the a f filia te d schools some ten years la te r supplied the follo w in g d e ta ils: The Summer Play Schools Committee o ffe r s advisory a ssista n c e in th e summer as w ell as opportunities fo r con su ltation the year round. I t provides teacher tr a in in g and parent education; and helps to maintain demonstration sch ools. The Play Schools pay an an­ nual fe e to the Summer Play Schools Committee. Prom tim e to tim e an evaluation o f associated schools helps to maintain standards for continued a f f ilia t io n . S chools, in turn, agree to send teachers and d irectors to Headquarters meetings, to submit an annual report, and to appoint one or more members of th e ir Board.of D irectors to attend Play School Council meetings. A sim ilar statement made during World War II included, in addition to the above item s, the follow in g explanation o f how a f f ilia t io n with th e Play Schools A ssociation functioned for lo ca l sponsoring agencies at th a t period: This a f f i l i a t i o n e n t it le s them to advisory and con­ s u lta tio n serv ices; to orien tation trainin g sessions fo r th e ir teach ers, with supervision on the job; to d iscu ssion m eetings for d irectors; to a set of pamphlet p u b lica tio n s. In New York Oity the Department o f Recrear tio n a l and Community A c tiv itie s o f the Board o f Educsr t io n includes an 'All-Day Care Item* in i t s budget which covers th e s a la r ie s for some teacher service in the summer. The A ssociation i s the agency through which th ese teachers are assigned to a f filia te d play schools in propgrtion to the number o f children served in each cen ter. 5 The 1948 se r v ic e s to a f f ilia t e d schools included, in addition to 1. 2. 5.

Prom an unpublished document, believed to have been w ritten in 1959, unpaged. Prom a mimeographed statement e n title d , "Play Schools— What They Are— How They Are Organized," prepared in 1944 or 1945, p. 4 . Based on a 1948 mimeographed statement, "Play Schools and the Play Schools A ssociation," unpaged.

-

158 -

placement o f teachers assigned by th e Board o f Eduoation: O rientation se ssio n s for teach ers, with consultation on th e job D iscussion m eetings, workshops, and individual con­ feren ces with d irectors Conferences and sp ecial m eetings with rep resen tatives o f the a f f i l i a t e ' s board General advisory serv ices A copy o f each newly published pamphlet and p ertinent mimeographed m aterials A sp ecial work schedule l i s t i n g a ll meetings fo r th e year for tea ch ers, d irecto rs and board repreaentar t iv e s . EaPh a f f ilia t e d sohool was required to take the r e sp o n sib ility for: Carrying out a program based on the A ssociation 's philosophy o f play Maintaining recommended standards in planning and developing th e play program Scheduling tim e for play school personnel to attend A ssociation meetings, including conferences pre­ paratory to opening o f se ssio n s Submitting records and reports required by the Play Schools A ssociation , including an annual report by the d irecto r, based on the o u tlin e provided by the A ssociation Meeting a ll Play Schools A ssociation and Board o f Edu­ ca tio n reg u la tion s related to attendance and such sa fety items as f i r e - d r i l l s , f ir s t - a id and use of swimming p ools Payment o f an annual fe e . Although the 1948 statement does not mention supervision services s p e c if ic a lly , they are obviously implied in the f i r s t item including con­ su lta tio n on the job and in the c lo sin g sentence which reads:

"From

tim e to tim e, an evaluation o f the work o f the looal center help s main­ ta in standards for continued a f f ilia t io n ." Service Areas The f i r s t and foremost purpose o f tile play schools i s th e provision

1.

Loc» c i t .

-1 5 9 -

o f a sound educational program for the ch ild of elementary school age during h is o u t-o f-sch o o l hours.

Parent education and the tra in in g of

teachers are two of the major service areas developed by the Play Schools A ssociation and i t s predecessors in conjunction with the work for c h il­ dren.

The physical w ell being of boys and g ir ls has had an important

place in the program throughout i t s h isto r y .

O rigin ally, special c la s s e s

for cardiac children and programs emphasizing n u tr itio n , r e s t, and out­ door gamss and sports predominated.

Later, crea tiv e experiences in the

a rts and c r a fts , science and nature study were stressed as self-ex p ressio n became a primary focus o f the play school curriculum.

More recen tly,

the mental hygiene aspects o f ch ild development and the Bocial emphasis on group liv in g have come to the fo re. The e a r lie s t serv ices were concentrated in the New York Oity area ex c lu siv e ly .

By 1929 th ere were twenty-one centers in New York City and

one each in Cleveland and D etroit.

About two thousand children from two

to fourteen years o f age attended th ese play schools and many ethnic groups were represented, with I ta lia n , I r isii, Jewish and Negro backgrounds pre­ dominating. During the 1950's a Rosenwald Foundation grant for f ie ld stu d ies per­ m itted th e play schools to extend th e ir serv ices to th e children o f Chicago, Philadelphia, Boston, Grand Rapids and Woodbine, New Jersey.

Training

o f personnel and other typ es o f a ssista n ce were supplied to many of the W.P.A. p ro jects fo r teachers and children during the depression.

Similar

serv ices were extended to the wartime ch ild care programs la te r .

The

p ublication o f environmental stu d ies and the conmunity orien tation of teachers have made p o ssib le the use o f radio sta tio n s, department sto res,

-1 6 0 -

ocean lin e r s , fa c to r ie s , ferry boats, buses and subways as vrell as a dozen parks and museums in the cu ltu ra l enrichment of the program for children. The work with parents has expanded to include not only the direct contacts with the mothers and fa th ers o f play school children, but the tra in in g o f other workers engaged in parent education and consultation with many agencies serving fa m ilie s.

The teacher tra in in g program has

also been expanded beyond the o rien ta tio n and in -se r v ic e education of play school personnel.

I t now in clu d es meetings and conferences with

large numbers o f teachers and so c ia l workers, f ie ld experiences for stu­ dents and experienced p ro fession al workers, and observation and demonstra­ tio n o ffer in g s within an even wider service o r b it. P a rticip a tio n by play school personnel in lo c a l, sta te , and national conferences, p u b lica tio n s, film s, radio and t e le v is io n broadcasts, have shared with the national f ie ld work program in bringing the play school idea before an ever-widening audience.

Service on t h is broad scale i s

not readily measured by consumer s t a t i s t i c s .

The work with children is

s t i l l most important and probably fu rn ish es the most tan gib le service record.

A contemporary newspaper d escribes the major services of the play

schools in th ese words: The program c a l l s for indoor and outdoor a c t iv it ie s , good play alternated with r e s t and good food, includes excursions and dramatics, s to r y -te llin g and instruc­ tio n in c r a fts , cooking, gardening. The leaders know each ch ild in d iv id u a lly , help with home-school r e la ­ tio n sh ip s and conduct parent d iscu ssio n s. The associa­ tio n has, in f a c t , become the recognized authority on the use o f play as an educational fo rce, 1 b consulted by educational and ch ild -ca re groups throughout the country. H osp itals and in s titu tio n s seek i t s aid in in s t a llin g play rooms and recreation programs. 1.

"The Right to Play," e d ito r ia l in the New York Herald Tribune, March 14, 1950.

-1 6 1 -

Medor Sources o f Support On December 51, 1949, the Play Schools A ssociation had a d e f ic it o f $9,556.82.

This represented the d ifferen ce between expenditures of

$115,177.55 and a to ta l income for th e year of §L05,840.51.

More than

h a lf of the income was from member ships and con tribu tion s.

Foundations

and the Greater New York Fund contributed more than twenty thousand dol­ la r s and over eighteen thousand came from the sch ools.

The sources of

the remaining income were play school conferences and p u b lica tio n s.

These

fig u re s do not include the cost of operating the a f filia te d schools, or such items as the sa la r ie s of teach ers assigned and paid by the Board of Education. In 1917 the play schools received no help from foundations, no teachers from the Board o f Education and no a ssista n ce from such organized sources as th e Greater New York Fund.

From 1918 on, however, the Board

o f Education has taken an in creasin gly important part in support of the movement.

The payment of fe e s by parents has been encouraged since the

e a r lie s t days, not only to help defray the co st o f serv ices provided but, what i s considered more important, to give the family a fe e lin g o f responsi­ b i l i t y to the ch ild and to th e school.

I t i s believed th at th e dignity

o f the parent i s protected by the p r e stig e involved in h is carrying o f a part, no matter how small, o f the c o s t.

Parents' fe e s have varied from

no charge at a ll to the f u ll cost o f serv ice, depending upon the fam ily's a b ility to pay.

At present, the maximum weekly fee i s $5»°0 Per child

in summer play schools operated by the Play Schools A ssociation in co­ operation with the Board o f Education.

There

1b a

minimum o f fo rty cents

per week per ch ild for fa m ilies receiv in g public a ssista n ce.

A ffilia te d

-1 6 2 -

echools ere not bound by the regu lation s applying to cen ters in public school b u ild in gs which must meet Board o f Education ru lin g s.

The actual

c o st per c h ild per week, as estim ated in the spring o f 1950, ranges from $7.50 to $15. 00. Parents' fe e s , Board o f Education a ssista n ce and p rivate contribu­ t io n s have long been the major sources o f support fo r the play schools. One center was opened in 1928 and completely financed by a sin g le indi­ vid u al who was in terested in demonstrating the play school idea in t h is p a rticu la r s e ttin g .

Large individual g i f t s are l e s s common today, but

public support and foundation grants are more frequently applied to t h is kind o f educational service than they were in th e p ast. During the depression p rivate g i f t s dwindled and many public ser­ v ic e s were c u r ta ile d .

Federal support was applied through a number of

sp e cia l p ro jects that made i t p ossib le for some of the centers to survive. World War II conditions also r a llie d public support for ch ild care.

Of

the fo r ty -e ig h t play schools in New York Oity in 19^5, twenty-nine were financed by a combination o f sta te and c ity funds, covering about twoth ir d s o f th e co st o f operation, and parents' f e e s , supplemented by the con trib u tion s o f the sponsoring agency supplying the r e s t.

The Play Schools

A ssociation sponsored several cen ters, making up th e ir d e f ic it s from i t s p riv a te ly s o lic it e d funds. Although many supplementary ser v ic e s have been provided by various agen cies, the actual co st o f operating play schools was borne primarily by each lo c a l sponsor.

No blanket statement can be made to accurately

cover the exact methods o f support fo r a ll play sch ools.

Each one de­

pends on i t s own lo ca l organization for sponsorship and each has i t s own

-165sources o f income.

Common to a ll i s some income from fe e s , some as­

sista n c e from the Board o f Education, and probably some p rivate contribu­ t io n s s p e c ific a lly earmarked for play school operation.

The follow in g

statement by the Play Schools A ssociation i s i t s own summary o f i t s present major sources o f support: The Play Schools A ssociation i s supported e n tir e ly by voluntary con tribu tion s. . . and through the co­ operation of: 1# The New York Oity Board o f Education—which provides some teachers and some public sch ools, ac­ c e s s to the school lunch program for Play Schools lo ­ cated in public school b u ild in gs, and through which s o c ia l workers are obtained fo r each summer center located in a public school. 2. The New York Oity Department of Health—which provides b riefin g for teach ers, and medical reviews o f children attending Flay Schools located in a ^sicj public school.^Summary Changes i n h e a d q u a r t e r s , t i t l e ,

and s p o n s o r s h ip o f t h e p l a y s c h o o ls

h a v e o c c u r r e d from tim e t o tim e b u t t h e b a s i c p a t t e r n o f o p e r a t i o n con­ t i n u e s u nchanged. c o n sta n t.

The f o u r m ajor p u r p o s e s o f t h e s c h o o l s h a v e rem ained

They i n c l u d e :

(l)

s e r v i c e t o a l l c h i l d r e n , b e g i n n in g w ith

t h e m ost n eed y ; ( 2 ) e x p e r im e n ta l p rogram s b u i l t around c h i l d r e n ' s p la y in te re s ts ; tio n .

( 5 ) p a r e n t and t e a c h e r e d u c a t i o n ; and ( 4 ) community c o o p e ra r

The l a s t o f t h e s e i s t h e main c o n c e rn o f t h i s c h a p t e r .

O ooperar

t i o n w ith community a g e n c ie s , p u b l i c and p r i v a t e , i n d i v i d u a l end c o r p o r a t e , i s t h e e s s e n t i a l ele m e n t common t o a l l p l a y sc h o o l s p o n s o r s h i p .

P u b lic a r

t i o n and d e m o n s tr a tio n h av e been among t h e t o o l s UBed t o r e a c h p r o f e s s i o n a l and l a y a u d i e n c e s w ith t h e message o f t h e p la y s c h o o l s .

1.

Primer on PlaV Schools, a four-page brochure, n .d ., unpaged, printed in 1950.

-164From t h e i r e a r l i e s t b e g in n in g s , p l a y s c h o o ls have o p e r a t e d in com­ m u n ity s e t t i n g s .

T h e i r prog ram s, p r a c t i c e s and p e r s o n n e l h av e te n d e d

t o r e f l e c t t h e p r e v a i l i n g aims and a t t i t u d e s o f t h e co m m unities s e r v e d . The f i r s t p l a y s c h o o ls were d ependent upon a wide v a r i e t y o f a g e n c ie s fo r h elp .

Many o f t h e v o l u n t a r y s e r v i c e s and g i f t s a s s o c i a t e d w ith e a r l y

p l a y sc h o o l h i s t o r y may be d i r e c t l y t r a c e d to th e in f l u e n c e o f World War I .

The end o f th e war b ro u g h t a drop i n t h e b r e a d t h and i n t e n s i t y

o f community s e r v i c e s to t h e p la y s c h o o l s .

T here was no a p p r e c i a b l e r e ­

v i v a l u n t i l t h e d e p r e s s i o n and World War I I when h e l p came a g a i n , b u t more from o r g a n iz e d and p u b l i c s o u r c e s th a n from i n d i v i d u a l p r i v a t e p h ila n th ro p y . The F e d e r a t i o n f o r C h ild Study o r g a n iz e d and o p e r a t e d t h e f i r s t p l a y s c h o o l w ith h e l p from t h e C e n t r a l Committee o f t h e S o c ie ty f o r E t h i c a l C u ltu re .

Community g ro u p s sh ared w ith t h e overh ead a s s o c i a t i o n s in t h e

i n i t i a t i o n o f l a t e r p ro g ram s. t i c i p a t i o n on t h e p e r t

L ocal o r g a n i z a t i o n s , w ith i n c r e a s i n g p a r ­

o f t h e p a r e n t s o f p la y school c h i l d r e n , have

g r a d u a l l y t a k e n o v e r t h e s p o n s o r s h ip o f a number o f c e n t e r s i n more r e c e n t years. Most p l a y schoo l s p o n s o r s h ip h a s come from e d u c a t i o n a l o r s o c i a l w e lfa re so u rces.

The P l a y S c h o o ls A s s o c i a t i o n r e g a r d s i t s e l f as a s o c i a l

agency i n t h e f i e l d o f e d u c a t i o n .

S c h o o ls, s e t t l e m e n t s , c h u r c h e s and

h o u s in g p r o j e c t s h ave f u r n i s h e d t h e s e t t i n g s f o r most o f t h e p la y s c h o o l s . C om m ittees w i t h i n l o c a l o r g a n i z a t i o n s have f r e q u e n t l y serv ed a s s p o n s o r s and c o - s p o n s o r s o f t h e s c h o o l s .

On o c c a s i o n , a c e n t e r may h av e been

h o used i n one i n s t i t u t i o n and sp o n so red by one o r more o t h e r s .

The F la y

S c h o o ls A s s o c i a t i o n h a s o p e r a t e d c e n t e r s a lo n e , o r i n p a r t n e r s h i p w ith

-165o th e r gro u p s.

Sometimes i t h a s p r o v id e d t h i s s e r v i c e on a te m p o ra ry

b a s i s i n o r d e r t o keep a program f u n c t i o n i n g u n t i l l o c a l s p o n s o r s h ip was r e a d y t o assume t h e l e a d e r s h i p .

No s i n g l e p a t t e r n h a s b een found

t o f i t t h e s p o n s o r s h ip a rra n g e m e n ts o f a l l p la y s c h o o ls . The t r e n d i n t h e d i r e c t i o n o f in c r e a s e d p u b li c s u p p o rt f o r p la y s c h o o l s a p p e a r s t o be p a r t o f a g e n e r a l movement tow ard t h e assu m p tio n by t h e p u b l i c o f a g r e a t e r d e g re e o f r e s p o n s i b i l i t y f o r s o c i a l w e l f a r e . The P l a y S c h o o ls A s s o c i a t i o n b e l i e v e s t h a t i t h a s an im p o r ta n t f u n c t i o n t o p e rfo rm i n m a i n t a i n i n g t h e e x p e r im e n ta l and d e m o n s tr a tio n a s p e c t s o f i t s program , w h ile c o n t i n u i n g to s e r v e c h i l d r e n and f a m i l i e s , w ith t h e h e l p o f p u b l i c and p r i v a t e community a g e n c i e s .

The l e a d e r s h i p in

t h e p a s t was i n c l i n e d t o b e l i e v e t h a t t h e p l a y s c h o o ls s h o u ld be ta k e n o v e r by p u b l i c e d u c a t i o n . As T a b le s III and IV ( p a g e s 145-144 and 146) i n d i c a t e , s e t t l e m e n t s and n eig h b o rh o o d h o u s e s h a v e f u r n i s h e d t h e s e t t i n g s f o r n e a r l y h a l f o f a l l t h e p la y s c h o o ls e s t a b l i s h e d i n New York C i t y .

T h e ir i n f l u e n c e h a s

n a t u r a l l y b een s tr o n g i n t h e developm ent o f p la y sch ool p o l i c i e s and p ra c tic e s.

As more c e n t e r s came t o be o r g a n iz e d i n p u b li c s c h o o l s , t h e

p ro g r g n became i n c r e a s i n g l y e d u c a t i o n a l in em p h asis.

The many c o o p e r a t ­

i n g a g e n c ie s t h a t h a v e t a k e n a p a r t , however s m a ll, in t h e developm ent o f th e movement, have l e f t some e v id e n c e o f t h e i r p a r t i c i p a t i o n in th e program o r i n t h e m ethods o f o p e r a t i o n .

R e l a t i o n s h i p s w ith t h e New York

C i t y Board o f E d u c a tio n h a v e se rv e d t o b u i l d a f ir m w orking p a r t n e r s h i p betw ee n t h e Board and th e P l a y S c h o o ls A s s o c i a t i o n .

Lay and p r o f e s s i o n a l

l e a d e r s h a v e c o n t r i b u t e d n o t o n ly f i n a n c i a l s u p p o r t b u t t h e i r i n d i v i d u a l s k i l l s and a b i l i t i e s t o t h e work o f t h e A s s o c i a t i o n .

-1 6 6 -

F la y s c h o o ls h av e m a in t a i n e d c e r t a i n s t a n d a r d s o f e l i g i b i l i t y f o r b o th c h i l d r e n and c e n t e r s *

Many boys and g i r l s were b ro u g h t i n t o t h e

p la y s c h o o ls i n t h e e a r l y d ay s on t h e b a s i s o f economic d e p r i v a t i o n . The c h i l d w ith t h e g r e a t e s t need s t i l l e n jo y s a p r i o r i t y i n t h e p la y s c h o o ls , b u t t h e program i s p la n n e d f o r a l l y o u n g s te r s .

In t h e con­

te m p o ra ry p la y school c h i l d r e n may be e n t e r e d by t h e i r p a r e n t s o r th e y may be r e f e r r e d by s c h o o ls o r o t h e r community a g e n c ie s .

Groups are

l i m i t e d t o from f i f t e e n t o tw e n t y c h i l d r e n and c e n t e r s a r e n o t encou rag ed t o a c c e p t t h e m e n t a l l y - r e t a r d e d , t h e s e v e r e l y p h y s i c a l l y h a n d ic a p p e d o r t h e s e r i o u s l y m a la d ju s t e d y o u n g s t e r . The P l a y S ch o o ls A s s o c i a t i o n h a s se rv e d i t s a f f i l i a t e d c e n t e r s in an a d v i s o r y c a p a c i t y f o r many y e a r s .

I t h a s p ro v id e d s u p e r v i s i o n from

t h e b e g i n n in g , and t e a c h e r and p a r e n t e d u c a t i o n s e r v i c e s f o r more th a n tw e n ty y e a r s .

The A s s o c i a t i o n r e q u i r e s i t s a f f i l i a t e d s c h o o ls t o p a r ­

t i c i p a t e i n p la n n i n g and t r a i n i n g a c t i v i t i e s and t o m a in ta i n p la y p rogram s o f a c c e p ta b l e q u a l i t y .

The work i s e v a l u a t e d from tim e t o tim e as a

means o f d e t e r m in i n g c o n t i n u e d a f f i l i a t i o n . While e n d e a v o rin g t o p r o v id e a sound e d u c a t i o n a l program f o r t h e c h i l d o f e le m e n t a r y sc h o o l age i n h i s o u t - o f - s c h o o l h o u r s , t h e p l a y s c h o o ls h a v e s e r v e d i n a number o f o t h e r a r e a s c o n c o m ita n tly . members h a v e t r a i n e d t e a c h e r s .

S ta ff

They h av e worked w ith p a r e n t s and t r a i n e d

o th e rs in th e p a re n t e d u c a tio n f i e l d .

They have d em o n strated an educa­

t i o n a l program t o o b s e r v e r s and r e p o r t e d upon i t i n p u b l i c a t i o n s , f i l m s and c o n f e r e n c e s . The f i r s t p l a y s c h o o l was s u p p o r te d e n t i r e l y from p r i v a t e f u n d s . The New York O i t y Board o f E d u c a tio n began t o h e l p i n t h e second y e a r o f o p e r a t i o n and h a s c o n t r i b u t e d t o t h e s u p p o r t o f t h e program e v e r s i n c e .

-1 6 7 During the depression years the play schools received the b en efit of serv ices from various rela ted Federal p ro jects.

State and c it y child

care funds were applied to some play schools in World War I I .

Parents

have supplied fe e s , graded according to th e ir a b ilit y to pay, as th eir contribution to the support of th e sch ools. Today's play schools are s t i l l la r g e ly p riv a te ly supported.

The

cen ters looated in public schools receiv e special help from a number of c it y bureaus and departments.

A ll cen ters a f f ilia t e d with the Play

Schools A ssociation receiv e some Board o f Education service, some in­ come from parents' fe e s and some support from p rivate contribution s. chart illu s tr a tin g the cooperative aspects o f play school sponsorship w ill be found on page 456 of the Appendix,

A

CHAPTER 7 CHILDREN AND FAMILIES The H isto r ica l Emphasis on the Fanlly During most of -the recorded h isto r y o f mankind, and in p ra c tic a lly a l l cu ltu res, fa m ilie s have been respon sible for the h ea lth , w elfare and education o f th eir ch ild ren .

The e a r l ie s t known curriculum was simple,

p r a c tic a l, and taught at home.

As the accumulation of knowledge and r itu a l

increased, and as methods were developed for recording the r a c ia l h eritage, teaching became more complex.

In some s o c ie t ie s s p e c ia lis t s were called

upon to carry the burdens o f education.

Among other groups the family re­

mained the major teaching instrument. The ancient Hebrews believed in fam ily education and divided the r e s p o n sib ility between mothers and fa th e r s . education as a divine mandate.

Martin Luther preached parental

Other reformers were equally convinced th at

the only way to rear children properly was to turn them over to the S tate. In more recent tim es, e sp e c ia lly in the education o f the very young, there has been a tendency in the d irectio n of schools which supplement the prac­ t i c e s and teachings of the home. Mechanization o f industry, employment o f women, urbanization of popu­ la tio n s , have altered the patterns of fam ily liv in g . pressures have threatened i t s s t a b il it y .

Economic and so cia l

”In s p ite o f the great changes

which have occurred in family l i f e , e s p e c ia lly in c i t i e s , there i s s t i l l

T7

John^S. Brubacher, The History o f the Problems o f Education, pp. 561-

-1691 no more far-reaching educational in s t itu t io n ‘than the fam ily."

The home

environment and the r e la tio n sh ip s w ithin the fam ily are probably the strongest determinants o f in dividual character, and even tu ally of group liv in g , in our society* The play schools have recognized the importance o f fam ily backgrounds and r ela tio n sh ip s since th e ir e a r lie s t days.

The f i r s t play school

was

opened, during World War I, as were the ch ild care cen ters of World War II, in response to a primarily parental need.

Although the major focus of

play school planning may have sh ifted to the t o t a l w ell-b ein g of the ch ild , work with parents has always been regarded as an e s s e n tia l element in the program.

A restatem ent of the play sch o o l's h is t o r ic a l emphasis on the

fam ily may be p a rticu la rly p ertinent at t h is time when some conservative elements in our so cie ty have raised th e issu e o f th e preservation of family l i f e , contending th a t group care serv ices for children tend to r e lie v e parents of th eir educational o b lig a tio n s, thereby weakening an already threatened in stitu tio n a l stru ctu re. The Federation for Ohild Study s ta te s on the cover of th e publication d escribing i t s f i r s t play school, th at i t i s 11an organization for the pur­ pose o f helping parents make th eir parenthood more in t e llig e n t , and of 2

t h e h ig h e s t use to t h e i r c h ild r e n ."

I n t h e f i r s t handbook on t h e o r g a n i­

z a t i o n and c o n d u c t o f p la y s c h o o l s , p u b l i s h e d i n 1919» B enjamin 0 . G ruanberg w r i t e s ^ t h a t c o n d i t i o n s i n t h e home a r e t h e b a s i c c a u s e s f o r c h i l d r e n ' s f a i l u r e t o g a i n w e ig h t.

1.

2. 5.

He p r e s c r i b e s n u t r i t i o n c l a s s e s f o r c h i l d r e n and

Children in a Democracy, General Report adopted by the White House Conference on Children in a Democracy, January 19» 19^0, Washington, D. C . j United S tates Department of Labor, C hildren's Bureau, 194-0, p. 10. The Play School. A Comprehensive Program o f Service for the Neglected Child (se e e a r lie r referen ces in Chapters I I I and IV). The Summer Play School, New Yorki Hie Federation for Ohild Study, 1919, p. 4o.

- 170parents, where the doctor can divide h is a tten tio n between children and mothers, and recommends ta c t and recognition o f s o c ia l and economic fa cto rs for gaining the cooperation o f parents.

The same handbook suggests:

"So

fa r as p o ssib le the Play School should seek to reach in to th e homes of the children through the organization of sp ecia l gatherings for parents or for mothers.

These would generally take place in the evening.

The leader

should be a person of ta c t and resource, who i s able to reach the neighbor1 hood through p eo p le's in te r e st in th e w elfare of th e ir own children." A newspaper account in the summer o f 1921 to ld i t s readers about a Bronx public school where the d aily play school luncheon was served in a 2

s e ttin g prepared and decorated by neighborhood mothers.

In the summer

o f 1924 a booklet designed by the children and "carried in a l i t t l e case which they make, serves as a good-w ill messenger between parent and school. In i t the parent w rites to teacher and teacher to parent, l i t t l e messages 5 o f h elp , encouragement and advice for the p articu lar ch ild ." In the same year education o f the mothers in the fundamentals o f healthy liv in g was 4 attempted through home v is it in g committees and m others1 group meetings. Two years la te r the mothers1 m eetings had become an accepted part of the work, as t h is statement in d ica tes:

"However, the work of the Summer

play school i s not for children only.

Mrs. R etting [then d irector of -the

sch ools] puts great s tr e ss on the f a c t th a t the aim i s to reach the parents through the children.

Ihere are mothers' m eetings, in which the p rin cip les

underlying the play school are explained to parents so that they may be .5 carried on during the year."

T. 2. 5.

Ib id . , p. 46. Mew York Evening P ost. August 27, 1921. Prom a 1924 report (unpublished) on th e summer play sch ools.

5*

New York Timea, September 26, 1926*

-171And la te r , in the same a r t ic le , readers are informed th at in some ca ses mothers'meetings have been continued by req u est, a ll through the winter months* 1

At the time o f the Bowman study,

published in 1955* organized parent

education had become "a primary part of the play school" and was on an a llyear b a sis, although the play schools for ch ild ren were s t i l l operating in the sunsner on ly.

‘Hie la t e s t manual

2

for teachers and group lead ers c a lls

i t s sectio n on work with parents, Parent P a r ticip a tio n , and d escribes the program as an in tegral part o f the play school plan, with the avowed pur­ pose o f rein fo rcin g fam ily l i f e . A more d eta iled treatment o f the th ir ty years o f work with parents in the play schools appears la te r in t h is chapter.

The few examples given

above were intended to show how stea d ily and c o n siste n tly th e play schools have recognized the important ro le the fam ily plays in education.

While

th e psychological approach of the play schools t o children has kept pace with developments in many experimental schools, the cu ltu ra l approach to the fam ily and community has given -the play schools a vanguard p o sitio n in t h is area.

Nearly twenty years ago, Mrs. Fred M. S tein , Chairman of

the Summer Play Schools Committee o f the Ohild Study A ssociation , wrote: "Parents are encouraged to v i s i t the school frequently and parents' meet­ ings are arranged under trained leadership.

Hiese m eetings provide oppor­

tu n ity for interpretin g th e Play School p ra ctices to the parents, and for Z

d iscu ssion o f parental problems."

1. 2. 5.

LeRoy E. Bowman, Community Programs for Summer Play Schools. How to Make a, Play School Work, 1949. From foreword to When Parents Meet At School, Summer Play Schools Pamphlet No. 1^ New York: Child Study A ssociation o f America, 1951*

-172Emergency Measures end Long-Range Planning In times of c r i s i s the b est la id plans may go awry.

finergency measures,

in education or any other area of human w elfare, may be taken so quickly and with so l i t t l e forethought th at they are doomed to f a ilu r e .

They may,

on the other hand, by cu ttin g through red tape and across the b arriers of custom, speed up th e tortuous process of so c ia l change.

Nor i s there any

guarantee th a t h a s tily organized a c t iv it ie s are n e c e ssa r ily weak or un­ sound.

C r is is conditions have been known to so dramatize long e x istin g

problems th at so ciety has f in a lly recognized them and taken immediate step s toward th e ir so lu tio n . Emergency measures have demonstrated values over and above the speed­ ing-up p rocess.

Machinery set in motion to meet one s p e c ific emergency

may fin d i t s e l f serving d iffe r e n t and broader purposes. tio n a l p ro jects illu s t r a t e t h is point rather c le a r ly .

The W.P.A. educar Organized with the

avowed in ten tion of creating employment, the W.P.A. was also resp onsib le fo r such cu ltu ral enrichment as may be found in fin e public b u ild in gs, achievements in art and le t t e r s , and improvement of the teaching in many sch o o ls.

The W.P.A. N urseries, while they were opened to make work for

tea ch ers, nurses and others, served a long unanswered need o f children and fa m ilie s .

Other tf.P.A. serv ices in th e schools, as w ell as the n u rseries,

demonstrated to th e public, in cid e n ta lly , some o f the areas where the sch ools were functioning inadequately or not at a l l , in community serv ice. Emergency developments may be more haphazard, le s s orderly than evolu­ tionary ones.

But they are sharp and f a s t .

And one step forward need not

n e c e ssa r ily be followed by two steps back. During th e th irty -y ea r period under consideration in t h is study, there

-173were three major national emergencies.

That World War I , the depression,

and World War II had serious sig n ifica n ce for work with children and fa m ilie s needs no r e p e titio n .

There may be v a lid reasons for considering

the present postwar period another time of emergency.

The assumption i s

made here th a t, although the immediate war situ a tio n has ended, e x istin g con d ition s may be c la s s if ie d as the unfinished b usiness of World War I I . Perhaps the depression was, sim ila rly , part o f the unfinished business o f World War I . h is to r ia n s .

C la r ific a tio n of th ese issu es w ill be l e f t to future

The concern here i s with the im plications for child ren and

fa m ilie s o f th e se three emergencies and with the measures taken, particu­ la r ly by play schools, to o f f s e t and a lle v ia te c r i s i s co n d itio n s. The d ra ft examinations of the f i r s t world war c a lle d a tten tio n to h ea lth and n u tr itio n a l problems.

The disruption o f fam ily l i f e , when

fa th e r s went into the m ilitary services and mothers into employment out­ sid e the home, raised the issu e of supervised care for ch ild ren .

Both

needs seemed to be in te n sifie d during th e long summer vacation when even th e few hours o f d aily supervision by the school was no longer a v a ila b le. The e a r lie s t play schools, a d irect outgrowth o f th e war emergency, were much concerned with the health and n u tr itio n o f children and with the supervision o f th eir play, as a means of p rotection against "physical and moral d eterioration ." * When the immediate war emergency ended, some o f the h a s t ily organized se r v ic e s for children and fa m ilie s ceased.

Where programs continued, the

major emphasis remained e s s e n tia lly the same for a long tim e.

Henry Harap,

w ritin g in th e Ju ly , 1922, issu e of the American Journal of Public H ealth,

TI

The Flay SchoolT A Comprehensive Program o f Service for th e Neglected Child, unpaged.

-174in describing h is work at the Hudson Guild Play School, s ta te s:

"Health

improvement o f the group was the most important aim, although considerable a tte n tio n was given to moral improvement."* The h ea lth , n u tr itio n and moral w ell-being o f the boys and g i r l s con­ tin u ed to be stressed in la te r accounts o f play school p r a c tic e s, but i t s ex clu siv e q u a lity lessened as long-range planning took the place o f ur­ gency and immediacy.

With the growth and broadening out o f the program,

greater emphasis was placed upon the t o ta l ch ild and h is fam ily.

More

p r o fe ssio n a lly trained personnel came to take the p laces f i l l e d by volunteers during the war.

Standards were raised and greater con tin u ity sought to

su sta in the gains matte.

The in clu sion of parents in overall planning had

a lso progressed to a le v e l o f some sig n ifica n ce when the second emergency arose. The depression reintroduced the c r i s i s m otif into the play school pat­ te r n .

This time the trouble was mostly fin a n c ia l.

The twofold e f f e c t of

th e economic depression upon the play schools has been mentioned b r ie fly in e a r lie r chapters.

While p rivate philanthropy became in creasin gly d if­

f i c u l t to e n l i s t , help was made available by a number o f new sources, in­ cluding government.

Pertinent to t h is p articular discu ssion is the

con tribu tion o f parents in maintaining the play schools during hard tim es. Where they had been r e c ip ie n ts of b en e fits produced by others in the World War I emergency, they became active p articip an ts during the depression. For example: In one crowded area, the Play School was sponsored by a Parents Committee representing f iv e publio schools in the d is t r ic t . D espite hard tim es, t h is group undertook to r a ise the money needed for teach ers' s a la r ie s (over and above those

1 . "Results o f a Health Program in a Summer Play School."

-175assigned by the Board o f Education), su p p lies, and in cid en ta l expenses, so th at more than a hundred c h il­ dren in the d is t r ic t could be served in an all-d ay summer program*^ Some o f th ese parents also served as a s sista n ts in school a c tiv itie s * While the maintenance o f individual centers was made in creasin gly d if­ f i c u l t by economic shortages, the philosophy o f the movement was beginning to achieve wide recogn ition through the spread o f the idea as an emergency measure. The a v a ila b ility o f hundreds o f unemployed teachers, on the one hand, and the in creasingly evident summer­ time need o f thousands o f New York C ity 's children, on th e oth er, led the Board o f Education to cooperate with the W.P.A. in e sta b lish in g , in 1954, th ir ty -fo u r Summer Play Schools in public school bu ild in gs under the d ire ctio n o f an a ssista n t superintendent o f schools. Drawing upon the Child Study A sso cia tio n 's nineteen year8 o f experience, th ese new centers extended many o f the e s s e n tia l fea tu res of all-d ay care to larger numbers o f children than had h eretofore been reached. The th ird emergency in play school h isto ry had been d iscern ib le for some time before the United S tates entered World War I I .

Leaders in edu­

cation and w elfa re, cognizant o f what was already happening to children in England and on the con tin en t, had organized and planned fo r action at home.

For most parents, however, the f u ll impact o f the war struck home

with th e attack on Pearl Harbor.

As Jean Schick Grossman puts i t :

"Imr-

m ediately a fter Pearl Harbor the parents who came to our Play School parents' d iscu ssio n groups were f i l l e d with a n x ie tie s and forebodings. They feared that our c i t i e s would be bombed.

They were gravely concerned

about th e ir c h ild r e n 's sa fety and security."^ Beginning in December o f 1941, Mrs. Grossman, Director o f Parent

1. 2. 5.

Adele S. Mossier and J o s e tte Frank, "ftie Long Vacation," Progressive Education, Vol. X III, No. 4 (A pril, 1956), p. 268. Ib id . , p. 269. L etters from Mothers in Wartime, New York: Play Schools A ssociation, 1945, unpaged.

- 176 Education for th e Play Schools A ssociation, presented over th e radio, and in various published forms, constructive programs for the maintenance o f fam ily morale in wartime.

The fa c e -to -fa c e meetings with parents th a t

had become such an important part of the work with fa m ilie s were con­ tin u ed , but increasing numbers of mothers could no longer attend as they had gone in to industry.

Daytime parents' m eetings were out o f the ques­

t io n for many, and evening meetings were not much b e tte r .

A ll th e house­

hold ta sk s were s t i l l to be done when mothers came home after a long day's work, and th e darkened c it y s tr e e ts added l i t t l e lu str e to th e idea o f s e ttin g out to attend a m eeting. And what o f the children?

Where and under what con d ition s were they

spending the hours when schools were closed and mothers not yet home from work?

Just as government had stepped in to create jobs during the de­

p ression , i t now proposed to r elea se mothers for war work.

The elapsed

tim e between the two emergencies in ch ild care was indeed so short th at some o f the new wartime ser v ic es were merely the W.P.A. programs with 1 new names. Although th e Play Schools and the All-Day Neighborhood Schools had been demonstrating the e ffe c tiv e n e s s o f after-sch ool programs for schoolage children before World War II began, i t was the war th at stim ulated concerted e f fo r t s in t h is d irectio n a ll over the country. S ta te s O ffice o f Education stated:

In 19^5, th e United

"It is to safeguard the w elfare o f c h il­

dren o f working mothers th a t the schools in many communities are attempting to do something about children who can no longer be cared for in th e ir

1.

See Chapter I I I , p. 77

-177homes.

This i s th e need leading to the establishm ent of extended school „1 se r v ic e s fo r children." Although moat p ro fessio n al workers in child h ealth , w elfare and educar

t io n r ea liz e d th a t emergency serv ices provided during the war would probably be cu rta ile d or com pletely discontinued when the war ended, they recognized how many o f the needs end problems had ex isted before there was a war and would s t i l l be there when the war was over.

Parents knew i t , too.

Many

mothers had been the sole or major supports of th e ir fa m ilies before as w ell as during the war.

In a report of a survey by the A ssociation for

Childhood Education, t h is statement appears:

"But we know that many mothers

must and w ill continue to work for one reason or another, often at l e s s re­ munerative jo b s, and th a t th e communities in which they liv e must o f necee2 s it y fo r the sake o f th e ir children provide services to care for them." S t a t i s t i c s presented in t h is survey report make i t clear that mothers in other la rg e c i t i e s were facing problems quite lik e those o f New Yorkers in carrying the r e s p o n s ib ilit ie s for both the support and the care o f th eir ch ild ren . A study o f the continuing need fo r ch ild care centers in New York City was begun in the week fo llo w in g V-J Day*

E igh ty-five per cent of the

three thousand working mothers responding to a questionnaire indicated they planned to continue.

Hie remainder said they intended to give up th eir

jobs or work only u n til th e ir husbands returned from the armed services*

5

When some o f th ese mothers did return to fu ll-tim e homemaklng, the few

T. 2. 5.

All-Pay School Programs fo r Children o f Working Mothers, ( School Chil­ dren and th e War S eries—L e a fle t No* 2 ), Washington, D. C.: United S ta tes O ffice o f Education, 19^5» P* 1* What i s Happening to the Children. B u lletin o f the A ssociation for Childhood Education, Washington, D. C ., 1946, p. 8* Helen M. H arris, "Day Care Centers in Peacetime," Better Times. Vol. XXVII, No. 6 (November 2, 1945).

-

178 -

vacancies created by the withdrawal o f th eir children from the centers were immediately f i l l e d from long w aiting l i s t s . Not a ll women who work, not even a ll mothers who work, do so from acute economic n e c e s sity .

P rofession al women and others who work from

choice have had to make p rovision for the care o f th eir ch ild ren . and w illin g to pay the c o st o f such care, many o f

Able

these f in s n c ie lly more

secure mothers sought and received group care serv ices during the war. On the b a sis o f th eir earnings they paid r e la t iv e ly h i^ i f e e s .

When the

war emergency ended, th eir children were usually declared in e lig ib le under new regu lation s and dropped from the cen ters. The major d ifferen ce between play schools and the pu blicly supported emergency p ro jects may be th a t play schools are, at le a s t th e o r e tic a lly , fo r

a ll children ldio need them.

But play schools, p r a c tic a lly speaking,

have also developed in response to emergencies and are s t i l l far from r e a liz in g the id eal inherent in th e ir long-range planning.

In the course

of th is study reference has been found, again and again, to the v a lid ity o f the play school idea fo r a ll ch ild ren .

The reference i s almost in­

variably accompanied by the frank admission th at application o f the idea has usually been lim ited to the econom ically deprived.

Mossier and Frank

stated i t t h is way, in 1956* As one regards the movement in i t s h is t o r ic de­ velopment, both i t s beginnings and i t s wider ap­ p lic a tio n s have grown out o f emergenoy situ a tio n s. I t was to be expected, -therefore, that i t s major expressions should be in terms o f le s s p rivileged ch ild ren . But th e plan has proved v a lid not only for the l e s s p r iv ileg ed urban children who remain in the c it y during the summer, but a lso for c h il- ^ dren who l i v e in suburban and rural areas as w e ll.

1.

Adele S. Mossier and J o s e tte Frank, "The Long Vacation," Progressive Education, Volume X III, No. 4 (A p ril, 195°), p. 269.

-1 7 9 -

In a d escrip tio n o f th e c lie n t e le o f one demonstration play school in the summer o f 1959, we fin d th ese words* Grouped as underprivileged ch ildren, they come from a ll p arts of th e Marihattanville d is t r i c t . East River i s the n a tiv e haunt o f some, and others come from as fa r uptown as l40th S treet and as fa r downtown as 85th S tr e e t. Parents of some are unemployed, others are on W.P.A. and some are ^ refugees from foreign lands as w ell as broken homes. At another demonstration u n it sponsored by New York U niversity, the Child Study A ssociation and the Associated Experimental Schools, service was primarily for the needy.

Clara P. S k ile s, d irector o f the school,

wrote: While our demonstration program i s planned for children o f fa m ilie s o f lower-income groups, the play school id ea has been adapted and i s equally suited to a ll kinds of children in many comnunit i e s . In any circum stances a sound home-schoolcommunity rela tio n sh ip i s th e com er stone. ^ The f i r s t play schools were opened fo r Hie needy, undernourished c h il­ dren o f New York in World War I .

In the golden tw enties play schools were

s t i l l serving the needy and the undernourished.

During the years of

economic depression there were greater numbers than ever of undernourished children to be fed and cared for in play sch ools.

During and a fter World

War I I , the needy erbill came f i r s t and there was never r e a lly enough to go around. The added help and in te r e st aroused by emergency conditions are not to be underestimated.

When the excitement i s over, however, the inspira­

tio n tends to fade, and along with i t may go the volunteer workers, con tri­ butions o f food and su p p lies and public support.

1. 2.

A certa in core of in te r e st

New York World-Telegram. July 6, 1959. Clara P. S k iles in th e New York Times. July 16, 1959.

-1 8 0 and understanding may be le ft*

I f i t i s fed and nurtured and b u ilt upon

by th e long-range planners, the emergency measure a may have served a permanent purpose.

I t i s hoped th at t h is summary note from a Federal war­

tim e p u blication has not been forgotten : The all-d ay school program for children whose mothers are advancing the war e f fo r t through wartime employ­ ment iB a long, long step in th e d irectio n of victory for America and a ll of the b e n e fits a ju st and wise peace can bring to t h is country and every country in the world. The war has taught us once again that America cannot afford anything but good care and edu­ cation for her ch ild ren , fo r in a very rea l sense they are the fu tu re. Home and Community Influences on Children No true picture of a ch ild stands alone. home and fam ily that c o n stitu te i t s frame.

It needs the support o f the

The fam ily, to be c le a r ly seen,

also requires the strength and p ersp ective derived from i t s place as one 2 small u n it w ithin the larger framework o f a community. Ruth S. Cavan describes the family as a continuous and adaptable in s titu tio n liv in g under and gradually changing with the mores of i t s p articu lar cu ltu re. With the p o ssib le exception o f such atyp ical groups as the migrant agricu ltu ral workers, most American fa m ilie s have sent down roots into th e community culture whence they have sprung.

Even in the p olyglot anomaly

th a t i s New York C ity, there are some f a ir ly w ell defined communities. These smaller u n its w ithin th e larger d iv isio n s or boroughs may be d elin e­ ated geographically or they may p ossess s p e c ific p o li t i c a l , economic or ethnic connotations.

Urban adults freq u en tly cross community boundaries

in the daily pursuit o f a liv in g .

1. 2.

Children u su ally remain c lo se to the

All-Pay School Programs for Children of Working Mothers, ( School Chil­ dren and the War S eries—L ea flet No. 2 ) , Washington, D. C.: United S tates O ffice o f Education, 1945, p. 12. The Family, pp. 70-105*

-181home base.

Schools and other group care agen cies, p a rtic u la rly those

under public auspices, tend to be located within th e communities they serve.

The major in flu en ces upon children are apt to derive from the

fam ily and the immediate home community. The recent trend toward community o rien ta tio n of elementary school cu rricu la would appear to in d icate an acceptance, at le a s t in theory, o f the importance o f community in flu en ces upon children and fa m ilie s. Edward G. Olsen states^ th a t general agreement has been reached upon the improvement o f the q u a lity of human liv in g as th e sch o o l's b asic function. He adds that such improvement i s p o ssib le only through c lo se r cooperation between school and community.

Our so cie ty has o f f i c i a l l y designated the

school as the community agency resp onsib le for the education o f the young. I t is o ften aided and abetted or r iv a lle d and even undermined by other fo r c e s in the community. "Every now and th e n ,11 says Brubacher, "educators have to stop to re­ mind them selves that there is much more to education than what takes place w ithin the four w alls of the school.

They have to remind themselves that

th e child i s g ettin g an education from h is experiences out of school as w ell as from those within— indeed, th at sometimes h is outr-of-school educa­ tio n i s more sig n ific a n t for h is future development than h is in-school education."

2

To say that fa m ilies liv e in communities i s not enough.

To agree that

children learn from th e ir fa m ilies and th e ir communities i s not enough. To be able to appreciate the part th a t play B chools have played in the l i v e s o f New York CJity children, one needs to know what kinds of homes

1. 2.

School and Oomnunity Programs, p. ix . John S. Brubacher, The History o f the Problems o f Education, p . . 557.

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182 -

in what kinds of communities the schools have served. Play School Neighborhoods The play “Dead End" presented, with the fo rcefu ln ess o f a so c io lo g ic a l document, that peculiar phenomenon o f neighborhoods in big c i t i e s where fa m ilie s o f widely divergent economic le v e ls liv e sid e by sid e.

In New

York Oity i t i s not at a ll uncommon to fin d the extremes of poverty and wealth as r e fle c te d in housing accommodations only a block or two apart. 1 In describing the lo c a le o f h is study, Earl L. Koos r e fe r s to the short stretch of f iv e and six -sto r y tenements as lyin g between the "Gold Ooast" o f F ifth and Madison Avenues and the newly developing "Gold Ooast" along th e East River.

Play schools located in sim ilar neighborhoods have usual­

ly served the children from the tenements.

The gold coast fa m ilie s have

made other p rovision s for th eir child ren , camp or the country in summer, hired or home supervision a fter school in w inter. I t i s doubtful whether any urban community, rich , poor, or conglomer­ ate, can be made into an id eal s e ttin g for the b est p o ssib le growth and development o f children.

Some aspects of so cia l maturation may be

hastened by crowded c ity liv in g .

Opportunities fo r cu ltu ra l enrichment

are undeniably great and c lo se at hand. posed to considerable physical danger. in to trouble are great. ment liv in g . Baber s ta te s ,

The c it y c h ild , however, i s ex­ The opp ortun ities for g e ttin g

Indoors are a ll the drawbacks o f crowded apart­

Outdoors there i s u su ally ju s t the c it y s tr e e t . 2

Ray E.

in h is treatment of the apartment as the dominant family

s e ttin g in urban communities, th at n in e ty -fiv e per cen t of th e fa m ilies

1. 2.

Fam ilies in Trouble, pp. 5 -4 . Marriage and the Family, pp. 12-15.

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185-

in th e Borough o f Manhattan liv e in m u ltip le d w ellin gs.

He s tr e s s e s not

only the p hysical hazards involved, and the inadequate p rovision for whole­ some play, but adds that the lack of space and privacy tend to develop de­ fe n siv e a ttitu d e s, ir r it a b ilit y and interpersonal ten sio n s.

Anyone who has

tr a v e lle d in the subway at rush hour, shopped at Macy's on a Thursday evening, or tr ie d to maintain a sa tisfa cto ry r e s t period in a play school on a summer day, with trucks r o llin g and pedestrians shouting ju st ou tsid e, can appreciate the emotional as well as the physical str a in s of c it y l i f e . That the play schools have offered one p a rtia l solu tion to the prob­ lems o f contemporary c ity liv in g for children i s an in tegral part of the t h e s is o f t h is study.

Ihe communities described on the follow in g pages

represent reasonably ty p ica l play school neighborhoods.

The b r ie f inter­

p retation of each w ill emphasize the elements s ig n ific a n t for play school s e r v ic e s. The f i r s t play school was located at the Hudson Guild, a settlem ent in the Ohelsea D is tr ic t o f New York C ity. mon with Chelsea in 1950*

Chelsea in 1917 had much in com­

There were the waterfront a c t i v it i e s , th e docks,

the longshoremen, the warehouses, and the drays, now la rg ely replaced by tru ck s.

Some o f tod ay's most dilapidated houses were surely in b etter

shape th ir ty years ago.

Many o f the worst b uild in gs have been torn down

to make room for a new low -cost housing p ro ject.

Incomes were low, fami­

l i e s la rg e.

Homes had neither space nor f a c i l i t i e s for play* 1 refuge was the dangerous, crowded s tr e e t.

The only

In a ll th e early play schools m alnutrition was a seriou s community problem.

1.

Not only were food c o sts high, and ste a d ily r is in g due to the

Mrs. Fred M. S tein , When Parents Meet at School, p . 1.

-184war, but in many fa m ilie s o f foreign backgrounds, there were prejudices 1 against certa in low -cost foods, and ignorance of food valu es in general* John L. E l l i o t t , in whose honor the Ohelsea housing p roject mentioned above was named, said: During the hot summer days while more fortunate ch ild ren are building up health and strength at cool camps and summer homes—the lo t o f tenement children i s at i t s worst. To most of them there i s no choice fo r play but the inadequate public school play-grounds and the parched s tr e e ts with a ll th e ir moral and physical dangers. In the f i r s t decade o f play school h isto ry th e foreign backgrounds o f parents were a matter o f concern, not only in planning for the feed ing of ch ild ren , but in arranging for parents' m eetings.

The A ssociate Director

o f the Summer Play Schools in the 1920's, who appears to have been th e ir 3 f i r s t p rofession al worker in parent education as w ell, s ta te s th a t mail­ ing in v ita tio n s for parents' meetings i s not always h s lp fu l, because le t t e r boxes are dilapidated and few parents can read English.

Among the fiv e

hundred parents attending meetings in the summer of 1927 were a ll races, creeds and n a t io n a lit ie s .

In one group from the neighborhood o f Tenth

Avenue and S ixty-fourth S tr ee t, there were Chinese, Japanese, Greek, Czech, I ta lia n and Swedish mothers, as w ell as n ative Negroes and w h ites.

In one

lower East sid e settlem ent where there has been a play school in continuous operation sin ce 1918, ch ild ren were found in surprisingly good physical con­ d itio n , although one-third were ten per cent or more underweight and many had decayed te e th .

However, “Heads, bodiee and underclothing were neglected

1 . Federation for Child Study, Giving the Child Combating M aln u trition ), unpaged, undated 2 . From an unpaged, undated l e a f l e t e n title d “A Summer Play School from Which I t Grew." 5 . V io le t A. JereaK it, in an unpublished report Summer Play Schools.

a Chance (An Experiment in fprobably 1919). Community Service and the on Parental Educ at ion in

-185in most ca ses, due to unhygienic home conditions and lack o f bathing f a c i l i ­ t ie s .n An early play school report recommends th at the doctors who examine the children e ith e r be fa m iliar with the p revailin g language o f most o f the parents, or have a competent interpreter present at a ll exam inations.

As

early as 1918, and every year th erea fter, children have been referred to the play schools by p rivate agencies and given preference in placement on the b a sis o f the reasons fo r r e fe r r a l.

In la te r years, public as w ell as

p riv a te agencies were resp on sib le for recommending th e ir c li e n t s to the play sch ools. That play school children liv ed in substandard communities i s stated or implied in almost every report and publication consulted, but descrip­ tio n o f s p e c ific neighborhood conditions are rare in the early days.

One

a r t ic le , describing a s e r ie s of v i s i t s to the schools, includes b r ie f neighborhood h ig h lig h ts .

The w riter t e l l s of the tr ip to a play school in

the Ghetto: Going through narrow s tr e e ts lin ed with pushcarts tended by bearded men or women in shawls, th e ir shops la b e lle d in Y iddish, doorsteps clu ttered with refu se bags and sprawling ch ild ren , we arrived at BethI sr a e l H o sp ita l, JO Jefferso n S treet. Here have been found accommodations for a small part o f the summer work. The roof offered a pleasin g contrast to the scene below, fo r a rush of cool air from somewhere greeted us as we stepped out. I t came from the East River which seems to flow ju s t below th e h o sp ita l when one i s on the roof, for the graceful framework o f Manhattan Bridge r is e s m a jestica lly but a sto n e's throw away.^

1. 2.

From an unpublished report o f the summer play school at Madison House, dated 1919, unpaged. Mary G ilpin Armstrong, "Summer Play Schools in New York C ity," School and S o ciety , Volume XVI, No. 407 (October 14, 1922), p. 446.

-186Comment ing on the work o f the child ren at t h is play school, the v isito r p ra ises th e ir gardening e f fo r t s for bringing color and cheer to the bar­ renness of the neighborhood surroundings.

Mrs. Armstrong, th e observer and

w riter o f the a r t ic le , appears to have moved north from the lower East sid e for her next d escrip tio n , again of a h o sp ita l roof, trea ts the play school at the New York Infirmary on East F ifteen th S treet.

I t says, in parts

"There are no u n sigh tly rubbish heaps or over-ripe f r u it stands near the immaculate h o s p ita l, but children from p laces where they e x is t were brought 1 d a ily to enjoy the comfort of righ t liv in g on F ifteen th Street." While more recent p ra ctice in play schools has stressed service to the immediate community,

there are several examples in the h is to r ic a l m aterial

of children being transported from th e ir own neighborhoods to centers in more favored areas.

For instanoet

Up at Public School 4 , in the Bronx, which overlooks unbroken moors o f open country, was another dining­ room to be proud o f . I t was creamy white from c e ilin g to flo o r covering, with s te n c ille d muslin curtains and b r i^ it flow ers to furnish the color note. . . Children from lower sectio n s o f New York were trans­ ported to t h is exceptional school, i t s swimming pools, i t s acres o f play space about, i t s well equipped gym­ nasiums and classroom s, by three motor buses furnished by th e Boand o f Education.^ Mrs. Armstrong mentions

the b eau tifu l surroundings of the Ethical

Culture Play School, with the verdant sweep of Central Park at i t s door­ step , as one more place the children from le s s fortunate s e ttin g s can 4 come in the summertime. A b r ie f b u lle tin describing t h is play school co n tra sts the immediate neighborhood o f spacious park areas and fin e b uild-

1. 2. 5. 4.

Ibid. , p. 447. Ib id . . p. 448. Ibid. . p. 447. The E thical Culture Summer Play School, undated pamphlet. p la ces i t in 1925*

Content

-1 8 7 ings with the congested tenement d i s t r i c t , a few ehort blocks d ista n t, where the play school ch ild ren l i v e . Many more reports are a v a ila b le fo r the second and third decades of play sohool h isto r y and they supply more factu al and s t a t is t ic a l informer tio n .

Outstanding among th e c h a r a c te r istic s claimed for play school fami­

l i e s and neighborhoods in the 1950'a, are those d ir e c tly related to the economic s tr e ss and stra in o f the depression.

Whole ser ie s o f social

workers' reports on fa m ilie s during t h is period show p r a c tic a lly a ll fath ers out o f work e n tir e ly , working only spasmodically or on the W.P.A.

This

p ictu re o f unemployment i s probably n ot wholly accurate as the stud ies ap­ pear to have been lim ited to fa m ilie s referred to the play schools by so cia l agencies. 1 A memorandum from one parent education worker to another describes conditions in a play school as p o ssib le guides fo r the d irection the work should take.

Here are some o f i t s n otation s:

Many children come to school with hair in "their eyes. Many children have uncomfortable clo th in g —too lo o se, m issing buttons, uncomfortable underwear. Some o f the ch ild ren are sent on long errands and are expected to carry very heavy bundles through the s tr e e ts and in many c a ses, th ese are children who have a very long walk to school every day and who l iv e in top flo o r apartments. The children do not g et very much f r u it at home and the Board o f Health doctor has recommended th at a number o f than get more. The children attending a play school operated in a public school build­ ing in the summer o f 1957, had been referred to th e center by f iv e so cia l agencies and two public sch o o ls.

1.

This school, with 176 such re fe r r a ls on

Jean Schick Grossman to Ona Youngblood, July 50, 1951

-1 8 8 it a r o l l s , was planned as a demonstration and observation center for the personnel o f a ll the play sch ools.

Teachers from outstanding progressive

schools had been engaged for t h is p ro ject.

At the end o f the sumner, the

so c ia l worker's report carried the recomnendation th at the teacher b be given a b etter understanding o f th ese ch ild ren .

She said they did not

seem to be aware o f the many d eprivations o f the child from the under­ p riv ileg ed fam ily.

They expected too much o f him, in the way of background

and experiences for program b u ild in g.

They knew too l i t t l e about the com­

munity agencies referrin g the children and the various functions each agency performed. Case h is t o r ie s recorded during th e depression in dicate th at many of the crowded liv in g con d ition s of the 1920's were further aggravated by the doubling up of fa m ilie s to save ren t in the 5 0 's .

Fam ilies with no

e a r lie r h isto r y of agency help of any kind suddenly appeared on the r e l i e f r o lls .

The pink s li p , the r e l i e f check, the father who stayed at home with

the children while mother went out to work, were a ll prominent in the dramatic play o f children in the play schools o f the JO's.

I t i s probably

in t h is playing out o f the d a ily r e a l i t i e s of fam ily l i f e by the children th a t the b est p ictu re of changing p atterns o f community liv in g may be found. As the scene sh ifte d from depression to war, f i r s t in Europe, then at home, play school neighborhoods r e fle c te d the concomitant so cia l changes. One play school in upper Manhattan was organized in response to a d irect request by the prin cip al o f the lo c a l public school for help in meeting an immediate neighborhood need.

The problem involved was "based upon the

arrival o f large numbers o f emigr&

children from Europe— and i t s disturb­

ing e f f e c t on neighborhood patterns."*' 1.

The public school where t h is play

Rowena M. Shoemaker and Doris L. Bock, The Flay School and I t a Program, p. 24.

-189school was sta rted , and is now fu nction in g on a year-round b a sis, i s described as a tru ly American school whose children represent p ra ctica lly a l l o f the stra in s th a t have made America*

"Their parents—or grand­

parents— came here from th irty -tw o d iffe r e n t cou n tries. Jews, and P rotestan ts; Negro and w h ite.

They are C ath olics,

A number of the children them­

se lv e s are foreign bora, having come to the United States in recent years from areas su fferin g mass persecution o f m inority peoples." At another play school in Manhattan, 140 children from f iv e to twelve years o f age were en rolled during the 1940 season.

All but forty-th ree

were referred by so c ia l agencies including the Community Service Society, Catholic C h a rities, a lo c a l day nursery and two Jewish agencies.

The 140

children came from eigh ty-seven fa m ilie s representing eleven major n a tio n a lir tie s .

In th ir te e n fa m ilie s parents were o f d iffe r e n t n a tio n a litie s .

There

were one hundred white ch ild ren , th ir ty -e ig h t Negroes and two Chinese. Thirty-two fa m ilie s were receivin g r e l i e f from th e public department, six from W.P.A., two from the Child Welfare Board, one from veteran 's pension funds and f if t e e n from p rivate agen cies, was the so le wage earner. fam ily support. emigrA

hi twenty-two fa m ilie s the father

Fourteen mothers carried the to ta l burden of

In seven homes both parents worked.

children at t h i s center i s not known.

The t o ta l number of

The records show six c h il-

dren described as Jewish refugees en rolled on scholarships in the school.

2

J u st three years la te r , in th e same play school, with many of the same children s t i l l in attendance, th e neighborhood situ a tio n shows con­ sid erab le change, p a rticu la rly in i t s economic asp ects.

1. 2.

Many fa m ilies had

Lou. c i t . Information on individual play schools gathered from so c ia l workers' rep orts, case stu d ie s and other c o n fid e n tia l, unpublished papers in th e f i l e s o f the P la y Schools A ssociation .

-1 9 0 become e n tir e ly self-su p p o rtin g .

T h ir ty -six fa th ers were supplying so le

fam ily support; tw enty-three mothers had assumed th is r esp o n sib ility ; in th irteen fa m ilie s both parents were at work. receivin g agency h elp .

Only nine fa m ilie s were

Two fa m ilie s had army allotm ents.

Of the en tire

enrollment o f 140 ch ild ren , only f iv e had not been e lig ib le for the free lunches supplied by the Board of Education in 1940.

In 1945, f i f t y c h il­

dren were no longer e l i g i b l e for fr e e lunches. Public concern over an increase in ju v en ile delinquenty was responsible for sta rtin g a play school in s t i l l another area o f Manhattan in the 1940' s . Here area few

s id e lig h ts on t h is community as reported*

i s also a trained so c ia l worker.

She l i s t s four fa cto rs

by a resid en t, who as contributing

to the increase in ju v en ile delinquency in that area* (1)

Inadequate parental rela tio n sh ip s—homes in which the mother or fath er or both are n eu rotic, de­ linquent or m entally retarded; homes that are broken by death, d ivorce, d esertion or physical or mental i l l n e s s .

(2)

N eglect. Many cases o f n eg le c t are due to employ­ ment o f the mother away from home.

(5)

Retardation. Many child ren who are retarded lo se in te r e st in school and begin to truant.

(4)

Lack o f adequate community recreation al resources. Many children roam th e s tr e e ts a fter dism issal from school u n til la te in th e evening with door keys around th e ir necks; others are locked out. These children are subjected to a ll kinds o f degrading s tr e e t in flu e n ces.

The numbers o f doorkey ch ildren and locked out children were on the increase during the war, n o t only in the most deprived areas, but even among comfortably situ ated fa m ilie s .

Some con d ition s are common to

p r a ctica lly a ll play school neighborhoods.

1.

Poverty with i t s attendant

In an unpublished dooument in the f i l e s o f the Play Schools A ssociation.

-1 9 1 i l l s i s probably the most common. r e c tly to poverty.

Many health problems can be traced di­

The National Tuberculosis A ssociation found that the

incidence of tu b ercu losis per 100,000 was 125 among fa m ilie s paying a monthly rental of from §10. to § 2 0 ., dropped to 50 In the $50. to §45. 1 c la s s , and to 25 among th ose paying §55* and up. The emotional strain o f c ity liv in g i s f e l t by the adequately fed as w ell as the hungry. Economic in secu rity has been known to threaten th e family patterns of f a ir ly w ell paid p rofession al workers as w ell as the u n sk illed and the poorly paid. One play school area, o ften looked upon as th e exception, because of i t s superior so c ia l and economic sta tu s, has sp ecial problems o f i t s own. Fam ilies liv e in l i t t l e houses with big mortgages.

Mother and father both

work to pay o f f the mortgage, and most recen tly , to pay for the te le v is io n se t.

There are strong prejudices against various minority groups.

There

are emotional tensions and economic in s e c u r itie s here, too, and no so cia l agency ju st around the corner waiting to h elp .

M iddle-class pride might

w ell defeat any attempt to help such fa m ilie s with th eir problems, i f help were more rea d ily a v a ila b le.

2

Much more typ ical o f play school neighborhoods in general, however, 5 are such environmental conditions as Koos d escrib es. His fa m ilie s liv e in tenements with no fro n t yards, on courts where lig h t and air are at a premium, and the view i s composed o f the neighbor's waehline or the milk b o ttle s in window iceboxes.

Bathrooms, for the fa m ilie s who have exclu sive

use of one, may not include f a c i l i t i e s for bathing and may open o ff the

1. 2. 5.

Tuberculosis, prepared by the National Tuberculosis A ssociation, 1959» p. 2b'. Treatment o f t h is community based on interview s with play school so cia l worker. Earl Lomon Koos, Fam ilies in Trouble, pp. 25-25.

-192kitchen or liv in g room.

Bedrooms serve as storage space as w ell as sleep­

ing quarters and are rarely occupied by only one member of the fam ily. A w riter, describing rather then studying the New York Btreet scene, com­ municates h is impressions somewhat d iffe r e n tly : In the slums are poverty and bad housing, but with them the reassuring sob riety and safety of family l i f e . I head e a st along Rivington. All i s cheerful and f il t h y and crowded. Small shops overflow onto the sidewalk, leavin g only h a lf the normal width for p assers-b y. In the candid li^ h t from unshaded bulbs gleam watermelons and lin g e r ie . Fam ilies have fle d the h o t rooms u p sta irs and have found r e li e f on the pavement. They s i t on orange c ra tes, smoking, relaxed, co n g en ia l. This i s the n ig h tly garden party o f the v a st Lower East Side— and on th e whole they are more agreeable-looking hot-weather groups than some you see in bright canvas deck ch airs on green lawns in country circum stances. I t i s folk sy here with the smell o f warm fle s h and squashed f r u it end f ly - b itt e n f i l t h in the g u tter, and cook in g.1 PlaV School C h ild ren ^ Homes Within th e neighborhoods described above are the homes o f the play school ch ild ren .

Daily into the schools they come, bringing the concepts

learned in th ese homes, th e h a b its, the p rejud ices, the sa tis fa c tio n s and the r e je c tio n s .

Clara Lambert has w ritten

2

of play school children that

many come from homes where language, education and experiences are lim ited . Having no con tacts beyond th eir own immediate cu ltu ra l group, they have accepted the taboos and p reju d ices o f th e ir fa m ilie s at the same time th a t such mass media as movies end radio have lowered th eir esteem for many of the rich q u a litie s represented by th eir own homes.

Mrs. Lambert illu s t r a t e s

her point:

1.

E. B. p. Play: p.

White, Here la New York. New York: Harper and Brothers, 19^9» 40. A Y ardstick o f Growth, (rev ised e d itio n , undated, probably 19^2), £**.

-195In one o f the sch ools, for example, a teacher wished to take a group to v i s i t a Greek C atholic Church. The Jewish children refused to go. They had d e fin ite fea r s connected with a church. These same children, however, refused to cook in school th e foreign dishes which they were accustomed to eating at home, for they were a^iamed o f th e borsht or cabbage soup and b lin t z e s .1 The physical s e ttin g s for the homes o f play school children r e f le c t th e changes th a t have been takin g place in housing a ll over the n ation. The LyndB sta te

th at at the tim e o f th e ir study (begun in 1924) ten ,

tw elve or fourteen houses occupied the same c it y block th at held eigh t homes in 1890, and th a t i t had become common p ractice to in se r t additional houses fron tin g on side s tr e e ts by cu ttin g short the depth o f lo t s , thus depriving fa m ilie s o f privacy and children o f play space.

The census

fig u re s show that of a t o t a l o f 1,020,287 homes in New York Oity in 1910, 884,616 were in rented space, while in 1920, 1, 105,900 out o f a p ossib le 1,278,541 fa m ilies liv e d in rented homes.

In th e Borough o f Manhattan,

where the la rg e st number o f play school children liv e , 468,927 fa m ilies out o f a p o ssib le 495*545 liv e d in rented space in 1910.

In 1920, the

number o f home owners having been g rea tly reduced, 510*185 homes were rented out o f a to ta l o f 525*15^* When Robert and Helen Lynd were beginning th e ir study o f Middletown and deploring the reduction in s iz e and recreation al value o f the family yard, play school children in New York Oity liv e d in the follow in g kinds o f s e ttin g s, ju st a block or two west o f midtown Broadway:

“Tucked away

in four, th ree and sometimes two room f l a t s , with scanty f a c i l i t i e s for sanitary standards o f liv in g , are fa m ilie s with f iv e to ten children.

The

busy mother can give but l i t t l e care to her in dividual children, and must 1. 2. 5.

Loc. c i t . Robert and Helen Lynd, Middletown, p. 94. Department o f Commerce, United S ta tes Bureau of the Census, Government P rinting O ffice, 1925.

-1 9 4 o ften also work outside the home to make both ends meet."^- One of these mothers, separated from her husband because o f h is c ru elty , works long hours as a presser in a laundry, earning $2K).00 a week for the support of h e r s e lf and four ch ild ren . three younger children.

The tw elve-year-old deughter takes care of the

She also prepares the fam ily m eals.

At ten, t h is

ch ild was so badly burned While cooking th a t she spent four months in a h o sp ita l and w ill probably carry the soars a ll her l i f e .

2

A play school worker, presumably a director or so cia l worker, describ­ ing a home v i s i t in a congested Manhattan neighborhood at the end of the. fa th e r 's working day, w rites: The family consisted of eigh t members liv in g in three orderly rooms made ch eerfu l by clea n lin e ss and sm iles. The worker found an in t e llig e n t but i l l i t e r a t e mother bathing the two youngest children, preparatory for bed. A l i t t l e fo o t tub was serving the purpose. The r e s t of the children were stand­ ing around enjoying the scene near the kitchen stove. The father was proud of h is family* The mother was sm iling and p a tie n t. I t was a ,p retty p ictu re in such a cozy end clean kitchen.^ The fa th er, an Immigrant bricklayer, to ld th e v is it o r th at he was happy to work so h is children might g et more out o f liv in g . Mabel Ross, in d iscu ssin g the mental health of children from the standp oint o f the p sy c h ia tr ist, w rites

th a t beyond the minimal requirements of

clothin g and sh elter from the elem ents, every ch ild needs a fam iliar haven fromWhich to explore the world about him with the secure knowledgethat he can return to t h is sh e lte r for r e s t and comfort from cold or rain or

1. 2. 5. 4.

The Ethical Culture Summer Play School, p. 24. From an unpublished play school rep ort. Ibid. , unpaged. 11For Today's Children and Tomorrow's Adults," EducationalLeadership, Journal o f the A ssociation for Supervision andCurriculum Develop­ ment, National Education A ssociation , Volume VI, No. 8 (May, 1949), p. 492.

-1 9 5 vermin.

In the two fa m ilie s described above, liv in g in the same area at

the seme tim e, there are observable elements of s im ila r ity .

Both supplied

food and sh elter in somewhat cramped havens, but no p sy c h ia tr ist i s needed to recognize the h ea lth ier clim ate in the second home, i t s ra tio o f e i $ i t inhabitants to three rooms notw ithstanding.

Nor i s i t ju st the physical

presence o f both parents that g iv es th e sense of secu rity to a home.

Ruth

Cavan, in The Family, and Earl L. Koos, in Fam ilies in Trouble, agree th a t th e ro le o f the parent in the modern fam ily has considerable sig n ifica n ce 1 in determining the su ccessfu l adjustment o f i t s members. Cavan sta te s th a t men take pride in f u l f i l l i n g th e ir ro le o f c h ie f or sole earner, and adds that one o f the most serious emotional disturbances created by the depression was the e f f e c t upon fam ily r e la tio n s o f the husband's in a b ility 2 to adequately support h is fam ily. Koos reports th at the father in one o f h is troubled fa m ilie s to ld o f h is own father th a t although he was a ll righ t as a provider, he was a "rotten" fath er in other ways, being apparently so ir r ita b le and unpredictable that the children dreaded h is homecoming. Case records o f individual play school children r e f le c t a ll the prob­ lems treated by these and other s o c io lo g is ts .

Although only the moat frag­

mentary family reports are a v a ilab le for the early years of play school h isto r y , great changes have taken place in t h is area of service in more re­ cent tim es.

The gradual addition of trained so c ia l workers to the s ta f fs

o f play schools, and th e exchange o f records between the schools and case work agencies, have made i t p o ssib le to con su lt thorough and illum inating data o f t h is type.

Such m aterial i s by i t s very nature h igh ly co n fid en tia l.

The e s se n tia l character o f selected records and stu d ies w ill be presented 1. 2.

Ruth S. Cavan, The Family, p. 175* Earl L. Koos, Fam ilies in Trouble, p. 15.

-1 9 6 -

here with ca refu lly guarded anonymity. In order to furnish an example o f o v era ll home con d ition s in one area, a study has been made of a ll the availab le so c ia l work records of a selected play school for an e n tir e simmer s e ssio n .

Tw enty-five o f the more than

one hundred children in the school received sp ecia l atten tion by the so cia l worker and reports are on record of th e ir fam ily backgrounds.

Twenty-four

o f these were referred to the so c ia l worker by teachers because of d if f i­ c u lt ie s in eating, re stin g or g e ttin g along in the play school group. was brought to the so c ia l worker's atten tion by the c h ild 's mother. le a s t twenty were already known to some fam ily agency.

One At

Thirteen of the

tw en ty-five liv ed in broken home s itu a tio n s where death, divorce, or other separation had deprived the children of one or both parents.

Two of these

were in apparently good fo ste r homes. Upon h is w ife 's desertion , one fath er of f iv e children had brought them to New York to liv e with h is s is t e r and her large fam ily in an already crowded five-room apartment. One c h ild of divorced parents, both o f whom had married again, had liv e d a ltern a tely with each and had f a ile d to make a happy adjustment in eith e r home. In another case, the recent death o f the fath er to whom the ch ild was c lo s e ly attached appeared to be the major cause o f h is maladjustment. Several d i f f i c u l t i e s seemed to be more or l e s s d ir e c tly traceable to the war, where fath ers had returned u n w illing or unable to face family r e s p o n s ib ilit ie s .

In one family of extremely confused lo y a lt ie s and r e la ­

tio n sh ip s, the child under consideration was the w ife 's by another man, and tiie remaining four ch ild ren were the husband's, born o f a s t i l l undie-

-1 9 7 -

solved e a r lie r marriage.

One uncomfortable, i f not unhealthy, situ a tio n

involved a mother end four children occupying one bed in the home o f the maternal grandmother. In a ll but four o f th ese th irteen cases, th e two in fo ste r homes, and two where the ch ild was liv in g with the fa th er, the mother had assumed, to a l l in ten ts and purposes, the ro le o f head of the fam ily plus the major burden o f fin a n c ia l support.

This r o le was further complicated by the

presence, in several homes, of grandparents and other r e la t iv e s with whose ideas on the rearing o f children the mother was frequently at variance. There were twelve fa m ilie s, however, where both parents were s t i l l in the home.

In fiv e o f th ese, both parents went to work.

In two there was

serious i l l n e s s of one or the other parent, with the ch ild receivin g in ter­ m itten t care from frien d s and r e la t iv e s .

Three o f th ese unbroken homes

were reported as r e fle c tin g some emotional strain due to the addition o f r e la t iv e s or boarders to the family c ir c le .

Of the two remaining situ sr

tio n s , where there was no evidence o f family c o n f lic t , one was a family with three small children liv in g in a tin y apartment at a barely subsistence le v e l. No attempt has been made to d iscu ss the d i f f i c u l t i e s presented by the individual children studied.

This b r ie f survey was given to sunmarize

tw en ty -fiv e s p e c ific fam ily s e ttin g s .

From each o f th ese, one or more

children have come to a p lsy school where th eir d i f f i c u l t i e s in adjustment to groups or p ractices have been seriou s enough to bring them to the at­ ten tio n o f the so cia l worker for sp ecia l h elp . incomplete.

The p ictu re i s admittedly

No account has been taken of the fam ily s itu a tio n s o f the re­

maining sev en ty -fiv e or more children who responded more acceptably to the

-

play school program.

198-

There were undoubtedly many sim ilar home problems

in the la tt e r group. In order to give a somewhat broader impression o f home and fam ily con­ d itio n s in the play schools, some background of inform ation, s t a t is t i c a l and d e sc r ip tiv e , i s included at t h is p o in t, for two ad ditional centers at two d iffe r e n t periods, one a prewar year and one during the war. School A in a low-income area, with many fa m ilie s known to so c ia l agencies, had 140 children from 85 fa m ilie s in th e summer of 1940. parents were liv in g in the home in 58 fa m ilie s. in eig h t homes.

Both parents were employed

In 22 fa m ilie s, only the father worked; in 16, the mother

was the so le support.

Social agencies had referred 98 o f the 140 children

to the school and paid th eir f e e s . Americans.

Both

About h a lf o f the parents were n ative

This estim ate includes eig h t Puerto Rican fa m ilie s .

The re­

mainder were of widely scattered national antecedents. During the same summer, School B, in a middle-income neighborhood, th ere many o f the play school children liv ed in the le a s t a ttr a c tiv e build­ ings on the sid e s tr e e ts , there were 170 children from 121 fa m ilie s, with a r e la tiv e ly small number o f broken homes. 41 homes.

Both parents were employed in

Only the fa th ers worked in 58 fa m ilie s; only the mothers in n in e.

Of the to ta l number, only 49 children had been referred by so c ia l agencies. Twenty-five o f these had been sele cted and had th e ir fe e s paid by the P.T.A. o f a nearby public school.

About h a lf of the parents were o f German,

Austrian, or Czech b irth , and many of the youngsters were European-born. This was a school with a f a ir ly heavy concentration of emigrA fa m ilie s, and included a number of French-speaking children among i t s la t e s t a rriv a ls, as w ell as the predominantly German and Austrian group of a year or two e a r lie r .

Many o f the children had liv e d in England, Scotland, or Portugal

-1 9 9 -

fo r anywhere from a few weeks to a few years before th e ir ultim ate arrival in America* Both schools r e fle c te d the economic and s o c ia l changes o f the war year, 1945.

School A had 1J0 children from 80 fa m ilie s, with only 50 homes includ­

ing both parents.

There were 58 fa th ers carrying f u ll support o f th eir

fa m ilie s , 24 mothers taking sole r e s p o n s ib ility , and 15 homes with both parents working.

The number referred by so c ia l agencies was almost ex a ctly

th e same as in 1940, but many more fa m ilie s were paying th e ir own fe e s . There were tw ice as many Puerto Rican fa m ilie s in 1945, with the r e s t o f the national backgrounds remaining about the same as in 1940. In school B there were 14^ children from 105 fa m ilie s in 1945*

Seven­

teen fa th ers were in the armed fo rces and nineteen were away from home on war jobs.

Every father who was in the home was working and about 90 of

th e mothers worked at le a s t part o f the tim e.

Aside from the youngest

children entering play school for the f i r s t tim e, p r a c tic a lly the e n tir e enrollment had attended t h is play school before.

There were few new re­

f e r r a ls from so cia l agencies and many fa m ilie s paid f e e s for th e ir children. Several ch ild ren , accepted because o f sp ecia l needs, were able to pay the f u l l co st of th eir maintenance in the school. entered in 1945*

No new European children

A number of emigrA fa m ilie s whose children had been

tr a v e llin g long distances to attend t h is p articu lar cen ter, were encouraged to place th e ir youngsters nearer home.

A few Puerto Rican fa m ilie s were

added to school B's enrollment between 1940 and 194?. The 80cio-economic in terp retation o f home con ditions presented thus far has d elib era te ly avoided any sharp focus on in dividual homes or indi­ vidual ch ild ren .

Recognizing that each ch ild brings to h is group adjustr-

ment the sub tle as w ell as the obvious r e s u lts o f fem ily p attern s, a few

-2 0 0 -

iso la te d but f a ir ly ty p ica l case h is t o r ie s of individual play school c h il­ dren have been b r ie fly summarized fo r presentation here. George, a white boy o f tw elve, had spent h is f i r s t ten years in the South with h is maternal grandparents, h is parents having been divorced in h is infancy.

H is mother has now brougjht him north to liv e with her, h is

step fath er and the children of the second marriage.

He attends a play

school in a predominantly Negro community where he i s having considerable d if f ic u lt y and frequently plays hooky.

There are many more im p lication s

in th is situ a tio n than can be adequately explained by any ov era ll sta te­ ment about economic need or family r o le s or even cu ltu ral p attern s. A t a l l , well-developed g ir l of ten i s brought to the a tten tio n of the so c ia l worker because her behavior seems so immature. weeping and fig h tin g with other ch ildren. fo ste r p aren ts.

She i s given to

Here i s a ch ild liv in g with

Her only s is te r li v e s with another set of fo ste r parents.

Their own mother i s in a State H osp ital. vorce and remarried.

Their father has obtained a di­

He neither makes adequate fin a n c ia l p rovision for th e

children nor w ill he permit th e ir le g a l adoption by the fo s te r fa m ilie s. The g i r l s are aware o f th e doubts th e ir fo ste r parents express about keep­ ing them. Social workers' stu d ies are a lso available for children who have not given overt in d ication o f personality d i f f ic u l t ie s .

For purposes o f contrast

with the above cases, here are b r ie f resum&s o f stu d ies o f apparently w elladjusted children who were ca refu lly observed by so cia l workers because th e ir fam ily situ a tio n s presented elements th at might be expected to pro­ duce d i f f i c u l t i e s .

Here are twin boys, aged e ig h t, who have a married

s is t e r liv in g at home with her children, while her husband i s away in the Navy.

There i s a brother abroad with the Army and two more s ib lin g s of

-201high school age are at home. behavior.

The tw ins d iffe r g rea tly in appearance and

The father works long hours in h is grocery store but manages

to come to school f a ir ly regularly to see how h is boys are progressing. He i s proud o f the children and glad to have than in a play program where they are sa fe, o ff the s tr e e ts , and happy.

Both child ren , w hile they re­

f l e c t a good deal o f the com petitive s p ir it frequently associated with tw in s, seem to be understood and appreciated by the fa th er. i s a background fig u r e .

The mother

The boys have made q u ite smooth adjustments in

play school. During th e depression years, one family on Home R e lie f had four c h il­ dren in a play school housed in the public school where th e youngsters were enrolled for day school a lso .

Both parents were plagued by real or

imaginary ailments much o f the tim e.

The children were somewhat f r a il

and subject to colds and other minor illn e s s e s . p ro tec tiv e o f the children. withdrawn and q u iet.

The parents seemed over-

Three of the four youngsters tended to be

All four made good grades in regular school and were

adaptable and apparently comfortable in play school.

Although the parents

were considered aggressive and demanding by the so c ia l agencies assuming r e s p o n s ib ility for th e ir care, r ela tio n sh ip s in the home seemed to be warm and so lid . This n ec essa r ily sketchy p icture of homes and fa m ilie s would in c lin e th e observer to b eliev e th a t, for most child ren , whole homes tend to pro­ duce good adjustment while broken homes frequently r e s u lt in c o n flic ts and problems.

Other more complete stu d ies have reached sim ilar conclu­

sio n s, but recent lite r a tu r e on the subject has indicated a trend toward a broader concept o f the fa cto rs producing emotional sec u r ity .

Ruth

-202Cavan has found

1

th at s o c ia lly and psych ologically broken homes where

sta tu s, u n ity and secu rity are lack ing, may produce the most serious emo­ tio n a l disturbances.

These are frequently also the p h y sica lly broken

homes, but the two are not n ecessa rily id e n tic a l.

I f the remaining members

o f a fam ily, in a p h y sica lly broken home, have been able to maintain so cia l sta tu s, u nity and se cu rity , they may be b etter adjusted, happier individu­ a ls than th ose who l iv e in a seemingly unbroken home where there i s d is­ sen sion , c o n f lic t and lo s s o f so cia l statu s and emotional secu rity . Serving Play School Fam ilies The major aim o f th is part o f the to ta l study has been to discover the needs o f children and fa m ilie s and to in dicate how play schools have func­ tioned in meeting these needs. Health and P rotection found i t s children to be:

2

The 1950 White House Conference on Child

the fam ily s four major r e s p o n s ib ilitie s to

( l ) provision of a controlled environment, ( 2) trans­

m ission o f so c ia l v a lu es, (5) o rien ta tio n , and (4) settin g standards for lib e r a tio n and recrea tio n .

More recen tly , with the increasing emphasiB on

mental hygiene, basic fam ily needs and functions have been defined in some­ what d iffe r e n t terms.

A current treatment in an educational journal conr-

aiders the follow in g to be the fundamental needs which must be s a tis fie d fo r children i f they are to be able to u t il i z e the e ffo r ts o f education: ( l ) n u tr itio n a l and emotional s t a b ilit y , ( 2) sh elter and clo th in g , ( 5 ) freedom from crip p lin g i l l n e s s , (4 ) belonging to a group, (5) being respected and 3 4 important. William 0 . Menninger t e l l s us that p sy c h ia tr ists are convinced

2. 5. 4.

Family. Chapter 11, Broken Homes and Quasi-Broken Homes, pp. 555“ 564. White House Conference on Child Health and P rotection, ( addresses and a b stra cts o f committee rep o rts). New York: The Century Company, 1951* Mabel Ross, "For Today's Children and Tomorrow's Adults," Edueational Leadership, V ol. VI, No. 8 (May, 1949), pp. 491-495. P sych iatry, p. 101.

-205th a t emotional maturity comes only through the provision of a ffe c tio n , example

good

and secu rity in childhood, and th at each in d iv id u a l's adjustment

r e ce iv es i t s c h ie f support or hindrance through p o sitiv e or negative ex­ periences with h is home and parents. The p oin t o f view o f Olara Lambert and her play school a sso c ia te s on the role o f play schools in meeting th e emotional needs of children is q u ite su c cin ctly expressed in the two b r ie f quotations which follows The play center cannot take the place o f home nor Csic~) parents. I t cannot give the ch ild lo v e, but i t can provide space and m aterials for real play and sympathetic understanding, frien d ly teachers who genuinely lik e th eir charges, who give them a f e e lin g o f being wanted, needed and desired as members o f the play group. By giving the child t h is moral support— plus an opportunity to play, we can o ften help him to work through some o f h is problems and to face r e a lit y with greater stren g th .1 . . . Their [play schools'J goal is to provide se­ cu rity and co n tin u ity of experience w ithin the com­ munity to make each play center a place which children f e e l belongs to them, where they w ill know that they are wanted. They seek to strengthen the homes so strained by war, end to p rotect school-age children from the d estru ctiv e in flu en ces which are widespread during tim es o f upheaval.^ Who performs th ese serv ices for children in the play schools and how they are performed w ill be discussed in succeeding chapters dealing with s t a f f and curriculum.

The work with parents, as i t is rela ted to work with

ch ild ren , fo llo w s d ir e c tly .

Programs for Parents The idea that parents are not n ecessa rily endowed at birth with a ll the knowledge necessary fo r the b est rearing of children, and that they

1. 2.

School' s Out, p. 14 Ib id . , pp. 22-25.

-2 0 4 -

may be helped by some in -se r v ic e train in g on the job, i s n ot new. i t ex clu siv e with the play schools.

Nor i s

The play school came in to being in

1917, but the Ohild Study A ssociation which gave i t birth had been engaged in parent education sin ce i t s inception in 1888.

The f i r s t play school

was ju st one o f i t s experiments in meeting the needs of parents. Parent Education The contemporary a ttitu d e toward parents as partners in the education­ al process has developed rather slowly over the years.

However, the play

schools recognized the importance of parental in flu en ces in th e ir e a r lie s t ventures. n u tr itio n :

The f i r s t play school publication s ta te s in i t s d iscu ssion o f "Quite as important as the day by day feed in g, was the educa­

tio n o f the homes through the daily experience of 1he ch ild ren . addition to t h is , sp ecia l appeal was made to the mothers."

And in

1

The h ealth and medical program included nurses' v i s i t s t o the homes and in stru ctio n o f the mothers in health and d ie t.

2

A th ird reference to

early parent education, headed Training of Mothers, sta te s: And the mothers learned something to o . They learned from the nurses and from the conferences and from v i s i t s to the Play Schools— and from the ch ild ren . They learned about feeding and sleeping and cleaning, as applied to child ren. And they received valuable h in ts on keeping c h il­ dren out o f harm and out of m ischief.? For the year 1919 there are a few lim ited s t a t i s t i c s a vailab le on th e parent education program at three Federation for Ohild Study play sch o o ls.

The nurse made 86 home v i s i t s in one school, 59 in another,

and 14 in the th ird .

1. 2. 5.

One o f the schools held three mothers' meetings

Federation for Ohild Study, The Play School, A Comprehensive Program o f Service for the Neglected Ohild, 1918. Ib id . , unpaged. Ib id . , unpaged.

-205during th e summer.

At another, the con tacts with fa m ilie s, a ll seemingly

lim ited to problems o f h ea lth and n u tr itio n , were regarded as s u f f ic ie n t ­ ly valuable to warrant continuation over the w inter.

The th ird play school

seems to have taken no step s in parent education beyond the fourteen v i s i t s o f the nurse to the homes.

Benjamin Oruenberg's handbook considered

to p ic s

that would in te r e s t parents as dealing primarily with making the most of th e ir lim ited resources, such as feeding the fam ily, budgeting, home nurs­ ing and f i r s t aid, in recommending meetings with parents. The f i r s t in d ica tio n th a t play schools might learn from as w ell as 2 in stru o t the parents appears in a government b u lle tin on play schools, which says th a t nurses v i s i t i n g the homes to teach and advise mothers were also able to learn the causes for ch ild ren 's m alnutrition by observation o f con d ition s in the home.

By 1924 the home and school rela tio n sh ip had

progressed beyond i t s i n i t i a l , lim ited concern with educating the parents for b etter feed in g and cleaner liv in g . The Federation for Ohild Study had been conducting study groups for i t s own membership for more than th ir ty yea rs.

In 1924 t h is approach was extended to include play school

parents. A s ig n ific a n t outgrowth of the play school work has been the development o f study groups among the parents. To th ese groups Federation for Ohild 3tudy sends speakers who can present in simple form, various phases of ch ild behavior. The work o f th ese groups i s carried on during the winter months.5 At a luncheon on November 12, 1927, a report was made on work with mothers, covering the simmers o f 1926 and 1927.

1. 2. 5.

During t h is time 717

The Summer Play School, New York Federation fo r Ohild Study, 1919, pp.46-47. Summer Health end Play School, Health Education No. J, Department o f the In te r io r , Bureau o f Education, 1919, p. 8 . Play School Report, 1924, ( a four-page typed document in the f i l e s of the Play Schools A sso cia tio n ), p. 5*

-2 0 6 mothere had attended a t o ta l o f f if t y -f o u r m eetings, with from ten to tw en ty -fiv e mothers the usual number at any one meeting, although as many as f i f t y had attended sin g le m eetings on a few occasions. The m eetings are u su ally very inform al, the leader s it t in g about th e ta b le with the Mothers. Usually the subject i s introduced by explaining to the group how a ll people in terested in a sp ecia l subject g e t together and have conferences, b usiness men to ta lk over b etter methods o f improving th e ir business, government o f f i c i a l s to d iscu ss the framing of b etter laws and th erefo re Mothers too fin d i t necessary to hold conferences to help develop th e best in th eir c h ild r e n .l The to p ic s that seemed to create real in te r e st were*

health h a b its, in­

cluding sleep and n u tr itio n ; so c ia l h a b its, including ta b le manners and oourtesy; obedience and punishment, including th rea ts, promises, and corporal punishment as methods o f d is c ip lin e ; and the use o f money.

Sex

education was found to be a valuable to p ic with mothers who had already had a number o f e a r lie r ta lk s on other su b jects. Although the play schools were open only during the two summer months, work with mothers continued throughout th e year in many cen ters. were regularly scheduled m eetings tw ice a month in w inter.

There

The same leader

continued with the work at a center wherever p o ssib le . In the simmer o f 1928, a Public Education A ssociation experiment

2

con­

ducted at Public 3ohool 4 l in Greenwich V illa g e , under the leadership o f E lisabeth Irwin, included a summer play school among i t s serv ices to the comnunity.

Jean Schick Grossman, who la te r became the d irector o f a ll

parent education for the play sohools, conducted the parent work at Public School 4 l , known as the Fanily Center Play School.

1. 2.

During the summer of

V io le t A. Jersaw it, Parental Education in Summer Play Schools, (an unpublished rep o rt), p p . 1- 2. Now known as the L i t t l e Red School House.

-2071951, Mrs. Grossman concentrated most o f her p rofession al work in th is par­ tic u la r oenter, including older ch ild ren as w ell as parents in meetings and plans for more Wholehearted hom*-school-community cooperation.* Two d eleg a tes' m eetings o f mothers representing various play schools were held at th e headquarters of the Ohild Study A ssociation o f America in 1929, one in May and one in Ju ly. party for mothers.

That summer there was also a theater

These events represented an extension of the parent

education program to include in ter-soh ool r ela tio n sh ip s for both educa­ tio n a l and so c ia l purposes.

Many o f the two hundred mothers in vited to

the th eater party had never before been in a Broadway th eater. Eighteen o f the twenty-one summer play schools conducted in New York Oity in 1950 had regular m eetings for parents during the season and f i f ­ teen schools continued with m eetings every two weeks from November through May.

Reports for the summers o f 195^ and 1955 d irect atten tion to a

number o f s p e c ific p r a ctice s n ot found in e a r lie r records.

There were

conferences involving individual parents and teachers, follow ing careful observation by the teacher and play school director of children with special problems.

Parents were in v ited to come in a fter the f i r s t week of school

to d iscu ss the r e s u lt s o f c h ild ren 's medical examinations for admission. These d iscu ssio n s produced such e f f e c t s as changes in d ie t, better r e s t h ab its for youngsters showing e x c e ssiv e fa tig u e , ton sileotom ies, and a whole s e r ie s o f other health improvements. There i s considerable evidence th at th e play schools made an extra e ffo r t to serve parents by more than the customary verbal methods during the depression years.

1.

Some play sch ools provided opportunities for parents

From unpublished repords and rep orts in the f i l e s of the Play School A ssociation . Information o la r ifie d and v e r ifie d in interview with Mrs. Grossman, March 16, 195®*

-208to

p a r tic ip a te in a c t i v it i e s sim ilar to those enjoyed by the children.

In a newspaper account o f the summer's program at one play school,

1

there

appears t h is d escription o f parent a c tiv itie s * Parents are urged to come to the school for th e ir own sakes, and p ro jects have been organized for them. They have a room o f th e ir own in which they have music, dancing and other d iversion s o f a con­ str u c tiv e nature w hile th e ir children play. During th e l a s t week a group o f mothers has been putting the k itch en s and school rooms in order and several fa th ers have been on hand d aily painting fu rniture and repairing toys and equipment. 2 A projected plan for a cooperative experiment involving the School o f Education at New York U niversity and the play schools^ str e s se s the importance o f relaxing fam ily ten sio n s by the in clu sion o f adults and children

in outdoor a c t i v it i e s as w ell as in the informal d a ily program

of the play school classroom.

In

an undated b u lle tin those contents

place i t somewhere in the middle 1950's appears t h is summary o f the way the parent education program functions* The Committee m aintains for i t s a f f ilia t e d Play Schools a program o f parent education. The parent education worker on i t s s t a f f conducts d iscussion meetings and in d ividual Interview s with parents, and cooperates c lo s e ly with the neighborhood worker in each play school who i s responsib le for homeschool r e la tio n s h ip s. This neighborhood worker knows the homes, the in dividual problems and the community resou rces. Her day-to-day con tacts and her a ttitu d e s are o f utmost importance sin ce she meets with the parents in the home and at school and has many o p p ortu n ities to guide and in terp ret. The parent education leader r e l i e s on the so c ia l worker fo r t h is understanding, and for carrying on in areas where she h e r s e lf i s unable to function because o f her l e s s continuous contact with the

1. 2. 5.

From a radio ta lk by Mrs. Adele S. Mossier over Station WaBO, August 10, 1954. Leon Sviraky, School E ditor, in New York World Telegram. July 17, 1955. Dated February 27, 195^.

\

-209-

parents* The director o f each play school cooper­ a tes with the so c ia l worker end the parent education leader in acquainting them with the rela tio n sh ip s between the teacher and the c h ild , and they, in turn, in terp ret the home situ a tio n s to th e teach er. Whan the so cia l worker con tribu tes her knowledge, the parents th eir cooperation, and the parent educator her help in in terp retation and guidance, many fa c e ts of family problems can be viewed, and the b est re­ s u lts obtained fo r the children and the fam ily as a Whole.* Two sig n ific a n t recommendations for procedures in parent education had appeared in play school lite r a tu r e as early as 1951.

One included the

presence and p articip a tio n o f the lo o a l school d irector and so c ia l worker at the meetings conduoted by parent education s p e c ia lis t s for the parents. The other stressed the d e s ir a b ility o f a year-round so c ia l worker for cen ters where only summer contacts with fa m ilie s had been maintained.

This

arrangement was to insure con tin u ity for the work with fa m ilie s and to 2 keep the gains made in the summer. The r e fe r r a l o f fa m ilie s to various health c l i n i c s , guidance bureaus, camps, lib r a r ie s and recreation centers o fte n came as an outgrowth o f the cooperation o f so c ia l workers and di­ recto rs o f loo a l cen ters with the parent education lead er, as they recog­ nized the sp ecial needs of individual fa m ilie s through th e ir parent education a c t i v it i e s , meetings, conferences and home v i s i t s . A parents' council was organized in 19^0, with a membership composed of parents with leadership q u a litie s representing th e various play schools. The work in parent education was expanded to include a leadership course fo r community workers o f other agencies, including home v is it o r s and per­ is sonnel on related W.P. A. p ro jects. O rientation programs for newly-arrived

1.

Jean Schick Grosman, Parent Education in Sumer Play School Program. New Yorki 3ummer Play Sohools Committee, Ohild Study A ssociation,

2.

Jean Schick Grossman, Parent Education in Summer Play Schools, from When Parents Meet At School. New York: Ohild Study A ssociation of America, 1951, pp. 8-11. 19^0 Annual Report, Play Schools A ssociation, p. 5.

p. 1.

5*

-210European emigres became part of th e work with both parents and children at t h i s period* World War II affeoted the parent education program in a number o f ways* There were more serv ices for more parents, as the play schools expanded a ll o f th e ir a c t iv it ie s through cooperation with the many old and new agencies suddenly m obilizing th e ir fo rces for the care o f children in wartime.

How>-

ever, as mothers began to enter industry in la rg e numbers, many of the old patterns o f afternoon meetings and v i s i t s to schools had to be re­ linquished in favor o f more p ractioal approaches.

Evening meetings were

su b stitu ted for the daytime ones; p u b lication s were more widely used in reaching parents; radio ta lk s , and some years la te r even t e le v is io n became part o f the parent education program. Parent P a rticip a tio n Ihere i s no exact date th a t marks the p oin t there the education of parents in the narrow sense o f the enlightenment o f the ignorant by ihe expert gave way to a mutual in tera ctio n process, now recognized as whole­ some for learn in g.

C ertainly some o f the e a r lie s t play school workers,

o ften zealous but untrained volu n teers, looked upon parents as fo lk who were sorely in need o f tra in in g in the simple fundamentals o f c le a n lin e ss and n u tr itio n .

One o f the statements made by Jean Schick Grossman in a

radio broadcast in 19^2^ summarizes the changed poin t o f view toward parents as partners in the education process.

Mrs. Grossman stressed the

hope o f e a r lie r workers in the f ie ld th at parents might one day come rea d ily into the schools, not only to ta lk with the s t a f f and to observe th e ir children at work and play, but to become valued p articip an ts in the

1.

For the United Parents A ssociation, over Station WNYO, June 26, 19^2.

-211progrsm.

They had hoped th a t parents migjit contribute th e ir own g i f t s

o f p erso n a lity , in te llig e n c e and resou rcefu ln ess, and at long l a s t , said Mrs. Grossman, t h is hope had become a r e a lit y . Away back in 1924 there were sm all-scale beginnings o f parent par­ t ic ip a tio n in the play school program. Some of the mothers clubs o f the public schools where play schools operate during the summer, instead o f adjourning as usual, during vacation , t h is year of­ fered th eir serv ices to the play school and in one case, there a nature study teacher was needed, the mothers club voted f i f t y d o lla rs from i t s meager treasury to help secure o n e .l After a number o f years o f coming to m eetings, end gradual acceptance of the s in c e r ity o f in v ita tio n s to attend play school assem blies and to v i s i t end observe in the olassrooms, tan m others11 groups, with a to ta l o f 150 members, had become a f filia te d with the Ohild Study A ssociation as chapters by the end of 1929.

That year a group of Bronx mothers

raised several hundred d o lla rs for food, and fo r th e serv ices o f a home 2 v i s i t o r and o f special teachers in music and a rt. The use o f informal discussion techniques, simple qu estionn aires and illu s t r a t iv e story m aterial in work with parents has undoubtedly in flu ­ enced th e ir becoming a ctiv e partners rather than p a ssiv e r e c ip ie n ts in the program*

"Some schools tske a bus load o f mothers on a p icn ic as

g u ests o f the Play School children, with provision at the school for babies and tod d lers so that i t can be a day o f rea l r e s t and companion­ ship." 5 Experiences in clay modeling, dancing and handwork were made p o ssib le

1. 2. 5.

Prom the unpublished play schools report o f 1924. Prom an unpublished document in th e f i l e s o f the Play Schools A ssociation. Lucy R etting, "Summer Vacation— A Problem and a P r iv ile g e ," Progressive Education, Volume V III, No. 5 (May, 1951), p. 581.

212in small o la ssea for parents.

A c tiv itie s connected with the year-round

study groups also served not only to further the parents' knowledge o f ch ild ren and education, but increased th eir own se lf-co n fid en ce and s e lf resp ect while improving the a ttitu d es of th e ir children toward home and fam ily . 1

The n u tr itio n and health groups for mothers were sometimes or­

ganized as clubs, with parents serving as o f f ic e r s with s p e c ific d u ties. Some o f the mothers' groups planned additional' s e r ie s o f m eetings on re­ la ted su b jects when the f i r s t ones on n u tr itio n had ended.

Mothers have

worked out th e ir own food budgets, made th eir own menus, shared and ex2 changed homemaking ideas in the course of th ese m eetings. A report based on procedures followed in a number o f play schools during the stunners o f 1954 and 1955 includes varying degrees o f parent p a rtic ip a tio n in such areas o f th e program fo r children as luncheon, r e s t, showers and school assem blies.

At a jo in t conference o f the Child Study

A ssociation and the Jewish Welfare Board in A pril, 1954, Jean Schick 5 Grossman reported on The Parent in the Summer Program. This report enumerated the learning opportunities made p o ssib le for parents through p a rtic ip a tio n in such aspects of the program as community stu d ies and through the very f a c t o f being welcomed as people whose cooperation and understanding are wanted in the sch ool.

The b u lle tin previously mentioned,

4

and te n ta tiv e ly placed in tiie m id -th ir tie s, devotes a number o f pages to suggestions for parent p artic ip at ion ranging a ll the way from organizing and planning a school, through in terp retation o f i t s p o lic ie s and p ra ctices

1. 2. 5. 4.

Jean Schick Grossman, Parent Education in Summer Play Schools, from When Parents Meet At School, pp.. 9-11. Ona Youngblood, Parent Education in Home-Making, from When Parents Meet At School, pp. 15-18. Prom a copy o f the report in th e f i l e s o f the Play Schools A ssociation . Jean Sohick Grossman, Parent Education in a Summer Play School Program. New York: Summer Play Schools Committee, Child Study A ssociation , p. 1.

-213to other parents, to working with m aterials, h elp in g on o u tin gs, in food se r v ic e , end in the b uilding and repair of equipment.

For t h is p articu ­

la r p a r tic ip a tio n , fa th er s are considered e s p e c ia lly valu ab le, and the s p ir it o f the depression appears with the warning th a t fa th e r s mayprefer to come a fte r school hours, l e s t an appearance at school during the day embarrass them by ad vertisin g th e ir unemployed sta tu s. A d escrip tio n o f one parent p roject where the money was raised to carry on a school th a t was having fin a n c ia l d i f f i c u l t i e s during the de­ p ression , includes the follow in g sentences: In t h is very process they learned to work together as a group, to fa ce community problems, and to fin d compromises when c o n flic tin g p oin ts o f view were ex­ pressed. Some o f th ese parents were drawn upon to a lim ited ex ten t, for a ssista n ce in the school program. For example, they accompanied groups on t r ip s , worked with m aterials auch as clay and p a in ts, or observed in c la s s e s and lunch room. They did appreciate and enjoy— i f only v ica riou sly— th eir c h ild r e n 's experi­ ences and, in turn, helped to in terp ret the meanings 2. and values they found there to others in the community. Throughout the depression and again during the war yearB parents sup­ p lie d , from th e ir own experiences and family problems, the content o f th e ir m eetings and conferences*

When large numbers o f European refugees

appeared in some o f the play schools, the antagonisms th at arose between the foreign and the n a tiv e ch ild were frequently matched among th e parents. O pportunities to work out these problems in democratic d iscu ssion were provided at both parent and ch ild le v e ls . The expansion o f the sunsner a c t iv it ie s at th e Queensbridge Housing P roject in to a year-round program included mothers as h elp ers in th e con2 duct of the a fter-sch o o l work with ch ild ren . Upon the entrance o f th e 1. 2.

Adele S. Mossier and J o se tte Frank, "The Long Vacation," Progressive Education. Volume X III, No. 4 (A p ril, 1936), p. 269. 1941 Annual Report. Play Schools A ssociation, p. 6.

-214United S ta tes into World War I I , some parents became even more a ctiv e partners in play school work.

Although many had to relin q u ish some school

t i e s because o f long hours in industry, or absence from home on war jobs or in the armed fo r c e s, mothers and fath ers who were a vailab le assumed new r e s p o n s ib ilit ie s .

In the early days o f the war when there was great

fea r o f bombings and o f sabotage in public b u ild in gs, parents were star tioned at school entrances to v e r ify the mission of every stranger who sought admission.

Others served in connection with the programs for a ir­

raid precautions s e t up in a ll schools. f ir s t -a id .

Many took and gave courses in

They helped the teachers with the d e t a ils of the government's

ra tio n in g program.

A number of well-informed parents, who had been a ctiv e

in play schools, helped to sta rt sim ilar projects in other communities where they had moved to take war jobs. The liv e ly p a r ticip a tio n of parents in so cia l action on behalf of ch ild Care cen ters needs no rep etitio n here.

I t has already been d is­

cussed in Chapter I I I , as part o f the socio-economic and h is t o r ic a l back­ ground o f the play school movement.

Play school parents have taken the

in i t i a t i v e in a number o f concerted drives for community betterm ent.

One

mother, with the aid o f the parent education lead er, e n liste d other parents, the sohool p rin cip a l, settlem ent workers and neighbors to save a c it y play­ ground fo r neighborhood children.

A group of parents whose ch ildren were

spending th e ir allowances on gambling machines in a lo c a l candy sto re was able, with p o lic e h elp , to rid the community of thiB i l l e g a l , threatening situ a tio n .^

Parents have been increasingly a r tic u la te in the b a ttle for

b etter housing and for the in clusion o f ch ild ren 's play areas in new hous-

1.

Jean Schick Grossman, WaVB and Means o f Reaching Parents. Play Schools A ssociation, 1 9 ^ .

New York:

-215ing developments. The program for parents in play schools continues to u t i l i z e meet­ ings as a major means o f communication and sharing o f id eas.

The increased

p a rtic ip a tio n o f parents in th ese meetings has frequently served to broaden the scope and value o f th e ir content. have been h e ld .

A number o f in teroultu ral programs

At one large mass meeting

for a ll play school parents

in 194?, the h ig h lig h t o f the program was a parents' panel on r a c ia l under­ standing and the problems o f fa m ilie s in wartime. The use o f puppets in d iscu ssion s with older boys and g ir la had been found h elp fu l for the expression o f fe e lin g s and fo r the establishm ent of h ealth y a ttitu d e s toward fam ily l i f e .

Parents have been introduced to

t h is form o f expression and have reacted to the medium with enthusiasm. As a new approach to group work methods, the use o f puppets has been e s ­ p e c ia lly in te r e stin g to p rofession al workers.

For parents i t has become

a dramatic means o f working out problems by a ctiv e p a rticip a tio n in the process.* P u b lication s fo r ParentB Frequent reference has already been made to the w ritings o f Jean Schick Grossman in the parent education f ie ld .

Her two fu ll-le n g th books

2

are not Play School p u b lica tio n s, but her rich experience with play Bchool parents over the years i s r e fle c te d in them. parents.

And they were w ritten for

Many Of Mrs. Grossman's shorter b u lle tin s , pamphlets and mager

zin e a r t ic le s were not w ritten for parents but about them.

Her primary

purpose was to help teachers, so cia l workers snd other p rofession al people 1. 2.

The Annual Reports o f the Play Schools A ssociation for 1945 and 1947 include mention o f the work with puppets. Do You Know Your Daughter? New Yorks D. Appleton-Oentury Company, 1944. L ife with Family. New Yorks Appleton-Century-Crofts, 1948.

-216to do a more understanding job with fa m ilie s. ly to the parent w ill be discussed h ere.

Only th ose w ritten d irect­

Other t i t l e s dealing with

parent education end home and family w ill be found in the appendix, p. The f i r s t m aterials w ritten by Mrs. Grossman e sp e c ia lly for parents appeared during the depression. tr a c tiv e ly illu s tr a te d l e a f l e t s . Parents.

They were four b r ie f, simply worded, at­ They formed a s e r ie s ca lled S to ries for

The t i t l e s and the s p e c ific problem d ealt with in each story

are given here: A Game of Jacks (d is c ip lin e ) A Promise (keeping on e's word to children) A Happy Day for the Family (encouraging success in children) Dad Comes Home ( a ty p ic a l hard tim es situ a tio n ). Four more l e a f l e t s were added in 19^0 to make a second s e r ie s o f S tories for Parents, on four more everyday problems involving parents and children. During the war a s e r ie s o f new s-sheets e n title d Parents Keep Posted was prepared by Mrs. Grossman fo r use with th e working mothers o f c h il­ dren in th e ch ild care c e n te r s.

They were distributed through the Mayor's

Conmittee on Wartime Care o f Children in 19bb,

This m aterial wae expended

and presented by the Play Schools A ssociation in 19^5 as Twenty-One Pages fo r Parents.

Later i t appeared in enlarged and more permanent form as

Twenty-Four Pages for Parents.

Although a great many more and a wider

v a riety o f to p ic s were covered, the e s s e n tia l elements o f p ictu res and simple te x t used in the o r ig in a l S to rie s for Parents were continued in th ese la te r p r o je cts.

Both s e ts o f p u b lication s were used to reach parents

who could not attend m eetings as w ell as d ir e c tly with parents in d is­ cussion.

-217Of two wartime b u lle tin s w ritten by Jean Schick Grossman and pub­ lish e d by the A ssociation , the f i r s t one, What Parents Are Saving in War­ tim e ,* was undoubtedly planned to help profession al workers in th eir co n ta cts 2 with parents* The second, L etters From Mothers In Wartime, was to serve both fam ily workers and parents.

The f i r s t b u lle tin i s a d ig est of a

s e r ie s o f f iv e d iscu ssion m eetings with parents conducted by Mrs. Grossman in the weeks fo llow in g th e attack on Pearl Harbor.

The second b u lle tin in­

cludes an introduction d irected toward the p rofession al workers and ten le t t e r s from mothers to the parent education leader, with her ten answer­ ing l e t t e r s .

Each mother poses one or more current family problems and

each i s handled with ta c t and dign ity in the answers.

These le t t e r s , by

th e ir treatment o f common d aily fam ily situ a tio n s, were considered a p a r tia l su b stitu te for the kind o f m eetings described in What Parents Are Saving in Wartime. There i s no record o f the exact number of p u b lication s w ritten pri­ marily fo r teach ers, such as Play M aterials Made From Waste and Plays A Ohl i d 1s Way Of Growing Up. which found th e ir way in to the hands of in ter­ ested parents, but i t i s known th a t many centers have encouraged parents as w ell as teach ers to use th e ir p rofession al lib r a r ie s . Another more p r o lif ic source o f pu blications fo r parents has been d is ­ covered in the play schools them selves.

Play school children have been

w riting and p u b lid iin g p e r io d ic a ls fo r many years.

A simple ty p e -s e ttin g

and p rin tin g job was done by th e boys and g ir ls at th e Ethical Culture Play School in 1921.

There have been magazines and newspapers o f widely vary­

ing form, s t y le , and oontent produced by the children of many play schools

1 . Published in 19^2 . 2 . Published in 19^?.

-

213 -

ahd taken home to be read by th e ir parents ever sin ce. Strengthening Home-School T ies William 3. Carr has sta ted

1

th a t many schools in America s t i l l oper­

ate lik e l i t t l e isla n d s separated by a deep moat of tra d itio n end conven­ tio n from th e mainland o f lif e *

Presumably, children are taught on the

island how to l i v e on the mainland.

A sim ilar iso la tio n e x is t s among many

teachers who know n o t, and seemingly care not, th at an important phase o f the educational p rocess i s carried on by fa m ilie s in the homes. The plans, p o lic ie s , and procedures o f play schools have a ll favored a comfortable lia is o n between home and school.

The o rig in a l and s t i l l

v a lid premise th a t play schools operate to f u l f i l l a family need has helped to make th e ir s e r v ic e s acceptable to parents. pulsory.

Attendance ia not com­

On the other hand, a play school need not admit every applicant

who liv e s in the d i s t r i c t , although s t a f f members have frequently accepted d if f ic u lt children fo r reasons o f ch allen ge, fe e lin g s o f moral o b lig a tio n , or genuine concern fo r so c ia l valu es.

The absence o f set standards for

academic achievement has removed one of the common o b sta cles to good relar* t ion ships between home and school. play sch ools.

Report oards, as such, are not used in

Reporting to parents, however, i s frequently done during

informal, in cid en ta l conversations or in regularly scheduled conferences. Parents have always been welcomed at play schools.

Some o f the wide

variety o f methods used in reaching parents have already been discussed. For those who c«ne fr e e ly to school there were m eetings, conferences, jobs to be done and p r iv ile g e s to be enjoyed in the program.

1.

For those who

Linking th e Schools with L ife , Chapter 17 o f Oomnunity L ife in a Democracy, ed ited by Florence C. Bin^iam. Ohicagos National Congress o f Parents and Teachers, 19^2.

-2 1 9 found i t inoonvenient to attend in person, there were goodwill messages carried by the children to and from parents and the simple, illu s tr a te d m aterials on home and fam ily problems. The short sunnier sessio n o f seven or eig h t weeks that characterized the early programs and i s s t i l l true o f the m ajority o f play schools probably was responsible for some o f the p o s itiv e home-school p ra ctices. In many cen ters parents'm eetings have been held every week during the summer se ssio n .

I t takes a whole school year, as a ru le, to cover the

same number o f parent gatherings o f any lo c a l P.T.A.

The play school

parents have u su ally met during school hours, making i t p o ssib le for parents to v i s i t th e ir c h ild r en 's classroom s, have short conferences with teachers, and attend the group d iscu ssion meeting, a ll in one tr ip to school. Teachers have been able to ta lk with parents on school time because, in the informal and f le x ib le program of the play school, a student teach er, the d irecto r, or another parent could step in and r elea se the teacher for short periods.

Many public school teachers have com ented upon the fa c t

th a t they were b etter acquainted with and c lo se r to the play school parents at the end o f seven weeks than had ever seemed p o ssib le in the ten months o f th eir grade school teaching. The short in ten siv e period o f parent p a rtic ip a tio n helped to build rela tio n sh ip s q u ick ly.

I t was also so s a tisfa c to r y to many parents th a t

they requested some carry-over between summers.

Provision for the parent

work to go on in the winter was also welcomed by play school lead ers. "Where the work with both children and th e ir mothers continues the year round, valuable gain i s made in both p h ysical end moral standards of the community e sp e c ia lly when the work i s carried over a period o f more than

As early as the summer a o f 1926 and 1927 mothers were reported to be asking d iscu ssion lead ers to hold m eetings with th e ir ch ild ren .

They ex­

pressed th eir s a tis fa c tio n with the help th ese meetings gave them in under­ standing th e ir children b e tte r , and hoped th at sim ilar procedures with the children might have equally d esirab le r e s u lt s .

There are few refer­

ences to t h is kind o f p r a ctice before 1951 when Mrs. Grossman carried on a f u l l s e r ie s o f m eetings with older boys and g i r l s at the Family Center Play School. Every record o f o rien ta tio n or in -s e r v ic e tra in in g o f play school workers r e fe r s to the importance of building good home end school r e la ­ tio n sh ip b fo r the b est w elfare and education o f the ch ild ren .

At a con­

feren ce on play schools and home camps, held on April 29» 1954, Jean Schick Grossman said* I t goes without Baying th at th e home and school face many situ a tio n s in tfiich each can be h elp fu l to the other. The school demands oertain things o f children and parents. I t i s e s s e n tia l to know A e th e r these th in gs can be done in terms o f the home r e a l i t ie s . Often, to o , th in g s occur in the school which can only be understood when one knows more o f th e situ a tio n s of the home.2 In one play school, during th e summers o f 1959 through 1945, the work with parents included, in addition to the welcome to come to school at any tim e, a f u ll day each week o f a c t i v it i e s planned s p e c ific a lly for mothers and fa th e rs.

They were fr e e to engage in any or a ll o f the day's program.

In the morning parents could choose between observation in the classrooms or work with m aterials under the guidance o f s p e c ia lis t s in the creative

1. 2.

Lucy N. R etting, "The Summer Play Schools," Child Study, Volume 2. Wo. 4 (May, 1925), p. 12. From a report o f the conference in th e f i l e s o f the Play Schools A ssociation.

-221a r ts, or teach ers or parents with sp ecial g i f t s in th ese areas. were g u ests o f the school at lunchtime.

Parents

The regular weekly p aren ts1 meet­

ing was h eld a fter lunch while the children were at r e s t .

P rovision was

made fo r as many as p o ssib le o f the group teachers to attend the meeting. Student tea ch ers, older children and other volunteers took over th e super­ v isio n o f r e s t periods during t h is tim e.

There was u su ally a so c ia l time

at each parents' meeting with refreshments prepared and served by the older boys and g i r l s .

The remainder of the afternoon might be spent in

in d ividual parent-teacher conferences or in classroom ob servation.

The

rapport between parents and th e play school s t a f f in t h is center was warm and la s t in g . play sch o o ls.

This program was n eith er unique nor revolutionary in the I t happens to be a fam iliar one and i s given merely as an

example o f th e ways and meana o f strengthening home-school t i e s in the play sch ools. Recent educational lite r a tu r e abounds in plans for and rep orts about present-day p r a c tic e s in the fo ste r in g o f home-school r e la tio n s ,*

Many

o f the su g g estio n s made have been carried out in play sch ools for many years.

I t may be th at th e tempo and conditions of summer liv in g , even in

hot and orowded c i t i e s , are e s p e c ia lly conducive o f th e relaxed clim ate where health y home end school r ela tio n sh ip s th riv e.

William H. K ilp atrick

wrote six tee n years ago: . . . Happiness i s the natural accompaniment o f h ealth y liv in g . Unhappiness i s the sign o f fa ilu r e . P ossib ly the g re a te st advantage o f summer i s th at then our consciences allow us to take our eyes o f f the fix e d , but l e s s important, th in gs, and fasten them fo r th e tim e more s te a d ily upon th e most important th in g o f a ll— cooperative liv in g o f a kind th at makes us a ll happy to g e th e r .2 1. 2.

See, p a r tic u la r ly , Educational Leadership. Volume VII, No. 5 (Febru­ ary, 195°) and Partners in Education, Service B u lle tin of th e As­ s o c ia tio n fo r Childhood Education, 1950. Child Study, Volume XI, No. 6 (March, 1954), p. 161.

-

Famlly Survival In

922-

Changing World

There la today* among those concerned with the w elfare o f children* l i t t l e doubt th a t the beat place for a ch ild

to grow up ia in h is own

home and family*

p oint o f view appeara to be

This contemporary American

c o n siste n t with the p revailin g democratic concept of s o c ie ty .

No school

or ch ild care canter pretends to be a su b stitu te for home and fam ily. There i s none.

Young workers in sh e lte r s, where children have been

placed because o f cruel and barbarous treatment by parents, have been amazed to fin d the children crying b itt e r ly to be returned to mothers who had placed th e ir hands on hot stoves and fa th ers who had beaten them with lea th er strap s.

The older workers were n ot amazed; they had w it­

nessed t h is p articu lar phenomenon many tim es.

L i t t l e B ritish children

who were evacuated from the c i t i e s at the time o f the bombings were found to su ffer so much more acutely from th e disruption o f th e ir home l i f e than they did from the

loud n o ises and the scenes

of deathand d estru ction

th a t great numbers were returned to th e ir fa m ilie s as quickly as p o ss ib le . There i s no argument here with th e premise th at children belong in th e ir fa m ilie s .

The only question i s one o f whether or not th e provision

o f group care for children outside th e home for part o f eaoh day ie cozrtr ib u tin g to fam ily survival or helping to destroy what i s b elieved by some to be an already shaky so cia l in s titu tio n .

There are strong argu­

ments on both sid es o f the question. The White House Conferences o f 1950 and 1940 went on record in favor o f public a ssista n ce for children snd fa m ilie s wherever i t was necessary to insure to every c h ild the standard o f care th a t the progress and re­

1.

Anna Freud and Dorothy T. Burlingham, War and Children, Medical War Books, 1945.

-225sources of the nation would eeem to J u s tify .

Other equally au th oritative

sourees have in siste d th a t such public a ssista n ce assumes r e s p o n s ib ilitie s th a t are the prerogative o f the family* thus threatening i t s very founda­ t io n s .

What are th ese fam ily p rerogatives and how are they threatened? 1 Baber t e l l s us th a t there have been great changes in fam ily fu n ction s

in th e present century.

He l i s t s the most commonly recognized fam ily func­

tio n s o f the past as b io lo g ica l* economic* educational* religiou s* s o c ia l, recrea tio n a l and a ffe c tio n a l.

The b io lo g ic a l fu nction , according to Baber

and every other souroe consulted, i s s t i l l the fa m ily 's, and the economic i s also la rg ely fa m ilia l, although p attern s have changed and mothers as w ell as fa th ers go out from the home to produce a liv e lih o o d .

Schools are

assuming an increasing gnount of what was once parental r e sp o n sib ility for developing the i n t e l l e c t and character o f the ch ild ren .

Churches, Sunday

sch ools, and other agencies have almost com pletely taken over the r e lig io u s fu n ction o f the fam ily, and conm eroialized amusement, i t s recreational fu n ctio n .

Unless i t can maintain i t s s o c ia l and a ffectio n a l functions*

says Baber, the family has l i t t l e l e f t to hold i t togeth er.

The old com­

p ulsion o f authority i s giv in g way and fam ily members are pulled outward from the center by a ll manner o f ou tsid e in te r e s t s and a c t iv it ie s . 2 Ruth S. Cavan fin d s that eoonomic and so c ia l changes have seriou sly affected family organization and authority in ways th at many fa m ilies hgve found d if f ic u lt to accept.

The situ a tio n grows more acute for unadjusted

fa m ilie s as so c ia l and in d u stria l changes continue. o f so lu tio n s have been o ffered . 1. 2.

Cavan says three kinds

The con servatives who long for the good

Ray E. Baber, Marriame and the Family. Chapter XVIII, The Conservation o f Family V ^ s , p p f l S ^ o T - ^ The Family, Part I , Chapter 5, Th® Family* Continuous and Adaptable, pp. 90-10J.

-224old days want th e fam ily to go back to b e lie f in the ancient v e r it ie s . Cavan does not think th a t i s p o ssib le without destroying th e c i t i e s and fa c to r ie s and returning to an agricu ltu ral and c r a ft economy.

The ra d ica ls

not only p red ict th e d isso lu tio n o f the fam ily but advocate i t , with sta te n u rseries to tsk e the ch ild ren at b irth , or t e s t marriages with th e freedom to try again before any children are conceived.

The third group, says

Cavan, and i t i s a growing one, b e lie v e s th at the family i s a workable in s titu tio n in need o f h e lp .

I t can survive as i t recognizes that i t i s

n either sacred nor unchangeable and must move with the tim es, as does every other so c ia l in s t itu t io n . The depression and World War II have already supplied p a r tia l answers to some o f the questions about fam ily su rv iv a l. did not destroy i t .

They shook the fam ily but

A number of the sources consulted on the probable

future o f the fam ily were f i l l e d with dire forebodings about d eclin in g birth r a te s, wasted natural resources and the impending collap se o f the human race.

Some o f the population p red iction s for the period from 1940

to 1950 are already so com pletely disproved, at le a s t for the present, by a ll availab le s t a t i s t i c s , th a t t h is e n tir e approach to the problem i s being omitted from the study. According to Willard Waller,

1

war breaks up the fam iliar patterns

o f fam ily liv in g , when men go to war and women into new and unaccustomed task s outside the home; the transm ission o f the cultu ral h eritage breaks down and so c ia l changes th a t are n ot adaptive take p lace.

None o f these

contributes to secu rity or human happiness. Sidonie Matsner Gruenberg, w riting during the early days of the war,

War and the Family.

New Yorks The Dryden P ress, 1940.

-2 2 5 stated* th a t the th r e a ts to fam ily l i f e would compel us, even more than had the ten years o f depression, to extend health and so c ia l serv ices on 2 a v a st s c a le . Eduard 0 . Lindemon, w ritin g at the same tim e, asserted th a t the disturbances to fam ily l i f e to be expected from war made i t in­ cumbent upon those who b e lie v e in the fundamental values o f family l i f e to la y plans for a fu tu re th a t would p rotect and b o lster i t s survival by a ll the resources o f h elp and guidance our so cie ty can afford.

These

two w riters appear to take the p o sitio n o f Ruth Cavan's th ird group. Most o f the lite r a tu r e on play schools also takes the stand th a t the family i s worthy o f survival and th at i t needs the kind o f help th at 5 play school serv ices provide. C l a r a Lambert s ta te s that the a ll-d a y care center i s one o f the devices for supporting fam ily values against new so cia l pressures, one way o f help in g th e fam ily make the necessary adjustments to changing so c ia l p a ttern s, while keeping i t s place as the c ita d e l o f lo v e an d rffeetion , "where e th ic a l values and so c ia l outlook are born." Two other responses to the question were found in the follow ing s ta te ­ ments:

"In many ca se s, fam ily l i f e has been strengthened by the cen ters.

Mothers who have to work do not need to put th e ir children in in s titu tio n s i f centers are a v a ila b le. to the children."

Group care has proved o f psychological value

In a democracy, a woman has the rig h t to make her

own decision as to what course o f action b est serves the in te r e s ts o f her family."'*

1. 2. 5. 4. 5.

The Family— War or Peace, from The Family in a World at War. Hew York: Harper and Brothers, 1942, pp. 1-20. The American Family: F le x ib le and R e s ilie n t, from The Family in a World at Wer, pp. 69-82. School*s Out, p. 19. Community Planning on Group Care o f Children, B u lletin 2, January, 1946, p. 5» Loo, c i t .

- 226 -

Adele S. Mossier states*

"Many parents need supplementary services

sucih as the p lay schools o ffe r to further and support good fam ily life ." ^ 2 Emma 0 . Lundberg t e l l s us th at the old id ea o f fo ste r -c a r e as a cure fo r a l l i l l s has given way to a strong trend in the d irectio n of keeping ohildren in th e ir own homes i f i t i s at a ll f e a s ib le and o f supplying the kind o f a ssista n c e to fa m ilie s th a t w ill make t h i s p o s s ib le .

Most of the

lea d ers in c h ild care centers and play schools b e lie v e th at the serviees o f th e ir agencies have also enabled many fa m ilie s to remain in ta c t that might otherw ise have been d issolved . A b u lle tin o f the United S tates O ffice o f Education r a is e s the ques­ tion*

"Why th e Program o f Extended School Serviees?"

The follow ing parar

graph appears among the answers* Parents overburdened with the load they were carry­ ing needed a ssista n ce to keep the fam ily togeth er. They were relieved o f some of the w orries and anxi­ e t i e s which parents have when they f e e l inadequate to meet th e ir problems. As some o f th e stra in s were l i f t e d , the rela tio n sh ip s between ch ild ren and th e ir parents were strengthened.5 The whole program o f work with parents as i t has been described e a r lie r in t h i s chapter Beems to bear out th e contention th a t play schools have been supporting and sustaining fam ily valu es throughout th e ir h isto ry . 4 Luther E. Woodward b e lie v e s th a t parent education not only supports e x is tin g fam ily stru ctu res but h elp s the n ext generation to carry the fam ily along.

In h is own words*

Parent bducation, e s p e c ia lly i f i t emphasizes parentc h ild rela tio n sh ip s and h elp s parents to understand b etter the nature o f children and how to deal with

TT 1947 Annual Report o f the Play Schools A ssociation . 2 . Unto th e Least o f These, p. 5» 5 . Open Doors to Ohildren. prepared by Margaret T.Hampel and Hazel P. Gabbard, Washington, D. C.t Federal Security Agency, United S tates O ffic e o f Education, United S ta tes Government P rin tin g O ffice,

1945—650489.

4 . "Strengthening Family L ife by Education fo r Family Living," Journal of Casework, Volume XXVIII, No. 10 (December, 1947), pp. 565- 569.

- 227emotion al end behavior problems, i s h e lp fu l in in ­ crea sin g the parents' security in th e ir r o le as parents and makes fo r the development o f co n stru ctiv e p sych ological pattern s Which w ill give th e ir ohild ren b ette r preparation for family liv in g and thus should con trib u te to the s ta b ilit y o f the next generation o f fa m ilie s . 1 Woodward says th a t informal discussion techniques are most e f f e c t iv e but th a t even la rg e group programs and radio broadcasts have been known to help a lla y parental anxiety and s ta b iliz e fam ily r e la tio n s h ip s . Sumnarv The Child Study A ssociation of Amerioa, as we know i t today* began with three mothers who csme together for study and d iscu ssio n under the leadership o f Dr. F e lix Adler in 1888.

They formed th e f i r s t study group

o f the organ ization th a t became the Society for the Study o f Child Nature in 1890.

Twenty years la te r there were f if t e e n study groups sharing th e ir 2 a c t i v it i e s , le c tu r e s and conferences as the Federation for Child Study. From 1888 u n til th e present t h is organization has concerned i t s e l f with children and fa m ilie s .

I t has tried to help parents make th e ir parent­

hood meaningful and valuable fo r themselves and th e ir ch ild ren .

The play

schools rep resen t one aspect o f the ch ild study approach to education for family l i f e .

For more than th ir ty years the schools have continued to re­

f l e c t t h is emphasis on th e ch ild in h is family s e ttin g . During th e three periods o f national emergency encompassed by t h is study, play school a c t i v i t i e s have been organized to meet th e sp ecia l needs o f the tim es.

The f i r s t play schools were a d ir e c t outgrowth o f the prob­

lems in fam ily liv in g created by World War I*

Their major fo cu s was

T.~ Ib id . . p p . 564-567. 2. 11A Summary," Child Study* Volume XI, No. 4 (January, 1954), pp. 114-115.

-228n u tr itio n a l and recreational*

Although the economic depression o f the

1950's c a lle d p articular atten tion to unemployment and the fin a n c ia l prob­ lems o f fa m ilie s, there were meny rela ted issu e s th at made t h is a troubled time for children and parents a lik e .

World War I I further in te n s ifie d some

o f the d if f ic u lt situ a tio n s that already e x isted in play school fa m ilie s. The most widely acknowledged problem was related to the increase in employ­ ment o f mothers.

The play school idea was adapted to meet the exigen cies

o f th ese emergency periods and applied to large numbers o f children, with W.P.A. help during the depression and through the ch ild care centers o f World War I I . C r isis conditions tend to h ig h lig h t th e problems o f children and fa m ilie s .

Many of the problems commonly associated with war and depression

were there a ll the time for th at portion o f the population th at fin d s i t s way into play schools.

Although children from many kinds o f homes snd

neighborhoods have attended play sch ools, the g r e a te st area o f service has thus far been located among the broken homes and crowded tenements o f big c i t i e s lik e New York.

The physical dangers end the emotional stra in s of

urban liv in g have not been elim inated by the opening o f play schools, but they have perhaps been a llev ia ted in some o f the most congested d is t r ic t s . Play schools have offered fa m ilie s safe and wholesome plaoes for th eir children and programs o f enlightenment aimed at strengthening the struc­ tu ral secu rity o f the home.

The cooperation o f other so c ia l agencies has

been a factor o f prime importance in t h is area o f community serv ice. The homes o f play school children are o ften located in the most crowded, deprived and disorganized conmunities o f th e c i t y .

D espite th e ir lack o f

adequate spaoe, sanitary f a c i l i t i e s and wordly goods, many o f these homes

-229have been good p la ces for children, by mental hygiene standards.

Where

the fu nction al r o le o f each parent and each ch ild has been c le a r ly defined and the r ela tio n sh ip s among fam ily members have been c lo se and warm, c h il­ dren have r e fle c te d th e ir secu rity by good adjustment to situ a tio n s out­ sid e the home.

Ohildren from homes broken by death, divorce, or separation

have often been happier and b etter adjusted, em otionally, than th ose from seemingly whole homes, where c o n f lic t and d issension have served to destroy the statu s and secu rity o f the fam ily se ttin g . The programs for parents in the play schools have developed gradually over the years,,

In the beginning there was a good deal o f emphasis on

home v is it a t io n , on sim p lific a tio n o f methods and terminology in approach­ ing parents, and on teaching the b asic elements o f clean and health y liv in g . The mutual in tera ctio n between parents and s p e c ia lis t s has come about slow­ ly .

I t has been accompanied by increased parent p a rticip a tio n in many as­

pects o f the t o ta l program.

They have been included in the work with

children and have also been given opportunities fo r crea tiv e group experi­ ences on th e ir own le v e l as ad u lts. play sohools. return.

Parents have not only been served by

They have given serv ice in a number o f p ra ctica l ways in

In some cases they have become true partners in p o lic y making for

the cen ters and in so c ia l action for community improvement. Meetings and d iscu ssion groups have been the backbone o f the play school program for parents throughout most of i t s h is to r y .

The use o f

simple, illu s t r a te d printed matter was introduced during th e depression and continued in the activity-crow ded days o f World War I I .

Radio broad­

c a s ts and, reo en tly , t e le v is io n programs have become part o f the parent education a c t i v it i e s o f th e play schools.

Arts and o r a fts m aterials have

- 250 -

been used cre a tiv ely with parents in some cen te r s.

Puppets as a means

o f expression and communication o f id eas and concepts have also contributed to the program for parents.

M eetings, p u b lica tio n s, broadcasts and pup­

p ets have a ll served as methods and techniques for the achievement o f the rea l purpose o f a ll play school work with parents.

This purpose has been

and continues to be the strengthening o f the fam ily as the basio so cia l u n it in our so c ie ty .

The home's rela tio n sh ip to the school, i f i t i s

strong, frien d ly , snd p o s itiv e , strengthens th e security and ed ucab ility o f the children.

CHAPTER VI PLAY SCHOOL PERSONNEL The Headquarters S ta ff The Play Schools A ssociation maintains a su ite o f o f f ic e s where the overall b usiness i s conducted.

Here publications are prepared, candi­

dates for work in the schools are interviewed, records kept, s t a f f meet­ ings h eld .

The headquarters s t a f f has i t s base of operations here, moving

out to supervision o f schools and other f ie ld work assignments from th ese o f f ic e s .

I t i s a p r o fe ssio n a lly trained, salaried s t a f f .

part i t fu n ction s on a year-round b a sis.

For the most

The h eaviest demand for se r v ic e s,

p a rticu la rly in the f i e l d , s t i l l comes in the summer months.

A ll s t a f f

vacations, th erefo re, are scheduled at other tim es and ad ditional person­ n el u su ally engaged fo r the summer.

As a r e s u lt o f planning a maximum o f

organizational work ahead, with major conferences and the preparation of p u b lication s caning during the academic school year, th e s t a f f fr e e s i t ­ s e lf to devote f u l l tim e to serving the summer centers in such areas as supervision o f program and tra in in g o f teach ers. The present year-round headquarters s t a f f includes a d irector and an a ssista n t d irector who share th e overall administration o f the t o t a l program They are a s siste d by s p e c ia lis t s in parent education, teacher education, so cia l work and p u b lic ity .

A n ation al f ie ld consultant, a fin a n c ia l secre­

tary, an execu tive secreta ry , with a corps of trained c le r ic a l and book­ keeping workers, complete th e p ictu re o f overhead s ta f f as i t i s today**

1.

In the Spring o f 1950*

-2 5 2 -

When the public schools c lo se , th e a c t iv it ie s oentered around the three or four sch ools th a t have been in operation a ll year are augmented by the addition o f some twenty or more summer programs, a ll looking to the headquarters s t a f f for guidance in one or another o f th e ir areas o f ser­ v ic e . These are current p ra ctices.

H isto r ic a lly , play school leadership

has always emanated from a central o f fio e or home base, but i t s Bize and th e soope o f i t s a c t iv it ie s have changed considerably through the years. The e a r lie s t play schools were d ir e c tly supervised by th e Federation for Child Study with help from volunteers among i t s own membership and that o f other educational, health and so cia l w elfare agen cies.

The three

play sch ools operating under the auspices o f th e Central Committee of th e S ociety for E thical Culture in th e summer o f 1918 had the serv ices o f a supervisor provided by th e Federation.

He also a s siste d in th e or­

ganization o f a ll the centers and gave them cou nsel. v iso r

By 1919 t h is super­

had prepared the f i r s t play school handbook to guide others in

s e ttin g up and operating cen ters. The records in d ica te that by 1921 a separate committee o f the Federar tio n had evolved with play schools as i t s major concern.

I t was c a lle d

th e Play School Committee and con sisted o f three contributors to the work, a ll members o f the Federation for Child Study.

In 1925 one o f th e comr-

m ittee members was the director o f the play sch ools, a paid p rofession al worker.

The 1924 Play School Committee included two p rofession al members.

They were the director and a ssista n t director and probably represented the t o t a l p rofession al overhead s t a f f at that tim e.

1.

Benjamin 0 . Gruenberg

In 1925 there were a

-255supervisor, a director and an a ssista n t d irector, plus a d ie tic ia n and a health director fo r th e summer months.

In th e years th a t follow ed the

leadership continued to be shared by the Summer Play Schools Committee members o f the Child Study A ssociation and th e professional s t a f f .

The

lay members o f the committee carried many o f the r e s p o n s ib ilitie s now assumed by th e Board o f D irecto rs.

The professional membership repre­

sented th e two or three lead ers who served the centers for an eig h tmonth year and c a lle d upon other trained consultants for help during the summer. 1

A 1951 l e a f le t l i s t s the s t a f f as a d irector, an a sso cia te d irecto r, and an extension work d irecto r.

The Play School Extension program had

been undertaken through a J u liu s Rosenwald Fund grant in 1929 and con­ tinued for at le a s t f iv e years.

I t s purpose was the stim ulation o f play

school organization in communities outside th e New York area.

The head­

quarters s t a f f was further expanded during the 1950's as lo c a l and Federal government agencies combined to se t up play schools under the W.P.A. with Play Schools Committee help in th e orien tation o f teachers to the new program.

In 1959» when the Play Schools Committee o f th e Child Study As­

sociation became th e Summer Play Schools A ssociation, i t s headquarters s ta ff consisted o f a d irecto r, a leader in parent education, a leader in teacher education and an execu tive secretary.

Only th e execu tive secre­

tary operated on a fu ll- tim e , year-round b a sis. Two years la te r there 2 was added another teacher education leader who devoted her f u l l time to

1. 2.

This p o sitio n was held by Adele S. Mossier, now D irector o f the Play Schools A ssociation . The March, 195^* issu e of th e Child Study magazine c a l l s Mrs. Mossier the Acting Director o f the sch ools. Rowena M. Shoemaker, now A ssista n t Director of th e Play Schools As­ so cia tio n .

-254the work and la te r became a ssista n t to the d irecto r of the program.

More

c le r ic a l h elp ers were employed and the t o t a l s t a f f l o s t some o f i t s seasonal q u a lity as the work expanded to include every month o f the year.In 1945 a s t a f f member was added to handle p u b lic ity . As the A ssociation became in creasin gly involved with the special war­ time program for children, more supervisory and co n su lta tiv e services were provided for school-age centers under such auspices as the Mayor's Com­ m ittee on Wartime Care o f Children.

The 1944 s t a f f re fle c te d t h is ex­

panding function by i t s in clusion of two Mayor's Committee Consultants fo r School-Age Children in i t s teacher education department, and an addi­ tio n a l leader in parent education. to the s t a f f in 1944.

A Financial Secretary was also added

During the la s t year o f World War II, and in the

postwar period, there were a number o f rapid d h ifts in s t a f f placement. The Mayor's Committee consultants moved th e ir base of operation to the Department o f Welfare where they could share in the work o f Nursery, Social Work and N utrition Consultants, while continuing to maintain a c lo s e rela tio n sh ip with the teacher education program of the Play Schools A ssociation . The teacher education and parent education departments were further expanded or contracted according to the o rg a n iza tio n 's needB and the a v a ila b ilit y of personnel during th e postwar y ea rs.

A leader in com­

munity education was included in the 1947 s t a f f . A National Field Con2 3 su ita n t and a Social Work Consultant were added during th e 1945-1949 period and both are s t i l l on the s t a f f in 1950*

1. 2. 5.

Theresa M, Engelbrecht and Doris L. Bock. Monica B. Owen. Esther Eckstein.

-255Emerglng P atterns o f Leadership Changes and developments In play school leadership have not been lim ited to the personnel at headquarters.

The individual cen ters have

also experienced, perhaps to an even greater degree, the kinds of s t a f f changes th a t r e f le c t changing tim es end changing p h ilo so p h ies.

1116 pas­

sage o f th e years has brought an increasing emphasis upon the q u a lifica r tio n s for su ccessfu l leadership in play school work.

There has been

recognition from the s ta r t that i t required special t a le n t s and tech­ niques to work e f f e c t iv e ly in t h is kind o f program, but l i t t l e was said or printed to in d ica te that s p e c ific q u a lific a tio n s had been considered in the s e le c tio n of play school personnel during the early years.

It

appears lik e ly th at a ll applicants w illin g to work with ohildren were Interviewed and th e most lik e ly ones engaged as p rofession al s t a f f or welcomed as volunteer h elp ers. One early p u b lication s ta te s

1

that the Federation for Child Study

depended upon th e g en erosity o f i t s members and o f th e Central Conmittee o f th e S ociety fo r E thical Culture to s ta ff th e f i r s t play school with paid workers who were ably a ssiste d by volunteers for sp ecia l a c t iv it ie s . During th e second year o f play school operation the New York C ity Board o f Education furnished ten teach ers to fiv e o f the cen ters but much o f 2 the work was obviously given in to th e hands o f volu nteers. A p u blication of the Federal government, in i t s description o f the work o f th e early play sch ools, includes t h is statement:

1. 2.

nA salaried d irector was in charge

The Play School--An Experiment by the Federation fo r Child Study. New York: The Federation fo r Child Study, n .d ., unpaged. The Play Sch ool-— A Comprehensive Program o f Service fo r the Neglected C hild. 1918.

-2 5 6 -

o f each cen ter, and p ro fessio n als, e ith e r volunteer or paid, directed the various a c t i v it i e s , but as far as p o ssib le in t e llig e n t laymen were used 1 as volu n teers." A le t t e r w ritten by the Acting P resident o f the Federation for Child Study on March JO, 1919, to a member o f th e New York C ity Board o f Super­ intendents in d ica tes th e areas covered by th e personnel obtained from t h is Bource.

Among i t s requests fo r Board o f Education support the le t t e r

l i s t s , for each o f three new centers being planned, a p hysical director for boys, a kindergarten teacher and su p p lies and an arts and c r a fts teacher and su p p lies.

For one o f the th ree cen ters an additional physical di­

rector for g ir ls i s requested,

in a f in a l note the names of two teachers,

who were supplied to one school during the preceding suraner, are given as p a rtic u la r ly sa tisfa c to r y and i t i s suggested that they be reassigned to the same p o sitio n s.

This was the e a r lie s t in d ica tio n found in the records

th a t some form o f teacher evaluation had been put into p ra c tic e .

There

i s evidence that the p olicy has continued to operate in th e reassignment o f play school teachers ever sin ce. The major emphasis in th e t o t a l play school program i s r eflecte d not only in curriculum content and p ra ctices but in the s e le c tio n o f the per­ sonnel to do th e job.

As has been indicated in e a r lie r chapters, th is

emphasis sh ifted from n u tritio n and recreation to the development o f th e in d ividu al ch ild in h is family se ttin g and again to th e broader social as­ pect o f group adjustment and community serv ice.

The early emphasis on

h ealth and n u tr itio n in the curriculum also sh ifted gradually to play and

1.

Summer Health and Play School, Health Education No. 5> Washington, D. C.: Department o f the In terior, Bureau o f Education, 1919, p. 12.

-237self-e x p r essio n a c t i v i t i e s as major areas and eventually toward group play and s o c ia l adjustment experiences*

The presence of many workers

trained prim arily in the f ie ld s o f h ealth , physical education and nutri~ tio n in the early cen ters also appears to bear out t h is trend.

A ease

might be made for the in flu en ce o f the workers upon the curriculum, but the le t t e r mentioned above would seem to suggest that t h e aims o ? t h e program, at le a s t in p art, d ictated the s e l e c t i o n o f p e rs o n n e l*

In the

summer o f 1919 th ere were f iv e Health Play Schools in Greater New York, with a cen tral canteen se t up at on© school to p re p a re and d eliv er nu­ t r itio u s meals fo r a ll f iv e .

The paid s ta ff consisted of a supervising

d ie tic ia n , a kitchen manager, a cook and three kitchen helpers*

Hiere

were, in addition, men with trucks who made the rounds of the schools de­ liv e r in g the lunches, and teams o f volunteers to help with preparation 1 at the cen tral canteen and with service at the individual sch ools. As the ch ild development ap p ro ach to e d u c a tio n su p erco d ed h ealth and n u tr itio n as the major focus in the play schools, classroom teach ers, preferably from experimental progressive schools, became th e preferred lead ers.

In more recent tim es such teachers have shared th e leadership

o f the play school program with trained group workers from accepted schools o f social work.

Trained so c ia l case w o rk ers hav e also assumed increasing

importance as con su ltan ts on many play school s ta f fs . The Volunteer The service o f volu n teers in play school programs has been an ac­ cepted p ractice throughout th e movement’ s h isto r y .

1.

I t i s doubtful whether

Giving th e Ohlld Chance—An Experiment in Combating M alnutrition. New Yorks The Federation fo r Child Study, n .d ., unpaged.

-

258 -

the type o f organization carried on in the early days would have been p o ssib le at a ll without volunteer workers.

There was also an early

awareness th a t volunteers served best when they had s p e c ific d uties along lin e s congenial to th e ir own in te r e s ts and t a le n t s .

Volunteers in the

f i r s t play school a ssiste d the paid s t a f f in sp e cia l a c t i v it ie s .

There

i s evidence that during the second summer the work o f volunteers had been organized and scheduled, and th at th e workers not only served the schools and the children, but gained for them selves many valuable experi­ ences. But aside from learning how to deal with children and with mothers, many learned th a t a few hours can be put to good use i f the time i s planned. Most o f the volunteer work was done by women who had only a few hour8 a week to givej but by r e g iste r in g the availab le tim e in advance, i t was p o ssib le to make d etailed a s­ signments, avoid lo s s of tim e, and u t i l i z e a ll to best advantage.1 A r e g istr a tio n form reproduced in the Appendix (p . bJJ ) was used in th e placement o f volunteers for th e suxuner o f 1919. been found o f i t s subsequent use.

No record has

Benjamin 0 . Gruenberg, in h is 1919

handbook on th e organization and conduct o f play schools, includes a 2 sectio n on volunteer workers in h is treatment o f s t a f f . The registrar t io n form i s recoxzmended as a safeguard against confusion and irreg u la rity 5 o f attendance on the part o f volu n teers. Gruenberg suggests th at volun­ teer

a ssista n ce can be used up to from f i f t y to two hundred hours per

week.

He adds th a t:

"In s o lic it in g the a ssista n ce o f volunteers two

p o in t8 need to be e sp e c ia lly emphasized.

1. 2. 5.

F ir s t, th a t a worker must be

The Plgy Sehopl— A Comprehensive Program o f Service for the Neglected C hild. 1918. Pp. 12-14. Ib id . . p. 12.

-259prompt and regular in attendance, whether he comes once a week or every day, end second, th a t he undertake some s p e c ific work in which he i s 1 p a r tic u la r ly in terested or competent." There was probably no summer from 1917 through 1947 th at did not fin d at le a s t a few volunteers serving in th e play sch ools.

The periods

o f peak a c tiv ity are f a ir ly c lea rly defined in th e record.

Wartime con-

d itio n s appear to dramatize the need for help in serving and protecting ch ild ren .

Consequently, volunteers may be e n lis te d with a minimum of

e ffo r t at such tim es.

Just as the number o f in d ivid u als and private

agencies cooperating in the establishm ent end maintenance of the i n i t i a l program o f 1917 and 1918 decreased sharply when th e war ended, so did the frequency and r e li a b i l i t y o f voluntary se r v ic e s. Dr. Gruenberg1s 2 handbook im p lies th a t the in te r e st aroused in wartime i s d if f ic u lt to maintain th e r e a fte r .

A comparative summary o f the work at three centers

in 1919 s ta te s unequivocably that the volunteer serv ices are f a llin g o f f . The dependence upon voluntary help for certa in portions o f the work led to serious disappointment at many p oin ts. The earnestness and enthusiasm among volu nteers character­ i s t i c o f the various a c t iv it i e s carried on during 1918 were no doubt r e fle c tio n s o f th e s p ir it aroused by the war, and i t must be admitted th a t i t did not carry over in a ll ca se s. We did indeed have earnest and en th u sia stic as­ sista n c e from many volunteers t h is past summer, but so many o f those who reg istered fa ile d to meet th e ir obliga­ t io n s th a t the work was serio u sly handicapped or the cost increased. There may be some way o f organizing and c u lti­ vatin g the d esire to help which was so evident during the war and which i s so lik e ly to be d issip a ted u n less systematic e f f o r t s are made to fo ste r and encourage i t in the period immediately before us.^

1. 2. 5.

Loc. c i t . I b id ., p . 14. From an unpublished document in th e f i l e s o f the Play Schools As­ so c ia tio n .

-240A notebook containing the record o f s t a f f attendance at a fourth 1 play school in th e summer of 1919 c le a r ly in d ic a te s th at the carefu lly scheduled progrem for volunteers gradually broke down during the month o f August, although i t had been functioning anoothly in Ju ly.

During

th e c lo s in g week o f the session many o f the i n i t i a l volu nteers were back on th e job, so th at any in terpretation th at the volu n teers might have been dropped by the school does not seem p la u sib le . A somewhat sim ilar situ ation may be found in the records o f play schools during and follow ing World War I I .

The number of individual

volu n teers was smaller than i t had been in the e a r lie r world c o n f lic t . Helpers were more lik e ly to come through such organized groups as the A.W.V.S., to work in teams, end to concern them selves with fund raisin g or supplying equipment and services to th e t o t a l program than they were to o ffe r personal serv ice in individual classroom s.

An increasing recog­

n itio n o f th e importance o f professional tra in in g for work with children has a lso tended to discourage the u t iliz a t io n o f w illin g but unqualified persons.

01 aTa Lambert's discussion of th e q u a lific a tio n s for working 2 in play schools in clu d es th is extremely b r ie f treatm ent o f the volunteers

"Volunteers are as c a re fu lly selected as the paid personnel.

They, too,

must be mature for th e ir years, in terested in th e job, kindly and con­ stru ctiv e in th e ir approach to children. some tr a in in g in th e f i e l d , as w ell."

1. 2. 5.

I f p o ssib le they should have

5

From the p rivate f i l e s o f a play school in operation sin ce 1918. Extremely b r ie f as contrasted with treatment o f the same subject by Gruenberg and others tw en ty-five years e a r lie r . School1s Out, p. 210.

-241-

During th e years o f economic depression, N.Y.A. and W.P.A. workers were placed in many cen ters at no co st to the play schools.

As they

were receivin g pay from government sources they can hardly be regarded as volu n teers.

However, th ese workers frequently required the same kind

o f b riefin g , o rien ta tio n and in -s e r v ic e trainin g as was supplied to volunteers to acquaint them with th e philosophy and p ra ctices o f play schools.

There were also a number o f bona fid e volunteers in the cen ters

during the long summer days o f the 1950's.

Boys and g ir l s o f high school

or co lleg e age who might normally be expected to take summer employment, finding no jobs open to them, cane into the play schools as v o lu n teers. Parents, a lso , vdio had been almost t o t a lly absent from any d ir e c t work with children in th e e a r lie r play schools, p articip ated in many a c t iv it ie s during the ' 5 0 's . I t may be s ig n ific a n t, or ju st an oversight, th at a 1951 chart o f d e ta ils to be considered in the organization of a summer play school makes no mention o f v o lu n teers.

The Bowman study, published in 1955* devotes

one sentence in i t s treatm ent o f personnel, to volunteers:

“Prom tim e

to time i t i s found fe a s ib le to make use o f competent volunteer workers; those in charge must fa c e the problem o f the occasional fa ilu r e o f volun1 te e r s to submit c o n s is te n tly to the necessary d isc ip lin e ." There i s one other c la s s if ic a t io n o f volunteers whose in clu sio n seems e s se n tia l to any h is t o r ic a lly accurate record o f the play school movement.

This i s the group o f p ro fessio n a ls and p ro fessio n a ls in traiir-

ing who have contributed th e ir serv ices to the centers without fin a n c ia l

1.

LeRoy E. Bowman, Community Programs for Summer Play School a, p. 55.

-2 4 2 reward.

P hysicians, for example, have frequently served on a voluntary

b a sis in play schools.

They are l i s t e d as volunteers in the e a r lie s t

play schools and th e ir names B t ill appear on many s ta f f l i s t s as volun­ teers.

There are found in t h is category, a lso , the names o f s p e c ia lis ts

from other p rofession al f i e l d s , u su ally during periods of concentration or experimentation in a given area.

During the 1920's, for instance,

when the emphasis on n u tr itio n was g re a te st, Dr. Mary Swartz Rose o f Teachers O ollege, Columbia U niversity, appeared as a volunteer member on at le a s t one play sch o o l's l i s t o f s t a f f .

Other records in d ica te that

Dr. Rose and her students were working in a number of the schools at t h is time.^ In more recent years c o lle g e students have been assigned to f ie ld work in the play schools as pert o f th e ir preparation for profession al Careers in teaching, so c ia l work or nursing.

As th e ir services are fu r ­

nished without increasing the coat o f operation o f individual schools, some have lis t e d these students as s t a f f volu n teers, at le a s t for purposes o f budgetary reporting.

The record o f attendance and dependability o f

th ese trained or p a r tia lly -tr a in ed p rofession al workers i s u su ally on a high le v e l.

They are p a rtic ip a tin g in work o f th e ir own s e le c tio n and

u sually for c o lle g e c r e d it.

Although some cen ters consider these student

workers as volunteers, th e Play Schools A ssociation makes th e d istin c tio n quite c le a rly between volunteers and student teachers in i t s current 2 p u b licatio n s. The l a t e s t manual in clu d es the follow ing reference to

1. 2.

Prom unpublished records o f in dividual play schools. The 1942 Handbook fo r teachers does not make t h is d is tin c tio n . revised ed itio n , 1945, makes i t c le a r ly on page 8 .

The

-2 4 5 student teach ers and volunteers: Some u n iv ersity departments of elementary education give c r e d it for f ie ld work experience to students who work as a ssista n t teach ers in Play Schools. For these students, special planning end supervision under the auspices of th e agencies in charge are required. Volunteers, i f C arefully se le c te d , may be used but must be adequately trained and supervised. The P rofession al Worker Play school workers have come from many and varied cu ltu ral and educational backgrounds.

A f a ir degree o f f l e x i b i l i t y has always been

maintained in the establishm ent of q u a lific a tio n s , salary sc a le s and work assignments o f s t a f f members.

Throughout the records there i s

evidence o f a co n sisten t e f fo r t to r a is e standards stea d ily over the years, but adjustments to the con d ition s o f the tim es have had to be made.

Budgetary considerations, p a rticu la rly during the depression,

and teacher shortages in more recent years, have produced occasional temporary s a c r ific e s o f the desired standard in order to insure the survival o f the program. The p rofession al backgrounds o f th e m ajority of play school leaders have been educational, but they have been lim ited neith er ex clu siv ely to classroom teaching nor to the elementary school age le v e l.

The f i r s t

two trained leaders o f the movement were c a lle d supervisors o f play sch ools.

Both were public school p r in c ip a ls, one o f an elementary, and

one o f a secondary, school.

They were followed by two d irectors from

the f ie ld o f health and p hysical education.

The present Director o f the

Play Schools A ssociation i s a graduate o f the New York School o f Social 1.

How To Make A Play School. Work. A Manual fo r Teachers and group Leaders. New York: Play Schools A ssociation , 1949, p. 7.

-244Work with a M aster's degree in Educ at ion from Teachers O ollege o f Columbia 1 U n iversity. The d irecto rs o f individual play schools represent an even wider d istr ib u tio n in p ro fessio n a l train in g and exp erien ce.

The fa c t that many

play schools were o r ig in a lly estab lish ed in e x is tin g settlem ent house programs probably exp lain s the presence of so c ia l work train ed personnel in p o sitio n s o f major r e sp o n sib ility in many c e n te r s.

Hie choice of indi­

vidual s t a f f members has r e flecte d the s h iftin g emphases in the h isto ry o f the program.

Ih irty years ago the trained d ie tic ia n occupied a place

o f importance corresponding roughly to th a t o f the trained so c ia l worker in to d a y 's play school.

Hie s p e c ia lis t in cobbling or sewing o f the

e a r lie r period has been replaced by the music or science consultant o f the present. The placement o f children was once la rg ely determined by club or hobby in te r e s t s , with the sexes usually separated, above kindergarten age.

Today's groups are mostly coeducational and placement i s on the

b asis o f chronological or so cia l age.

The experienced classroom teacher,

coming from the f ie ld o f nursery or kindergarten education, i s a pre­ ferred choice for tod ay's program, aB i s the trained so c ia l worker who has sp e c ia liz e d in group work with ch ildren .

These leaders are expected

to be acquainted with many aspects o f the curriculum formerly handled by s p e c ia lis t s .

The physical education major i s more apt to be found

on th e playground and the classroom teacher in th e play school in today's c en ter s.

1.

Information fo r t h is paragraph gathered from unpublished play school records, Who's Who in Anerloa. and interview s with the Director o f th e Play Schools A ssociation and the Chairmen o f the Board o f D irecto rs.

-245Ohangea in S ta ff Composition The evolu tion o f th e play achool program over a period o f th ir ty years has been rather c lo s e ly matched by the changes in s e le c tio n and as­ signment o f s t a f f .

The examples chosen from the record for presentation

here should serve to tr a c e the developments up to the p resen t.

A recom­

mended s t a f f i s described for each o f several consecutive h is t o r ic a l periods.

The v a ria tio n s from summer to summer, and even from school to

school in any one stunner, appeared to be so great th a t i t seemed advisable to report th e pattern se t up by headquarters rather than th a t o f any one cen ter.

Each year, at le a s t a few schools were operated on the b asis

of t h is p a ttern .

Within a few years many would have reached th e

aims

presented e a r lie r , w hile a few would have moved ahead with the changing tim es. The e a r lie s t printed record o f what was considered an adequate play school s t a f f i s probably th e l i s t prepared by Gruenberg in 1919.

I t in­

cludes, in addition to volu n teers, some fourteen paid workers, more or le s s .

They are designated ast (1 ) (2 ) (5) (4) (5 ) (6 ) (7) (8 ) (9) (10) (11) (12) (15) (14)

1.

General director O ffice a ssista n t Physical d irector for boys Physical director for g ir ls Slop teacher Sewing teacher Arts and c r a fts teacher Kindergartner Nurse Oook A ssistan t cook Extra kitchen help (dishwasher, e t c .) Jan itor 1 A ssistan t (cle a n e r ).

Benjamin 0 . Gruenberg, The Summer Play Sohool, p. 11.

-246This l i s t i s further c la r if ie d and q u a lified by the fo llo w in g sta te ­ ments: In many p la ces th e Department o f Education w ill cooperate to the extent o f assigning a number o f teachers— fo r example, (5) - (8) are teachers o f the kind commonly employed for summer work by the public agencies. The ja n ito r would not get h is f u ll salary from th e play school. His a ssista n t would probably be a part time worker. The same may be said o f the cook’ s a ssista n t and the extra kitchen h e lp . The work o f th e nurse would ordinarily require not more than h a lf tim e. In some cases two or three h a lf days aweek would s u f f ic e . A leader fo r music and in stru cto rs in various s p e c ia lt ie s ( e . g . , dancing, cobblery, e t c .) that are needed fo r only part o f the tim e, ijiust be considered in preparing plans, pro­ grams, and budget. Although the handbook where the above information appears includes many suggestions end forms for recording ch ild ren 's h ea lth , home back­ grounds, and progress in school, and supplies a r e g istr a tio n blank for volunteer workers, i t g iv e s n eith er q u a lific a tio n s nor methods o f record­ ing background and experience o f salaried members o f the s t a f f . Some tw elve years la te r a play school for children o f kindergarten and elementary school age was expected to operate with the follow in g s ta ff: An educational director in charge o f th e p ro ject, with th e necessary c le r ic a l s ta ff; I d e a lly , for every group o f f if t e e n children, one group teacher train ed in modern elementary methods, p lu s f u ll or part time teach ers o f sp ecial su b jects, according to th e number o f ch ild ren in the school.

1. 2.

Ibid. . p. 12. The sp ecia l su b jects suggested are shop and art work, music and dancing, dramatics, swimming, nature work, household a r ts, t r ip s and o u tin g s.

-247A home v is it o r trained in modern methods, to follow up absentees end to acquaint th e parents with play school p rin cip les and gain th e ir understanding; A d ie tic ia n and k itchen s t a f f , u n less food i s sent in from outside; 1 J a n ito r ia l se r v ic e .

The Bowman study, published in 1955, obviously r e f le c ts some o f the adjustments made necessary by depression con d ition s.

Where the 1951 sug­

g estio n s refer to id ea l s t a f f arrangements and a group teacher i s recom­ mended for every f if t e e n ch ild ren , Bowman presents minimum e s s e n tia ls fo r a good play school program, sta tin g th a t each group should co n sist of not over tw en ty-five ch ild ren .

His l i s t o f s t a f f also conveys the im­

pression th a t dollar shortages cannot be ignored in play school planning. This i s th e l i s t : Personnel— An adequate play school s t a f f w ill include: a prin cip al a home-room teacher fo r each group of tw enty-five children a home v is it o r (part or fu ll-tim e so cia l worker or v i s i t ­ ing teacher) a part-tim e parent education leader ( i t i s p o ssib le that the so c ia l worker or v is it in g teacher may be q u a lified to do the work in parent education.) a olerk ( i f p o ssib le) a n u tr itio n is t (p art or f u ll- tim e ) . (In addition to lunchroom r e s p o n s ib ilitie s t h is person could carry on in str u c tio n in home-making with a group of children and with p aren ts.) a cook (can handle lunches for one hundred children) ja n ito r ia l serv ice.^ Having presented h is minimal s t a f f , Bowman goes on to recommend special teachers in aach areas as music and th e in d u strial arts to enrich the curriculum.

He adds, q u a lify in g each statement with the phrase "where

p ossib le" , th a t teachers be selected who have had recent tra in in g and

1. 2.

Prom an unpublished document headed, D e ta ils to be Considered in the Organization o f a Summer Play School (b elieved to have been pre­ pared in 1951)* LeRoy E. Bowman, Community Programs fo r Summer Play Schools, p. j 4 .

-248experience in a c t iv it y programs, mental hygiene and ch ild psychology. Not only ia carefu l se le c tio n o f teach ers stressed but a period of further tr a in in g p rior to the opening o f play school iB reconsnended and a certain 1 amount o f in -s e r v ic e train in g endorsed. These recommendations appear to have been given serious con sideration.

Clara Lambert1s report, "Prom

the Records: An Adventure in Teacher Training", i s concerned primarily with the group teachers in play sch ools.

Although i t deals only in ci­

d en ta lly with other s ta f f members, i t e s ta b lis h e s th e process o f selec­ t io n , o r ie n ta tio n , tra in in g , and supervision o f teachers as a major function o f the movement during the la te 1950's. The 1945 ed itio n of 2 th e A sso c ia tio n 's handbook for teach ers s ta te s th a t each play school i s g en erally sta ffed with a: d irector clerk teacher for approximately every twenty children number o f part-tim e s p e c ia lis t s neighborhood worker parent education leader, i f no other s t a f f member can supply t h is function homemaking person, i f no other s t a f f member i s q u a lified to plan end supervise meals and purchase food number o f adequately trained and supervised volunteers or students doing f ie ld work. In th e years sin ce 1945 many statem ents r e la tin g to q u a lific a tio n s and d u tie s o f play school personnel have appeared in th e A ssociation 's p u b lica tio n s and rep orts.

Further reference w ill be made to th ese in

th e treatm ent o f contemporary s t a f f m atters, immediately follow in g.

1. 2.

Ib id . , p. 55* Play Schools A ssociation, Handbook on Play Schools fo r Group Leaders and Teachers. New Yorks 195*5, p. 8 .

-2 4 ? -

Jk Modem Play School S ta ff Greater homogeneity in train in g and experience probably e x is t s among the s t a f f s o f contemporary play schools than was p o ssib le at any ea r lie r stage in th e development o f the movement.

The in flu en ce o f wartime ch ild ­

care programs, with public support, o f f i c ia l and more uniform require­ ments, salary sc a le s based upon q u a lific a tio n s and job a n a ly sis, has undoubtedly contributed to the r a isin g of standards and th e le v e llin g of divergences among play school personnel.

Although the modern play school

adm inistrator ia guided by ca refu lly prepared o u tlin e s of e l i g i b i l i t y standards, th e in ta n g ib le q u a litie s that make a good play school worker and that are not always calcu lab le in terms o f c o lle g e c r e d its and years o f experience, are s t i l l recognized as important in the s e le c tio n o f per­ sonnel.

A recent statement describing the play schools and th e work of

th e Play Schools A ssociation prefaces i t s treatment o f s t a f f with t h is sentence:

"All should be Warm, frien d ly , em otionally mature adu lts, with

a genuine lik in g and understanding o f children."^Composition Among the requirements considered e s s e n tia l to th e organization of a play school in 1948, th ere appears the follow in g l i s t o f s t a f f , with general q u a lific a tio n s given for each: 1.

1.

A D irector: with voider standing o f children o f elementary school age; with p rofession al tr a in in g in t h i s f ie ld ; with adm inistrative experience and q u a litie s o f demo­ c r a tic leadership; one who i s aware o f and in terested in community needs; with understanding and capacity to in terp ret the underlying r e la tio n sh ip s inherent in th e job. Im plioit in the d ir e c to r 's background and experience must be the a b ilit y to tr a in teachers

Play Schools and th e Play Schools A ssociation, an unpaged o f f s e t document, dated 1948.

- 250 -

on the job in th e areas of the content and develop­ ment o f the program in a ll i t s aspects; parent relar tio n a h ip s, good group liv in g at the variou s age le v e ls ; understanding the needs o f in d ivid u al c h il­ dren, and th e use o f m aterial and equipment. ( I f th e d irector has lim ita tio n s in t h is key aspect of the work, a progrsn director, part or f u l l time, i s e s s e n t ia l.) 2.

A teacher fo r each groups with p rofession al tr a in in g in th e f i e l d s o f ch ild development, early elementary education, nursery school or group work; with an awareness o f c h ild ren 's physical w ell-b e in g , and in­ formed on a ll regu lation s p ertaining to in fe c tio n s and communicable d iseases, as w ell as f ir s t - a i d re­ sources; with an understanding o f growth through play, and o f individual d ifferen ces in children; o f fam ily and cu ltu ra l backgrounds; and with an appreciation o f and resp ect for r a c ia l, r e lig io u s , c u ltu r a l and economic d iffere n ce s o f a ll people in th e community.

5.

A ssista n ts fo r each teachers q u a lifie d undergraduates from the same f ie ld s lis te d above, who are preparing to take th e ir place in the p rofession al world.

4.

O ffice, domestic and custodial s ta ffs s iz e o f the school.

5.

TeaPhers o f sp ecial in te r e sts; in addition to th e ir s k i l l s in music and crea tiv e a rts, should have an understand­ ing o f c h ild ren 's needs.

6.

Supplementary s ta ffs when necessary, to cover such f ie ld s as— Healths nurse or doctor for medical exam inations, h ealth co n su lta tio n s, r e fe r r a ls, advice and guidance fo r parents and fo r teachers on d aily check-up. Homemakings s t a f f member or s p e c ia lis t fo r meal planning and serving. Home and school rela tio n sh ip s: trained s o c ia l worker for parent guidance, teacher co u n sellin g , and work with in d ividu al ch ild ren .

adequate fo r th e

Sources o f Supply The cu sto d ia l s t a f f in most play schools i s composed o f workers who are part o f th e t o t a l functioning o f the building where the program i s 1.

Loc. o i t .

- 251house d.

In a public school, settlem en t, or church-sponsored center,

the jan itor i s u su ally a regu larly scheduled employee who may need to add a helper for the summer or after-sch o o l hours, to supply th e extra work en ta iled by the presence o f the play school.

The cook, a lso , i s

often a regular member o f th e house s t a f f who serves the play school with or without ad ditional a s s is ta n ts .

Centers operating in the summer

only, frequently engage cooks who have been employed in the public school lunch program or high school c a fe te r ia s in the w inter.

Most kitchen and

maintenance s ta ff tend to come from schools or other s e ttin g s serving children, rather than from h o te ls , restaurants or industry in general.^ I t is q uite important fo r a ll play school workers to be able to accept the special conditions involved in caring for th e t o ta l w ell-b ein g o f children.

A program including feed ing, restin g , and experimentation with

m aterials that frequently elude the boundaries o f neat housekeeping, c a l l s for understanding, sympathetic adults in a ll r o le s .

And an understanding,

sympathetic adm inistration u su ally t r e a ts such workers e s p e c ia lly w ell in order to keep them.

C le ric a l workers may be recruited from other schools

or they may be engaged through the United S tates Employment S ervice, voc er tio n a l agencies, or such so c ia l agencies as the Y.M.C.A., Y.M.H.A., Y.W.C.A. 2 and Y.W.H.A. Play schools in public schools receiv e medical care through the lo c a l Department o f Health which fu rn ish es doctors and nurses fo r t h is serv ice. In a settlem ent where th ere are doctors or nurses on the house s t a f f , th ese u sually also serve th e play school. 1.

2.

Other a f f ilia t e d groups may c a ll upon

The Federal lunch program fu rn ish es a trained d ie tic ia n for school lunches and su p p lies d aily lunches in h ot containers, fr e e to c h il­ dren o f fa m ilies receiv in g public a ssista n ce, and at f if t e e n cen ts per day to oth ers. During th e depression, students under N.Y.a. guidance served in play school o f f ic e s as c le r ic a l h elp ers.

- 252 -

neighborhood p ed ia tricia n s on a voluntary or reduoed-fee b a s is .

Ihe

V is itin g Nurses and the Henry S treet Nurses have given lim ited service to a number o f play sch ools.

The Bureau o f Child Guidance fu rn ish es a

trained so c ia l worker fo r each public school cen ter.

Most o f the s e t t l e ­

ments have year-round so c ia l workers who help with the play school program. Other groups have u su a lly depended upon the New York School o f Social Work for trained p rofession al workers, or students in the process o f be­ coming so c ia l workers. Play school d irecto rs come from the so cia l group work f ie ld as w ell as from public and p rivate elementary sch ools.

Public school experience i s

p a rticu la rly valuable fo r the adm inistrative head o f a play school in a public school building, where the coordination o f a playground and play school program may c o n stitu te an important aspect of the work.

Large pub­

l i c school centers often add program d irectors during the summer se ssio n . The program director assumes the major r e sp o n sib ility for curriculum work, and serves as a helping teach er.

Program d irectors have frequently come

from experimental public or p rivate schools or from public school programs in selected suburban conanunities where they have had experience in the fr e e r kind o f education advocated in the play schools.

Some d irecto rs,

both adm inistrative and ed u cation al, have moved up into th e ir p o sitio n s as •a r e su lt o f successful experience as play school teachers. There are two major ca teg o ries among play school teach ers.

In one

group are the teachers supplied by the Board o f Education, who must hold Board o f Education lic e n s e s to be e l i g i b l e for placement.

In th e second

group are the privately-engaged teach ers whose sa la r ie s are paid by the Play Schools A ssociation or the in d ivid u al cen ters.

The Board o f Education

teach ers may be licen sed classroom teach ers, licen sed s u b stitu te s, or may

-2 5 5 -

hold lic e n s e s as p ia n ists, kindergarteners, or shop teachers.

Most o f

the privately-engaged teachers come from p rivate schools in the New York area, or from public or p rivate schools in nearby suburban communities. There are always a few from more d ista n t p la ces.

College and u n iv ersity

students who have worked in th e play schools as paid a ssista n ts or as part o f th e ir f ie ld work for smarter courses have sometimes been w illin g to return to New York at considerable tra v el co st and s a c r ific e o f vacar tio n time, to become regular group teach ers. in th e year-round program.

A few have remained to work

Local c o lle g e graduates and undergraduates

have served as play school teachers in both ca teg o ries.

Some group teach­

e r s, p a rticu la rly in the settlem ent cen ters, have come from schools o f s o c ia l work, with sp ecial tra in in g in group work. Special consultants in science and the various arts have usually come to the play schools from nearby progressive schools that maintain enrichment programs in those areas.

A ssistan t teachers have been students

from c o lle g e s and p rofession al schools in th e metropolitan area as w ell as from those farther a fie ld .

A few students from foreign countries are

also to be found a s sistin g in play school groups.

Some are graduate

students, combining th is p ra ctica l classroom experience with th e ir programs o f study in the United S ta tes.

Among t h is number have been q u a lified

teach ers w illin g to serve as a s s is ta n ts , in what i s for them a new m ilieu , in order to return to th e ir own classroom s abroad with fresh ideas and challenging experiences. Most play school teach ers are young.

The average age o f p rofession al

personnel in the play schools i s b elieved to be considerably below th a t o f most public school systems.

The age d iffe r e n tia l i s probably particu­

la r ly great in New York where teach er turnover i s r e la tiv e ly low in the

-2 ^ 4 -

1 public schools* S electio n of Personnel C lerical* kitchen, and maintenance s t a f f members are chosen la rg ely on the b a sis o f previous experience, with proper regard fo r the condi­ t io n o f the budget and some a tten tio n given to p erson ality fa cto rs as th ese r e la te to children.

A much more thorough process i s applied to

the s e le c tio n of p rofession al sta ff*

Part o f the task o f sele ctio n has

already been done in the case of tea ch ers coming to the schools through the Board o f Education.

These teach ers have been examined and licen sed

before th e ir names appear on an e l i g i b i l i t y l i s t *

Where teachers are

p riv a te ly engaged, the en tire process becomes the r e sp o n sib ility of play school personnel, eith er at headquarters or in th e individual cen ters. The ch oice o f a d irector u sually in v o lv es lo c a l boards or committees and adm inistrative workers such as headworkers in settlem ents, as w ell as the headquarters s t a f f o f the Play Schools A ssociation . Discrim inating s e le c t iv it y presupposes an adequate supply o f candi­ dates*

The number o f trained persons, w illin g and e lig ib le to work in

play schools, has varied considerably over the years, and usually re­ f l e c t s the general economic or emotional tenor o f th e tim es. Olara Lambert stated:

In 1959

"In order to f a c i l i t a t e th e task o f re-tra in in g ,

a great deal o f e ffo r t i s made to secure th e best human m aterial a v a ila b le from the e lig ib le l i s t s .

Several months are devoted to interview ing the

candidates and sele ctin g those who aeem promising from our point o f view." 1.

Information on sources of supply gathered through examination of records and in interview s with play school adm inistrators. From the Records: An Adventure in Teacher Training. New York: Summer Play Schools Committee o f th e Child Study A ssociation of America, p. 5.

-255The author's further comments on se le c tio n o f teachers suggest th at emo­ t io n a lly mature men and women were wanted in 1959 ju st as they are in 1950, for work with children, but a good deal o f emphasis i s also placed upon the a b ility o f Candidates to withstand the discouragement o f rigorous 1 times* She says: We have been g r a tifie d to discover th a t there are teachers not too d isillu sio n e d to b eliev e th a t p rogressive educar* tio n s t i l l has a great chance in America, who b e lie v e th at teach ers can r e a lly educate toward true democracy, who s t i l l b eliev e th a t children o f a ll races and creeds can be educated togeth er, and th at tim e, e ffo r t and a ffe c tio n given to th ese children are not lo a t.^ Five years la te r , during World War II, the same author devotes con­ siderably more time and space to the q u a lific a tio n s to be considered in the s e le c tio n o f play school d irecto rs.

A few s ig n ific a n t statements

have been chosen for in clu sion h ere. In some schools the director w ill have complete responsi­ b i l i t y for th e parent-education program and the contactsz with outside so c ia l agencies. • • At the very le a s t she must have t a c t and maturity and understanding o f fam ily backgrounds, for t h is important part o f her ta sk . I f she i s to work without the help o f s p e c ia lis t s ehe tftould have more s p e c ific trainin g in counseling, as w e ll. That she must have sound educational background and both teaching end adm inistrative experience i s obvious, for in th e la s t an alysis the success o f the program w ill depend h ea v ily on her lead ership . Lambert adds'* th a t the play school director must also p ossess superior q u a litie s o f ingenuity and adaptability in order t o make th e most of quarters and equipment th at frequently f a l l fa r short o f th e standards

1. 2. 5. 4. 5.

Ib id . . pp. 6-10. Ibi^ », p. 9 . Note th a t candidate i s referred to as "die." I t i s wartime. Clara Lambert, School1s Out. New York* Harper and Brothers, 1944, p. 209. Loc. c l t .

-2 5 6 -

s e t fo r good educational programs. The m o tio n a l s t a b ilit y o f the teacher and her tra in in g and experi­ ence are s t i l l considered important in 1944.

Knowledge o f th e physical

environment and in sig h t in to the cu ltu ra l patterns of th e neighborhood come in for greater emphasis in the se le ctio n o f teachers at t h is period then they did e a r lie r .

Teachers trained to work in nursery schools are

e s p e c ia lly recommended because they have learned to observe young c h il1 dren and to understand and accept th e ir play. "People who have taught in experimental a c tiv ity schools may have exactly the background th at i s needed, but i t requires exceptional adaptability for them to adjust to th e lim ita tio n s o f m akeshift plant and equipment after working in almost 2 id ea l surroundings." In the diort span o f years since the war even more s p e c ific q u a lific a ­ tio n s fo r work in play sch ools have been set up and put into p rin t.

A

statement dealing with th e choice o f a director in 1949 asks that the Candidate be a person who not only knows good teaching at th e kindergarten and elementary school le v e ls , but one who has been a good teacher and "who i s also able to guide th e personnel rela tio n sh ip s and adm inistrative af­ f a ir s o f the school in such a way that they in terlock and combine to make smooth and happy liv in g fo r teachers and adm inistrative s t a f f as they work with ch ild ren end parents." in th e summer o f

1949

was

The salary range for play school d irectors

I 5 0 0 .- I 8 0 0 .,

depending upon the s iz e o f the

school end the q u a lific a tio n s o f the individual holding the p o sitio n .

The

195° statement om its mention o f s p e c ific salary although i t a sse r ts th at

1. 2. 5.

Ib id . , pp. 210-222. Ibid. , pp. 211-212. Prom a mimeographed statement prepared by the Play Schools Associartio n e n title d Q u a lifica tio n s and Salary For The P rofession al S ta ff Of A Play School", dated March 17, 19^9.

-257renran er ation w ill be determined by q u a lific a tio n s , experience, size o f play school and t o ta l r e s p o n sib ility involved. Q u a lifica tio n s in both statem ents are sim ilar. train in g and experience are enumerated.

Three le v e ls of

The minimum educational require­

ment for placement as a play school director includes a Bachelor's degree from a recognized c o lle g e or u n iv e r sity , with a major in elementary or early childhood education, or graduate work in a recognized school o f so c ia l work with sp e c ia liz a tio n in the group work f ie ld .

The experience

minimum i s two years o f teaching or group work with school-age children or a year or more o f play school experience plus a year or more of suc­ c e ssfu l adm inistrative school or agency experience on the elementary school le v e l.

The next higher rating in creases the requirement in experience

with children by at l e a s t one year and adds a year or more o f adminis­ tr a tiv e work as w ell.

The th ird le v e l c a ll s for a M aster's degree in

early childhood or elementary education or in group work with school-age children. Qroup teachers and a ssista n t teachers are expected to meet a much more d eta iled set o f q u a lific a tio n s than one can discover anywhere in the e a r lie r days o f the movement.

Olara Lambert stated*- in 1959 that

many of the young people who came to her train in g session s in the hope o f obtaining teaching p o sitio n s in th e play schools held M aster's degrees and a ll had Bachelor's degrees. Aside from t h is reference and the author's 2 avowed preference, stated f iv e years la te r , fo r nursery school teachers since the tra in in g c o lle g e s do not g iv e courses in play, l i t t l e more was

1. 2.

From the Records* An Adventure in Teacher Training, p. 9 . Olara Lambert, S ch ool's Out, pp. 210-211.

-2 5 8 -

w ritten u n til q u ite recen tly on the subject o f p re-service teacher tra in ­ ing as a r e q u isite to play school work. The 1949 statement o f q u a lific a tio n s in clu d es three le v e ls for group teachers and a ssista n ts as w ell as fo r d irecto rs. tra in in g at the c o lle g e le v e l.

Each category requires

In f a c t , the basic minimum fo r a group

teacher s p e c ifie s not only a B achelor's degree in education or the equivar le n t in group work but o u tlin e s the number o f hours a teacher must have had o f observation, student teaching, ch ild development, curriculum, h isto ry and philosophy.

The d eta iled statement of requirements for group

teachers and a s sista n ts w ill be found on pp.458-62 o f the Appendix. Contemporary Working C onditions and R e s p o n sib ilitie s There i s a f a ir degree of unanimity in the d aily functioning o f play schools but, in a ll p ro b a b ility , no two situ a tio n s w ill be found -that are tr u ly id e n tic a l.

Some fa c to r s must be constant due to the very nature o f

the work and the co n tro ls se t by th e organ izations responsible for sup­ porting the movement.

For instance, a ll summer play schools are open from

8.45 A.M. to 5.00 P.M., Mondays through Fridays. ers are assigned to duty during those hours.

Board o f Education teach­

As there are Board of Educa­

tio n teachers in th e p rivate as w ell as public school cen ters, the sane 1 hours are observed in a ll play sch ools. Children attend from 9.00 A.M. to 4.00 P.M., givin g the teachers the f i r s t quarter hour and th e la s t hour o f each day fo r preparation.

Children o f working mothers may remain u n til

5.00 P.M., with provision fo r th e ir supervision during the f in a l hour usually supplied on th e playground.

1.

The A ssociation strongly recommends that a ll teaching s t a f f be en­ gaged on a r e la t iv e ly equal b asis o f salary and working con d ition s.

-2 5 9 The present year-round play schools are a ll located in public school b u ild in gs, with the teaching s t a f f on duty from 11.50 A.M. to 5»00 P.M. during the academic school year.

Teachers have the f i r s t hour for prepara­

tio n in w inter, as the ch ild ren come for a ll or part of the time from 12.50 to 5 .0 0 , depending upon d ism issal time at individual schools.

The

youngest children are u su a lly in th e play program from 12.50 on, with others arriving at 1.00 P.M. or 2.00 o 'c lo c k . in to th e ir groups at 5»00 P.M.

The o ld e st children come

S p lit sessio n s and other lo c a l irregu lari­

t i e s may a lte r th ese arrangements. Aside from uniform working hours end salary which i s o f f i c i a l l y de­ termined for Board o f Education teach ers and somewhat more f le x ib le for those p riv a tely engaged, there are certa in r e s p o n s ib ilitie s shared by a ll play school personnel.

Although public school cen ters are required to

keep and submit a larger number o f o f f i c i a l forms, some types o f records and reports are kept by a ll d irecto rs or th e ir s t a f f s .

The absence o f

any teacher must be reported to th e Play Schools A ssociation o f f ic e be­ fore 10.00 o 'clo c k each morning.

Attendance records are kept for a ll

children and reported weekly and monthly to the cen tral o f f ic e , with a seasonal analysis at th e c lo s e o f th e sessio n . are also submitted to th e Board o f Education.

Monthly attendance reports An annual report on the

to ta l program i s made to the Play Schools A ssociation and an o f fic e re­ port prepared fo r -the Greater New York Fund, a contributor to the work o f the sch ools.

The public school cen ters must estim ate and submit advance

orders for th e ir lunches and snacks. for a ll personnel.

Withholding tax forma are required

P a y ro lls are prepared fo r the individual agencies,

the Play Schools A ssociation , or the Board of Education, depending upon

-2 6 0 -

salary sources In each case. Teachers are expected to report attendance and accidents in th eir own groups and to req u isitio n and inventory su p p lies.

They are asked

to keep records on individual children as w ell as d aily lo g s or other accounts o f th e progress o f th eir t o t a l groups.

In most schools these

records are used by the teacher in conferences with the d irector or so c ia l worker, possib ly also with play school supervisors or parents, as part o f the guidance o f individual children and o f the group. Just as the director i s resp onsible for th e ov era ll appearance and tone o f th e school, so i s each teacher the major c o n tro llin g factor in th ese areas as they apply to the in dividual classroom .

Summer play schools

sometimes pose p articular problems in such m atters as housekeeping and curriculum planning.

The period of operation i s short and one cannot al­

ways wait fo r the gradual development o f techniques or the sub tle arousal o f in te r e st that may be educationally d esira b le. hot in July and August.

The c ity s tr e e ts are

A worthwhile study th at was p ra ctica l in the

long winter season may be n eith er applicable to the tenor o f the play school nor p o ssib le o f completion during a seven-week se ssio n . The grea test source o f s a tis fa c tio n or fr u stra tio n in the working situ a tio n for a play school teacher probably revolves around the matter o f d is c ip lin e .

Attendance i s voluntary for the ch ild ren .

The teacher

who i s able to maintain a calm and peaceful atmosphere while perm itting youngsters to have a liv e ly , happy tim e in school enjoys th e work. play school i s no place for the rig id d isc ip lin a r ia n .

The

According to

Lambert,* most children come to play cen ters from schools with s t r ic t

1.

Olara Lambert, School1s Out, p. 216.

-2 6 1 -

standards o f d isc ip lin e , where the teacher i s expected to see th a t there i s no disturbance* the children accede.

"She i s invested with a sp ecia l authority to which The play school, on the other hand, i s concerned

with th e a b ility o f children to liv e happily togeth er, \ h i l e ta lk in g , 1 working and playing fr e e ly ." In play schools d is c ip lin e becomes large­ ly a matter o f s e lf - d is c ip lin e .

I t may take tim e for teachers as w ell

as children to become adjusted to the play school concept o f classroom co n tro l.

Children frequently experience a tr a n sitio n in volvin g aggres­

siv e and boisterous behavior before they s e t t le down to rea l enjoyment o f th e ir newly-found freedom to explore crea tiv e m aterials. During the early weeks something o f a struggle goes on between th e children and the teacher. Released from one type o f d is c ip lin e , the children do not know how to ad­ ju s t to the other. They try out a ll th e ir methods o f behavior on the teacher. In order not to v i t ia t e th e ir experience o f liv in g together in t h is way, the must be carefu l not to permit too much freedom before th e children are ready for i t . Keeping in mind the goal, i t „ i s im­ portant to build toward i t somewhat ca u tio u sly . Another area o f the work that may represent anything from a pleasant challenge to a downright nuisance for d irecto rs and teachers from more formal schools i s the whole se r ie s o f a c t iv it ie s dealing with food and r e st.

Teachers in public schools often have no part in th e ch ild ren 's

meal tim es; few above the kindergarten le v e l have any r e s p o n sib ility for r e s t hour.

These experiences are important parts o f the play school

program. Above and beyond th e handling o f rou tin es associated with eating and sleeping and maintaining the learning clim ate o f the classroom, the

1• 2.

Loo, c i t • Ib id . , p. 217.

-2 6 2 -

tea ch er's main r esp o n sib ility i s the curriculum. are studied and u t iliz e d through t r ip s .

Community resources

Indoor and outdoor a c t iv it i e s

are balenced as are activ e and q uiet tim es in the program.

Learning ex­

p erien ces are organized and developed around a g e-lev el in terests# cultur­ al fa c to r s , and clim a tic conditions

sb

these a ffe c t showers, th e use of

p ools and playgrounds as w ell as the more common sup plies and equipment o f the classroom .

This i s a ll part of th e te a c h e r 's work in a play school

and o f th e d ir e c to r 's r e sp o n sib ility for cooperative planning and super1 v is io n . The d u ties and hours o f paid a s s is ta n ts are sim ilar to those o f group tea ch ers, although they do not assume complete charge o f e n tir e groups of children except in emergencies and are seldom c a lle d upon fo r f in a l d ecisio n s in m atters requiring the mature judgment o f experienced teach ers. There have been tim es when an a ssista n t teacher has su c cessfu lly taken over a group teaching assignment and carried i t through to completion when the ex ig en cies o f the situ a tio n have created a sudden vacancy in a school.

The above statements apply to a certa in degree to students par­

tic ip a t in g in the play school program.

Their hours and other lim ita tio n s

upon th e ir a v a ila b ility are set by the cooperating c o lle g e s and univer­ s i t i e s , and by insurance and other regu lation s governing center operation. Every s t a f f member ex erts a p o te n tia l in flu en ce upon th e emotional growth and development o f the children. ly e f f e c t iv e in th is area.

Teachers are becoming in creasin g­

They are expected to be able to guide c h il­

dren along lin e s o f emotional as w ell as p hysical and in te lle c tu a l growth. The modern play school teacher needs to recognize symptoms o f maladjustment

1.

A more d eta iled treatment o f the play school program w ill be found in the follow in g chapter.

-265and to d istin g u ish between those she can handle alone and those where help i s needed from such s p e c ia lis ts as the trained so c ia l worker or the school physician.

The director frequently h elp s teach ers arrive

at d ecisio n s o f t h is nature.

Seriously maladjusted children are not

normally accepted in play school groups. The w idest v a ria tio n in working conditions and r e s p o n s ib ilitie s probably occurs among the consultants >ho are frequently part-tim e workers functioning in th e ir own sp ecialized areas.

The so c ia l worker in each

public school center i s a trained Bureau of Child Guidance worker who u su a lly knows the neighborhood and works d irectly with parents from the intake interview on.

Work with teachers may be done d ir e c tly or throu^i

the adm inistration, and with children who have been referred fo r indi­ vidual h elp .

In settlem ent centers the so cia l worker may be rfiared with

the play school by the o v era ll house program, with du ties and hours de­ termined by the need fo r and a v a ila b ility o f se r v ic e s.

R eferrals to and

from other agencies form an important part o f the so c ia l worker's responsi­ b i l i t y in a play school. Other con sultan ts are usually part-tim e s p e c ia lis ts in science, music, or a rts and o r a fts . content.

They work with th e teachers to enrich curriculum

They almost always devote a large ah are o f th e ir tim e to work­

ing d ir e o tly with youngsters.

O ccasionally, s p e c ia lis ts in th e arts

have conducted c la s s e s fo r parents a lso . Medical s t a f f members serve for designated periods in th e ir own areas.

The nurse may do a d aily inspection o f a ll th e child ren i f she

i s a v a ila b le.

This r e sp o n sib ility i s more commonly delegated to the

group teacher who looks over the children as they enter and sends those

-264with suspected symptoms to the nurse or doctor at a given tim e and place* In one privately-op erated center a neighborhood p ed ia tricia n , who serves the school fo r a small annual fe e , drops in every day to see any c h il­ dren teachers wish to r e fe r .

On p articu larly hot days or in tim es o f

threatened epidemics he v i s i t s the classrooms to do a quick survey o f a ll the ch ild ren . The d u ties o f maintenance and kitchen s ta f f are f a ir ly w ell defined by th e ir job d esign ation s.

R eligious observances may a ffe c t the food

serv ice in some neighborhoods, while other cu ltu ral patterns determine minor v a r ia tio n s in o th ers.

In a few centers homemaking and kitchen per­

sonnel have been w illin g and encouraged to assume some teaching responsi­ b i l i t y with parents and children in cooking, meal planning, clo th es making and home decoration. C lerica l workers in play schools are usually on a fu ll-tim e b a sis. They divide th e ir tim e between recep tio n ist and se c r e ta r ia l d u ties. They u su ally answer telephones, receive v is it o r s at the school o f f ic e and type records and rep orts.

In some centers the bookkeeping i s also

handled in th e play school o f f ic e .

C lerical s ta f f members have been

known to act as h o sts at lunch periods, to make petty cash purchases o f teaching m a teria ls, to accompany children to c lin ic s and even to take over classrooms, in emergencies.

The background, tra in in g and p erson ality

o f the c le r ic a l worker, plus the presence or absence o f adequate pro­ fe ssio n a l personnel, are apt to determine the degree of r e s p o n sib ility that may be delegated to such a person. Every member o f a play school s ta f f functions as a teach er, whether

-265-

d ir e c tly in the classroom or in some other capacity.

Some teach by

precept, some by example, some by being important to the ch ild ren in making up th e ir learning environment.

The r ela tio n sh ip s w ithin the

s t a f f may determine the emotional clim ate o f the en tire school. In-Service Training o f S ta ff The Play Schools A ssociation has developed many techniques for the tra in in g o f workers in t h is sp ecialized f ie ld of education.

With

the passage o f the years some o f th ese techniques have come to be recog­ nized and adapted by many la y and professional groups in an ever-in creas­ ing geographic and conceptual sphere.

The topic under immediate

consideration here i s the train in g o f personnel actu ally at work in the cen ters.

The broader im p lication s o f the tra in in g program w ill be found

in Chapter VIII (pp. 571-77; 589-594) on in flu en ces.

Of the various tech­

niques used in tra in in g play school s t a f f s , publication and supervision appear to have the lon gest h isto ry in the movement. Publications The frequently mentioned 1919 handbook* on the organization tmd con­ duct o f play schools i s the e a r lie s t play school p ublication th a t may be said to have s t a f f tra in in g im plications. two yearB o f experim entation.

I t was based upon the f i r s t

The suggested procedures for operation

o f the program appear to have served as a guide for personnel in the centers for a long tim e.

Nearly twenty years la te r m aterials were col­

lected and organized for a new o f f ic i a l handbook on play sch ools.

1.

Benjamin C. Gruenberg, The Summer Play School.

The

-2 6 6 -

Board o f Education o f the City o f New York also issued a play school 1

handbook

in the 1950's.

Simon Hirsdansky, who succeeded Dr. Gruenberg as head o f the play sch ools, sent out a s e r ie s o f le t t e r s to the d irectors o f in dividual cen ters in th e summer o f 1924.

The s e r ie s covered to p ic s a ll th e way

from the sim plest s t a t i s t i c a l routin es to the philosophy o f the play school movement.

The major aim o f th ese le t t e r s was evid en tly to re­

ite r a te and emphasize important p oints already made at conferences with school d ir e c to r s.

Rather than formal l i s t s o f task s to be done there

are fr ie n d ly reminders, accompanied by subtle introductions to matters o f p o lic y .

The emphasis on community fa cto rs and th e awareness o f th e

importance o f developing good play school-day school r ela tio n sh ip s impart a contemporary tone to th ese tw enty-six-year-old le t t e r s .

"Our d isc ip lin e

should be a group d is c ip lin e r esu ltin g from a group working toward a com­ mon end,— no more, no l e s s . te ste d by t h is acid t e s t .

At every stage our d isc ip lin e should be Pure formaliaa in d isc ip lin e i s as much out o f

place in a play school as is formalism in content."

2

No record has been found o f further e ffo r ts at t h is type o f communicer tio n .

I t i s p o ssib le th at the p roject was continued but no cop ies o f

sim ilar l e t t e r s or n o tic e s

appear to have been preserved.

More than a 5 decade la te r th e D irector o f the Summer Play Schools sent a le t t e r to a ll d irecto rs o f cen ters that implied a sim ilar approach toward the in serv ice tra in in g o f personnel.

1. 2. 5.

Attached to t h is le t t e r were twenty-four

United S ta tes Works Progress Administration, Handbook fo r Summer Play Schools o f New York P ity , Board of Education, City o f New York [RevisedTT 1958. From L etter No. 2, addressed to play school d irecto rs, dated July 21, 1924, p. 2. Signed by Adele S. Moeslerj undated, believed to have been w ritten in 195^.

-2 6 7 mimeographed pagea o f ed ited excerpts from the 195^ and 1955 reports of in d ividu al play sch ools.

The m aterial i s presented anonymously and covers

organ ization , cu rricu lar p ro jects fo r various age le v e ls , procedures f o l ­ lowed in ea tin g , re stin g and bathing, assembly programs, d aily schedules, s t a f f m eetings and parent work.

The covering l e t t e r requests responses

and suggestions from the readers. In th e years from 1956 to th e present, n o tic e s and memoranda from headquarters have been used regularly to supplement the more permanent pub­ lic a tio n s .

They have a lso served to make certain th at a ll schools are kept

posted on m atters o f p o licy and on o f f i c i a l regu lation s o f such cooperat­ ing agencies as the Board o f Education, the Department of Welfare or the Board o f H ealth.

Other source m aterials have been the many a r t ic le s by

play school personnel in various popular and p rofession al p e r io d ic a ls. These have o fte n been made available to s ta f fs by means o f rep rin ts d is­ trib u ted fr e e or at c o s t. The e a r lie s t o f th ese was probably the rep rin t 1 o f Hairy Harap's a r tic le on the summer play school at Hudson Guild. I t s successors have been widely u t iliz e d in the tra in in g of play school s t a f f , and, in cid en tally* in th e preparation o f t h is study. Annual reports on the work o f th e play schools have also contributed in sp ira tio n and content fo r the tra in in g o f s t a f f members. Committee o r ig in a lly reported to

The Play Schools

the parent organization, the Federation

for Child Study, la te r th e Child Study A ssociation.

From th e time o f the

separate incorporation u n til 19^8, a reasonably detailed report has been printed fo r each year, givin g the h ig h lig h ts o f the work in a ll areas.

1.

'^Results o f a Health Program in a Summer Play School," American Journal o f Public Health. (J u ly , 1922).

- 268 -

Th© y e a r s 1948 and 1949 h av e been re c o rd e d in l e s s d e t a i l e d f a s h io n , in c o lo rfu l il lu s tr a t e d l e a f l e t s .

A r tic le s in Child Study and other magazines represent most of the published record a v a ila b le for the 1920's.

The in -se r v ic e tra in in g program

seems t o h av e g a in e d c o n s id e r a b le im p etu s i n th e 1 9 5 0 's , a s r e f l e c t e d in th e m im eographed o r p r i n t e d m a t e r i a l s f o r t h a t p e r io d .

T h e re i s a s i n g l e

copy in th e h i s t o r i c a l f i l e s o f t h e P la y S c h o o ls A s s o c ia tio n o f a g u id e

sheet, b elieved to have been prepared in 1951» fo r the organisation o f a summer p la y s c h o o l.

In t h a t y e a r and th e n e x t a s e r i e s o f t h r e e p r i n t e d

p am p h lets* a p p e a re d , r e f l e c t i n g t h e em phasis th e n c u r r e n t on n u t r i t i o n and h e a l t h in g e n e r a l .

They a re e n t i t l e d :

( l ) "Whan P a r e n t s Meet At

S c h o o l" ; (2 ) "When C h ild r e n E at T o g e th e r" ; (5 ) " H e a lth y A t t i t u d e s Toward

Health."

All three s tr e s s the program of the play schools in h ealth ,

n u t r i t i o n , and p a r e n t e d u c a tio n , b u t some a t t e n t i o n i s d ev o ted t o o th e r a s p e c ts o f t h e w ork.

D u rin g t h e 1 9 5 0 's two more b u l l e t i n s in t h e p a r e n t

e d u c a tio n f i e l d w ere added to th e s t a f f t r a i n i n g m a t e r i a l s . c a l l e d "The S to ry o f a C h ild S tudy G roup, in a Summer P la y S c h o o l."

2

One was

th e o t h e r , " P a r e n t E d u c a tio n

T h e ir c o n te n t i s b ro a d e r -than th e t i t l e s sug­

g e s t and much o f i t i s s t i l l ti m e l y . The r e s u l t s o f o b s e r v a ti o n and f i e l d s e r v ic e in a num ber o f A m erican 4 c i t i e s , f o r th e E x te n s io n A c t i v i t i e s D iv is io n o f t h e Summer Play S c h o o ls C om m ittee, w ere re c o rd e d by LeRoy E. Bowman, e d i t e d by B enjam in C. G ruenberg , and p u b lis h e d in 1955 a s "Community P rogram s f o r Summer P la y

1.

2. 5. 4.

P re p a re d th ro u g h a g r a n t from t h e T h ere se S tr a u s s G ale M em orial H e a lth Fund. By J e a n S c h ic k G rossm an, f i r s t p r i n t i n g 1955> second p r i n t i n g 1956. By J e a n S ch ick G rossm an, e x a c t d a te n o t known. Made p o s s i b l e by a t h r e e - y e a r g r a n t from t h e J u l i u s R osenw ald Fund.

-2 6 9 -

Schools." manual.

This b u lle tin might be regarded as the second play school "Plays A Yardstick o f Growth" appeared in 1958 end became the

forerunner o f an almost yearly succession o f publications dealing spe­ c i f i c a l l y with th e philosophy o f play* teaching, curriculum making, and the use or adaptation o f m aterials and equipment in play sch ools.

Most

o f th ese books and pamphlets have been the outgrowth o f p ra ctica l work in the f i e l d .

M aterials which f i r s t appeared as charts, work sheets or

memoranda fo r s t a f f have been c o lle c te d , revised and ed ited .

Printed and

bound, they have been able to reach beyond the confines o f the lo c a l scene. The handbooks o f more recent tim es have also been la rg ely th e r e s u lt o f actual tra in in g experiences with personnel in the f i e l d . book was follow ed by a revised ed itio n in 1945.* o f Growing Up" was th e next manual.

A 194-2 hand­

"Plays A C h ild 's Wsy

Published in 194-7 as a tea ch er's

guide to c h ild re n 's play in te r e s ts , i t incorporates many o f the m aterials used in th e tea ch er-tra in in g program up to that time.

The la t e s t addition

to the published m aterials used in s t a f f train in g i s "How to Make a Play School Work", presented as a manual for teachers and group lead ers in 19^9. During th e war years, as i t became increasingly d if f ic u lt to gather groups o f teach ers for advance orien ta tio n , the pu blication s were r e lie d upon more and more for tra in in g purposes. Written m a teria ls became doubly important when teach ers were not a v a ila b le for discussion groups, Simple m aterial was prepared, o ften ju st one mimeographed sheet devoted to some aspect o f the work. These covered: The F ir st Day; A Suggested Check L ist fo r Teachers; 3tepa in Block Build­ ing; Supplementary Toys; Painting: M aterials and Procedures; 1.

Both o f th e se are believed to be rev isio n s o f an e a r lie r handbook, prepared and mimeographed in 1957 or 1958. No copy dated before 1942 has been found.

-270Science M aterials; Olay* M aterials and Procedures. Under pressure o f need* th ese proved e x c e lle n t and may provide ad d itio n a l avemues for teacher tr a in in g .* The same pattern was applied to the work with parents whose wartime employment kept them from attendance at m eetings. turned out quickly to meet emergency situ a tio n s.

Simple sheets were Later th ese were ed ited ,

rev ised , and published in more permanent form. Most play school p u b lication s have been prepared for teach ers. Separate handbooks have been developed for the use o f d irecto rs end so c ia l workers in recent years.

These are lo o se le a f c o lle c tio n s of data on the

ro le o f th e s t a f f member, regu lation s and requirements, and suggestions pertinent to th e work.

They are brought up to date each year and serve

as in -s e r v ic e tr a in in g and guidance for the sp ecialized leadership per­ sonnel.

So far t h is type o f m aterial has not been transferred into the

more permanent form o f bound p u b lication s. The three play school film s have served, perhaps more d irectly than some of th e p u b lica tio n s, as in -se r v ic e training t o o ls .

At major con­

feren ces, at regular teacher tra in in g session s, at parents1 meetings and at individual schools, they have helped to acquaint audiences with play school p o lic ie s and procedures. a c t iv it ie s s ta te s

The b r ie f 1949 report on play school

th a t over 5*000 teachers throughout the country re­

ceived in d ire ct o rien ta tio n through the A ssociation 's p u b lication s and 5 showings o f the la t e s t film , "Play Is Our Business."

1. 2.

Annual Report o f th e Play Schools A ssociation, 19^5* p. 14. Moving Ahead with Play Schools, 1949* A B rief Report, p. 12.

5.

A l i s t o f p la y sch o o l f ilm s and major p u b lic a t io n s w i l l be found on p p .4-54-55 o f t h e Appendix.

- 271 -

O rientation Sessions Three decades o f play school p u b lication s, three motion p ictu res, end a long h isto r y o f cooperative educational en terp rises, have insured most candidates for work in today's cen ters at le a s t a nodding acquaint­ ance with some o f the p o lic ie s and p ra ctices of the play schools.

Thirty

years ago i t was highly probable th a t applicants for play school work had l i t t l e or no idea o f what was involved.

The f i r s t play school handbook

recognized t h is situ a tio n by recommending a conference for workers. Before the opening of the Play School a ll the workers should be brought together in conference. I t i s very important th a t so far as p o ssib le the purposes and the methods o f th e undertaking are c le a r ly understood by the workers, and accepted by them. Any doubt or mis­ giv in g ehould be brought out in the conference. When the school opens i t should be reasonably certain th a t the workers are in sub stan tial agreement sfl to what they are to do and as to how they are to do i t . There i s reason to b e liev e th a t t h is suggestion was followed and that most play school teach ers attended at le a s t one orien tation session each season.

The more thorough tra in in g o f personnel started somewhat la te r .

The Hirsdansky le t t e r s , mentioned above, refer to regular sessio n s obvious­ ly devoted, at le a s t in part, to the orien tation o f d irectors in 1924.

It

Was reported to the 1950 White House Conference on Ohild Oare and Protec­ tio n th a t one o f the se r v ic e s o f th e play schools was the tra in in g of 2 teach ers. There was a train in g course for teachers in 1929, and p o ssib ly 5 e a r lie r . A 1951 l e a f le t s ta te s th a t s ta f f m eetings, where a u th o rities present the o b je c tiv e s o f modern educational philosophy as applied to play

1. 2. 5.

Benjamin 0 . Gruenberg, The Summer Play School, p. 51. From ah unpublished copy of the report in the f i l e s o f the Play Schools A ssociation . A sin g le printed sh eet, folded to make an eight-page le a f le t , e n title d Summer Play Schools Oommittee of the Ohild Study A ssociation, n .d ., unpagsd. Content p laces i t in 1951.

-2 7 2 -

schools, are held at Ohild Study A ssociation headquarters throughout the winter and spring.

Board members of the lo c a l play schools were in vited

to these 1951 meetings, but the f i r s t mention found of the extension o f such serv ice to teach ers was in a radio ta lk given in 1954.

"In ad­

d itio n to parent education service, the Ohild Study A ssociation o ffe r s teacher train in g op p ortun ities to th ose who are to work in the Play Schools, prior to the opening o f the schools." I t was in 1954 th a t the Play Schools Committee was called upon to help in a much larger teacher o rien ta tio n undertaking than any of i t s own.

The Board o f Education, with help from the Federal government, opened

th ir ty

V /.P .A .

play schools

and

sta ffed them with unemployed teachers, part

o f whose preliminary preparation for the work came from the Committee's headquarters s t a f f .

Some o f the personnel trained in t h is emergency program

la te r became members o f private play school s t a f f s .

During the depression

years the experience in a play school might become the only orientation to teaching availab le to a young person trained to be a classroom teacher. Basing h is fin d in g s on con d ition s in the major c i t i e s at t h is tim e, Bowman stated ,

2

in 1955, th a t sa tisfa c to r y r e s u lts had been obtained from short,

in ten siv e in s t it u t e s for teachers and volunteer workers, combining theory, demonstration snd observation. Mossier and Frank reported in 195^ that: Many who come to the Flay School with l i t t l e or no teaching experience (because o f the recent dearth of teaching op p ortun ities) fin d here an ex cellen t train ­ ing and trying-ou t period that i s invaluable fo r th e ir

1. 2.

From an unpublished copy o f a ta lk by Adele S. Mossier over Station WABC on August 10, 1954, t i t l e d "Sumner Time A c tiv itie s for Oity C hildren." LeRoy E, Bowman, Community Programs fo r Summer Play Schools, p. 55*

-2 7 5 -

subsequent work. The Child Study A ssociation , recogniz­ ing the p ecu liar demands as w ell as the growth p ossi­ b i l i t i e s for teach ers in such a sumner program, provides for the teach ers in i t s a f f ilia t e d Play Schools a short and in ten siv e tra in in g period before the opening of the sch o o ls.1 I t was during t h is period, a lso , that the experimental work la te r 2 reported by Clara Lambert was going forward. The f i r s t o f the sixteen train in g session s recorded in her book was e n title d "Orientation" and dealt with the opening day o f school and how to develop group experiences with children at d iffe r e n t ages.

One o f the p ra ctica l purposes of the

orien tation session was to help the teachers in tra in in g to become b etter acquainted with each other by lis t e n in g , ta lk in g , and exchanging views 5 on the subjects presented. In the school year o f 1959-1940, teachers with previous experience in the play schools were separated from the newcomers, so that the se ssio n s for the la tt e r might concentrate on orien ta tio n procedures. The manpower shortage had made such serious inroads upon the supply o f p oten tial plsy school personnel by 1943 th at a ll teacher train in g had to be reorganized.

The rapid turnover in s t a f f , the frequent changes

in personal plans with resu lta n t last-m inu te withdrawals, meant that orien tation sessio n s for new s t a f f had to be given again and again.

4

During the war years w ritten d ir e c tiv e s were "furnished to a greater ex­ te n t than before although th e se can never take th e place of valuable d iscu ssio n s, for teaching in a play school, even fo r a mature person, i s 5 a challenge." The regular spring tr a in in g sessio n s were continued but 1. 2. 5* 4. 5*

Adele S. Mossier and J o s e t t le Frank, "The Long Vacation," Progressive Education, V ol. X III, No. 4 (A p ril, 1956), p. 266. From the Records: An Adventure in Teacher Training. Ibid. , pp. 20-22. Play Schools A ssociation , Annual Report, 1945, p. 10. Annual Report, Play Schools A ssociation , 1944, p. 14.

-2 7 4 they did not reach a ll personnel, even when repeated. We also added an extra a ll-d a y 'train in g' session im­ m ediately before the cen ters opened fo r those students, teachers and so c ia l workers who were unable to attend the regular spring m eetings. This a ll-d a y conference also served to provide some tra in in g fo r the many la s t minute appointments we had to make because o f turnover in personnel. I t was held at P .S . 169, Manhattan, and included a sessio n o f o rien ta tio n , workshops, t r ip s and d iscu ssio n s. The headquarters s t a f f devoted considerable time to the problem of recruitment and preparation o f personnel in the f i r s t postwar year. A s e r ie s o f s t a f f meetings with ou tsid e s p e c ia lis t s p articip atin g con­ tributed to a plan for increased and more varied orien tation procedures. A weekend in s t it u t e for d irecto rs and so cia l workers was held at Lake Mahopacbefore the opening o f the cen ters in

1946.

Also, induction o f teachers into th is program was greatly furthered through three days devoted to pr^aratiom im­ m ediately preceding the opening o f Play Schools. This gave the teaching s t a f f in each school time to know each other, time to know the building, to make the rooms ready and to get acquainted with the neighborhood. D irectors and teachers planned programs, conferred with so cia l workers. They in vited parents to v i s i t the cen ter, to meet the teachers and to Me the rooms in which th e ir children were to spend so many o f th e ir summer days. When teachers are plunged into an in ten siv e program with new ch ildren, in a new se ttin g , th ese f i r s t few days are cru cial ones. Too much attention cannot be given to the o rien ta tio n o f teachers for the p articular kind o f program which the Play Schools want to encourage.^ The 1947 report again s tr e s se s the constant turnover in teachers 5 as th e major reason for continuous o r ien ta tio n . The la t e s t manual for 4 so c ia l workers includes d u ties to be covered during the orien tation

1. 2. 5* 4.

1945 Annual Report, Play Schools A ssociation, p. 14. 1946 Annual Report, Play Schools A ssociation, p. 12. 1947 Annual Report, Play Schools A ssociation, P. 15. Manual for Social Workers (a lo o s e le a f c o lle c tio n o f mimeographed pages), June, 1950, p. %

-275period, and in describing the program* r e fe r s to the time as the f i r s t three or four days o f the play school season. Meetings and Conferences Hie o rien ta tio n e f f o r t s reported above c o n stitu te one o f the many ty p es of meetings and conferences u t iliz e d by the play schools in the train in g o f s t a f f members.

The d irecto rs o f the nine play schools in

operation in 1922 met every other week during th e sessio n .

That summer

th e teachers held one meeting, referred to as a "gathering, so c ia l end 1 in sp ira tio n a l." A year la te r there were more so c ia l meetings plus what appears to have been the beginning o f th e cen tra lized teacher training sessio n s that were to become such en in teg ra l part o f the play school movement.

It was 1925 and the play schools were six years o ld . A new feature t h i s year was a s e r ie s o f s t a f f meet­ ings for a ll our teach ers. These took the form of so c ia l gatherings in the evening to give relaxation and to create group s p ir it , and o f afternoon confer­ ences at which th ere were exp osition s o f th e aims and methods o f the Play Schools, and round ta b le d iscu ssio n s o f th e o b sta cles confronting each p a rticu la r phase o f the work, with w ritten suggestions fo r th e ir solu­ t io n . These papers have been f ile d at the Federation and w ill be studied ca re fu lly in making next y ear's p la n s.2

The Ohild Study A ssociation was founded on th e idea o f learning through conferences under trained lead ership .

I t began with a study

group in 1888 and by 1925 had held i t s f i r s t n ational conference on ch ild study and parent education.

In 1929 th e A ssociation sponsored a

Summer Play Schools Conference at th e Caroline Country Club in Hartsdale,

1. 2.

From an unpublished report by Simon Hirsdansky in the f i l e s o f the Play Schools A ssociation , p. 10. From an unpublished report on the play schools in 1925.

-2 7 6 -

New York.

I t was an all-d a y aeries o f meetings and d iscu ssion s with

Patty Staith H ill and Vivian T. Thayer aa the main speakers.

At the morn1 ing session the Chairman o f the Summer Play Schools Committee stated

th a t a short train in g course was then

being offered to teach ers every

spring and th a t directors and teachers were meeting once a month during the winter to discuss sp ecial educational sub jects in r e la tio n to play school work. The teacher trainin g session and the large group meeting were not the only conferences held under play school auspices.

The Committee of­

fered to a s s is t in individual schools in planning budgets and in organiz­ ing programs.

I t supplied the serv ices of s p e c ia lis t s fo r consultation

and advice on various phases o f the work.

The records in d icate that

s p e c ia lis ts were working with parents in a number of the schools in the 1950's and th at d irectors and social workers were encouraged t o p a r tic i­ pate in the m eetings.

At the Family Center play school, conferences were

conducted fo r the older boys and g ir ls as w e ll. The teacher training experiments o f the 1950's have been recorded by Clara Lambert in considerable d e t a il.

2

After the i n i t i a l interview s

and the s e le c tio n o f personnel to be trained , the teachers were divided according to whether they were to teach younger or older children and were given a s e r ie s of from twelve to sixteen sessio n s on such subjects as block building, painting snd clay, dram atization, ch ild r e n 's lite r a r ture and language, and fam ily and neighborhood backgrounds.

The ser ie s

made use o f a ll the techniques under d iscu ssion here, but every session

1. 2.

From an unpublished copy of the introduction speech made by Mrs. Fred M. S tein , pp. 5-4. From the Records: An Adventure in Teacher Training.

-277was at le a s t in part a d iscu ssion meeting. As th e ch ild care movement gained momentum in the World War II period, the more le is u r e ly train in g courses o f the depression years gave way to a newer, in te n s ifie d procedure.

In the past s t a f f s had been pre­

pared during the winter or spring fo r the summer session o f th e play sch o o ls.

The ohild care cen ters under the Mayor's Committee on Wartime

Care of Children, including some o f the o rig in a l sumner play schools, were now on a year-round b a sis .

The A ssociation was carrying a good share o f

th e r e sp o n sib ility for tra in in g of s t a f f .

There were weekly meetings,

u su a lly held in the morning during the winter when the bulk o f school age coverage was in the afternoon.

In centers where children were in

attendance a ll day because o f overcrowded schools or s p lit se ssio n s, s ta ff members were sometimes released on a staggered b a sis to permit everyone to attend at le a s t some of the sessio n s.

When the sianmer program started,

m eetings were cut to a minimum and held in th e evening, as n eith er th e lo c a l s t a f f s nor the supervisors at headquarters were fr e e during the day­ tim e. In addition to the individual conferences o f teachers with parents, d irecto rs, so c ia l workers, play school supervisors and other sp e cia l con­ su lta n ts, each center arranges for i t s own regular s t a f f m eetings. S ta ff meetings are invaluable for the u n ific a tio n o f the school as w ell as for the in -serv ice tra in in g of teach ers. The agenda should be ca refu lly planned and diould represent the thinking of both s t a f f and di­ r ec to r. Announcements and routine m atters should be handled through n o tic e s so th at plenty o f tim e i s al­ lowed for group thinking and discussion o f program planning, understanding o f individual children and the b asic philosophy and goals o f a play program. 1.

How To Make a Play School Work, p. 7*

-

278 -

The annual conferences on play schools, beginning with an all-d ay se ssio n in 1929, reached th e ir temporary culmination in th e 1950 PLAV SCHOOLS WEEK, with three days o f v i s i t s to play schools and an all-day conference on Saturday,

The technique of conference and d iscu ssion as

a means o f tra in in g play school personnel has

functioned to some degree

from the beginning o f the movement up to the present day.

V ariation i s

found in the s iz e o f the conference group a ll the way from the individual 1 fa c e -to -fa c e interview to the peak attendance o f over seven hundred at the 1S45 annual conference on "Out-of-School Plans fo r th e School-Age Child,"

The method also v a r ie s from th e occasional speech or lectu re at

a sin g le large meeting to the informal gathering in small c lu s te r s of p a rticip a n ts, as exem plified by the weekend conference o f play school di­ recto rs and s o c ia l workers with the headquarters s t a f f and a few guest s p e c ia lis t s to prepare fo r the summer’ s work.

The content may be care­

f u lly lim ited , as in a d irecto r-tea ch er-so cia l worker conference on a sin g le c h ild , or i t may be as broad as the discussion of r a c ia l under­ standing and world problems carried on at a mass meetings o f two hundred 2 play school parents th at took place during World War I I , Workdiops and Demonstrations The f i r s t play school was opened to serve needy ch ild ren . another important purpose, however.

I t had

That purpose was to demonstrate to

the public a method and an approach to meeting the o u t-o f-sch o o l needs o f the school-age c h ild .

1. 2.

The f i r s t Federal p ub lication dealing with the

Exceeded fo r the f i r s t time by the to ta l 1950 conference re g istr a ­ tio n , althou^i no sin g le meeting was so la rg ely attended. 19^5 Annual Report o f the Play Schools A ssociation, p* 17,

-

279 -

play schools refers^ to th e ir work as a sunmer demonstration. nique was la te r applied to the tr a in in g -o f personnel.

The tech­

For a number o f

years a se le c te d demonstration center in a public school was opened sever­ al days in advsnce o f the other schools so that s t a f f members might v i s i t and observe before meeting th e ir own groups.

During the summer sessions#

also# provision was made for observation and d iscu ssion o f p ra ctices and progress at th e chosen cen ter.

Another demonstration was sponsored, in

cooperation with the New York U niversity School o f Education at the L it t le Red School House from 1956 through 19^2.

Today there are several play

schools serving t h is purpose on a year-round b a sis. The preceding paragraph has presented the broader im plications of play school operation as a demonstration o f one kind o f contemporary edu­ ca tio n .

Another type o f demonstration used in the train in g o f play school

teach ers, s p e c ific a lly # has to do with the use o f m aterials, equipment, and such techniques as interview ing, record keeping, and the conduct of group d iscu ssio n .

This aspect o f in -se r v ic e train in g i s u su ally presented

in conjunction with workshop sessio n s.

There may be a lectu re and demon­

str a tio n by a s p e c ia lis t in a given area, followed by workshop experiences fo r the audience p a rticip a n ts.

Teachers may experiment with m aterials on

th e ir own le v e l as adults, or may concentrate on c h ild lik e production. Both reaction s have o fte n been noted to the same demonstration. Clara 2 Lambert has reported on the demonstration workshop in many areas. Another l e s s obvious demonstration uses the members o f the group as raw m a teria ls.

1. 2.

One example might be a tr ip taken with a group o f teachers

Summer Health and Play School. Health Education No. 5# Washington, D. C.: Department o f th e In terio r, Bureau o f Education, 1919, p. 1. In From th e Recordt An Adventure in Teachar Training.

-2 8 0 with a minimum o f prelim inary d iscu ssio n .

Following the tr ip there i s

d iscu ssio n , organ ization and charting o f information gained, and applica­ t io n by the group, and the presumably s k illf u l leader, of the to ta l ex­ perience to work with ch ild ren .

The round-table d iscu ssion meetings with

a lim ited number of p a r tic ip a n ts and a chairman has been considered a work­ shop session in some in sta n ces.

The to p ic may be announced in advance and

th e chairman may be a s s is te d by a panel o f resource persona.

This i s apt

to be the case i f the workshop iB part o f a major conference, with ad­ vance p u b licity and printed programs involved.

When the round ta b le i s

part o f a regular s e r ie s o f teacher tra in in g se ssio n s, the to p ic may be part o f a group-determined agenda and the chairman may be chosen by the group.

In e ith e r ease, and regardless o f the accuracy of the nomenclature,

the procedure i s one o f experim entation with first-h an d m aterials, whether they be hammers and saws and in preparation fo r use with children, or ideas th e adults need to c la r if y for them selves for the seme purpose. Supervision "The d is tin c tiv e purpose o f supervision i s to help chgnge teacher be­ havior in ways that w ill provide children a b etter qu ality o f learning ex,,1 p er ie n c e s." This i s as tru e in play schools as i t i s in academic schools. .

That i s why supervision has been included here as part o f the in -serv ice tra in in g o f s t a f f .

I t i s o ften the supervisor1s task to determine, also,

whether or not s ta f f members are to be reengaged on the b asis o f past per­ formance and future promise.

This aspect of supervision w ill be treated

la te r as part o f the d iscu ssio n o f s t a f f evaluation.

1.

Supervision as tr a in -

Vernon L, Replogle, "What Help Do Teachers Want?" Educational Leader­ s h ip V ol. VII, No. 7 (A p ril, 1950), p. 445.

- 281-

in g on the job involvee n o t only the v i s i t s o f supervisory personnel to classrooms, and the ensuing individual teacher-supervisor conferences, but i t includes the atmosphere and content o f s t a f f m eetings.

It is

these meetings th a t make i t p o ssib le fo r a ll who work in the program to share th e ir problems as w ell as th e ir achievements.

At s t a f f meetings

a ll may take part in the improvement of the to ta l service to children and fa m ilie s. Supervision in the p lsy schools u ses both lo c a l and overall person­ nel and has consequent twofold im p lication s.

The director or program

d irector assumes the lo c a l r e s p o n sib ility for supervision o f teaching and curriculum.

The d irector also supervises the work of a ll personnel

in a given cen ter.

H isto r ic a l documents imply that in ea r lie r tim es a

lo c a l d ir e c to r 's adm inistrative function may have taken precedence over the supervisory one, while headquarters' supervision concerned i t s e l f somewhat more with the q u a lity o f the offering,and the lim ited in -serv ice guidance o f s t a f f .

Today th e lo c a l director and the supervisor who comes

from the Play Schools A ssociation diare the t o ta l r e s p o n sib ility .

The

lo ca l director presumably makes more frequent v i s i t s to classrooms and spends more time in conference with individual workers.

Association

s p e c ia lis ts coming into the center u su ally give th e ir major atten tion to s p e c ific areas w hile try in g to see the program as a working u n it.

For

instance, the parent education consultant v i s i t s the school to conduct a meeting for parents or to confer with the director or social worker. a member o f the play school fam ily she w ill also

want to see the whole

school end may be able t o recognize strengths or weaknesses th at rector i s too clo se to the p roject to see.

As

the di­

-

282 -

The aooial work consultant may come to the center as a resource per­ son, on the In vitation o f the so cia l worker or the d irector, and find a parent or teacher eagerly seeking her guidance.

The play school family

has usually been f le x ib le enough to help in many areas, while maintaining a high degree o f respect for the personal and p rofession al in te g r ity of individual s ta ff members. S ta ff Evaluation As long ago as 1922, when cardiac children were being transported to play school in a horse-drawn bus, the ov era ll supervision o f the centers was already showing concern for the mental health and w ell-bein g of i t s 1 teachers.

Said the supervisor, in recommending so drastic an innovation

as a mid-season vacation fo r teachers idio have served a long time: problem o f physical wear 8nd tear i s a serious one.

"The

I t i s no exaggeration

to say that we have succeeded in elim in atin g almost a ll o f the u se less pressure on teachers so th a t p hysical wear end te a r , and nervous wear and 2

tear i s at a minimum."

There i s evidence, already mentioned, th at an informal attempt had been made, in the second year o f play school operation, to secure from the Board o f Education th e reassignment o f teach ers who had done esp ecial­ ly commendable work in the c en ters.

A strong, l e s s guarded approach to

teacher evaluation appears in a 1922 report to Simon Hirsdansky from Lucy R etting, h is a ssista n t: There should be more courage in reporting ’m is fit' teachers to the Board of Education, and asking for th e ir exchange. I t i s true th at one d is lik e s to c r i t i -

1. 2.

No record o f i t s ever having been tr ie d . Simon Hirsdansky, reporting on th e summer play schools in 1922.

-283c iz e a teacher, who may even be givin g the best work p o ssib le to him, but there i s another sid e to the matter, th at o f the children and th e Play School idea. Both of these should rank above the p restig e o f a teacher, and in addition, i t i s often a mistaken kind­ n ess to overlook in a b ility . Copies have been found of b rief u n o ffic ia l ra tin g s o f a ll members o f the teaching s ta f fs o f three play schools in 1920, two years before Mrs. R ettin g 1s recommendation o f greater courage.

They deal rather gently

with the teachers, but c le a r ly in d icate that d irecto rs were spending a good deal o f time in the classrooms, supervising the work.

The Bowman

2

study s ta te s

that the play schools in other c i t i e s were also keeping

records o f teachers' q u a lific a tio n s, ad ap tab ility and accomplishment. 3 Clara Lambert's record o f three years o f teacher tra in in g p oin ts out th a t by 1956 or 1957 play school d irecto rs were w riting reports on indi­ vidual s ta f f members.

These, with the play school su p ervisor's estim ates,

comprised the evaluation of personnel.

At t h is tim e th ere were o f f ic i a l

blanks th at each director was required to submit to the Board o f Education, evaluating the work o f each teacher and sta tin g whether or not th e per­ son was to be reconsnended for another summer's work.

Although submission

o f these reports was compulsory for Board o f Education s t a f f , the head­ quarters o f f ic e requested them for privately-engaged teach ers as w e ll. Throughout the lite r a tu r e from 1919 to 195^ there i s a strong sug­ g estio n th at supervision in th e play schools i s a cooperative process. There i s evidence o f respect fo r th e individual and regard for e th ic a l p ra ctices in the p rofessional tone and p o sitiv e approach o f most o f the

1. 2. 3.

From ah unpublished play school report, dated 1922. LeRoy E. Bowman, Oonmunlty Programs fo r Summer Play Schools, p. 35* From th e Record: An Adventure in Teacher Training, p. 100.

-2 84-

w ritten s ta f f evalu ation s.

The c o n fid e n tia lity o f reports has apparently

been so w ell guarded th a t i t has been almost im possible to gain access to the documents described above* Contemporary supervision as part o f the tra in in g end evaluation o f s t a f f appears to combine the thinking o f leading educators and so c ia l workers as r e fle cte d in recent w ritin gs in both f ie ld s .

The d ir e c to r 's handbook for

the summer o f 1949 states* As in d icated , supervision i s e s s e n t ia lly a teaching process to help the individual teacher grow p ro fessio n a lly through enlarging her teaching techniques and developing her f u ll individual c a p a c itie s. I t means not only recognizing ob­ viou s a b i l i t i e s , but also her p o ten tia l ones, send helping her expand th ese. I t means not only being able to recognize p o s itiv e and negative q u a litie s but also weighing them with reference to the job at hand, rein forcin g the former and meeting the la tt e r where necessary. I t means knowing how to fa ce in secu rity , anxiety, or h o s t ilit y o b je c tiv e ly . I t means knowing how to work together on a problem, without the need fo r over-authority. I t means knowing your own job and being secure in in terp reta tio n , with no fear of meeting ch allen ges. I t means, a lso , the use o f supervision on a s t a f f le v e l through s ta ff meetings with freedom for discu ssion and question. The handbook l i s t s c r it e r ia for the evaluation o f personal and pro­ fe s s io n a l q u a litie s o f the teacher, programming, management, and growth on the job.

I t in d ica tes th a t a w ritten evaluation i s to be done for each

teacher and th a t teacher and d irector understand t h is c le a r ly beforehand* This evaluation i s a w ritten d ig e st, by the d irecto r, of previous supervisory conferences, weighing strengths and areas for growth and the progress o f the teacher as i t i s indicated in her performance; again, in re la tio n to the reasonable expectations o f a short-term job. I t w ill have been read and discussed by both d irector and teacher and signed by the teacher, or unsigned with w ritten s ta te ­ ment, i f d esire d .2

1. 2.

From the f i r s t sheet o f a memorandum on Director-Teaeher Supervision, included in the 1949 D irector's Handbook, unpaged. Ibid. . the next sheet.

-285The reports on teachers are submitted to th e Flay Schools A ssociation . E valuations o f s t a f f assigned by the Board of Education are a v a ila b le to the Board on request.

Records on privately-engaged personnel are reserved

for the A sso c ia tio n 's own u se.

They may be u t iliz e d in response to in ­

q u ir ie s from other organizations only i f the s t a f f members concerned dele­ gate th a t r e sp o n sib ility to the A ssociation. The d irector i s responsible for th e supervision and adm inistration o f h is own cen ter, and i s in turn supervised by a member o f the headquarters s t a f f o f the Play Schools A ssociation.

The so c ia l worker i s respon sible,

as are a ll s t a f f members, to the lo ca l director and to the A ssociation supervisor, assigned to th at particular center.

The so c ia l worker may

c a l l upon the headquarters' so cia l work consultant fo r guidance in meet­ ing her own supervision problems, for the so cia l worker serves in a super­ v iso ry cap acity, a lso , in many of her dealings with the s t a f f . What may appear to be an overly complex organization o f supervision and evaluation becomes understandable when i t i s viewed in the lig h t o f the h is to r ic a l development o f the method end focus of the play school move­ ment.

Set up to meet emergency needs in an experimental way, and to demon­

s tra te i t b method quickly and under a ll kinds of lim ita tio n s , the program has had to rely on i t s sponsoring organization fo r frequent and sustained in sp ira tio n and guidance.

S t i l l la rg ely a summer p ro ject, the play schools

attempt to do a meaningful educational job wiih child ren , fa m ilie s and teachers in seven weeks, every year. Pre-Service Training Programs The preparation o f paid p rofession al s ta ff for work in the play schools

-286haB been trea ted as in -s e r v ic e tra in in g , since i t has p r a c tic a lly always follow ed the interview ing and h irin g of personnel.

Many of the meetings

and conferences mentioned in the preceding pages have been open to thoee for whom they may have represented bona fid e p re-service experiences. Students and the c o lle g e fa c u lty responsible for th e ir supervision have o ften attended the o rien ta tio n sessio n s preceding the opening o f play sch ools.

The p u b lica tio n s, film s and group tra in in g techniques have

been u t iliz e d by play school s t a f f members as guest lectu rers in c o lle g e s and u n iv e r s itie s as w ell as in th e ir own Association-sponsored sessio n s. Cooperation with C olleges and P rofessional Schools Students o f early childhood and elementary education have had the la rg est representation in the p re-service train in g program, but oooperar tio n with the c o lle g e s has not been lim ited to t h is source.

The major

emphasis in the program o f the play schools at shy one period has tended to determine the kinds o f p re-serv ice p ro jects undertaken.

With the

notable exception o f th e one sentence quoted below, a ll reference to schools and c o lle g e s working with the play schools in the f i r s t fiv e years o f the movement i s lim ited to the departments o f h ealth , n u tr itio n or physical education.

"The New York School o f Social Work gave c r e d it to

i t s students fo r p ra ctice work done in connection with the school." The N u trition Department o f Teachers College maintained a n u tr itio n c lin ic in the play schools in the summer o f 1920 with two fa c u lty members supervising the work o f a corps o f stud ents.

1.

Hunter co lleg e students did

Central Committee o f th e Society fo r Ethical Culture, A Summer Play School. n .d . (d escrib es the work o f the E thical Culture Play School in 1920), in sid e cover.

-287the follovf-up work in h ea lth .^

Twenty home service d ie tic ia n s from the

Department o f N u trition o f Teachers C ollege v is it e d the homes of play school fa m ilie s end demonstrated the preparation o f simple foods in the summer o f 1919*

2

An experiment involving the presence in the play schools

o f tw en ty-five children sele cted from th e cardiac c la s s o f the New York Nursery and C h ild 's H ospital was under the supervision o f th e ir physician at the H osp ital.

That t h is work was in part a demonstration i s c lea rly

indicated in a number o f d iffe r e n t reference sources.

Whether the ob­

servers of the demonstration were doctors and nurses or students i s not equally c le a r . In the ea rly 1920's students from the health and n u trition depart­ ments o f Teachers C ollege, Hunter C ollege and Pratt In stitu te were par­ tic ip a n ts in the play school progrgn,

Hie pre-school f ie ld was represented

by the Montessori Training School and Teachers C ollege, whose students Came to observe in the play schools as early as 192%

New York U niversity

students majoring in health education received field-w ork c r e d it for par­ tic ip a tio n in play Bchool programs in the summer of 1924,

Their obser­

vation and p ra ctice teaching was supervised by the American Child Health 5 A ssociation. As the work in parent education came to the fore in the 1950's, more students from t h is area began to appear in the play schools.

The lon gest

h isto ry o f sustained rela tio n sh ip between a train in g in s titu tio n and the play schools i s probably th a t o f the School o f Education o f New York

TI 2. 5.

Ib id . , p. l4 . Giving the Ohild a Chance, unpaged. Lucy N. R ettin g, "The Summer Play Schools," Child Study, V ol. 2, No. 4 (March, 1925), p. 8 .

-288U niveraity.

Beginning at le a s t as ea rly as 1924, cooperation has con­

tinued in one form or another during most o f the succeeding years.

The

rela tio n sh ip has varied from th e arrangement for a mass v i s i t to a center by a c la ss and i t s in str u cto r, to the thorough and organized d aily par­ tic ip a tio n o f student teach ers for a f u l l summer sessio n .

There are in

the f i l e s o f the Play Schools A ssociation contracts signed by o f f i c i a l s o f New York U niversity and the Child Study A ssociation governing the use o f classrooms, d iv isio n o f r e s p o n sib ility for operations and expenditures, and oiher m atters involved in the jo in t sponsorship of the demonstration play school at the L it t le Red School House. Started in 1956» expanded in 1957 and grown to the dimensions o f a major educational undertaking by 1958» t h is jo in t demonstration involved students from many departments.

School nursing students conducted the

d a ily examinations o f children; sociology students were the home v is it o r s ; psychology students scored b a tte r ie s o f t e s t s administered to the older children.

These were sp ecia l a c t i v it i e s .

The regular functional demon­

stra tio n involved courses in student teaching, observation, and the super­ v is io n of student teach in g, whose students p articip ated in the to ta l program.

Although the demonstration began with work in both secondary

and elementary school, i t was la te r lim ited to the elementary le v e ls and 1 play school s t a f f was not involved with the hig£i school. In the summer o f 1958 °n® o f the graduate students in supervision made a survey o f a ll the play schools then operating in New York C ity. The r e s u lts were reported weekly to th e large New York U niversity c la s s o f observers at the L it t le Red School House and arrangements made for

1.

From records and reports in the f i l e s o f the Play Schools A ssociation.

-289them to observe in other play schools as well*

This program, with variar

t io n s , continued u n til 1945, when th e demonstration school was discon­ tinued in favor o f broader u t iliz a t io n o f play schools as observation and p ra ctice centers for New York U n iversity students. The Ann Reno I n s titu te , prepshing teachers fo r work with pre-school and primary groups, began i t s use o f th e play schools for practice teach1 ing in the summer o f 194-2. There were one hundred c o lle g e students work­ ing for f ie ld c red it in th e play schools in the summer o f 1944.

The

major sources o f student personnel were New York U niversity and the Ann Reno I n s titu te .

Antioch C ollege, th e New York School o f Social Work and

the College Summer Service were represented by smaller numbers of p a r tic i­ pants.

The College Summer Service group, unlike the oth ers, represents

a number o f d iffer en t c o lle g e s , u su ally small ones.

The students are

juniors and seniors from soattered geographical and cu ltu ral backgrounds. Students have served as paid a s s is ta n ts to teachers ae w ell as in f i e l d work assignments.

The play sch ools have welcomed students as part

o f the train in g progran and as a means o f reaching future teachers with the play approach to education.

Lest teachers assume th at the primary pur­

pose o f student placement i s to lig h te n the burden o f the classroom teacher, t h is ty p ica l warning appears in a play school reports

*VH1 students have

to be ca refu lly placed with the teachers and the d irecto rs who consider primarily the progressive learning experience o f th e students, and not ju st 2 the convenience o f having chores or emergencies covered." Concerned over the dearth o f teach ers the Play Schools A ssociation ar-

2.

Annual Report, Play Schools A ssociation , 1942, pp. 4 -5 . Annual Report, Play Schools A ssociation , 1944, p. 15.

- 290-

range d for recru itin g tr ip s to selected c o lle g e s in 1946 to in te r e st students in related f ie ld s in entering the teaching p rofession .

Field

work in the summer program was presented as one way for students to d is­ cover th e ir p rofession al in te r e s ts and a p titu d es.

Twenty-two d iffe r e n t

c o lle g e s were represented in the 1946 summer program.

Students came not

only from Smith, Bryn Kawr and W ellesley, but from Randolph-Macon in the South and from as far west as the U niversity of Washington.* In 1946 the New York School o f S ocial Work placed a student for f u ll ­ time f ie ld work with the play schools in the winter program.

"Her basic

in te r e s ts centered around in terpretation of so c ia l serv ices to the com2

munity through parent group d iscu ssion s."

I t should be pointed out that

Antioch students have also worked in the winter programs as part o f th eir work-study plan which permits alternate periods o f job assignments in the f ie ld and c la s s work on the campus.

The follow ing winter nursing students

from Teachers C ollege came into the year-round play school program. Accredited f ie ld work in the 1947 summer play schools covered several areas and a number o f d iffe r e n t c o lle g e s .

Antioch and Bennington were

both represented through work-study plan students. was covered by the New York School o f S ocial Work.

The so c ia l work f ie ld New York U niversity

and Teachers C ollege provided additional personnel at two o f the centers to enrich the program for th e ir students in elementary end early childhood education in such areas as music, science snd the a rts and c r a f ts .

From

the D ivision o f Nursing Education o f Teachers C ollege came a group o f ex­ perienced p ed iatric nurses to learn more about w ell children as a background

1. 2.

Annual Report, Play Schools A ssociation , 1946, p. 10. Ibid. , p. 11.

-

291-

fo r th e ir work with sick children.^Since 19^7 the play school s t a f f has added evening courses at the Bank S treet Schools, and has broadened i t s base o f rela tio n sh ip s with Teachers C ollege.

The la tt e r has placed a coordinator in the summer program

to serve the students in early childhood and elementary education who are observing or p a rticip a tin g in the sch ools, as w ell as those from such re­ la ted f ie ld s as music, health education and parent education. The f ie ld work programs and the placement o f students as paid a ssista n ts represent a large part o f the working cooperation esta b lish ed between the play schools and the tra in in g in s titu tio n s over the years, but not a ll of it.

S ta ff members, in d ivid u ally end in groups, have been guest lectu rers

in the c o lle g e s of the m etropolitan New York area*

The national f ie ld work

program has included regularly-scheduled ta lk s , demonstrations and workshops at c o lle g e s and u n iv e r sitie s a ll over the country* Observation and Student Teaching The play schools have always had observers*

As a movement committed

to the idea o f demonstrating i t s ad ap tab ility to the needs of children every­ where, i t has welcomed v is it o r s from th e s ta r t.

Observation as a trainin g

measure has developed through what appear to be th ree rather d is t in c t stages. F ir s t came the fle e tin g observers*

Play schools were something brand new

and one looked them over quickly before accepting p o sitio n s in e x istin g cen ters or organizing additional ones.

When the f i r s t demonstration center

was opened i t was d if f ic u lt to convince teacher candidates to remain in the school, l e t alone a sin g le classroom, fo r a f u l l morning.

1*

Play Schools A ssociation, Annual Report, 194-7, P* 16.

Many sped

-2 9 2 -

through the school in an hour or le s s and thought they were ready to teach. Next came the s it t in g observers.

The L it t le Red School House period

(1956-1942) b est exem p lifies the p ra ctices of t h is era.

A U niversity c la ss

o f some fo rty or f i f t y students were en rolled fo r observation.

They sat

in rows at the rear or sid es o f classrooms and were expected to remain im­ mobile and s ile n t for two-hour periods. Some whispered, despite a ll admonitions.

Some observers took copious n o tes. Some ju st sa t.

The play school i s by i t s very name and nature an active place and in recent years even the so -c a lled observer has been accepted into reasonably a ctiv e p a r tic ip a tio n .

The third stage has been characterized by short

periods o f observation, followed ae soon as the student demonstrates the in te r e s t or a b ilit y to do so, by active p a rtic ip a tio n .

This a p p lies both

to student teach ers who are fu ll-tim e a ssista n ts and to others who may be working on shorter time schedules. Student teaching in the play schools usually involves v i s i t s from and conferences with the c o lle g e supervisor, the center director and members o f the Play Schools A ssociation s ta f f.

In addition, the student receives

the day-to-day guidance of the cooperating teach er.

As a p ra ctica l demon­

stra tio n o f the u t iliz a t io n o f community resources, o f the cooperation o f home and school, of the interdependence of varied educational agencies and of the organization o f a curriculum around the age-lovel in te r e s ts of boys and g i r l s , the play schools probably o ffer a student teacher op p ortun ities few academic schools can match.

Working with many segments of the American

population, with h ealth , so cia l work, and education cooperating, a student may le a m more about teaching in i t s broadest sense than would be p o ssib le in any campus laboratory school.

A play school Btudent teaching experience,

-

295-

at i t s b e st, might conceivably help to produce the kind of teacher needed in tod ay's world.

Speaking before an audience of teacher educators on

the eve o f World War II, at Bennington C ollege, Lewis Mumford said: Understending the pressing need for balance and integra­ tio n in t h is emerging order, those responsible for teacher education must introduce the concept o f wholeness, manysidedness, in terrelated n ess in every part of the tea ch er's curriculum and d is c ip lin e . The restoration of manual e f­ fo r t and o f the expressive a r ts, as ah in tegral part of both a renewed so c ia l l i f e and a revised curriculum, be­ comes imperative; for society i s not merely a fa c t to be studied, but a medium for liv in g . And the aim of teach­ ing, th erefo re, i s not to produce systematic s o c io lo g is ts but rep resen tative so cia l men: p o lit ic a l animals in the f u l l e s t sense o f A r is to tle 's word. Demonstration and P articip ation One outgrowth o f the cooperative p rojects involving the play schools in the tr a in in g o f c o lle g e students has been the attempt to e f f e c t a balance between observation o f p r a ctices and actual work with children in the c la s s ­ room.

The p a rticu la r experiment chosen for in clu sion here i s an example

o f how one tea ch er-tra in in g in s titu tio n combined demonstration o f teaching with p a rticip a tio n for i t s students.

The Department o f Sarly Childhood and-

Elementary Education o f the New York U niversity School o f Education offered , fo r fiv e consecutive summer sessio n s, a course set up as a fu ll-tim e summer en terp rise fo r the student.

The la rg est share o f the stud ent's time was

spent in actual p a rtic ip a tio n in a selected play school group.

The r e s t of

the hours were divided between observation o f other ch ild ren 's programs and c la s s m eetings and conferences at the U niversity. Although many experienced teachers were enrolled as students, each one

1.

Lewie Mumford, The S ocial R e sp o n sib ilitie s of Teachers, Cultural and Social Elements in th e Education of Teachers, B u lletin o f the Com­ m ission on Teacher Education of the American Council on Education, Washington, D. C.: Educational P o lic ie s Commitsion, National Educar tio n A ssociation , A pril, 1940, p. 49.

-2 9 4

accepted the p a r tic ip a tio n assignment as an a ssista n t teacher.

In t h is

r o le the student might be placed in a selected a g e-lev el group,

or with a

s p e c ia lis t in scien ce, music, or the arts and c r a fts , made availab le to the play schools by the U niversity to demonstrate an enriched program in th ese areas.

A few students concentrated on supervisory, adm inistrative

or parent education work w hile continuing to have a v a riety of experiences with ch ild ren .

Ihe reaction s o f some o f the p articip an ts in t h is experi­

ment w ill be reported in Chapter VIII on in flu en ces. Other Training P ra ctices The play schools have served not only in the tra in in g o f th e ir own p rofession al s t a f f s and o f c o lle g e students but have ventured out, on oc­ casion , into other educational experiments.

R ecalling th at the play schools

began as part o f the ch ild study movement, i t i s understandable th a t the f i r s t tra in in g p ro jects emphasized parent rather than teacher education. Gradually, as th e play schools began to train and retrain teach ers for work in the cen ters, the word spread th at here was something d iffe r e n t that might be u se fu l, e sp e c ia lly in emergencies. The depression years brought requests to the play schools to help in a number o f tra in in g experiments and the settin g up o f new cen ters in New York and in other c i t i e s .

The play school leadership had p articip ated

a c tiv e ly in the d elib era tio n s of the Sub-Committee on Summer Vacation A ctivi­ t i e s o f the White House Conference on Child Health and P rotection , where "much emphasis was la id on the value of the summer vacation as a period 1 eminently suited for experimentation." The n ew ly -in stitu ted Extension

1.

LeRoy E. Bowman, Community Programs for Summer Play Schools, p. 21.

-

295-

A c t iv itie s D ivision o f the Summer Play Schools Committee a ssisted with the organization o f programs in Chicago, Boston and P h iladelp hia,

When

Federal funds became ava ila b le fo r the employment o f teach ers, play centers were opened under combined lo c a l and national auspices.

V/orkshop demon­

stra tio n s by play school s t a f f were part o f the preparation for work in the W.P.A. play schools in New York C ity. Courses for teach ers, given by the Child Study A ssociation, were credited toward salary increments by the New York school a u th o r itie s.

A

l i s t i n g fo r the F all o f 1959 in d ica tes th at four main lectu re-d iscu ssio n courses were held th at year at Child Study Association headquarters, a ll carrying inr-service a lertn ess c r e d it.

Their t i t l e s were:

1.

Guidance of Childhood and Youth

2.

P erso n a lity and Character (The Mental Hygiene o f the School Child)

5.

Fundamentals o f Sex Education

4.

The Community and the A ctiv ity Program.

The.fourth course was under the auspices of the newly-formed Summer Play Schools A ssociation .

I t was conducted by the new organization's A ssociate 1 for Teacher Education, with special lectu res by i t s A ssociate for Parent p Education. Later, the A ssociation ehared with the Public Education As­ so cia tio n in the conduct of a le r tn e ss-c r e d it courses for teachers.

Pert

o f the course work involved observation and p articip ation in play schools 5 and after-sch o o l groups. The tr a in in g o f volunteers was undertaken after the United States

1. 2. 5.

Olara Lambert. Jean Schick Grossman. Play Schools A ssociation , Annual Report, 1941, p. 4 .

- 2 96-

entered World War I I .

Four courses were given in the winter o f 194-2 and

each was varied to meet the readiness and purpose o f i t s registered volun­ te e r s.

All courses included d iscu ssio n s, workshops, observation and par­

tic ip a tio n .

One o rien ta tio n course was conducted for New York City high

school g i r l 3 who wished to a s s is t in the wartime care of children. Until the launching o f the n ation al f ie ld work program in 1945, members o f the headquarters s t a f f had carried the r e sp o n sib ility for responding to pleas for help in s e ttin g up cen ters in other parts of the country, and were never able to meet the demand.

In 194-5 train in g programs for teachers

in Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, U tica, Philadelphia and Hartford were added to the customary ones nearer home.

A pre-season work-conference

was held for teachers in the eighteen child care cen ters opened for the migrant cemps o f New York State and the Flay Schools A ssociation helped to 1 prepare the s ta f f for th e school-age work. Play school contributions to the work o f the National Committee on Group Care of Children, at the close o f the war, have been described in Chapter III and need not be repeated here. The national f ie ld worker served as consultant to the C alifornia Youth Commission in a s e r ie s o f conferences in four o f th at s ta t e 's c i t i e s , under the sponsorship o f six teen public and p rivate youth-serving agencies. "Sessions fo r d irectors and teachers in ch ild care programs, summer vacar tio n schools and play schools were held in San Diego, San Francisco, Denver, D etroit and Cleveland."

2

One f u l l week of consultation and train in g was

devoted to the summer program o f the Board o f Education o f Hammond, Indiana,

1. 2.

Ploy Schools A ssociation , Annual Report, 19^5, p. 18. Play Schools A ssociation , Annual Report, 19^6, p. 17.

-297and another week to the migrant camps o f New York S tate. 1 year both p ro jects were undertaken again.

The follow ing

P a rticip a tio n in local* sta te and n ational conferences has represented another kind of tra in in g serv ice furnished by 01ay school s t a f f .

The Ohild

Study A ssociation conferences, and la te r the Play Schools A ssociation 's own annual meetings have reached large numbers o f lay end p rofession al workers in h ealth , education and w elfare.

Ihe A ssociation has conducted workshops,

exhibited m aterials, or been represented by s t a f f members, on the programs o f other educational organizations at home and abroad.

The Association

has p articipated in the conferences on fam ily l i f e and camping education. Most recen tly , the play school id ea has been reapplied to work with physical­ ly handicapped children. Play school leaders have been broadcasting over the radio and te le v is io n since the e a r lie s t days o f both media.

The audiences reached are undoubted­

ly larger than any group receiving d irect o rien ta tio n by other means.

The

p u b lication s have a s lig h t ly more ca lcu la b le reception, although an order for one hundred b u lle tin s from a community does not always in d icate whom they serve, how they are used, or how widely they are circu la ted .

The same

i s true of the three film s, made and d istrib u ted during the three decades of play school h isto r y . Most accurately determinable as a train in g technique, perhaps, i s the con sultation serv ice.

This operates on a personal interview b asis, both

lo c a lly and on the n ational scene, and reaches out through correspondence, with former workers in the movement, or with comparative or complete strangers, who w rite to the A ssociation for h elp .

1.

A play school in the

Prom unpublished reports by Monica Owen, the national f ie ld worker

-

298 -

P h ilip p in es was set up by a former s t a f f member.

One educator on the ad­

visory board o f the A ssociation arranged for play school p u b lication s to be tran slated fo r use in her work in the American 2one o f Germany*

The State

Department has tran slated the la t e s t film and a s e r ie s of b u lle tin s into several fo r e ig i languages for use abroad.

Six thousand cop ies of printed

m aterials were d istrib u ted in the United S tates in 1948, end orders f il l e d from tw enty-six other cou n tries. The f ie ld worker spent 248 hours o f actual teaching in 1949» through seminars, workshops and d iscu ssion groups.

1

„"Our

in s t it u t e s , workshops,

conferences and reo rien tation program reach far beyond the s t a f f s selected for our own cen ters.

Approximately 1,000 d irecto rs, teach ers, students,

health and so cia l workers p articip ated in one or more o f th ese session s 2 l a s t year." Summary Play school leadership i s , end has always been, a shared p ro ject.

The

headquarters s ta f f, with the help o f i t s advisory board and board o f di­ recto rs, r a ise s the funds, operates some o f the play schools and supervises a ll o f them.

I t issu es film s and printed m aterials, in terview s, tr a in s, and

supervises personnel for the play cen ters.

Many o f i t s serv ices are made

availab le to other h ealth , welfare and educational organizations.

Both

groups are also reached through the media o f personal con su ltation , corres­ pondence, radio and te le v is io n , and p a rticip a tio n in meetings and conferences. Many o f the a c t iv it ie s o f the Play Schools A ssociation have had the support o f public and p rivate agencies since the e a r lie s t days when the

1. 2.

Moving Ahead with Play Schools ( illu s t r a t e d l e a f le t reporting a c t iv it ie s in 195957 P* 15* Ib id . , p. 11.

-

299-

program o f the play schools was conducted by members of the Federation for Ohild Study.

As the work expanded, r e s p o n sib ility was gradually delegated

to paid profession al s t a f f , trained to work with children, parents and teach ers.

The overhead s t a f f has expanded or contracted to meet the needs

o f communities served end the con d itions o f the tim es.

Individual centers have

also d rifted from the exten sive use of volu nteers to increased dependence upon p ro fessio n a lly trained personnel. The major emphasis in the play school progrgn, at various stages of i t s development, has been reflected in the choice of personnel, both volunteer and p ro fe ssio n a l.

The composition o f a modern play school s t a f f illu s t r a t e s

the growing trend toward raised standards and discrim inating se le c tio n o f q u a lifie d in d iv id u a ls.

Improved working conditions and accurate d elin eation

o f r e s p o n sib ility are also ty p ica l o f developmental d ir e c tio n .

The Board

o f Education s e le c ts and lic e n se s the teachers i t supplies to the play schools. Headquarters personnel and the lo c a l leadership o f individual centers share the r e sp o n sib ility for the selectio n of p rivately-en g aged s t a f f as w ell a3 the screening and placement of those e lig ib le fo r Board of Education p osi­ tio n s . Every member of a play school s t a f f , regardless o f h is designated func­ tio n , serves as a teacher to some degree, and ex erts a p o ten tia l influence upon the ch ild ren .

The learning clim ate of the school i s strongly af­

fected by the q u ality o f rela tio n sh ip s w ithin th e s t a f f .

Improved pro­

cedures in o rien ta tio n , supervision, and the conduct o f s t a f f meetings have helped to make these rela tio n sh ip s in creasin gly s a tis fa c to r y . Tie techniques developed by the play schools for the in -se r v ic e tra in ­ ing o f th eir own personnel have been applied to th e preparation o f co lleg e

- 500 -

students working in th e centers send to the education of workers in re­ la te d p ro jec ts.

Play school p u b lication s, meetings and conferences, work­

shops and demonstrations have reached a wide learning audience.

Field

experiences, including observation, p a rticip a tio n , and student teaching, have been among the serv ices supplied under cooperative arrangements in­ volvin g c o lle g e s and p rofession al schools and the play school movement.

CHAPTER V I I THE PLAY SCHOOL PROGRAM

The program o f the play schools i s ju st what i t s name im p lies, a play program.

The founders of the movement probably considered the term

"curriculum." too academic to be applied to any part o f th e ir i n i t i a l ex­ periment.

I t i s s t i l l commonly known as a program.

ch ild ren are i t s major focu s.

The play needs o f

The in terp retation o f these needs, at vari­

ous stages in the development o f the work, has determined the design, the emphasis, and the content of the curriculum. Evolution o f the Play School Program D r ill in the three R's has been recognized as the prerogative of the elementary sch ool.

The play schools have never sought the achievement of

academic standards.

A few play schools, in response to sp ecia l requests

or for demonstration purposes, have included some teaching o f the trad i­ tio n a l school subjects in an otherwise play-oriented program.

Indeed,

p r a c tic a lly every known approach, emphasis, or medium of expression to be found in tw entieth century elementary education, has been put into prac­ t i c e , on occasion, in one or another of the play schools. The major emphasis in the e a r lie s t days was upon h ealth and n u tr itio n . "At th at tim e,

[lpl7j the Bureau of Child Hygiene of the New York City

Board o f Health was p articu larly concerned with the s t a t i s t i c s of under1 nourishment in c h ild r e n .11 So also, apparently, were leaders in the

1.

From an unpublished document in the h is t o r ic a l f i l e s o f the Play Schools A ssociation, n .d ., unpaged.

- 502 -

n a tio n a l government.

J u lia 0. Lathrop, Chief of the United S ta tes Chil­

dren's Bureau, w riting to the President* o f the Federation fo r Child Study on April 1, 1918, commented favorably upon the work of the f i r s t play school experiment in improving th e physical condition o f the children w hile keeping them from the p e r ils o f the s tr e e ts, in happy* wholesome occupations and p lay.

She added:

"Your plan for pley school cen tres w ill

make a great con tribu tion to the community work for stronger and better ch ild ren , which i s the permanent and fundamental purpose indicated by C hildren's Year."

2

Although the d e fin itio n o f h ealth has been broadened and other as­ p ects o f ch ild w elfare accentuated, the emphasis on physical w ell-being has been sustained in the program.

Mrs. S te in 's introductory remarks at

th e f i r s t a ll-d a y play school conference in 1929 included a reference to th e underlying educational health o b jectiv e as illu str a te d by the ca r e fu lly planned meals provided to the schools from a central canteen.

Also articu ­

la te d , however, was the importance of so c ia liz in g a c t iv it ie s and work with parents and community. I t was suggested that in order t o have a w ell5 rounded "curriculum", cr e a tiv e a c t iv it ie s in the arts should go hand-inhand with o r ien ta tio n to the l i f e of the c ity through tr ip s and ou tin gs. I t was further recommended th st each center add to i t s s t a f f teach ers from 4 f i e l d s other than those represented by Board o f Education personnel. Health fe a tu re s, such as the w ell-balsnced noonday luncfy the r e s t period, swims and showers, milk in the afternoon, and t r ip s in the o u t-o f-

1. 2. 2. 4.

Mrs. Howard S. Gans. From th e l e t t e r dated April 1, 1918, from MissLathrop to Mrs. Gans. Mrs. S te in 's d esign ation . In 1929 th e Board furnished physical education, shop andkindergarten tea ch ers, and p ia n is ts to accompany the ch ild ren 's music.

-5 0 5 -

doors were reaffirm ed in the depression years.

Called upon to help pre­

pare teachers fo r work in the federally-su pp orted , Board o f Education sponsored play sch ools, th e Director o f the Summer Play Schools of the Child Study A ssociation described to th ese teachers th e importance of th e health p r a ctice s in the sch o o ls.

She added:

"Of no le s s concern to th e

Play School i s the matter o f emotional health and here the tea ch er's part i s o f paramount im p o r t a n c e .A n d , la te r :

"Finally, the matter of so cia l

health and a b ilit y to get on with others and to contribute to group l i f e 2 is v ita l." Respect for the r ig h ts o f ch ildren as important in d ividu als received considerable emphasis around 195^.

Witness t h is statement made in describ­

ing th e program for th e summer o f 1951*

"Small informal groups with trained

teach ers, end a frien d ly atmosphere, permit individual expression and de­ velopment through freedom o f ch o ice.

Every e ffo r t is made to study each

ch ild and sp ecia l a tten tio n i s paid to those who have emotional d if f i c u l t i e s 5 in adjusting them selves to the group." These p ra ctices have not been suspended in favor o f the more recent focus on so c ia l r e la tio n sh ip s, any more than health and n u tritio n were dropped when other areas o f ch ild w elfare moved into the forefron t o f the program.

New p o in ts o f view, as they are introduced into play schools,

frequently appear to p a r a lle l rather than supplant the old . From 1917 to 1940 the play school program was lim ited to the summer months in i t s se rv ices to ch ild ren . 1. 2. 5.

Recognition o f i t s a p p lic a b ility to

Mrs. Adele S. Mossier in a ta lk , given as part of a train in g course for Board o f Education teach ers, at New York U niversity, on June 26 , 1954. Loc. c i t • From an undated, unpaged, brochure e n title d "Summer Play Schools Com­ m ittee o f the Child Study A ssociation o f America*

504the after-sch o o l needs o f children obviously ex isted long before any p ra ctica l demonstration was attempted.

Gruenberg wrote in 1919s

i s prim arily a vacation en terp rise; n ev erth eless i t i s b elieved that t h is type o f organization can e a s ily be adapted to after**school care o f ch ild ren the whole year round, end th a t under certa in con d ition s i t can be made to s a t is f y th e normal educational needs o f children at a ll seasons. In February, 1940 the f i r s t winter play school was opened in a New York City public school. reasons.

This development was sig n ific a n t fo r two

F ir s t , i t represented th e exten sion , a fter more than twenty

y ears, o f th e summer program into a year-round experience for children. 2 In the second p lace, in t h i s p articu lar school the center was organized fo r the sp e cia l purpose o f providing a place where newly-arrived emigre children from Europe could learn to l i v e in an American community.

As

th e work progressed i t was found to be as much a lesson in democratic liv in g fo r th e n a tiv e American youngsters as i t was fo r the newcomers. During World War II the year-round program was further expended as play schools were set up in ch ild care cen ters to meet the needs o f work­ ing mothers.

Play schools were c e lle d upon to be open from early morn­

ing u n til seven and eig h t o 'clo ck in th e evening.

They operated on a

fu ll-d a y b a sis on h o lid a y s, when the public schools were closed , and on Saturdays.

The e a r lie s t play schools, in World War I days, had also been

open on Saturdays at th e s ta r t, but attendance fig u re s had not warranted the p ractice and i t was discontinued.

As industry returned to a pre­

dominantly fiv e-d a y week, at th e c lo s e o f World War I I , Saturday sessio n s

1. 2.

Benjamin 0 . Gruenberg, The Simmer Play School, p. 5. Public School 169, Manhattan.

-505in ch ild care centers were no longer needed. The curriculum o f the play schools has had an evolutionary h isto ry th a t i s s t i l l in the process o f being changed and adapted to new needs. Work with children in migrant camps, and more r ecen tly , with in s t itu ­ tio n a liz e d , handicapped youngsters, has been organized around elements o f the ordinary play school program.

Emergencies and sp ecial community

needs would have forced th e curriculum to be f le x ib le and adaptable, i f i t were not already dedicated to the id eal o f serv ice where, when, and in the form best suited to th e w elfare o f ch ild ren .

Regardless o f modifi­

ca tio n s and temporary setbacks, the major goals o f the program have been preserved in th e face o f a ll e x ig en cies. Basic Philosophy The fo rces underlying many o f th e p ra ctices associated with the play schools have already been traced to the general educational ferment of the period th a t produced the Progressive Education A ssociation and a number o f the best known experimental sch ools.

Before the turn of the

century, William James, John Dewey, G. Stanley Hall and F elix Adler were espousing the causes th a t gave birth to the play school idea.

Most in­

tim ately and d irectly rela ted to the movement was F elix Adler.

I t was

Adler who served as th e leader o f th e f i r s t ch ild study group o f what la te r became the Child Study A ssociation .

He was also th e founder of

th e Ethical Culture Society whose support made p o ssib le a number o f the early play schools.

I t was h is Working Man's School th at became th e

Ethical Culture School where a play school has been maintained from 1919 to the present.

-

506 -

Gruenberg s a id ,1 in h is introduction to the f i r s t play school hand­ book, th a t the play school contemplated the a ll-d a y c are o f groups o f children under conditions calcu lated to promote th e ir p h y sica l, in t e l­ le c tu a l and c iv ic development.

The school was to be a medium through

which the con stru ctive fo rces o f th e conmunity might act upon the c h ild . I t s scope and sca le were to be determined by lo c a l con d ition s, lo c a l 2 need8, and lo c al resources. According to Gruenberg, the three guiding p r in c ip le s in the development o f th e play schools were:

"the funda­

mental importance o f health protection; the n e c e ssity of providing op­ p o r tu n itie s for work and play; recognition o f tra in in g in so c ia l adjustment as e s s e n tia l in the l i f e o f the ch ild ." The broad im plications o f th ese three major p r in c ip le s, as articu ­ la te d at th e o u tset o f the movement's h is to r y , are s t i l l v a lid .

Play

school lite r a tu r e contains recurrent evidence th at they h ave been main­ tained through th e years.

Health, so c ia l tra in in g and play are lis t e d 5 as th e major elements o f the program in a 1951 p u b lication . A mimeo­

graphed statement o f aims and e s s e n tia ls , prepared some years la te r , in­ cludes t h is key to the program's philosophy: The aim o f the all-d ay Play School program i s two­ fo ld : f i r s t , t o help ch ild ren to play and work to ­ gether in groups, aid to give them op p ortun ities for developing s k ills ; second, to encourage cooperation and so cia l rela tio n sh ip s through d a ily rou tin es such as lunch, r e s t, and care o f m aterials. Play i s basic to the program. 1. 2. 5*

Gruenberg, op. c i t . , p. 5* Ibid. , p. 4 . When Parents Meet At School, p. 12.

Through i t , c h ild ren 's

-507in ter eat a are extended and enriched, sp e cia l a b ili- j t i e s developed, and emotional needs given expression* Clara Lambert, in both o f her books th ese basic aims o f the program*

2

on the play school, r e ite r a te s

The most recent play school brochure

says th a t the o b je ctiv es o f th e play schools are: 1. 2*

5*

To help give sa fety , secu rity snd happiness to a ll ch ild ren . To give children the cre a tiv e and so c ia l experi­ ences which w ill permit them to learn to liv e with th e ir contemporaries and u ltim a tely to achieve adulthood prepared for good, resp onsib le c itiz e n sh ip . j To strengthen fam ily l i f e —not replace i t .

The basic id eal o f serv ice to children and th e ir fa m ilie s through community cooperation remains unchanged.

I t i s in th e implementation

o f th e o rig in a l aspiration s th a t most o f the development o f th e past t h ir t y years has occurred. c ip le from p ra ctice,

Play school lite r a tu r e seldom separates prin­

Every source consulted combined or follow ed each

statement o f aim, o b jectiv e or philosophy with a d iscu ssion o f the ways and means for achieving i t . Changing P ra ctices When Gruenberg stated

4

h is three p r in c ip le s, h ealth p rotection , work

and play a c t i v it i e s , and tra in in g in so c ia l adjustment, he elaborated on th e f i r s t by including plans for feed in g, medical supervision, bath­ ing and h ea lth education.

These p ra ctices were calcu lated to extend the

in flu en ce o f the play school in to th e homes.

1. 2. 5.

4.

Here may be found the be-

Aims and E ssen tia ls. Summer Play Schools Committee, Child Study As­ so cia tio n o f America, n .d ., content p la ces i t in 1958 or 1959» P» 2 , From th e Records: An Adventure in Teacher Training and S ch o o l^ Out. Primer on Play School a , a four-page brochure, n .d ., unpaged, printed in 1950. Benjamin C. Gruenberg, The Summer Play School, p. 4 .

-

508-

ginnings o f the program fo r parents which was to receiv e greater emphasis in la te r y ea rs.

The work and play a c t i v it i e s were to be graded, pleasurable

and in te r e stin g , and d irected .

"Further, the a c t i v i t i e s o f the ch ild must

be in crea sin g ly purposeful and productive, and they must be adjusted to 1 in d ividu al powers and needs o f work 8hd play." Developmental considersr tio n s and recogn ition o f individual in te r e s ts were obviously operative in the e a r lie s t programs. 2

Gruenberg wrote th a t the number o f ch ild ren , the availab le space and the a v a ila b le s t a f f were the major determinants in program organization. Age was to be the primary b a sis fo r grouping and boys and g irlB were to be allowed to play together some o f the tim e.

The few and Bketchy records

o f actual p ra ctice availab le for the e a r lie s t years confirm th e impression th a t g i r l s and boys were segregated much o f the time and th at the club a c t i v it i e s were accorded greater sig n ifica n ce in grouping than were the ages o f the p articip a n ts. Each club group o f tw enty-five or more child ren had a leader and the youngsters were selected on the b a sis o f m alnutrition, underweight and sim ilar co n d itio n s o f deprivation.

Daily rou tin es included the payment

o f f e e s , recording o f attendance, lunch and r e s t .

Meekly events were ex­

cu rsion s, assem blies, weighing o f child ren , and fo r the n u tr itio n c la s s e s , sessio n s with a physician where charts were posted, sta r s awarded for gain s in weight end in stru ction given on how and what to e a t.

Ihe play

a c t i v it i e s o f the program, la rg ely devoted to such experiences as sewing,

1• 2.

Doc• c i t . Ibid. , pp. 26-28.

-509weaving, and cobbling, received much le s s atten tion in the e a r ly records than did lunch, r e s t, and d etailed reports snd recommendations dealing with the work o f doctors and nurses. A play school report for the summer o f 1920 in d ica tes th a t play a c t iv i­ t i e s were beginning to receiv e greater emphasis, although:

"As always

in the Play Schools the h ealth work has occupied a prominent place in the program."

Each c la s s spent one f u ll day a week in the "country", e ith e r

at Van Oortlandt Park or a t the Bronx Park.

"These excursions were made

p o ssib le by the Department o f Public Welfare o f the City o f New York who supplied the p asses for the free transportation o f the ch ild ren and th e ir 2 attendants on the subway." The older boys were also taken to Ooney Islan d for one day, as g u ests o f the Luna Park

Amusement Company.

The

g i r l s had an all-d a y boatride in the harbor on the S.S. C orrection. youngest children had regular c la s s teach ers. or older were on the departmental plan.

The

Those eigh t years o f age

The report made a strong p lea

fo r future extension o f the home-room grouping, at le a s t through the e ig h t-y e a r -o ld s. There are a few records o f play school p ractices in the 1920’ s as they appeared to the ch ild ren .

An elevenr-year-old g ir l in th e Cleveland

Play School wrote: Playschool i s a place where we learn to get f a t and to be h ea lth y . We make a ll kinds o f u sefu l th in g s, such as beads, baskets, handkerchiefs, mats, baskets, f s lc ] , aprons, u te n s ils , ta b leclo th a s, (jicJ , d resses. For 10 cen ts we get milk and lunch. For lunch we g et v eg eta b les, m ilk, greens, desert P»io~] • We have teach ers that are ju st lik e frien d s. We also have r e s t period a fter lunch. 1. 2. 5.

From a typew ritten report o f the Ethical Culture Play School (Ju ly 6August 27, 1920), p. 5. JCbid., p. 2. Federation for Child Study, Summer Play Schools, 1925, sn unpaged booklet se t up and printed by children, presumably on th e E thical Culture School's prin tin g p ress.

- 510One o f

the younger boya in a New York Oity play school gave h ie impres­

sio n s,

but not h is age, saying: I lik e to go to Play School because we have a good time and we have gooddinners and we work and play* We have singing Monday and Thursday and we sing a ll kinds o f songs* We play b a ll in the morning and afternoons we sleep for two hours* We lik e to play b a ll because we run. We gp boat rid in g every Wednesday* The big boys are making a house and a playground and we are h elp in g than to make ch airs ta b les and rooms*

To a n in e-y ea r-o ld New York g i r l, these were th e play school h ig h lig h ts in 1925: In our Summer Play School we have showers every day except p icn ic day. We have lo t s o f fun at p ic­ n ic s . We go to shop and make lo v ely th in g s, here aTesome, d o l l ' s beds, ta b les, ch airs, trunks. After we eat lunch we r e st on the roof. We sing 'Sweet Miss Mary' and Play School Songs. We go to sewing and make d o ilie s , handkerchiefs, bags. We go to Nature Study room and we have lea v es o f d ifferen t k in d s. In assembly we are entertained by p lays, danc­ in g, S to r y te llin g and singing. We go to Central Park to play games. We have milk in a b o ttle before we go home. ^ In th e la te r 1920's, a c t iv it ie s in the summer cen ters were organized around f iv e n u c le i.^

Physical welfare came f i r s t aid included medical

examinations follow ed by remedial measures, hot luncheons with green v eg eta b les, r e s t periods, afternoon milk and crackers, big muscle exer­ c is e s through swimming, games and dancing, and showers or h osin g.

Next

came play a c t i v i t i e s centered around mgiual expression in shop work, domestic scien ce and h an d icrafts; aesth etic experiences in dancing, dramatics, music and h an d icrafts; nature study through c la s s and museum

1. 2. 5*

Ibid. . unpaged. Ib id. , unpaged. This paragraph and the follow ing one represent a composite summary o f inform ation c o lle c te d from play school reports fo r the period (1926-1929).

-511experiences as wall as gardening; h ealth and hygiene including in stru ction in cooking, home nursing and f i r s t aid; aid such p rojects for sheer en­ joyment as boat r id e s, p ic n ic s, movies and bus r id e s. The th ird focus in the program was on individual expression, made pos­ s ib le by keeping groups small and schedules f le x ib le , and under the guidance o f trained tea ch ers.

Fourth came so c ia l train in g, developed throu^i group

experiences as exem plified by c h ild r e n 's cou n cils, outings, assem blies and the d a ily luncheon.

F ifth and la s t was contact with the homes.

Mothers' m eetings, entertainm ents and c la sse s in cooking and n u tr itio n were added to the a c t i v it i e s o f the home v is it o r as ways o f reaching play school fa m ilie s . Play school p r a c tic e s in the 1950's appear to r e f le c t the in flu en ces o f the economic depression and o f the growing a o tiv ity movement in e le ­ mentary education.

Lucy R etting, D irector o f the schools, had w ritten in

1951s The programs o f our schools are those o f any creative a c t iv it y school, minus the academic goals, and with sp ecia l emphasis upon use o f the outdoors and such sum­ mertime a c t i v it i e s as gardening or, as i s the case in three sch ools, farming p ro jects carried out on the out­ s k ir ts o f the c i t y . There i s a hot lunch served at noon, follow ed by toothbrushing and r e s t. Milk i s served in the middle o f the afternoon, and in some cases milk or orange ju io e in the morning a lso . School and home are c lo s e ly lin k ed , e sp e c ia lly in New York Gity where the Child Study A ssociation headquarters can give a great deal o f help to th e lo c a l Play Schools and stim ulate yearround parent education.* Mrs. R etting added th a t the program had recen tly been reorganized around the a c t iv it y school idea, with home-room teachers instead of a departmentalized arrangement of sub jects taught by s p e c ia lis ts . 1.

She

Lucy R ettin g, "Summer Vacation— A Problem and a P riv ileg e," P rogressive Education, V ol. V III, No. 5 (May, 1951), p. 580.

- 512 -

strongly recommended more coeducation and fewer rewards and punidiments. Apparently segregation by sexes and th e m erit system were s t i l l problems in 1951. The next d irecto r, w riting

1

in th e depths o f the depression years,

recommended the f u lle r use o f public school b u ild in gs and playgrounds in the summertime ae a sound economy measure in education.

She also sug­

gested a number o f ways and means fo r equipping and operating play schools 2 on reduced budgets. She indicated th at groups in the play schools were being kept small enough, about twenty children in each, to allow for indi­ vidual expression and a tten tio n , and th a t the all-d ay p ic n ic s of the past had been- la rg ely discontinued in favor o f d iort neighborhood tr ip s , or games, showers and swims in the ou t-of-d oor s . sidered l e s s trying on the younger ch ild ren .

'These a c t iv it ie s were con­ Of the health program and

work with parents Mrs. Mossier wrote* In the whole program, h ea lth i s n e c e ssa r ily a major concern. A concept o f h ealth teaching has been developed which recognizes th at learn in g can be achieved as surely through a ttitu d e s and p r a c tic e s as through d irect teach­ in g. The Play School day afford s many natural opportuni­ t i e s for health rou tin es and p r a c tic e s, and for developing a ttitu d es concerning th e se . For example, the lunch period i s not only a time to e a t, but a time when children learn to eat d iffe r e n t kinds o f foods; behavior situ a tio n s in connection with eatin g come to lig h t , and Can be help­ f u lly met. Much o f th e meal time procedure and other health p ra c tice s o f the Play Schools can be adopted by the home; parents are encouraged to v i s i t the schools to * observe and they are helped to understand these p ra ctices. The play school day in 1957 began with a d iscu ssion o f plans and work problems as a b a sis for the development o f u n its o f work, for the

1. 2. 5.

Adele S. M ossier, n3ummer Play Schools," Ohlid Study, V ol. XI, No. 6 (March, 1954), pp. 171-175. Ibid. . p. 172. Loc. c i t .

-

515-

a c t iv it y program was flo u rish in g in the play schools at t h is tim e.

"History,

geography, and the scien o es, though th ese are not taught as academic sub­ j e c t s , come n aturally in to the play a c t i v it i e s .

The Play Schools u t il i z e ,

as far as p o ssib le , techniques and methods worked out by the progressive education movement, adapting them to the sp ecia l needs o f th ese children and the summertime opportunities."^ The war period o f the early 1940’ a saw an extension o f the program in time and in serv ice .

There were more play schools than ever before and

they were serving more children fo r longer p eriod s.

Wartime play schools

remained open for long hours each day, included Saturdays and h olid ays, and frequently served breakfasts and suppers as w ell as lunches to c h il­ dren whose mothers worked in industry.

The year-round program n ecessi­

ta ted a reorganization o f curriculum p ra ctices fo r th e a fter-sch o o l periods in w inter.

Children who had already been confined in a school building

from nine o 'clo ck in the morning u n til play eohool started at one, two, or tfiree o 'c lo c k in the afternoon, were b elieved to need outdoor experiences with ggnes and m aterials as well as op p ortu n ities to sing, dance, and de­ velop th e ir hobbies. The play sohools have shown a tendency to survey and measure e x istin g p r a c tic e s, from time to tim e, in the lig h t o f th e ir meaning fo r children. In the 1920's such questions were common: they gaining weight? as:

ly

Are

In the 1950's , i t was more apt to be such questions

Are the children interested?

stimulated?

Are the ch ildren happy?

Are they fatigued?

By 1940, the questions had become:

Are they over-

I s A making a good adju st­

From a pamphlet e n title d , Summer Play Schools, Child Study A ssociation o f America, 1957, unpaged.

-5 1 4 ment to the group?

Is B too quiet?

I s 0 too o v e r tly aggressive?

The organization o f a c t iv it ie s has also been scru tin ized and changed p e r io d ic a lly .

The h ealth and physical education emphasis o f the 2 0 's made

way for the a c tiv ity program in the 1950's.

I t , in turn, was p a r tia lly

replaced by a renewed respect for individual c r e a tiv e work ju s t before World War II*

The war with i t s shortages, th e r esu lta n t use o f waste mar

t e r i a l s , and the emphasis on salvage c o lle c tio n s was not p a rtic u la rly con­ ducive to achievement in some o f the more crea tiv e art forms.

The postwar

program has shown an in clin a tio n to return to the focus around central themes, but with so cia l learnings rather than u n its o f work as a b a sis. The treatment o f contemporary aims and curriculum content, la te r in t h is chapter, diould serve to illu s t r a te t h is p o in t. The Importance o f Play "Play, in i t s deepest and broadest sense, i s th e bridge over which ch ild ren must pass in order to make a s a tis fa c to r y journey from childhood to adulthood."*- The play schools hold no proprietary claim to t h is in­ terp reta tio n o f play. The name "play school" i s n eith er new nor o r ig in a l. 2 Brubacher s ta te s that th e f i r s t school attended by the Roman boy was the ludus. a name taken from the Latin word for p la y .

Seventy play cen ters

in New York Oity in th e summer of 1899 were lo ca ted in lib r a r ie s , parks, playgrounds, roof gardens and recreation p ie r s .

They, to o , were c a lle d

play sch ools. The Board o f School Superintendents, b eliev in g th at every rational system o f education should make pro­ v is io n for play, authorized the appointment o f a Oom1. 2.

OlaTa Lambert, P lay: A Yardstick o f Growth, p. 5* John S. Brubacher, The History o f the Problems o f Education, p. 581*

-515mi t t e e on Play Schools. This Committee, appointed by th e Borough Superintendent, succeeded, through plans approved by the Board o f Superintendents and the Com­ m ittee on Special Schools o f the School Board, in e s ­ ta b lish in g some seventy play centers in Manhattan and the Bronx, and o f th ese, advantage was taken during the summer o f 1899, by more than one hundred thousand d iffe r e n t ch ild ren . Close to the turn o f the century a number o f th e o r ie s were advanced as to the meaning or function o f play.

Karl Groos, follow in g h is study o f

play in animals, c a lle d play a preparation for l i f e job s.

G. Stanley

H a ll’ s R ecapitalation Theory regarded play in the form o f games as a rem­ nant o f e a r lie r a c t i v it i e s o f the race.

To S c h ille r and Spencer play

represented the using up o f surplus energy after the n e c e s s it ie s o f l i f e had been met.

At le a s t one o f th ese th eo ries has been repudiated.

stu d ies o f play have

been undertaken. None has been discovered that

Further sup­

p l i e s any s c ie n t if ic explanation cf xhyeducation takes place through play, but educational lite r a tu r e abounds in references to i t s importance in the learn in g p rocess. On the eve o f the birth of the play school movement, C urtis wrote

2

th a t play had readied i t s lowest ebb in the h isto r y o f the world in the l a s t f i f t y years in t h is country.

While prim itive peoples accepted play

as a c h ild 's main occupation, our own society had made study th e work o f most ch ild ren , by requiring them to go to school for f iv e or six hours a day, and assigning them additional chores at home afterward. were already so b u ilt up th a t no place remained for play.

The c i t i e s

C urtis wrote:

"The play o f the ch ild does not correspond to the recreation o f the adult but to th e work o f the adult. 1. 2.

Play i s the most serious a c t iv it y in which

New York C ity Board o f Education, Report on Play Schools, Department o f Education o f the City o f New York, 1899, p. Henry S. C u rtis, Education through Play. New York: The Maomillan Company, 1924, (o r ig in a lly published in 1915), p. 9 .

-

516 -

th e ch ild engages." 2

Clara Lambert fin d s

clu es to the sig n ifica n ce of play in the in­

ter p r eta tio n s o f modern psychology, in the w ritings of Sigmund Freud and Margaret Lowenfeld who consider play as the c h ild 's means o f expressing h is r e la tio n s to h im self and h is environment as w ell as a means o f B elfexp ression .

Alschuler and Heinig d istin gu ish ,^ as C urtis did, between

play as approached by the adult in seeking pleasure as a relea se from work, and play among ch ild ren which i s th e ir whole l i f e . Hhoda Bacmeister 4 c a l l s play the very essence of l i f e to a ch ild , h is ch ief business v h lle he grows in body, mind and s p ir it .

"Play," says Bacm eister, " is a sort

o f laboratory fo r the development o f good social a ttitu d es, providing not only for the harmless relea se of emotions usually forbidden, but also for the development o f good sportsmanship, lo y a lty and a sense o f fa ir play 5 or ju s tic e ." Rousseau introduced, and Froebel la te r adopted in more symbolic, di­ d actic form, the concept o f s e lf - a c t iv it y that we c a ll play, as a v it a l element in education.

F elix Adler, in h is V/orkingman's School, applied

the asms cu ltu ra l emphasis to areas th at had long been considered voogr t io n a l.

John Dewey carried the s e lf - a c t iv it y p rin cip le s t i l l further with

h is introduction o f the crea tiv e arts into the everyday curriculum o f th e elementary school.

The whole progressive education movement may thus be

traced back to the rev iv a l o f play as an educational fo rce.

1. 2. 5* 4. 5.

Ib id . . p. 12. Lambert, op. c i t . , pp. 7 -8 . Rose H. A lschuler and C hristine Heinig, Playt The C hild1s Response to L if e , p. 1. Crowing Together, p. 162. Ibid . . p. 165.

-517The most recent flow ering o f the play idea in education appears to stem from a p sychological ro o t.

A wartime book on the care o f young c h il­

dren includes the statement th a t!

" If one part o f the day could be said

to be more important than another, i t i s the time devoted to playi be­ cause as they play* children develop and express th eir whole beings—th e ir 1 c o n s titu tio n a l d iffe r e n c e s, th e ir p e r so n a litie s, th e ir inner liv e s ." Play haB been used in p ro jectiv e techniques fo r the study of p ersonality development in ch ild ren .

I t haB been UBed in non-directive therapeutic

s itu a tio n s with disturbed ch ild ren . therapy,

Both as a te stin g technique, and as

play has become an important psychological to o l of the sp ecia l­

is ts . Axline bases play therapy ". . . upon the fa c t that play i s the c h ild 's natural medium o f se lf-e x p r e ssio n .

I t is an opportunity which is given

to the c h ild to 'play ou t' h is fe e lin g s and problems ju st as, in certain 2

typ es o f adult therapy, an individual 'ta lk s out' h is d if f ic u lt ie s ." 5 The m aterials and equipment Axline recommends for a play therapy room are q u ite lik e those to be found in many play schools. Play schools, however, are not laboratories for work with maladjusted ch ild ren .

The Play Schools A ssociation makes clear to i t s teachers th a t

only s p e c ia lly trained persons are equipped to practice therapy with c h il­ dren,

Classroom teachers are expected to u t iliz e play as the important

educational element i t has been found to be in the ordinary group situar tio n s of classroom liv in g .

1. 2. 5.

Rose H. A lschuler, Editor, C hildren's Centers, p. 24. V irg in ia Mae Axline, PlaV Therapy, p. 9» Ib id . , p. 56.

-318-

Oontemporary E d u cation al O b je c tiv e s

Educational lead ers from Oomenius to John Dewey have regarded the educational process as e s s e n tia l to the good l i f e .

America's p o litic a l

leaders from Thomas J effe rso n to Franklin D, Roosevelt have maintained th a t the education o f a ll the people was the only insurance o f national survival— and freedom.

The importance o f universal education in a demo­

c r a tic sta te has long been accepted, but i t s function and the variation s in i t s p o lic ie s and p r a c tic e s r e f le c t the s p ir it o f the tim es as tru ly as any other so cia l fa cto r in our h isto r y . The concept o f education as a process prim arily concerned with the a cq u isition o f information has gradually given way to a broader, func­ tio n a l in terp reta tio n o f education in a democratic society as having to do with ra isin g the q u a lity o f liv in g for a ll the people.

Such an in­

terp retation presupposes the importance o f person ality development, and o f training fo r so cia l a ttitu d e s as w ell as the mastery o f technical and academic s k i l l s .

Contemporary o b jec tiv e s in the f ie ld s of education and

so cia l work, and in the play schools, as they apply to the school-age ch ild , have been summarized for presentation here. Aims o f the Elementary School 1 A decade ago, McGaUghy se t down what he considered the major character­ i s t i c s o f a good elementary school. 1. 2. 3. 4.

1.

In th is good school, said McGaUghy*

P upils are persons. Each pupil d iffe r s from every other. Each school a c tiv ity has real value fo r the indi­ vidual pupil here and now. Each pupil i s a so cia l being and liv e s in a chang­ ing s o c ie ty .

J . R. McGaUghy, An Evaluation of the Elementary School, pp. 22-55*

-519He p r e d ic te d

even broader s o c i a l i z a t i o n in th e cu rricu lu m o f th e fu tu r e .

W rightstone chose

2

s ix ca r d in a l o b j e c t iv e s as a b a s is f o r h i s ap­

p r a is a l o f p r a c t ic e s in elem entary s c h o o ls . 1. 2. 5. 4. 5. 6.

These o b j e c t iv e s in v o lv ed :

U nderstanding and p r a c t ic in g d e s ir a b le s o c ia l r e la ­ t io n s h ip s . D isco v erin g and d ev elo p in g d e s ir a b le in d iv id u a l a p titu d e s . D eveloping th e h a b it s o f c r i t i c a l th in k in g . A p p reciatin g end d e s ir in g w o rth -w h ile a c t i v i t i e s . Gaining command o f th e common in t e g r a t in g know ledges and s k i l l s * D eveloping a sound body and normal m ental a t t it u d e s .

McGaugjhy and Wright sto n e r e p r e se n t th e p erio d o f g en era l movement away from th e t r a d it i o n a l ly s u b je c t-c e n te r e d cu rricu lu m toward th e con­ c e p t o f ed u ca tio n as a p r o c e ss o f in te g r a te d p erso n a l and s o c i a l develop­ m ent.

Im m ediately fo llo w in g , and in some in s t a n c e s o v e r la p p in g , t h i s

d ir e c t io n a l tr e n d , h as come t h e community sch o o l id e a , w ith i t s em phasis on in d iv id u a l and group r e s p o n s i b i l i t y f o r th e w e lfa r e o f a ll*

One o f

th e ad vocates o f th e community sch o o l h a s sta ted ^ th a t th ere i s r e a l ly no d i s t i n c t i o n betw een l i f e in sch ool and l i f e o u t s id e .

A community s c h o o l's

o b j e c t iv e i s to meet th e u rgen t n eed s o f th e p eo p le as b e s t i t ca n , en­ l i s t i n g e v e r y o n e 's h e lp .

I t aims to be a used p la c e where l i v i n g and

le a r n in g con verge, f o r to th e community sc h o o l, e v e r y th in g t h a t a f f e c t s th e w e lfa r e o f th e c h ild r e n and t h e ir f a m il ie s i s i t s co n cern . The s o c ia l emphasis in ed u ca tio n h a s become in c r e a s in g ly e v id e n t in th e more immediate p r e s e n t. e n t ir e book

2. 5. 4.

4

A group o f American ed u ca to rs h a s devoted an

to a d is c u s s io n o f th e fo u r major pu rp oses o f th e elem entary

I b id . , pp. 395-410. J . Wayne W rightstone, A ppraisal o f Newer Elem entary School P r a c t ic e s , pp. 1 1 8 -1 5 2 . E ls ie R. Clapp, Community S ch o o ls in A ctio n , p . 8 9 . 'tlrga n izin g th e Elementary School f o r L iv in g and L earn ing," A sso c ia tio n f o r S u p erv isio n and Curriculum Developm ent o f th e N a tio n a l E ducation A ss o c ia tio n Yearbook, 1947.

- 520 -

school.

This i s the point o f view aa stated in the book: "We b elieve— The elementary school must serve the ch ild in h is growth toward competent c itiz e n sh ip in a free society."

The requirements given fo r t h is competency are academic lite r a c y p lu s social* c iv ic , and economic lite r a c y . "The school must serve the community!! The presence o f the school in the community should insure

a b etter

l i f e fo r people o f a ll ages. "The school must serve the n a tio n ." The Bchool i s to maintain th e American way o f l i f e by serving as a con stru ctive force for i t s development and p ro tectio n .

Democracy i s as­

signed the r e sp o n sib ility for nurturing individual d ign ity, fo r formulat­ ing plans o f action for the good o f a l l , for th e preservation o f c i v i l lib e r t ie s , and for strengthening such in s titu tio n s as represen tative government and t r i a l by im partial jury. "The school must serve the one world idea." Teaching about the United Nations i s ju s t one way o f helping American ch ild ren to gain the concept of one world. liv e

They need to learn about and

in the world as i t i s while

broadening th e ir understanding and ap1 p r e d a tio n o f lik en e sse s and d ifferen ces among peoples. Aims in S ocial group Work Because the Play Schools A ssociation regards i t s e l f as a so cia l agency in the f ie ld o f education, t h i s study includes both f ie l d s in i t s

1.

Ibid. The four purposes are quoted as they appear on pp. 9-10. The accompanying d iscu ssion is an attempt to summarize the f u lle r tr e a t­ ment given in the book.

- 521 -

treatment of o b je c tiv e s. l i v e by bread alone.

I t has long been recognized th at man does not

The provision of food and sh e lte r to the needy i s

no longer considered the paramount purpose o f so c ia l work.

The individu­

a l ' s adjustment to h is so c ia l m ilieu i s a major concern o f the so cia l worker, whether he i s a caae worker or a group worker, whether he i s en­ gaged in public welfare or employed in any one of the many and varied p riv a te agencies.

The case worker i s primarily concerned with the in ter­

personal rela tio n sh ip s developed by individual c lie n t s .

The group worker's

s k i l l and p rofession al tra in in g are applied to the maintenance o f the best p o ssib le clim ate for group liv in g within a given community s e ttin g . In h is d iscussion o f urban recreational serv ices, William Jansen s ta te s :

"Many problems are solvable only by helping an individual to liv e

happily in r e la tio n to a group. so c ia l group work.

This part o f so c ia l work i s known as

Just as the teacher uses both group and in dividualized

in stru ctio n in th e classroom, so must any adequate program o f reh ab ilitar t io n o f an individual make use o f both the case work and the group work 1 method." Among the organizations that function prim arily in the so c ia l work o r b it purposes and educational philosophy tend to r e f le c t th e varying agency sponsorships.

Such general o b jectiv es as the b uilding o f character

and good c itiz e n sh ip , or education for e ffe c t iv e liv in g , are f a ir ly com­ mon.

The more sp e cific in te r e sts o f rural groups, such as th e Future

Farmers o f America and th e 4-H Clubs, for instance, are stated in terms o f agricu ltu ra l aims and standards.

The American Junior Red Cross str e s se s

'^le S ocial Agencies and Public Education in New York C ity , p. 108.

- 522 -

serv ice to o th ers.

"In a sense, th ese sp ecial in te r e st organization s

contemplate educational experience as a by-product, whereas the other or­ gan ization s begin with recreation al in te r e s ts and build on them toward 1 educational and service aims." Social group work i s a method employed to help in d iv id u a ls and groups r e la te to each other by providing so c ia l experiences to meet th e needs and c a p a c itie s o f the group membership.

The worker h elp s the individual

toward p erso n a lity development and behavior change through p a rticip a tio n in group a c t iv it ie s ' th a t are b a sic a lly democratic in content and design. The ap p lication o f so c ia l group work methods i s determined by the indi­ vidual and h is needs, th e group and i t s p o te n tia litie s * th e worker and h is understanding and s k i l l , the agency se ttin g and fu nction , and th e com­ munity p lu s a ll o f i t s resources.

The in d iv id u a l's r e a liz a tio n of h is

own p o t e n t ia lit ie s in interpersonal rela tio n sh ip s i s a basic aim of group work.

P r o fita b le use o f le isu r e time for the enrichment o f each member 2 o f the group through cr e a tiv e self-ex p ressio n i s another. "Fundamentally so c ia l group work fo s te r s the establishm ent o f as com­ p le te and s a tis fy in g so c ia l r ela tio n sh ip s as p o ssib le .

I t s s p e c ific pur­

poses emerge from the in ter a ctio n of in dividu als and groups in an agency s e ttin g in a changing community situ ation." ^ One o f th e trends in so cia l group work with children i s r e fle c te d in the increased recogn ition o f recreation al a c t i v it i e s , under p r o fessio n a lly trained le a d e rs, as a means o f improving person ality development, rather

1. 2.

Nathan E. Oohen, "Boys' aid G irls' Work," The Social Work Yearbook. New York* R ussell Sage Foundation, 1949, p. 65. Harleigji B. Trecker, "Social Group Work," The Social Work Yearbook, New York* R ussell Sage Foundation, 1949* pp. 485-5847 Ib id . . p. 484.

-525than as an end In them selves.

Another development i s ty p ifie d by the

increased m o b ility o f workers in such building-centered agencies as the Y.M.O.A., who have begun to work with boys and g i r l s in the public schools 1 end in p riv a te homes, as w ell as in th e ir own cen ters. The emphasis on obedience to the teacher, or "good'1, amenable be­ havior, th a t might have been expected as sn aim o f education a gener at ion or more ago, was not found among the ob jectiv es o f eith e r s o c ia l group work with ch ild ren , or the elementary school. School Aims The major aim of th e play schools i s the b est w elfare o f ch ild ren . What th a t i s and how to achieve i t have been variou sly in terpreted , from tim e to tim e, but always in terms o f children.

The o b je c tiv e s o f the

school are not to be confused with th e o b jectiv es o f the Play Schools As­ so c ia tio n .

They are c lo s e ly rela ted but not id e n tic a l.

The A ssociation

aims to in flu en ce community planning, to tra in s t a f f , to demonstrate a p ra c tic a l so lu tio n to an educational problem; the schools are for the c h il­ dren.

I t i s with the o b je c tiv e s o f the play schools th at t h i s part of

the in v estig a tio n i s concerned. William Heard K ilp atrick , a member o f the Advisory Board o f the Play Schools A ssociation snd fo r many years a frien d o f end lo y a l p a rticip a n t in the movement, has said that “liv in g i s the s tr e s s and the guiding principle" in the play sch ools, whose "aim a ll the time was character, 2 rioh all-round w ell balanced character." Baphasizing the fa c t that th e presence o f th e term "piay” in i t s t i t l e had freed the school from the en-

1. 2.

Cohen, op. c i t . In the Introduction to How To Make

Play School Work, p. 4 .

-524sla v in g grip o f the formal school o f an ea r lie r era» K ilpatrick has stated: “The Play Schools i s an ex c e lle n t instance o f the newer and truer educa1 tio n now coming in crea sin g ly to d isp lace the old." Lambert compares the aims o f contemporary day schools and play schools, saying:

"Both the school end play school are in terested in children and

o ften in th e same ch ild ren .

Their paths oonverge from time to tim e.

Both

schools measure growth by emotional end so cia l m aturity, good adjustment 2 to group l i f e end personal h ap p in ess." The p u b lica tio n s o f the A ssociation are apt to be couched in func­ tio n a l rather than i d e a lis t ic terms.

Recent sources have presented the

o b jec tiv e s q u ite c le a r ly in conjunction with what i s done in the play schools rather thsn what i s hoped fo r .

These reports ind icate th at c h il­

dren in play schools are helped to fin d out how to get along with th eir neighbors.

A ch ild can t e s t h im self as a member o f a play school group

and through th e give-and-take o f play situ a tio n s, grow toward so cia l and emotional m aturity.

The schools provide a relaxed environment for the

c h ild 's le is u r e hours and a sense o f secu rity to parents and children a lik e . A s p e c if ic a lly stated goal o f the play school program i s “to give children the opportunity to express th e ir fe e lin g s —th eir need for af­ fe c tio n , approval, and acceptance for what they are— and an understand­ ing about them selves and th e ir world, through play with th eir contemporaries in an acceptable so c ia l way, and with m aterials which lend themselves to t h is purpose."

1. 2. 5.

The program i s suited to the play in te r e sts and the con­

i p • 5• Clara Lambert, P la y : A C hild' s WaV o f Growing Up, p. 56, Ib id . , pp. 2 and 19. “

-5 2 5 centration span o f the young ch ild through a f le x ib le , adaptable curricu­ lum that includes the s k i l l s children bring from school as w ell as the information and experiences acquired in th e ir t o t a l liv in g .

For older

children, the program incorporates th e information and c u r io sity they bring to the curriculum with op p ortu n ities to experience sa tis fa c tio n through id e n tific a tio n with a group o f th e ir peers and through th eir own respected contributions to the group. O bjectives For A ll Children "The fundamental needs o f the ch ild are in truth the fundamental 1 needs o f society" wrote Lawrence K. Frank. A l i s t o f these baBic needs, as they have been rela ted to ch ild cane, are: To To To To To To To

be loved and wanted; be treated with consideration; win respect for achievement; be understood, w hile making frien d s among one's peers; find stim ulation in th e surroundings; withdraw at tim es and be quiet; f e e l part o f an ordered environment, whosestandards one i s expected to meet; ^ To play, to crea te, to work, to produce. In the above enumeration w ill be found every human b ein g's need for se­ cu rity and s a tis fa c tio n .

This may be said to represent the mental hygiene

point o f view toward o b je c tiv e s for a ll ch ild ren . According to Bacmeister,

3

there are o b je c tiv e s for a ll children, re­

gard less o f race or creed, which become th e r e sp o n sib ility of the com­ munity.

T. 2. 5.

They are, for every ch ild :

,(The Fundamental Needs o f the Ohild," Mental Hygiene. V ol. XXII, No. 5 (Ju ly, 1958), p. 579. Play i s Learning, Too, B u lle tin No. 1558, U niversity o f the State o f New York, New York S tate Education Department, 1948, pp. 26-50. Hhoda W. Bacmeister, Growing Together, p. 289.

-5 2 6 -

A happy secure fam ily l i f e , with sanitary housing, economic secu rity and su ita b le p laces for play. Health p rotection for the urban and ru ral, the w ell and the handicapped. Good schools and read ily a ccessib le recreation al fa ­ c ilitie s . Opportunities fo r real s a tis fa c tio n in the work o f the community, through voluntary or paid task s suited to h is c a p a c itie s. Ghild w elfare serv ices to p rotect him in h is own home, part time care i f h is mother must work, or a care­ f u lly supervised fo ste r home i f he i s deprived o f home l i f e by death or absence o f parents. Curriculum Content The day-to-day a c t i v it i e s o f contemporary educational programs re­ f l e c t th eir various p h ilosop h ies.

How th ese programs compare in day

schools and play schools w ill be fu rth er emphasized by some examples of the content o f cu rricu la in each. Organization in S elected Elementary Schools The subject-centered curriculum o f the tr a d itio n a l elementary school gradually yielded to the child-centered curriculum.

I t h a s , in turn, sur­

rendered, at le a s t p a r tia lly , to an experience-centered or communitycentered, s o c ia lly oriented curriculum.

Some elements o f each o f i t s

predecessors have been preserved and are d iscern ib le in any balanced elementary school program where academic s k i l l s , regard for th e dignity o f the in d iv id u a l, and a responsible a ttitu d e toward one's neighbors are 1 the three major emphases. A pertinent example o f a curriculum organized in terms o f experiences and a c t iv it ie s rather than subject matter seems to be the one outlined by 2 Agnes DeLima. Here the so cia l scien ces are str e sse d . The four and f iv e 1. 2.

This "emerging curriculum", as he c a l l s i t , i s somewhat more broadly discussed by H o llis L. Caswell in Education in the Elementary School. The L it tle Red School House, New Yorks The Macmillan Company, 1942.

-527year-old a males the acquaintance of the school bu ild in g and the immediate neighborhood, with the kitchen, the shops and markets th at supply i t , th e fireh ou ses and the various media o f transportation as content for th e ir curriculum.

I t expands for them, when they are s ix , to include the build­

in gs, the bridges and tu nn els, the harbors, f e r r ie s , ligh th ou ses and chan­ n e ls o f Manhattan Island.

As they journey about they learn t o know the

subways, buses, tugboats and fr e ig h te r s th a t Carry the burden o f men and m aterials from place to place in th e ir island environment.

The ch ild ren 's

d iscu ssio n s, th eir block building, th e ir crea tiv e e f fo r t s in language and th e arts in general, even the beginnings o f mapmaking, stem from th ese community experiences. At seven formal work in the three R's begin s.

The major focus at

t h is age i s upon how the c ity feeds and otherwise takes care o f i t s people. The study begun at six i s thus broadened and deepened at seven. ponement o f the formal s k i l l subjects i s d elib era te .

The post­

I t i s based upon

the premise th a t children learn fa ste r and b etter with a long readiness period and without the stra in on minds, muscles and emotions o f attacking formal processes before maturity le v e ls warrant i t . So far i t has been a here and now program.

The eig h t-y ea r-o ld s go

backward in tim e and outward in spaoe in th eir study o f the environment. 2 They become Indians and learn about Manhattan in Indian tim es. The study expands to include Indians o f other p arts o f th e country and Eskimos. I t introduces a simple treatment o f man's r e la tio n s to nature and govern­ ment and provides opportunities for rich c rea tiv e experiences in music, 1. 2.

Pood was th e central theme for some years. Later i t became c ity housekeeping, including str e e t cleaning and sewage d isp o sa l. The curriculum for the eigh ts at L it t le Red School House in 19^9-50 was s t i l l based on Indians.

1

-5 2 8 -

drama, lite r a tu r e and the graphic and in d u strial a rts. The love of adventure o f the n ine-year-old and h is search for greater p erfectio n in the use o f oral and w ritten language are both fed by a study o f the great fo lk dramas o f the p ast. served as a b a sis for some o f the stu d ies.

Norse mythology hae

Dramatizing th ese legends

has required the designing o f costumes and scenery.

Preparation fo r per­

formance has involved d ictio n and voice usage, and functional w riting where penmanship and accuracy in sp e llin g are stressed .

Arithmetic games

and d r i l l are added to th e p ractioal arithm etic learned through the d a ily a c t i v it i e s , t o keep th ese n in e-year-old s to grade standards. The ten s turn back to man's beginnings in a study o f p rim itive peop les. The elevens move from the f a l l of Rome through medieval h isto r y .

At tw elve,

American h isto r y and the growth o f American democracy supply the focu s. At th ese older le v e ls , th e children are able to use the to o ls o f research, to work independently in consulting lib rary and other sources, and to pre­ pare reports and p a r tic ip a te in the discussion o f th eir fin d in g s.

The

study o f weather, s o il and growing th in g s, and simple science experiments are added to in creasin gly mature expression in th e arts through p lays, music, dancing and p ain tin g. At th ir te e n , the study o f American h istory which the children began when they were tw elve, i s brought up to the present. tim ely unsolved problems in our culture i s encouraged.

The d iscu ssion o f A gricultural ques­

t io n s , economic and so c ia l issu e s, ra cia l in e q u a litie s , are a ll g r is t for the m ill o f t h is o ld e st group, in an e ffo r t to give them an understanding o f th e world about them. Assemblies and f e s t i v a l s are an important featu re of the curriculum.

-529A camp experience for a la rg e part o f the school has been carried on dur­ ing every June since 1925 when the L it t le Red School House was s t i l l part o f a New York O ity public school* Trips, d iscu ssio n , block bu ildin g, pain tin g, woodwork, crea tiv e ex­ periences in language, music and the dance as w ell as arithm etic and science make up th e curriculum o f t h is modern elementary school*

I t was selected

fo r the f a ir ly d eta iled presentation above because i t has i t s roots in public education and has tr ie d to maintain many o f the c h a r a c te r istic s of a public school*

C lasses are la rg e.

Equipment i s simple.

i s oriented around the lo c a l oomnunity.

The curriculum

As an experimental school, i t

has been able to introduce elements o f philosophy which may be somewhat more d i f f i c u l t to carry out in a large public school system. Other schools have in itia te d or adapted other experimental approaches to curriculum organ ization .

Service p rojects, involving various age le v e ls ,

are f a ir ly common in both public and p rivate schools.

The th ird graders

o f one large c it y public school handle the sch o o l's milk se r v ic e . children share in the r e s p o n s ib ility .

All the

Committees, serving fo r a week at

a time, order the milk and d eliver i t to classrooms, c o lle c t the money, pay the b i l l s .

The whole c la s s makes a study of m ilk, i t s sources, i t s tran s­

portation and d istr ib u tio n .

Then th e study i s broadened to include food

in general, with t r ip s , reading, w ritin g, aid mapmaking drawn upon as mar t e r ia ls o f in str u c tio n .

Arithmetic probably receiv es i t s most thorough

p ra ctic a l ap p lication in the work o f the service committees. A well-known experimental school, in an economically p rivileged area, has i t s ei^ r t-y e a r-o ld s operate th e school sto re.

Although the children

are about the same age as the m ilk -service group ju st mentioned, and both are discharging real functiona in th e ir schools, there i s a considerable

-5 5 0 d ifferen ce in th e emphasis given the two p ro jects.

The school store repre­

sen ts but one aspect o f the curriculum in the la tt e r school, and i s main­ tained somewhat apart from the r e s t o f the work. have s p e c ia lis t s for shop, p ainting and music.

These eigh t-year-old s The classroom teacher

handles the s k i l l s o f reading, w riting and arithm etic, the so cia l studies and the beginnings o f scie n c e.

The sto re i s open for one hour every morn­

ing, with ro ta tin g groups s e llin g rea l th in g s, for real money, keeping the accounts, issu in g b i l l s and r e c e ip ts, and purchasing new m aterials for the replenishment o f sto ck s. The three schools u t iliz e d for illu s t r a tio n in the above examples demonstrate numerous s im ila r itie s in curriculum content.

The major d if­

ference i s one o f emphasis.

Group d iscu ssion has an important place in

the f i r s t and l a s t sch ools.

Academic s k i l l s receive greater s tr e ss in

the th ird school than they do in e ith e r o f the oth ers.

Trips and creative

expression by whole groups are more thoroughly integrated into the program o f the f i r s t school than in the oth ers. All three schools are located in New York C ity.

The se le c tio n seemed

reasonable considering th a t most of the play schools under d iscu ssion are also in New York O ity.

Furthermore, the in v estig a to r has been privileged

to spend many hours in each o f the three schools, and i s thus able to re­ port on them from first-h a n d observation ae w ell as from published records. The 19^7 Yearbook^- o f the A ssociation fo r Supervision and Curriculum De­ velopment o f the National Education A ssociation supplies many sim ilar examples o f curriculum content from rural schools across the nation.

1.

Organizing the Elementary School for Living and Learning ( see partic u la r ly Chapter 2, “Focus on the C hild,'1 pp. 2 b -jb .

-5 5 1 -

Organization in PlaY School a The play school program i s b u ilt upon the ind ividu al and group needs o f children.

A balance i s maintained between indoor and outdoor experi­

ences on the one hand, and quiet and liv e l y a c t i v it i e s on the other.

A

number o f basic routines determine the parts o f the program which are le a s t rea d ily rearranged in maintaining the desired f l e x i b i l i t y .

They are lunch,

r e s t, snacks, planned excursions, Bwimming, bathing end various other kinds o f cleaning up.

Even these routines are varied on occasion to permit c h il­

dren to take advantage o f unexpected lo c a l events or special group in ter­ e sts.

The r e st o f the organization i s extremely f le x ib le and cen ters, in

the main, around the follow ing experiences: Trips and neighborhood excursions Discussion Music Dancing Story T elling Cooking Woodwork Science Dramatic Play Painting Olay Blockbuilding. A number of special in te r e sts or hobbies may grow out o f any o f these

and become important in the progrtfn o f a p a rticu la r group, at one time or another.

Sewing, for instance, once qu ite popular in play sch ools, tends

to appear l e s s frequently than cooking as a to ta l group p ro ject.

Sewing

as preparation for a play or a puppet show, or in the decoration o f home or classroom, i s s t i l l common. Dramatic play i s as much a part of the language a rts experiences o f play school children as d iscu ssion , reading, and story t e l l i n g .

Dramatic

play i s c lo se ly related to block building end house play with the younger

-5 5 2 -

ch ild ren , w hile i t functions in play making and performances, with them­ se lv e s or puppets aa the actors, among the older ones.

All o f the cur­

ric u la r experiences lis t e d develop around d iffe r e n t themes at d ifferen t age le v e ls . The Younger Children The here end now i s the startin g point for work with the younger groups, roughly fiv e to eig h t-y ea r-o ld s.

D iscussion, s to r ie s , t r ip s , dramatic

play, sre developed around family l i f e and the neighborhood, transporta­ t io n , communication occupations and current happenings.

"Family l i f e is

the hub o f the universe fo r the six and seven-year-old.

He knows more

about family l i f e than any other kind o f liv in g ."

1

The ch ild at th is age

exp resses h is fe e lin g s and emotions and makes progress in so cia l adjust­ ment through h is house play» h is dramatization with d o lls , blocks and other equipment, as he expands h is horizon from the immediate fam ily, to include h is peers, the s t a f f of the play school, and other children end adults in the community. With knowledge about the occupations w ithin h is own fam ily as a sta r t­ ing p oin t, the child moves out to make the acquaintance o f neighborhood se r v ic e s, such as f ir e and p o lice protection, the lo c a l sources of food, c lo th in g , transportation and communication.

He stu d ies th e workers em­

ployed in these services and develops h is concepts about th e ir value and p re stig e in the community at the same time th at he le a m s how they func­ t io n .

A ll that happens in the neighborhood from the s a le of goods to the

excavation o f building s it e s or the picket lin e around a strike-bound

1.

Olara Lambert, P lay* A C hild1a Way o f Growing Up, p. 4 .

-5 5 5 -

fa cto ry i s expressed by the children in th e ir d iscu ssion , construction, and dramatic play.

Current events, p a rticu la rly the most spectacular

lo c a l ones, are challenging to the children.

Helping -them to understand

events through playing them out i s considered h e a lth ie r in the play schools, than, ignoring or shutting o ff the natural c u r io sity of the children. The play school accepts children, th e ir in te r e s ts and th e ir ta s te s , where they are.

Although d irect experiences are provided wherever pos­

s ib le , v ica rio u s learning through books, museums, movies, comics, radio and t e le v is io n , are included in the play school curriculum. ca n 't go p la ces, you can s t i l l pretend.

"When you

Firsthand experiences in l i f e

are b est, but l i f e i s too complex to take them a ll in .

All i s not lo s t;

su b stitu te s when w ell chosen can make up the d e fic it." ^ The Older Children As boys end g ir ls grow and mature, they continue to enjoy many o f the experiences th a t are included in the program for the younger children. The nine to thirtee& -year-old i s s t i l l firm ly rooted in the home and fam ily, but h is so c ia l experiences extend through clubs, p lays, and work, into broader patterns o f r e la tio n d iip .

He i s learning to accept a l e s s fix ed

place in the so c ia l group, sometimes as a leader, sometimes as a follow er, sometimes agreeing, sometimes voicin g a minority opinion, in an increasing­ ly cooperative s p ir it . As the ch ild grows older, hiB horizons widen and he i s able to take in more in time and space, while delving somewhat more deeply into the here and now as w e ll.

I T Ibi d. , p. 14

His experiences in the play school center around

-554people, even ts, d isc o v er ie s and in ventions, both past and present. in ter ested in h isto r y , science, and com petitive games and sports. also be in ter este d in serving h is school and h is community. the content o f h is curriculum.

He i s He can

These form

The media ‘through which he learns about

and expresses h is fe e lin g s and fin d in gs are frequently the same ones that he enjoyed at an e a r lie r age. b lock s.

Maps and photography may take the place o f

He does more reading, both fo r pleasure and for information.

w ritin g may take the form o f a school newspaper or magazine.

His

Cooking,

sewing, gardening, science experiments and creative expression in the a rts accompany the quest fo r information and adventure o f the older g ir l and boy. A wider v a riety o f individual in te r e s ts and hobbies appear in t h is age group and they l a s t longer.

The often aim less c o lle c tin g o f unre­

la ted o b jects begun e a r lie r takes on sharper focus, becomes more s e le c tiv e . C o lle ctin g may lead to such immediate individual or group en terp rises as e x h ib its and school museums.

With some children i t marks the beginning

o f development in a vocational d irectio n .

Production assumes new im­

portance at t h is age and the teacher may be ca lled upon for tech n ical help with both individual crea tio n s and group p ro jects.

For the older ch ild

seeks expert guidance as h is awareness o f adult standards in creases, and the d esire fo r p erfection i s added to the ageless need fo r approval and s a tis fa c tio n . The Daily Program The aims and content o f the curriculum are normally more s ig n ific a n t than the tim ing o f a c t i v it i e s .

Because t h is i s a study o f play schools

and one o f th e ir major contributions to the w elfare of children has been

-555the extension o f the school day end year, the matter of scheduling assumes added importance.

Furthermore, any comparison with other kinds o f school

programs i s s ig n ific a n tly affected by the r e la tiv e amounts o f time devoted to various typ es of exp erien ces. The Elementary 3chool Day The school, lik e the fa cto ry , i s a thoroughly regimented world. Iiaaovable sea ts in orderly rows f ix the sphere o f a c t iv it y o f each c h ild . For a l l , from the tim id six year-old entering for the f i r s t time to the most assured high school sen io r, the general routine i s much the seme. B e lls divide the day in to p eriod s. For the six-yearo ld s the periods are short ( f if t e e n to tw en ty-five minutes) and varied; in some they lea v e th e ir se a ts, play games, and act out m ake-believe s to r ie s , although in 'r e c ita tio n periods' a ll movement i s proh ibited . As they grow older the taboo upon physical a c t iv it y becomes s tr ic te r , u n til by the third or fourth year p r a c tic a lly a ll movement i s forbidden except the marching from one se t of sea ts to another between periods, a b r ie f in terval of prescribed ex ercise d a ily , and periods o f manual tra in in g or home economics once or tw ice a week. The elementary school ia moving away from the programming described by the Lynds in the above quotation.

Typical of the trend toward a broader

in terp retation o f the ro le o f the elementary school are changes in schedules as w ell as changes in curriculum content and in teaching technique.

F lexi­

b i l i t y and the blocking o f each school day into a few long periods are evidences o f the trend.

The program for the day, in many schools, i s

planned to permit the development o f to p ic s o f tim ely or sp ecial in te r ­ e s t , to include t r ip s , the rehearsal o f plays and other experiences once regarded as ex tra rcu rricu la r. Printed courses o f study have begun to recommend areas o f experience to be covered in the l i f e o f the elementary school ch ild , rather than to 1.

Robert and Helen Lynd, Middletown, p. 188.

-556d ic t a t e th e number o f m in u tes t o be devoted to ea ch .

o f Study illu s t r a t e s a number o f curriculum tren d s.

The V ir g in ia Course

I t considers six

major types o f a c t iv it ie s e s se n tia l to a w ell-balanced elementary school program.

They center around: Routines and maintenance S ocial problems Creative and cu ltu ral in te r e s ts Physical education Academic s k i l l s l Solution o f personal problems.

The public elementary schools o f New York C ity, a lso , have been under­ going a period o f curriculum r e v isio n .

Changes in d aily program r e fle c t

the newer approach to philosophy and p ra ctice.

The most important elements

o f the program are believed to be th ose involving the optimum development fo r each ch ild of: Character Our American h erita ge Health Exploration Thinking Knowledges and s k i l l s Appreciation and expression Social rela tio n sh ip s 9 Economic r e la tio n s h ip s.A recommended pattern for a d a ily program fo llo w s.

The tim es and se­

quence are approximate and i t i s suggested th at the teacher prolong or comrbine periods as they r e la te to each other under a u n it plan o f in struction : 9:00

2.

Health check-up. Reports Planning th e day's work Social Studies and/or Natural Science Recess

Course o f Study for V irg in ia Elementary Schools, Grades I-V III. Richmond: State Department o f Public In stru ctio n , 19^5* The C h ild 's Day In School, Curriculum B u lle tin , 19^5-19^» No. 6, Board o f Education o f the C ity o f New York, Revised 19^9, p* 1.

-55710*55

Creative a c t iv it ie s and appreciation in art, music and lite r a tu r e 11:15 Writing, number, and language s k i l l s 1:00 Arts and C rafts, Construction A c t iv itie s , Dramat ic Act iv i t ie b 1:40 Heading and language experiences 2:20 Individual group needs Diagnosis, te s tin g , and remedial p ra ctice For some pupils free a c t i v it i e s o f th e ir own choosing. 2 According to Wrightstone, the conventional elementary schoolroom was a r e str ic te d form o f so cia l l i f e wherein i t was believed Hi at the quickest and most thorough method o f teaching was to give a sp e cified number o f minutes to in stru ction in each of the tr a d itio n a l academic subje o ts.

Hockett, describing

5

newer approaches to scheduling the d aily

program, s tr e s se s f l e x i b i l i t y , long uninterrupted blocks o f tim e, variety and balance, and continual planning and readjustment by the teacher and children working together.

He recognizes the need for orderly scheduling

o f routines involving health and sa fe ty .

This i s H ockett's suggested

order for the day's a c t iv it ie s : Some teachers in the lower grades prefer to have th e ir p u p ils begin the day with dramatic p la y . During t h is a c tiv ity , needs are revealed fo r further information and for needed construction. The work period may wise­ ly come next, with a short discu ssion or planning period intervening. Reading and study a c t iv it ie s migjit fo llo w the work period. Time fo r rhythms and music, recreation al reading, and p ractice on needed s k i l l s would be provided la te r in the day. A time fo r evaluation m i^it come at the end o f the day, when, in add ition , plans could be made for the next day's work. Procedures with eig h t-y ear-old s in the th ird grade having served to

1. 2. 5. 4.

Changing Concepts and P ractices in Elementary Education, Curriculum B u lle tin , 1942-1945, No. 1, Board o f Education o f the C ity o f New York, Reprint 1948, pp. 19-20. J , Wayne Wrightstone, Appraisal o f Newer Elementary School P r a c tic e s, p. 40. John A. Hockett, "Procedure For Developing An In tegrative Curriculum," k* Twelfth Yearbook. 1940, o f the Department o f Supervisors and Di­ recto rs o f Instru ction , National Education A ssociation , p. 84. Loc. c i t .

-338illu str a t© curriculum content, the same age le v e l w ill be presented here in examples o f d a ily programs.

I t i s hoped that consistency w ill help to

in d ica te the rela tio n sh ip between tim ing and emphasis in curriculum or­ ganization* D aily Program 9*00-9*15 9*15-9*30 9*30-10*00 10*00-10*30 10*30-11;50 11*50-12*00 12*00-12*30 12*30-1*00 1*00-1*30 1*30-2*00 2 *00- 3*00

fo r an Eight-Year-Old Group1 Assembly (th ree tim es a week) Writing P ractice Reading Music Playground Lunch Rest Sto*y Arithmetic Creative w riting and sp e llin g Siop, c r a fts , p ainting, dramatics.

Somewhat more ty p ic a l o f the trend toward f l e x i b i l i t y and large time blocks in the school day, i s the form taken by th e follow ing example of a u n ified program for a third-grade class* 8*45 10*50 11*00 12*00 1*00 1*20 2*00 3*00

2

Plans and a c tiv ity connected with the u n it o f work or p roject (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday). Physical Education (Monday, Wednesday); Rhythms (Tuesday, Thursday, Friday) Individual work of varied types ( d a ily ); Arithmetic (d a ily ) to meet individual requirements Lunch follow ed by rest Story hour or recreation (d a ily ) Reading or lib rary (d a ily except Friday); Science a c t i v it ie s (Friday) S p ellin g , w ritin g, and w ritten composition accord­ ing to individual in te r e sts and needs, c h ie fly rela ted to the u n it o f work Di am issal. The Play School Day

There are two kinds o f d aily programs in the play sch ools. 1. 2. 3.

One i s

Agnes DeLima, The L it t le Red School House, Appendix, p* 283. Gertrude H ildreth, Child Growth Throurfi Education, p. 128. For a third-grade c h ild 's account o f h is school day, see The C hild 1s Day in School, pp. 32-55*

-3 3 9 tho f u ll day schedule in e f f e c t during the summer months; the other i s the a fter -sc h o o l program observed in the year-round cen ters, during the w inter.

There i s no Saturday program at present.

During World War I I ,

when children were cared fo r on Saturdays, an e ffo r t wae made to make the day a g a la occasion, with a t r ip , a party, or a movie to s e t i t apart from the weekday pattern. To demonstrate the h is t o r ic a l evolution o f the play school program, three examples are given below. yea rs.

Schedule A represents the f i r s t ten

Schedule B covers the 1930's«

Schedule 0 i s a composite o f the

treatment o f d a ily programs in play school lite r a tu r e from 1942 through 19^9.

The in ter p r eta tio n o f Schedule 0 i s based upon -the references plus

personal observation and experience. Schedule A . Daily Program at Health Schools For g i r l s For boys 9*00-10:00 Dancing 9*00-10:00 Shopwork 10*00-10*15 Milk andcrackers 10*00-10*15 Milk andcrackers 10*15-11*30 Games onth e roof 10*15-12*00 Games in the yard 11*50-12*00 Shower baths 12*00-12*45 Lunch 12*00-12*45 Lunch 12*45- 1*45 Rest hour in the gymnasium 12*45- 1*45 Rest onthe roof 1*45- 5*00 Handwork* Making to y s, 1*45- 2*15 Shower baths k n ittin g bags, chair caning, basketry 2*15- 3*00 Games in the yard 5*00- 5*15 Milk 5*00- 5*15 Milk and crackers 5*15- 3*00 Games 3*15- 5*00 Games or handwork* Singing tw ice a week toy making, cobbling, N u tritio n a l c la s s once chair caning a week Singing tw ice a week Story Hour tw ice a week N u tritional c la s s once a week. There appears to have been a degree o f cultu ral poverty in flic t e d

Summer Health and Play School, Health Education No. 5, Department o f the In te r io r , Bureau o f Education, 1919» p* 11.

-5 4 0 upon the boys, for whom n eith er dancing nor story hour were provided.

Co­

education was apparently lim ited to singing and n u tr itio n . Schedule B 1 Bowman c a l l s

the follow in g a ty p ic a l schedule.

He warns th a t there

i s no model for a ll and th a t there must be day-by-day adjustments.

He

recommends moving a c t i v it i e s ou t-of-d oors when weather perm its. 9*00-10*45

10*45-11*45 11*45-12*50 12*50- 1*15 1*15“ 2*45

2*45- 4*00 4*00- 4*15 4*15- 5*00

Home-room period— A rrival, informal health check­ up by teach er, informal d iscu ssion on plans for the day, home room a c t iv it i e s , group work on p roject, some working in d ivid u ally and some in email groups. (This includes a ll manner o f a c t iv it ie s as related to the central theme o f the group's in te r e st and undertakings.) Neighborhood t r ip s , showers, gardening or games, preferably out of doors. Short period o f rela x a tio n , such as story t e l l ­ ing or music; and preparation for lunch, settin g ta b le s , washing hands, e tc . Lunch Rest—The f u l l time for r e st should be used forg the youngest children (th ree to four years). I t may be shortened for the older children. Upper ag© groups m i^it use part o f t h is period fo r reading, quiet games, or story hour. Out-door a c t iv it ie s , or some special a c tiv ity or hobby; perhaps showers. Afternoon milk Home-room a c t iv it ie s and d ism issa l.

Occasional assem blies, culmination f e s t i v i t i e s at the completion of group p ro jects, e x h ib its and exploratory t r ip s are among the experiences reconsnended for weekly or seasonal in clu sio n in the program. Schedule 0 The play school programs presented below are ty p ica l o f current prae-

1. 2.

LeRoy E. Bowman, Community Programs for Summer Play Schools, p. 52. Three and fou r-year-old s are not included in play school programs now. Nursery groups were maintained during the middle decade of play school h isto ry , as t h is reference in d ic a te s.

-5 4 1 -

tic e s .

They are dictated by the ch ild ren 's own play needs, with careful

weighing o f such fa cto rs as the lo ca l community s e ttin g , th e age le v e l of the boys and g ir ls , weather, clim ate, and the a v a ila b ilit y o f space, equip­ ment and personnel.

Timing i s f le x ib le and m aterials are varied to permit

quick changes and thus avoid fa tig u e and r e s tle s s n e s s . a ltern a te with quiet ones.

Active periods

Indoor and outdoor experiences are arranged

for makimim comfort and minimum overstim ulation o f the ch ild ren . The All-Day Summer Program 9*00-10:00 10:00-10:15 10:15-11*15

Work-play time, including cleanup. Discussion,*- planning, sharing experien ces. Outdoor play, with su itab le m aterials, in park or yard, or on roof. 11:15-12:00 Quiet tim e, story t e llin g , music; cleaning up in prepara­ tio n for lunch. A short trip may be substituted for th e morning program; i t may be a picnic and include lunch. 12:00-12:45 Lunch, a so c ia l and educational experience. 12:45- 2:00 Rest— Sleep for young children on co ts; q u iet games, reading for older ones who do not sleep . 2:00- 5:00 Outdoor play i f cool shady place i s a v a i l a b l e ; i f not, work-play time indoors i s b e tte r . 5*00- 5:45 Siowers, swims or water play, follow ed by afternoon snack. 5:45- 4:00 Cleanup time; m aterials put away, classroom in order. 4:00- 4:50 Quiet tim e, with books, music, story t e l li n g , puzzles, or puppets. The After-School Program For the younger children who are dismissed from day school at 1.00 P.M., th e play school program may be: 1:00-1:45 or 2:00 Rest on c o ts 1:45 or 2:00-2*50 or 5 Outdoor play (duration depends on weatherand other fa c to r s o f the winter school situ a tio n ) 2:50 or 5*00-4:00 Afternoon snack, follow ed by indoor work-play time. 4:00-4:50 Cleanup and d iscu ssio n . 4*50-5*00 Quiet time, story t e l li n g , music, p u zzles, pup­ p ets, followed by preparation fo r d ism issa l, ( in w inter, donning outdoor clo th in g takes considerable tim e .) 1.

Croup d iscu ssion s in play schools may come at almost any tim e. The usual placement in the program i s at 9*00 A.M. a t the opening, or at 10*00 A.M., at the c lo se o f the indoor play period.

-?42For the older children who come to play achool from 5*00 P.M. to 5*00 P.M. 5*00-5*50 or 5*45 Outdoor play 5:50 or 5:45-4:50 Afternoon anack follow ed by indoor workiplay tim e. 4*50-5*00 Oleanup, diacuaaion, quiet a c t i v it i e s u n til dism issal tim e. In good weather, and when the program warrants i t , a tr ip may be sub sti­ tuted for a ll or part o f the afternoon schedule,

"In some p la ces the a fter­

school program must take into consideration the c h ild 's experience during the school day.

Because of t h is , outdoor play, the use of m aterials end

equipment, time for the development o f sp ecia l in te r e s ts and a sense of re­ la x a tio n are important fa c to r s .

An interchange of plans and ideas with the

day school teacher i s extremely useful."* The major trends observable in both day school and play school programs appear to be:

larger time blocks and f le x i b i l i t y o f schedule.

Provision

for long periods of outdoor play above the kindergarten was found only in the L it tle Red School House schedule and in the play schools, although the p ra ctice i s known to be f a ir ly

common in other sch ools. Wider

munity resources through tr ip s

and excursions i s also knownto be ty p ica l

o f tod ay's sch o o ls.

use of com­

The only references found to tr ip s in schedules other

than those o f the play schools were in the form o f planning a tr ip to be taken, or d iscu ssion o f one already tsk en .

Mention was made, i f at a l l,

under so cia l stu d ies. The P hysical S ettin g The p hysical s e ttin g o f the c it y s tr e e ts inspired the play school founders to su b stitu te something more su ita b le fo r child ren .

1.

How To Make a Play School Work, p. 12.

The f i r s t

- 543 -

play school handbook stated

1

that a school building, a settlem ent, or a

Y.M.C.A. could gen erally be adapted to play school purposes providing a number of classroom s or clubrooms were av a ila b le.

The additional space

needed included: Outdoor playground or roof Gymnasium Kindergarten Shops for woodwork, basketry, arts and c r a fts, caning, sewing and cobblery Shower baths Lunchroom ) one room might be made to Assembly ) serve both purposes Kitchen and p an tries O ffice Library Cloakrooms. While not quite as s p e c ific in h is requirements as Gruenberg had been, Bowman also l is t e d

2

minimum e s s e n tia ls for the play school s e ttin g .

His

preference was fo r school b u ild in gs, with settlem ent houses and other com­ munity b u ild in gs also considered e x c e lle n t. 5 are d esirab le," wrote Bowman*

"Rooms with movable furniture

In addition to a home-room for each group, play space i s needed; adequate t o i l e t f a c i l i t i e s and drinking f a c i l i t i e s (preferably fountains) are, of course, es­ sen tia l* I f p o ssib le , a separate lunchroom and separate r e s t rooms should be provided; but in any case arrangements for lunches snd for restin g are e sse n tia l* For sp ecial a c t iv it ie s and o f fic e space such ad ditional rooms, as are availab le can usually be arranged to serve* 5 A new note i s heard in OlaTa Lambert's discussion o f the subject.

1. 2. 5. 4. 5*

Benjamin 0 . Gruenberg, The SummerPlay School, LeRoy E. Bowman, Community Programsfor Summer Loc. o i t * Loc. c i t . School1a Out, pp* 169-175*

p. 9. Play Schools, p. 55*

-544Where Gruenberg stressed the so c ia l agency as a choice s e ttin g in "the f i r s t period o f play school h isto r y , and Bowman chose the public school in the second period, Lambert introduces the play u n it o f a housing project as an id ea l place for a play school in more recent tim es.

She in clu des, as did

Bowman, churches as su ita b le play school s e ttin g s , with the warning that: "One must be sure in using church space that th e comnunity understands th a t the p roject i s not o f a sectarian nature but open to a ll groups.

Even

when reassured on t h i s p o in t, some members of th e community are slow to use the church housed cen ter."

Lambert also includes community centers

providing th e ir rooms are large enough to provide adequate play space. She adds: In many communities the public schools o ffer the most su ita b le or th e only a vailab le space. In many ways, i t i s d esira b le to use the school building for i t has sta tu s in the eyes o f the community. In p laces where some of th e classroom s are cheerful and bright and equipped with movable fu rn itu re, th ese p lu s the kinder­ garten, shop, gymnasium and homemaking quarters, may be ju s t what i s needed. Ohairs, ta b le s, pianos, are a ll at hand and need not be borrowed or bought.^ Within the la s t few years h ealth and sa n ita tio n regu lations have been enforced that have made i t somewhat e a sie r for th e Play Schools Associa­ tio n to in s is t upon ce r ta in minimum e s s e n t ia ls in the housing of programs for school-age ch ild ren .

Regulations are much more rig id for the group

care o f pre-school ch ild ren , but o f f i c i a l standards are gradually being raised fo r th e o u t-o f-sch o o l c8re o f older boys and g ir l s . play school manual s ta te s:

"The b uilding must meet o f f i c i a l requirements

with regard to h ea lth and sa fe ty .

1. 2•

Ib id . , p. 170. Loc. c i t .

The la te s t

Rooms should be large, warm, clean

-5 4 5 -

and a ttr a c tiv e .

Running water in or near rooms i s a great advantage." Room. Arrangement

Printed information dealing with b u ild in gs, su p p lies, and equipment for the operation o f play schools i s a vailab le for every period in the development o f the movement.

S p ecific suggestions on room arrangement,

however, did not begin to appear u n til some twenty years a fter the openr ing of the f i r s t play sch ool.

Olara Lambert, describing an indoor play

room in 1958, devoted th e follow in g paragraph, headed "Indoor Space and M aterials," in part to th e d iscu ssion o f room arrangement: Of primary importance i s adequate space to accommodate flo o r play fo r young children ( f iv e to n in e-year-old s) or work space for older ones (ten to tw elv e-y ea r-o ld s). There should be an economical, but a cc e ssib le , arrange­ ment o f to y s, blocks, p ain t, and other m aterials, so th at flo o r space i s l e f t fr e e for play, and a minimum of the tea ch er's time is needed fo r handing out materi­ a ls . It i s w ise to have as much equipment as p o ssib le attached to the w a lls—beaver board to which paper may be thumbtacked for p ainting, small trays for holding p ain ts and brushes, drop le a f work-tables so lid enough for attaching v is e s , b u ilt- in shelves fo r blocks, to y s, and books. Older ch ild ren can arrange th eir rooms to su it th eir a c t i v it i e s and m aterials. During the same period th e handbook for the W.P.A. summer play schools also offered suggestions fo r room arrangements: The room should be so arranged as to o ffe r m aterials, books and to o ls to children in the ways most lik e ly to in v ite them to do something. I t should be bright and a ttra ctiv e to them, which means i t diould have co lo r, v a r ie ty , and th in g s "that o ffe r opportunity fo r a c t iv it y . The children should have a share in bringing m aterials, books [ , ] specimens, and devise p la ces to keep them. The room should be shared b y ,a ll and i t s care should be a cooperative en terp rise. 1. 2. 5.

How To Make a Play School Work, p. 12. Play: A Yardstick o f Growth, pp. 8 -9 . United""States Works Progress Adm inistration, Summer School Program, Handbook fo r Summer Play Schools o f New York C ity, Board o f Education, C ity o f New York. Revised, 1958, p. 1.

-5 4 6 The Ploy Schools A ssociation has published three handbooks of i t s own in more recent tim es.

Each o f th e se i s in creasin gly concerned with

th e optimum arrangement of th e s e ttin g for c h ild r e n 's p lay.

The 1942

manual included^ suggestions for the placement, care and storage o f mar t e r i a l s , for the production and use o f su b stitu te equipment in wartime, and for th e preliminary arrangement o f classroom s by tea ch ers.

The 1945

re v isio n o f the 1942 manual supplied f iv e diagrams fo r th e organization and u t iliz a t io n o f space and equipment.

I t added, a lso , a s e r ie s o f

s p e c ific recommendations for making the most o f e x is tin g s itu a tio n s . The follow in g examples have been selected from the se r ie s:

The

In public school b u ild in gs, blackboards can be used as e a se ls for painting by covering the s la te with brown paper. The chalk troughs, lin ed with heavy paper or o ilc lo th , make good con tain ers for paint ja rs and brushes. The adjacent flo o r should be covered with newspapers placed there d a ily . • • Along the lon gest w all—one near the most open space— blocks should be arranged in containers. Near them, tho bench or ta b le with v is e attached should be placed. . . Play corners should be arranged in advance to help children who do not play read ily with m a teria ls. For example, a d o ll or housekeeping corner; a store; or a shop dhould be set up with suggestive toys or other m aterials. For older children, a hobby corner, club corner, or puppet corner i s appropriate. . , In order to f a c i l i t a t e play, as few chairs end ta b le s as p o ssib le should be used in th e room. These should be grouped near th e entrance to avoid disturbing children at play on the flo o r .^ 5 newest handbook g iv es l e s s atten tion to the war-inspired empha­

s is on su b stitu te m aterials and

m akediift arrangements. Instead, i t

con­

sid ers th e reasons for the recommendations made and th e philosophy they

1. 2.

A Handbook on Play School a fo r Group Leaders and Teachers, 1942, pp. 9-11. A Handbook on Flay Schools for Group Leaders and Teachers, 1945, pp.

5•

How To Make £ Play School Work.

20- 2 1 .

-3 4 7 -

support.

The manual s ta te s

that functional room arrangement i s e s s e n tia l

to a dynamic play program* with the development o f in dividual end group play profoundly influenced by the placement of m aterials and equipment. The suggested arrangement o f a contemporary play school classroom i s repro­ duced on the follow ing page, ju st as i t appears on page th irteen o f the manual •

M aterials and Equipment One of the rare c r itic ism s le v e lle d at the play school, from time to tim e, by p rofession al educators, has been that i t i s overly concerned with the trappings o f play, the so-called "devices11 used in work with ch ild ren .

I t may be reca lled that New York O ity's Mayor in 1925 was said

to b eliev e th a t children did not need to be taught how to play. the th e s is o f the play schools that they do,

2

I t is

Henry S. O urtis, in h is Edu-

c at ion throu^i Flay voiced , as did Robert and Helen Lynd in both Middletown and Middletown in T ran sition , what Olara Lambert has reiterared in her books and a r t ic le s , the poverty o f ch ild ren 's play in congested, urban surroundings.

The belated provision o f space and leadership has not al­

ways been s u ffic ie n t to in sp ire rich ly meaningful play.

Said O urtis:

"When we have opened playgrounds in the great c i t i e s , the children have o ften come in and stood around th e edges or sat down in the corners.

When

we have asked them why they did not play, ihey have said they did not know what to play; snd observation has often shown th at they knew only three 5 or four games and these often were o f very l i t t l e value."

1. 2. 5.

Ibid. , p. 12. See page 48 o f Chapter I I I . Henry S. O urtis, Education through £ la y , p. 9.

-548-

ROOM A R R A N G E M E N T

a

I

I

1. C q a t Lockers. 2. W oodw orking B ench. 3. S torage B in for W ood w ith T ool B o ard above. 4. S torage C loset. 5. Low In d iv id u a l C ubbies o r Shelves. D is­ play space above. 6. R eading T a b le an d C hairs. 7. W all Easels. 8. S ink a n d S torage for c ra ft supplies.

9. T ab les an d C h airs; used for snack an d o th e r purposes. 10. Science Shelves w ith B ulletin B oard. 11. Doll C orner: A —D ouble shelves facing w ork tables an d doll corner. B —W indow Box. 12. B lock Shelves; storage for 1,000 u n its o f In d o o r Blocks. 13. P iano, V ictrola.

54?-

The play school answer to the need o f c it y children for guided, enriched play op p ortun ities has been to provide space, personnel and a program using ca re fu lly sele cted m aterials and equipment.

The s ig n if i­

cance o f the adoption by public schools o f the play schools' m aterials as w ell as th e ir p r a ctices w ill be discussed in the follow in g chapter. The development o f the use o f m aterials and equipment within the play school program w ill be traced h ere. The d esira b le outdoor equipment for the e a r lie s t play schools was said to be a basketball and basket, a baseball and bats, a sandpile with wheelbarrows, p a ils and shovels, and some swings.

For roof play» there

was to be an awning and benches p lu s a sand box with p a ils and shovels. 1 Gruenberg supplied a complete l i s t o f items needed for serving lunches, including such d e t a ils as the co lo r o f th e serving bowls and pudding d ish es.

For the remainder o f th e indoor program he recommended the f o l­

lowing equipment: For the kindergarten, ta b le s , ch airs, wooden boxes for d o ll houses, hammers and n a ils For the woodworking shop, work benches, saws, planes, tr i-sq u a r e s, hammers, draw knives For the sewing shop, sewing machines, shears, s c isso r s, thim bles, n eed les, tape measures For cobbling, co b b ler's benches and to o ls For the gymnasium, mats, Indian clu b s, spring board, benches, potato blocks and a piano For the assembly, fo ld in g ch airs, a f la g end a piano. The su p p lies, given in s l i ^ i t l y greater d etail* r e f le c t the pre­ dominance o f sewing, health and n u tr itio n as w ell as the more formal types o f arts and c r a fts , in the currioulum o f the play schools of that era. LeRoy Bowman's choice

1. 2.

of su p p lies was based on the kinds of p rojects

Benjamin 0 . Gruenberg, The Summer Play School, pp. 9-11. Community Programs fo r Summer Play Schools, p. 55*

-5 5 0 -

to be undertaken.

Clay, unprinted newspaper, wrapping paper and pack­

ing cases are among the m aterials th at did not appear in e a r lie r refer­ ences.

His l i s t o f basic equipment included:

lunch ta b le s , preferably

seating six or eig h t, ch a irs, p ots, d id ie s and tableware; c o ts for r e st periods; a piano, i f p o ssib le; a work bench in each classroom; blocks, climbing apparatus fo r the younger child ren , s lid e s end swings. The 1949 D irector's Handbook devotes f iv e f u ll pages to equipment and supplies.

Recent published m aterials also deal with equipment and sup­

p lie s in considerable d e t a il.

The tendency now seems to be to organize

and d iscu ss m aterials under th e various curriculum areas which they serve. The clim ate end so cia l learn in gs o f th e lunchroom are now given much greater atten tion than i t s sup plies and equipment.

All aspects of the

rest period receive renewed emphasis.

"Since r e s t i s so important, how 1 and where children r e s t must be c a r e fu lly considered." A separate sleep­

ing room with c o ts set up and ready iB recommended. protected by a tied -o n washable cover.

"Each co t should be

In placing c o ts, th ere should be

two fe e t o f space on a ll sid es except th at adjacent to a w a ll. should have h is own blanket to use when i t i s needed."

Each ch ild

2

The dramatic play o f the younger children i s la rg ely an accompaniment to th eir houseplay or play with blocks and to y s.

For the older boys and

g ir ls a costume box, containing p ie c e s o f bright colored c lo th , unbleached muslin, beads, paper h a ts , end cardboard, i s recommended. also high ly regarded as dramatic play instrum ents.

Puppets are

D irection s for th eir

construction and use are to be found in a number o f recent play school

1. 2.

How To Make a Play School Work, p. 16. Loc. c i t .

-3 5 1 p u b lio a t io n s .

A supply of fiv e hundred to one thousand blocks i s suggested for a group o f twenty children.

To enrich the play associated with block build­

ing, such supplementary toys as m iniature peopLe, cars, truck s, tra in s and airplanes are recommended.

Long s tr ip s o f colored o ilc lo t h provide

fo r r iv e r s, s tr e e ts or parks in construction a c t iv it ie s with blocks. Recent play school p u b lications are f i l l e d with ideas fo r the crea tiv e use of many kinds o f supplies and equipment.

For p ainting, clay modelling

and wood work, there are complete d irectio n s fo r making, storing and car­ ing for m aterials a lso .

I llu s tr a t iv e diagrams and recip es are a v a ila b le.

There are suggestions for the construction and use of musical instruments, and d etailed in stru ction s fo r the in clu sio n o f science work in the program. The headquarters s t a f f o f the Play Schools A ssociation has long been in terested in the development of su itab le equipment for outdoor play*

To

th e swings, see-saws and jungle-gym o f the conventional playground, the play school has added such stationery p ieces as a t r e l l i s , a skeleton house, a barrel tunnel and w alls or platforms made o f cinder blocks.

Ex­

perimental movable equipment has included a pick-up bench, a sh ip 's prow, a sh ip 's sid e , and a detached barrel tunnel.

1

After long and hard use by

children, i t was found that some of th ese p ieces were too fr a g ile for c it y playgrounds. Thfey were su ccessfu l, however, in encouraging dramatic play under guidance and enrichment through t r ip s and s to r ie s . They can be used by small groups o f young children under the leadership o f a teacher who tak es advantage o f every opportunity to add content to play and who helps children use the m aterial as a medium

1.

Clara Lambert, When They Play Out o f Doors. A ssociation, 1S&5, pp. 8-12.

New York: Play Schools

-552fo r expressing, with th e ir bodies as w ell as..with th e ir imaginations, what they know and f e e l . The play schools have advocated the use o f mobile equipment such as hollow blocks and packing cases which can be taken in or ou t-of-doors f r e e ly .

Boards and kegs, wooden sawhorses and p ieces o f rope are also

popular in t h is category.

Provision for water play i s encouraged.

Tri­

c y c le s , kiddy cars and wheelbarrows add to the v a riety and in te r e st of play a c t i v i t i e s .

Typical o f contemporary play school uses o f supplies and

equipment are the follow ing b its o f advice: In pleasant weather, movable indoor equipment and m aterials may be moved out of doors. I f a Play School does not have the space which makes for good dramatic play, children should be taken to a nearby park. A laundry case f i l l e d with puppets, d o lls and small to y s such as trucks and wagons can be carried along to encourage dramatic p la y .2 Records and Reports Reference has already been made to the various types o f reports made and records kept by p rofessional personnel in th e play sch ools.

Only those

having to do with the children and the curriculum, s p e c if ic a lly , w ill be included h ere.

The o v era ll annual report submitted by each play school

director provides, among other elements o f inform ation, a summary account o f the cu rricu lar experiences for that season.

The headquarters s ta f f i s

e s p e c ia lly eager to hear about major innovations and experiments. Each te a ch er 's observations on her group as a whole have twofold va lu e.

1. 2.

They represent a contribution to the t o t a l play school record o f

From a sin g le sheet, e n title d "Further Thoughts on the Use and De­ velopment o f Outdoor Equipment," dated 19^9 and in serted in re­ issu e s o f the b u lle tin , When They Play Out o f Doors. How To Make Play School Work, p. 20.

-5 5 5 -

th e work with children and they help the teacher in her own p rofession al growth.

She may be able to b etter c la r ify and assess the e ffe c tiv e n e s s

of her techniques and approaches as a r e s u lt of recording the progress of th e ch ild ren .

She w ill ce rta in ly come to know more about the interper­

sonal r ela tio n sh ip s o f her children as she develops the a b ilit y to com­ municate her observations on paper. The k e e p in g o f r e c o r d s on i n d i v i d u a l c h i l d r e n h a s had a l o n g e r and f u l l e r h i s t o r y i n t h e p l a y s c h o o ls t h a n t h a t o f t h e group r e p o r t .

The

i n i t i a l i n t a k e r e c o r d i s p r e p a r e d by t h e s o c i a l w orker o r o t h e r r e s p o n s i b l e staff* member who i n t e r v i e w s t h e p a r e n t o r g u a r d ia n when a p p l i c a t i o n i s made f o r a d m is s io n .

Examples o f s im p le g u id e s h e e t s used w ith t e a c h e r s

i n p l a y s c h o o l s and c h i l d c a r e c e n t e r s i n 1946 w i l l be foun d on p p . 465 464 o f t h e Appendix.

The r e c o r d s p r o v id e m a t e r i a l f o r s tu d y in g t h e c h i l d

and f o r h e l p i n g him i n h i s a d ju s tm e n t a s an i n d i v i d u a l and a s a member o f t h e p l a y s c h o o l g ro u p .

"The in t e r c h a n g e o f i n d i v i d u a l r e c o r d s betw een

day sc h o o l and F la y School t e a c h e r s may s t i m u l a t e c o o p e r a t i v e p la n n i n g in b eh alf of a c h ild ." S o c ia l w o rk e rs h av e been r e s p o n s i b l e f o r some o f t h e m o st s i g n i f i c a n t r e c o r d i n g done i n t h e p l a y s c h o o ls .

Many o f t h e i r r e c o r d s h a v e d e a l t w ith

c h i l d r e n who had been r e f e r r e d by th e t e a c h e r f o r s p e c i a l h e l p b ec a u se t h e y were p r e s e n t i n g d i f f i c u l t i e s i n t h e c la s s ro o m .

The s o c i a l w orker h a s

b e e n a b l e t o d e v o te tim e t o t h e o b s e r v a t i o n o f an i n d i v i d u a l c h i l d , which t h e t e a c h e r , w ith h e r group r e s p o n s i b i l i t i e s , m igh t n o t be a b l e t o a r r a n g e . The s o c i a l w ork er w i l l p r o b a b ly have been a b le t o apply h e r p r o f e s s i o n a l t r a i n i n g and s k i l l t o t h e problem th r o u g h c o n t a c t s w ith t h e p a r e n t s , t h e

1.

How To Make

P la y School Work, p. 11.

-554d irecto r, and s o c ia l agencies in terested in the c h ild .

Many of the so cia l

work reports consulted in t h is research were prepared primarily for the agencies which had referred the children to th e play schools o r ig in a lly and did n o t n e c essa r ily r e f le c t any p articular classroom maladjustment. in addition to th e intake record and the report to the so cia l agency for each ch ild i t has referred to the play school, a report is also sent to th e Bureau o f Child Guidance covering any play school children under th e Bureau's c a r e .

The s o c ia l worker i s d ir e c te d to prepare Case rec o rd s

for the Play Schools A ssociation on a ll children and fa m ilie s receiving her p ro fessio n a l a tten tio n .

The d irectio n s sta te:

The case record i s a summary o f interview s with indi­ vidual parents or children during the seven-week p eriod . Casual and occasional con tacts need not be recorded. I t [[the case recordj should include th e situ a tio n p r e c ip ita tin g the contact, th e problem as the so cia l worker saw i t , th e e ffo r ts of the so c ia l worker in h elp in g the individual recognize the problem, and the r e s u lt s , i f any. Wherever teacher in terpretation i s involved, t h is should be included, with evaluation o f r e s u lt s .* The reports prepared by so cia l workers in the play schools have demon­ strated th e ir value in p ra ctica l ap p lication to the work o f the Associar tio n .

They have been u t iliz e d for in terp retation of the program to day

school p r in c ip a ls.

They have served in inter-agency con tacts and in th e

research and tra in in g o f play school personnel.

They have helped to co­

ordinate the sometimes diverse in flu en ces that are brought to bear upon the individual c h ild 's development.

1.

Play Schools A ssociation, Manual for Social Workers, June 1950* P» 6.

-5 5 5 -

E ducattonal Experim ents

Bie play school, i t s e l f , i s an educational experiment that has sur­ vived for more than t h ir ty years.

During that period new or modified ap­

proaches to curriculum p ra ctice have been introduced from time to tim e. Some o f the experiments and innovations have been selected for b r ie f sum­ marization h ere. Many o f the undertakings associated with the e a r lie s t play schools were related to the p h ysical aspects o f ch ild h ea lth .

The program involv­

ing h o sp ita lized cardiac children has already been mentioned.

Another

early play school endeavor was the n u tr itio n c lin ic o f the 1920's, operated with the help o f s p e c ia lis t s and students from Teachers C ollege.

The co­

operation o f The American Child Health A ssociation and of the School of Education o f New York U niversity brougjht students majoring in health edurcation in to the play school program o f t h is period.

The beginnings o f

la te r teacher trainin g attempts can be traced to these predominantly h ealth centered experiments o f the early years. Further ventures in curriculum areas as w ell as experiments in parent and teacher education were introduced somewhat la te r . special emphasis in 1950.

Nature work received

The p roject involved the cooperation of such

agencies as The School Nature League, the Museum o f Natural History, the Brooklyn and New York Botanic Dardens and th e New York Aquarium.

In 1955

demonstrations in the conduct o f games were arranged for play school lead ers.

The r e s u lts were charted and studied for future reference.

was another program experiment in the use o f discarded lumber for the making o f to y s and fu rniture reported at t h is tim e.

There

-5 5 6 An evaluation study, based on a selected l i s t o f q u a lita tiv e c r i­ t e r ia and records o f pupil attendance, was conducted in the schools in 1955*

At the request o f the Welfare Council o f New York C ity, studies

were made o f the c o sts involved in summer play school operation during 1955 and 1956. 1959.

An experiment in the teaching o f music was in itia te d in

Records were kept o f th e media most frequently used and o f the

reaction s o f children to various types o f music, c la s s ic a l] fo lk , and swing. A number o f the educational experiments o f the 1950's are s ig n if i­ cant in that they were sustained fo r several years in con trast to most o f those o f one season's duration mentioned above.

Many cooperative ven­

tu res involving c o lle g e s and p ro fessio n a l schools with the play schools in the tra in in g o f elementary teach ers, supervisors and so c ia l workers, were conducted during th ese and la te r years.

The Edenwald Farm P roject,

begun in the summer o f 1958] made an Important contribution to the play school movement for many y ear s .

A p lo t o f ground on the farm o f the

Edenwald Schools in the Bronx was se t aside fo r agricu ltu ral experiences for play school children.

A group o f volunteers among the older youngsters

prepared the ground and planted seed on Sundays in the spring.

During

the summer the schools took turns sending ch ild ren to tend and harvest the crops.

The nature lo r e and conservation p r a ctices learned by these

c ity children were not th e only advantages provided by the Edenwald ex­ periment.

The swimming pool was made a vailab le to them, and the tr ip s to

Edenwald gradually became a combination o f farming, learning and picnick­ in g. A memorandum designed to help teach ers in th e organization o f tr ip s

-5 5 7 -

was p r e p a r e d in 1959* n u ally *

S ince th e n i t h a s b een r e v i s e d and r e p r i n t e d an­

The M a h h a t t a n v i l l e P la y S ch o o l, a l s o s t a r t e d in t h e 50* s> was

m a in ta i n e d a s a d e m o n s tr a tio n c e n t e r f o r a number o f y e a r s . i n an a r e a o f w id e s p re a d economic and s o c i a l d e p r i v a t i o n ,

S itu a te d

i t served a

gro up o f c h i l d r e n r e f e r r e d by s o c i a l a g e n c ie s , w h i l e p r o v i d i n g f o r t h e t r a i n i n g o f s t u d e n t s and t e a c h e r s th ro u g h o b s e r v a t i o n o f p la y sch o o l p o l i ­ c i e s and p r a c t i c e s . E x p e rim e n ts i n t r o d u c e d in th e 1 9 4 0 ' s r e f l e c t an i n c r e a s e d aw areness o f th e in te r n a tio n a l scene.

A study was made and m a t e r i a l s c o l l e c t e d on

t h e t e a c h i n g o f democracy in t h e p l a y s c h o o l s .

The c e n t e r a t Washington

H e i g h t s was opened t o f u r t h e r t h e o r i e n t a t i o n o f n e w l y - a r r i v e d c h i l d r e n from European war a r e a s .

In 1944 p l a y sch o o l c h i l d r e n p a r t i c i p a t e d i n a

s tu d y c o n d u cted by t h e Women's C o u n cil f o r P ost-W ar E urop e.

I t s p u rp o se

was t o a s s i s t in th e c u l t u r a l r e s t o r a t i o n o f Europe by s u p p ly in g books to t h e w ar-d ev astated c o u n tr ie s . Renewed em phasis was p la c e d on community f a c t o r s and n e ig h b o rh o o d r e 1 s o u r c e s in c u r r ic u lu m o r g a n i z a t i o n . C l a r a Lam bert p r e p a r e d a s tu d y , which h a s s i n c e been in c o r p o r a t e d i n t o p l a y sch o o l p u b l i c a t i o n s and wide­ l y u s e d , to h e l p t e a c h e r s improve t h e i r know ledge and u s e o f t h e e n v iro n ­ m e n t.

The f r e q u e n t l y r e v i s e d m a t e r i a l on t r i p s , t h e e n v iro n m e n ta l s t u d i e s ,

and e x p e r i m e n t s in t h e u s e o f p u p p e ts , have a l l h e l p e d t o a c q u a i n t p la y sc h o o l c h i l d r e n w ith t h e r e s o u r c e s o f t h e i r homes and n e ig h b o r h o o d s . A number o f r e s e a r c h s t u d i e s , spon so red by o t h e r o r g a n i z a t i o n s as w e l l as by t h e P la y S c h o o ls A s s o c i a t i o n , h a v e i n v o l v e d p l a y sc h o o l c h i l d r e n .

1.

The T ea c h e r Looks a t Mew Y ork, unpaged, ( n i n e t e e n mimeographed s h e e t s ) , New Yorks Summer P la y S chools A s s o c i a t i o n , J u n e , 1941.

-5 5 8 -

One summer, a study o f fa tig u e in children was made, noting the tim es o f day and kinds o f a c t i v it i e s which tended to produce various type o f fa tig u e rea ctio n s.

The experiment was repeated the follow in g year, with supple­

mentary feed in g o f quick-energy foods at periods when strain or weariness had been noted.

Psychological t e s t s o f many kinds have been administered

by graduate students from nearby u n iv e r s itie s .

Manuscripts o f ch ild ren 's

s to r ie s have been given preliminary hearings in the play schools at the request o f publishers o f c h ild ren 's books and magazines.

I t i s believed

th at each o f th ese experiments has made some contribution to the children and to the program o f the play schools.^ Summary The play needs of children c o n stitu te the major focus o f the play school curriculum. demic standards.

The play school program i s not designed to meet aCar I t hae often served the same ends, although not always

by the same methods, as the more formal elementary school.

The growth

and development o f the play school movement has p aralleled th at o f pro­ g ressiv e education in general.

P ractices have been varied, refin ed , and

revised through the years, but the basic aim remains the same.

The play

schools tr y to help each ch ild achieve good h ea lth , personal happiness and so c ia l adjustment.

Toward t h is end, play experiences are provided and

sp ecia l a tten tio n given to h ealth a c t iv it ie s through p hysical examination and follow -up, feeding, r e stin g , ex ercise ou t-of-d oors, and swimming or bathing.

1.

The treatm ent o f educational experimentation i s based la r g e ly upon correspondence and other unpublished documents in the f i l e s of the Play Schools A ssociation, and upon interview s with past and present leaders in the movement.

-559From 1917 to 19^-0 th e play schools were open to ch ild ren in the suiormertime, on ly.

Since 19^-0 they have included after-sch ool se ssio n s dur­

ing the school tern .

There has been a gradual s h ift from a predominantly

departmentalized program to an almost universal home-room organ ization . Segregation on the b a sis o f sex has largely disappeared in favor of coeducation in most o f the cen ters.

1

Play i s said to be the bridge which ca rries the child s a fe ly and s a t is ­ f a c to r ily in to adulthood.

Many th eo ries on the meaning and function o f

play have been advanced w ithin the past hundred years. c i e t i e s play was accepted as a c h ild 's main occupation.

In p rim itive so­ In our own tim es,

e sp e c ia lly in large urban communities, the poverty of c h ild r e n 's play and the lack o f op p ortun ities for play have assumed alarming proportions. The play schools represent one o f the many agencies attempting to provide education and recreation through enriched play experiences fo r ch ild ren . Modern psychology has begun to apply play techniques to both t e s tin g and therapy with ch ild ren .

The play school teacher i s expected to u t il i z e

play aa a b a sis for learn in g in classroom situ a tio n s and to r efer the treatment o f serious maladjustment to the s p e c ia lis ts . The Play Schools A ssociation c a lls i t s e l f a so cia l agency in the f ie ld o f education.

Many o f i t s aims and ob jectiv es coin cid e with those

o f elementary education and o f so cia l work.

The play school curriculum

resembles th at o f a modern experimental school.

Unhampered by academic

standards, the play school i s free to concentrate upon the physlc& l, emo­ tio n a l, and s o c ia l needs o f the ch ildren.

1.

The daily program i s f le x ib le

There i s some evidence, in a few so cia l agencies, o f a recent trend toward a return to segregation o f pro-adolescent boys and g i r l s .

-5 6 0 -

and t h e r e a r e lo n g u n b ro k e n p e r i o d s d ev o ted t o p l a y in d o o r s and o u t , t o t r i p s and p i c n i c s , b a th in g ,

and r e s t .

a s w e l l a s t o t h e r o u t i n e s a s s o c i a t e d w ith fo o d , The m odem e le m e n ta r y sch o o l s u b s c r i b e s t o a s i m i l a r

program, b u t i t i s o f t e n more d i f f i c u l t to a c h ie v e in s e t t i n g s where o f­ f i c i a l r e q u i r e m e n t s and a d m i n i s t r a t i v e p o l i c y have n o t k e p t pace w ith e d u c a tio n a l th e o ry . S ince t h e i r e a r l i e s t d a y s , t h e p l a y s c h o o ls h av e m a in ta i n e d c e r t a i n minimum s t a n d a r d s f o r s p a c e , equipm ent and s u p p l i e s .

The em phasis h e r e ,

as i n c u r r i c u l u m , h a s t e n d e d tow ard g r e a t e r a t t e n t i o n t o c h i l d r e n ' s p la y n e e d s and somewhat l e s s t o n u t r i t i o n and such h o u s e h o ld a r t s a s sewing and c o b b l e r y .

S e t t l e m e n t s , community c e n t e r s , p u b l i c s c h o o l s , and more

r e c e n t l y , h o u s in g p r o j e c t s , h a v e p r o v id e d t h e s e t t i n g s f o r m ost o f t h e p la y sc h o o ls.

The s e l e c t i o n end u s e o f s u p p l i e s and equipm ent h av e a l ­

ways o c c u p ie d an i m p o r ta n t p l a c e i n p l a y sch ool p la n n i n g .

The a r r a n g e ­

ment o f t h e s e m a t e r i a l s h a s come t o be r e g a r d e d as p r o f o u n d ly i n f l u e n t i a l i n s e t t i n g t h e t o n e and q u a l i t y o f t h e i r u s e in t h e program .

The p la y

s c h o o ls h a v e ad o p te d , im p ro v is e d o r d e s ig n e d many k i n d s o f s u p p l i e s and equipm ent f o r b o th o u td o o r end in d o o r p l a y . R e p o r t in g and r e c o r d k e e p in g a r e im p o r ta n t a s p e c t s o f t h e p la y sch ool program .

R eco rd s and r e p o r t s h av e h e l p e d t h e v a r i o u s i n d i v i d u a l s con­

c e rn e d w ith any one c h i l d t o u n d e r s t a n d him b e t t e r and t h u s t o f u r t h e r h i s p e r s o n a l and s o c i a l a d ju s tm e n t i n t h e g ro u p .

T e a c h e rs h a v e o f t e n

been a b l e t o improve t h e i r own t e c h n i q u e s a s a r e s u l t o f t h e i r o b s e rv a r t i o n s and r e p o r t s on c h i l d r e n .

R e c o rd in g by p r o f e s s i o n a l p e r s o n n e l h a s

se rv e d t o i n t e r p r e t t h e aims o f t h e program and i t h a s h e l p e d t o c o o r d i­ n a t e t h e work o f many d i f f e r e n t a g e n c i e s in t h e b e s t i n t e r e s t s o f t h e

-5 6 1 c h ild r e n .

Experimentation with new ideas and m aterials has been ch a ra cteristic of the play schools throughout th e ir h isto r y .

The f i r s t experiment be­

gan with the opening, in 1917, o f the f i r s t play school.

For the next

ten years most o f the p ro jects centered around th e physical w ell-being o f the ch ild ren .

Later, they were broadened to include curriculum ex­

periments involving nature study, farming and musio, and evaluation stu d ies based on play school c o sts and s e r v ic e s.

Parent and teacher education

ventures have been carried on at the same time th a t the serv ices to c h il1 dren were being expanded through experiments in curriculum research.

1.

Photographic illu s t r a tio n s of curriculum experiences in the play schools are included on pp. 465-472.

chapter

VIII

INFLUENCES Play school p ra ctices have evolved within the framework o f e x is t­ ing conditions in th e schools, settlem en ts, churches, housing p rojects and other community agencies whose ch ildren and fa m ilie s they have served*

The play schools have undoubtedly been influenced by th e prac­

t i c e s in th ese agencies.

They, in turn, have stim ulated, and not inr-

frequently in sp ired , sig n ific a n t developments in th e programs o f these organ ization s.

Play school p o lic ie s have r e fle c te d the in flu en ce of

leading currents of thought in education, recreation , and so c ia l work. The process appears to have been recip ro ca l, with the play schools exert­ ing considerable influence upon o v era ll p o lic ie s and p ra ctices in th ese fie ld s . No accurate measurement i s p o ssib le o f the exten t to which play school philosophy, leadership or demonstration a c t iv it i e s have affected th e education and welfare o f the w orld's children.

An attempt w ill be

made, however, to summarize the d irectio n s play school in flu en ces have taken, and th e types o f media resp on sib le.

Special emphasis w ill be

given to elementary education, with related areas o f ch ild w elfare in­ cluded wherever p ertin en t.

Play school in flu en ces, large and small,

obvious and su b tle, w ill be discussed in t h is chapter.

Some o f the indi­

v id u a ls and groups who have been influenced by th e movement have, in turn, served to influence oth ers.

As the in tera ctio n o f th ese forces

-5 6 5 -

i s b elieved to make them v ir tu a lly Inseparable, no sharp d iv isio n w ill be made between primary and secondary p articip an ts. Local and S p ec ific Influences Play school contacts have extended over the years to include nation ­ wide a c t i v i t i e s .

Since the end o f World ’War II the movement has begun

to receiv e in tern ation al recogn ition.

I t has touched upon asp ects of

education o u tsid e the customary realm o f the schools. t iv e excursions in a number o f new d irectio n s.

I t has made ten tsr

I t s most obvious and

most protracted in flu en ce, however, has presumably been f e l t in th e New York Oity m etropolitan area where the play schools began. The Public Elementary Schools The most c le a r ly defined evidences of play school in flu en ce on edu­ ca tio n a l p ra ctice are probably to be found in the public elementary schools o f New York C ity.

Here are play school programs functioning w ithin the

sch ools, not only in the sunnier when th e regular academic school i s clo sed , but during th e school year as w e ll.

The number of public schools which

house year-round play schools i s very sm all.

The number where sunmer

play schools have been conducted, or whose s ta f f members have been em­ ployed in play schools, i s leg io n . A study o f a v a ila b le records in d ica tes that play schools have been 1 operated in public school b uildings since 1918. There has been at le a s t one such play school for every succeeding year, with the probable exception o f 1919.

1.

Beginning in 19^0, after-sch ool centers have been

The f i r s t p la y s c h o o l, in 1917, was in a se ttle m e n t h o u se .

-J 6 4 -

esta b lish ed in public sch ools, making the program a year-round one.

The

follow in g ta b u la tio n i l lu s t r a t e s , num erically, the presence of play schools* in th e public elementary schools o f New York Oity, during the period covered by t h is study. TABLE 7 Play Schools in New York Oity Public School Buildings (1917-1947)

Year

Number o f Public School Play Schools

Cumulative Total

1917

0

0

1918

2

2

1919

0

2

1920

1

5

1921

1

4

1922

1

5

1925

1

6

1924

1

7

1925

2

9

1926

2

11

1927

1

12

1928

2

14

1929

2

16

1950

2

18 (continued)

1.

Only those sponsored by or a f f ilia t e d with the Play Schools A ssocia­ tio n end i t s predecessors are included in t h is ta b le .

( con tin u ed )

- 365 -

Number o f Public School Play Schools

Year

Cumulative Total

1931

2

20

1932

2

22

1933

2

24

1934

2

26

1955

2

28

1936

2

30

1957

1

31

1958

3

34

1939

4

38

1940

4

42

1941

4

46

1942

4

50

1943

7

57

1944

8

65

1945

11

76

1946

10

86

1947

9

95

95

95

Total (1917-1947)

Every one o f th e n in e ty -fiv e play programs represented in Table V i s believed to have had some e f f e c t on the regular day school, i f only through the use o f records on ch ild ren kept by play school personnel.

In

the year-round schools d irect con tacts are maintained between teachers in both programs, and sharing need not be lim ited to w ritten records alone.

-5 6 6 -

Parents o f public school children have frequently become a r tic u la te par­ t ic ip a n t s in school a ffa ir s aa a r e s u lt o f th e ir experiences in the play sohools.

Equipment designed or adapted for play school use has also

found i t s way in to the public schools.

The introduction in to more or

l e s s standard classrooms of a c t iv it ie s involving block play above the kindergarten le v e l, and the crea tiv e use o f a rts and c r a fts m aterials in the d aily program, are believed to be tra cea b le, in many in stan ces, to th e presence o f a play school in the b u ild in g. In se le ctin g space to be used for play schools, classrooms with movable furniture have been preferred sin ce the e a r lie s t days.

Sometimes

perm ission has been granted fo r th e removal of a few screws so th at e r st­ w hile immovable equipment might become reasonably f le x ib le in arranging a freer environment for children.

P r in cip a ls, teach ers and school cue-

tod ian s have o ccasion ally been convinced of the p la u s ib ilit y o f perm itting the newly-loosened bonds to remain so during regular school tim e. and

Now

then the idea has carried over to th e extent th at a ll fu rn itu re in

the classroom under consideration has been converted from i t s o rig in a l fix e d sta te to varying degrees o f f l e x i b i l i t y .

Demonstrations of the

m odifiable p o s s i b i l it i e s to be rea lized in any classroom continue to be a part o f play school serv ices to education. The play schools have rearranged and m odified e x istin g equipment in public schools.

They have introduced new equipment through g i f t s , loans,

and sharing arrangements.

The culmination o f group p ro jects such as com­

munity stu d ies or puppet th ea ters has produced ta n g ib le examples o f play school work.

These examples have often been l e f t for the school to see

and have tended to reappear in the work of the day school.

Other agencies

-5 6 7 -

in th e community have helped the spread of play school p r a c tic e s into public sch ools.

Local branches of the New York Public Library, fo r in­

stance, have exhibited the work of play school children.

The children

have helped to arrange the e x h ib its and have usually brought th e ir parents, peers and pedagogues to see the r e s u lt s .

There i s b elieved to be a d irect

connection between the use o f t h is type of exhib it in a given community and some o f the curriculum p ractices subsequently observed in i t s public sch ools. When the present Superintendent of Schools made h is study o f so cia l agencies and public education in New York C ity, he wrote:

"If we consider

the large number o f children who never leave the City and th e large number who are away for only a short tim e, i t i s evident th at the c h ild 's vacar t io n program w ithin the O ity i s very important.

P rin cip a ls and teachers

would find i t p ro fita b le to v i s i t th e ir school d is t r ic t s during the summer 1 vacation to observe how the children spent th e ir tim e." P r in c ip a ls and tea ch ers have recognized the v a lid ity o f t h is recommendation.

They have

v is it e d th e play schools housed in th e ir school b u ild in gs, and what may be even more s ig n ific a n t, they have also observed the play schools in churches, settlem en ts and housing p ro jects located in th e ir own and other school d is tr ic ts .

Sometimes they have come as spectators, sometimes as p a r tic i­

pants in U niversity summer session programs.

In e ith e r case, they have

received v iv id impressions o f what th e ir children do and enjoy in the play sch ools. One o f the most ta n g ib le evidences o f play school in flu en ce in the

1.

William Jansen, The Social Agencies and Public Educ at ion in New York O ity, p. 107.

-5 6 8 -

New York Oity public schools may be traced to th e expansion of th e move­ ment during the depression. The in it ia t io n o f Play Schools by the Board of Educa­ tio n in New York, with the cooperation of the W.P.A., was th e stim ulus for the beginning o f the o f f i c i a l Six Year Experiment in the A ctiv ity Program, started by the Board in 69 public schools in New York O ity. Dur­ ing 1941, a survey was made by the State Department o f Education which approved the in itia t io n o f th e a o tiv ity program in a ll elementary schools in the system. Such approval, in i t s e l f , has sp ecia l sig n ifica n ce to the 25 years' work o f th e Summer Play Schools A ssociation, and emphasizes the value o f the ground-work la id by our own a ll-d a y care program.* Today, a ll New York Oity elementary schools are o f f i c i a l l y on th e new program which had i t s lo c a l t r i a l run in the W.P.A. sponsored play sch ools. The p a r tic ip a tio n o f play school personnel in the development of the W.P.A. play school program has been discussed in e a r lie r chapters. I t i s proposed th at the help provided in orien tation and tra in in g of teach ers and th e suggestions related to procedures, m aterials and equip­ ment fo r the W.P.A. play schools have s ig n ific a n tly affected p ra ctices in the public elementary sch ools.

Under the in sp iration and guidance of

John L oftus, a leader o f the A ctiv ity Movement in New York C ity, publicar 2

tio n s such as The Handbook fo r Summer Play Schools o f New York C ity

and

e x h ib its o f the work accomplished, brought to the atten tion o f the public schools th e methods, m aterials, and approaches to education ty p ifie d by the play sch ools. Among the a f f ilia t e d play schools having sp ecial sig n ifica n ce for

1. 2.

Summer Play Schools A ssociation, Annual Report, 1941, p. 2. U. S. Progress Administration, Summer School Program, Board o f Educa­ tio n , C ity o f New York, revised 1953* Handbook For Summer Play Schools o f New York C ity , with special emphasis on th e techniques o f ah A ctiv ity Program.

-5 69th e subject under consideration have been those sponsored by th e All-Day Neighborhood Schools at P .S . 55 and at P .S . 19^, both in Manhattan.

To­

day* there are All-Day Neighborhood cen ters operating as in tegral parts o f the public school system in th ese sch ools.

They originated as an ex­

periment under th e auspices o f the Extension Service of the Oity and Country School and the Extension D ivision of th e Board o f Education. Later, 1 they were sponsored by th e Public Education A ssociation. The development o f the All-Day Neighborhood School plan i s la rg ely the achievement o f two women, Mrs. Moses D. B litz e r , whose e f fo r t s to organize the program began back in the days o f the depression, and Mies Adele Franklin, a leader in the work from th e beginning, and i t s present D irector. The two movements are separate, although they cooperate on education­ al p ro jects.

They have operated in p a r a lle l, yet d iffe r e n t, relation sh ip s

with the Board o f Education, toward sim ilar but not id en tical g o a ls. Records of some o f Mrs. B litz e r * s early e f fo r t s in behalf of the All-Day Neighborhood Schools in d ica te that she began to e n lis t support for t h is a llie d a fter-sch o o l program when she was Chairman o f the Child Study As­ s o c ia tio n 's Nature Study Committee.

At th a t time the play schools operated

th e ir programs fo r children in the summer tim e on ly.

Mrs. B lit z e r 's

o rig in a l plan for after-soh ool a c t iv it ie s had the support of the Child Study A ssociation and th e approval o f th e Board o f Education and the C iv il Works Adm inistration.

The Child Study A ssociation was prepared to co-

ordinate the educational program through i t s Summer Play Schools Committee. 1. 2.

Adele Franklin and Agnes E. Benedict, Play Centers for School Children. pp. 1-8, 71. From a s e r ie s o f le t t e r s snd documents in the f i l e s of the Play Schools A ssociation , dated at various tim es in 195^ •

2

-5 7 0 -

The inference th at might be drawn from the availab le records i s th at the need for fin a n c ia l support for the new venture caused i t s i n i t i a l separa­ tio n from the older play movement.

Miss Franklin, who adm inisters the

e n tir e All-Day Neighborhood Schools p roject today, was the d irector of i t s f i r s t experimental demonstration at F. S. 55, and had been d irector of a Child Study A ssociation summer play school before th a t. Two aspects of contemporary play school p ra ctice are believed to be p a r tia lly responsible for widening th e horizons o f the lo c a l public school Beene.

One has to do with the increased use o f so cia l serv ices in approach­

ing education as a matter o f t o ta l ch ild development rather than as a lim ited classroom process. riculum concepts.

The other in volves a sim ilar broadening of cur­

The presence, on a play school s t a f f , of a trained

so c ia l worker who shares her fin d in gs with the lo c a l d irector, the teachers and, where p o ssib le, -the personnel o f the academic school, has tended to introduce or strengthen th e use o f fam ily agencies and other sp ecialized serv ices in meeting c h ild ren 's emotional and so c ia l problems.

Join t play

8chool-playground programs, developed in selected public schools, have tended to enrich the t o t a l curriculum.

They have encouraged more e f f ic ie n t

use o f the indoor and outdoor recreation al f a c i l i t i e s o f the school build­ ing.

They have provided a wider v a rie ty o f ways to meet the personal and

a g e-lev el needs o f elementary school ch ild ren .

Further curriculum enrich­

ment has resu lted from th e use o f t r ip s in th e study of environment that i s part o f every play school program. A se r ie s o f winter v i s i t s was made to public schools housing play schools and to an equal number without play sch ools.

While i t was not at

a ll uncommon to find every ch ild indoors, and l i t e r a l l y hundreds having

-571recesa or recreation periods in dark indoor yards* or overheated, under­ aired gymnasia on bright, sunny days, t h i s was not so in th e play school group.

Every school observed had at le a s t one group o f children on the

playground or u t iliz in g whatever other outdoor space was a v a ila b le, when­ ever weather conditions were at a ll favorable. Classroom Teachers S ig n ifica n t changes in elementary school p ra ctice sre not n ecessa rily brought about by changes in the use of plant and equipment. th e r e s u lt o f adm inistrative d irection alone.

Nor are they

On th e assumption th at the

curriculum i s primarily influenced by classroom teach ers, and t o a some­ what le s s e r degree by such in tan gib le fa c to r s as school p o licy and such ta n g ib le ones as equipment, the influence of the play schools upon New York C ity 's teach ers has been given seriou s consideration in t h is study. The presence o f th ese teachers in th e play schools, preceding or concur^ rent with th e ir service in th e day sch ools, i s b elieved to have produced th e g rea test sin g le influence o f the movement upon elementary education in New York C ity. There have been New York City public school teach ers in th e play sch ools every summer, probably including 1917* hut certa in ly every year 1 sin ce th a t date. In 1918 ten of them were assigned by the Board o f Edu­ cation to p osts in th e play sch ools.

This p ractice has continued, and

e a r lie r r e s tr ic tio n s as to the ca teg o ries from which such teach ers might be drawn have been l i f t e d .

Public school teachers not e lig i b le for

Board o f Education assignment have been fr e e to accept p rivate employment

1.

One record shows t h ir t y - f iv e teachers assigned by the Board o f Educa­ tio n in 1918} several others give ten as the fig u r e .

-572in th e play schools#

There i s no record o f how many New York Oity

elementary school teachers have served in play schools on p rivate as­ signment.

The number i s believed to be la r g e .

The record of teacher

placements by th e Board o f Education fo r the years from 1926 through 19^9 has been summarized in Table VI.

Data for the years from 1918

through 1925 have not been included as the fig u r e s were not considered r e lia b le .

Those given below have been checked against the o f f i c i a l

records in the f i l e s o f the Board of Education, obtainable for the period from 1926 on, only. TABLE VI Teachers Assigned to Play Schools by the New York Oity Board o f Education (1926-1949)

Year

Number of Teachers

Cumulative Total

1926

15

15

1927

15

50

1928

15

45

1929

8*

55

1950

15

68

1951

26

9b

1952

52

126

1955

52

158

195^

55

195

1955

55

228 (continued)

*

No teachers assigned to p rivate agencies in 1929, only to play schools in public school b u ild in gs.

( continued)

Year

-5 7 5 -

Number of Teachers

Cumulative Total

1956

55

265

1957

55

298

1958

55

555

1959

55

568

1940

52

420

1941

52

472

1942

85

555

1945

85

658

1944

85

721

1945

96*

817

1946

97

914

1947

98

1012

1948

99

1111

1949

107

1218

1218

1218

Total (1926-1949)

I t ia to be remembered that the fig u r e s above represent only teachers o f f i c i a l l y placed in the play schools on Board of Education lic e n s e s and sa la r y .

Most o f the 1218 teachers in th e ta b le , as w ell as th e ones o f

th e e a r lie s t years, were eith er already in New York Oity classrooms during th e winter periods or came to work in th e c i t y ' s schools ev en tu a lly .

*

For

Beginning with one teacher in 1945, the Board o f Education h as supplied a few teachers each winter to the yean-round play sch ools. Uiey are included in the la s t f iv e fig u re s o f the ta b le .

-574msny teachers th e play school experience provided t h e ir f i r s t contact with settlem en ts and other types of community cen ters. o rien ta tio n was new and d iffe r e n t.

The so c ia l agency

To some teach ers, the awareness of

the t o ta l growth patterns o f children, th e approach to fa m ilie s, th e emphar s is on h ea lth , n u tr itio n and mental hygiene, as th ese were developed in the play sch o o ls, represented a radical departure from th e ir conventional school ro u tin es.

Teachers who were helped to see th e ir r e s p o n s ib ilitie s

in a new lig h t have, conceivably, carried i t s illum in ation in to th e ir everyday r ela tio n sh ip s with children. As long ago as the early 1920's, play school teach ers were gathered in conferences to d iscu ss th e ir plans and problems.

As teacher tra in in g

became an in creasin gly important part of th e work, provision was made for reg u la rly scheduled in -ser v ic e teacher conferences.

Lucy R etting, Di­

rector o f th e Play Schools in 1951, wrote of th ese meetings: Merit systems are a n e v e r -fa ilin g topic o f d iscussion at teacher conferences. Both school and recreation programs seem to be honeycombed with rewards for everything imaginable. . . The mental hygiene side of t h is and other c h ild -tra in in g p ra ctices are often r ev ela tio n s to teach ers vho lack trainin g in modern psychology. They can­ n ot grasp the newer ways from books alone, and often summer in s t it u t e s with good practice schools are beyond them, e ith e r because they lack the understanding of th e ir own needs or because they must teach during th e summer. . • So, the lo g ic a l way to get progressive teaching in to pub­ l i c - school systems, i t seems to me, is to set up enough progressive sumner u n its in public schools them selves to allow teach er-train in g with pay. These experiences do Carry over. I have had a number of Summer Play School teach ers t e l l me that they have changed th e ir winter c la s s methods when allowed to do so, because o f Play School ex­ p erien ces. PerhapB the teacher has merely stopped givin g a feath er for a clean handkerchief; perhaps she is allow­ ing experimentation with cla y , color or words, instead of 'clapping down th e lid ' with too many r u le s and d ir e c tio n s.

-575Sometimes she learns how to take a more thoughtful view 1 o f behavior problems before applying d isc ip lin a r y measures. The acceptance o f children as they are i s made easier fo r the teacher in a play school where academic yard sticks are not applied to the measure­ ment o f youngsters or th e ir teachers. ing to in te lle c t u a l achievement.

Children are not c la s s if ie d accord­

A teacher may have, in her group o f

tw elv e-y ea r -o ld s, one who has had to work with eig h t-y ea r-o ld s in h is regular classroom, or one who has been placed in a sp ecial c la s s fo r the retarded.

Seeing such youngsters function adequately and happily, flndr-

ing th a t they cen make worthy contributions to a group o f th e ir so cia l and chronological peers has been known to go a long way toward influenc­ ing teacher a ttitu d e s.

The a v a ila b ility of community workers in th e early

days, and o f trained so c ia l workers in contemporary play sch ools, has contributed further toward broadening tea ch ers1 concepts of education in terms of ch ild development.

Teachers have f e l t fr e e r to c a ll upon sp ecia l­

i s t s for help in serving children when they have known th at th e ir own competence would not be questioned as a r e s u lt. Play sohool teach ers are expected to accept parents as w ell as c h il­ dren.

To many teachers from traditional schools th e play school experience

has introduced a new and unfam iliar

relation sh ip with homes and fa m ilie s .

Mothers, v i s i t i n g at lunch end rest tim es, for in stan ce, have a rticu lated th e ir tremendous respect for the knowledge and s k i l l of play school teach ers. The teach ers, in turn, have found parents more lik ea b le end l e s s threaten­ ing under such con d itio n s.

1.

As one play school leader wrote:

Lucy R ettin g, 'Summer Vacation— A Problem and a P r iv ileg e," Progressive Education. Vol. V III, No. 5 (May, 1951), pp. 582-587.

-576One teacher to ld me th at she had always thought parents were nuisances to be tolerated during neces­ sary v i s i t s to her classroom, at best to be enter­ tained by an assembly program. Her Play School experience had, to her great surprise, taught her th at not only did she have something to teach the mother about the children, but that the mother had th in g s to teach h er, and was rather pleasant to have around a fter a l l . This w riter b elieved th at the influence of settlem ents where most play sch ools were located at th a t tim e, and where parents were custom arily trea ted courteously as partners, was responsible for changing many a trar 2

d itio n a l te a c h e r 's a ttitu d e o f superiority toward the home. With only seven or eigh t weeks of a summer session in which to es­ ta b lis h fam ily con tacts, parents' meetings have frequently been held every week in play sch ools.

Teachers have commented, again and again, th a t

they were b etter acquainted with the parents of th e ir play school children, f e l t c lo se r to them, at the end o f a summer session , than had ever seemed p o ssib le in th e school year.

There, a fter ten months, they o ften did

n ot know many parents at a l l , and had had un satisfactory or, at b est, 5 casual con tacts with the r e s t . A ttitu d es toward the learning process as well as those involving c h il­ dren and th e ir fa m ilie s are found to s h ift and change with the presence o f play schools in public school se ttin g s.

This is e s p e c ia lly n o tice a b le

when day school teach ers sure employed in a summer center or an after-ach ool program in t h e ir own b u ild in gs.

During World War I I public school teach ers

were frequently ca lled upon to contribute emergency serv ices fo r the public good.

1. 2 .

5.

In one school where th ere was a year-round play school:

Ibid. , p. 581* c it . S ee f u l l e r discuBBion on p p . 21& -221 o f C hapter V.

L o^,

-5 7 7 -

In addition to handling th e problem of issu in g ration books, and other la r g e -sc a le community situ a tio n s, many o f the regular day school teachers volunteered to g ive th e ir sp e cia l service on th e home fron t righ t in th e ir own school b u ild in g. Some of th ese volunteer teach ers took charge of the work in the V ictory Garden, o th ers helped with shop work, music and dancing# One teacher acted as lib rarian end s t o r y - t e lle r . A Teachers' Source Room with con stan tly changing e x h ib its of refer­ ence m aterials and a v isu a l aid s service was maintained. Some o f the teach ers also worked with parents at sewing and k n ittin g fo r service organ ization s. The teach ers who worked in both programs, whether on a volunteer or a paid b a sis, obviously helped to bring about clo ser r e la tio n s between the two.

In a number o f public school cen ters s ta ff members have demonstrated

the value of th e ir dual r o le s and received recognition from both agencies. A play school p u b lication said , of one school:

"We were fortunate in

having as our summer d irecto r a w e ll-lik e d teacher of the winter school and also one o f the popular men teach ers who supervised the playground program."n 2 In several in stan ces teachers who have become play school d irectors have la te r been promoted to p rin cip alsh ip s in the public sch ools.

Many

of th e ir p o lic ie s and p r a c tic e s have c le a r ly r eflecte d th e ir e a r lie r ex­ perience in th e play sch o o ls. Methods and M aterials There are many evidences of the use o f play school methods and materi­ a ls in th e elementary sch ools of New York O ity.

The most casual observer

can find equipment designed or adapted by th e play schools on public school

1. 2.

Rowena M. Shoemaker and Doris L. Bock, "The Play School and I t s Program," The N ational Elementary Principal (June, 194-6), pp. 23-29. Play Schools A ssociation , Annual Report, 19^4, p. 11.

-578playgrounds *

As the c ity schools opened in 19^9, Superintendent William

Jansen supplied the information th at:

11An expanded program of community

education w ill accompany the opening of school.

Two hundred and eight

afternoon play cen ters, f i f t y more than la s t year, w ill be opened next 1 Monday." The Play Schools A ssociation and th e All-Day Neighborhood Schools can probably take a siza b le share of the cred it for t h is expanded community ser v ic e.

In every one o f th ese play cen ters, there may be found

some piece o f pi ay-school-designed equipment, some approach to play o r ig in a lly introduced in a p lsy school, or, most sig n ific a n t of a l l , some leader or teacher trained in play school p o lic ie s and p ra ctices.

The

tra in in g may have come as part o f the tea ch er's experience in a play school, or i t may be the r e s u lt o f observation and study in th e schools, attendance at conferences, reading the p u b lication s and seeing the film s.

In every

one of th ese play centers there may be found books and blocks recommended by th e p lsy sch ools.

There w ill also be found the long-delayed provision,

recognized and advocated by the play schools, of a home room group with i t s own teacher fo r th e youngest children. While i t i s true th at most after-sch o o l programs are s t i l l largely lim ited to playgrounds and other peripheral areas of the elementary school curriculum, play school in flu en ces have scaled th e academic wall and found th e ir way in to the classroom .

Puppetry a c t i v it ie s begun in one summer play

school la te r developed into a year-round, a ll-sch o o l in te r e s t.

The puppet

th ea ter i s now part o f the permanent equipment of that school.

It is

used during as w ell as a fter school hours.

1.

New York Times, September 12, 19^9.

A v icto ry garden at a public

-5 7 9 -

school was planted in May and tended by th e day school and afternoon play school jo in tly u n til school closed in June. carried i t through the summer.

The play school children

Another year-round p lsy school added i t s

lib rary o f more than five-hundred volumes to the regular school library which now serves both groups.

Where teach ers have worked In both programs,

school and a fter-sch o o l, or summer and w inter, the sharing of m aterials, the consistency of approach to child ren , and the carry-over of ideas and th e ir implementation have been th e g r e a te st. B u lletin s prepared by play school children in 1925 and 1924 l i s t the year-by-year curriculum experiences introduced in the centers since th e ir beginning.

Among th ese are such p r a c tic e s as shopwork for g ir l s , cooking

for boys, hot lunches, r e s t periods, afternoon milk and children serving on an advisory cou n cil.

Perhaps th ese were not o rig in a l with th e play

schools, but th e ir continued in clu sion in th e program i s believed to have influenced t h e ir gradual acceptance in the public schools.

Grading and

promotion p ra ctices may appear to be q u ite remote from play schools, but as long ago as 1925 t h is statement was made about th e grouping of children: "The Play School c la s s e s are grouped in clubs of about tw en ty-five members without reference to th e ir public school grading.

Many play school ch il­

dren, v ictim s of m alnutrition shd unfavorable s o c ia l conditions are treated in the public schools as retarded p u p ils.

I t i s w ell for such to have the

experience of fin d in g them selves for once on an assured le v e l with other children o f th e ir own y e a r s . T h e growing trend toward chronological grouping o f children in th e City sch ools may have received some o f i t s impetus from the mental hygiene o r ien ta tio n of the play schools.

1.

From an undated pamphlet e n title d The E thical Culture Summer PlaV School. Contents place i t in 1925, p. 6.

-5 8 0 -

The use of blocks, p a in ts, c la y , woodworking, cooking, and the in­ d u stria l a rts, while not o r ig in a l with the play sch ools, has been applied by them to dramatic play exp erien ces.

C reative expression through a wide

v a r iety of art media, as part of an accepted play curriculum in the sch ools, has tended to increase the r e s p e c ta b ility of the non-academic s k i l l s for education in general.

Many of the adaptations of play school

methods and m aterials observed in the public schools of New York City may be the r e s u lt of the widespread d istr ib u tio n of play school pamphlets and b u lle tin s in th e area.

Notable among th ese are:

"When They Play Out

o f Doors", containing suggestions fo r th e con stru ction and use o f new out­ door equipment; "Play M aterials Made from Waste"; recent handbooks on play and play programs. The presence at play school annual conferences of large numbers of New York C ity public school personnel, from superintendents to classroom teach ers, may be responsible for some o f th e spread of play school methods and m aterials in to the public sch ools.

As year-round play schools continue

to be more c lo s e ly integrated into th e New York C ity schools, th e ir methods of studying and recording data on child ren , cooperative rela tio n sh ip s with community agencies, 'the u t iliz a t io n o f community resources through tr ip s and other methods of environmental study, may be expected to be ever more c le a r ly r e fle c te d in the p r a ctices of the public elementary schools. Community Agenoies F irst and foremost emong the educational agencies recognized in play school planning i s the fam ily.

An e n tir e chapter o f t h is study has been

devoted to play school a c t i v it ie s as they r e la te to children end fa m ilie s. L i t t l e need be added here except the suggestion th a t th e fam ily l i f e program o f the play schools has produced real improvements in the h ea lth , welfare

-581and education o f children in the m etropolitan New York area.

The e a r lie s t

records show such tan gib le r e s u lts as wei^rt gains and advances in h ab its o f h ealth and n u tr itio n at a time when th ese were among the major empha­ ses in the play school program.

The area o f in flu en ce was broadened as

the work with parents expanded to include behavior stu d ies and th e d is­ cussion of problems raised by th e p arents. One summer the children of a play school com pletely renovated ah old tenement, furnished i t and operated i t as a modern apartment where they budgeted, marketed fo r, prepared and served, th e ir own luncheons.

Dur­

ing World War I I , play school children c o lle c te d salvage and learned to use scrap m aterials c r e a tiv e ly .

After the war they estab lish ed contact

with children abroad through correspondence and through sending books, school m aterials and food packages to deprived youngsters in bombed-out areas.

The e f f e c t upon fa m ilie s , present and fu tu re, of a program where

children assume important c itiz e n sh ip r e s p o n s ib ilit ie s , may require many years and s t i l l undiscovered s t a t i s t i c a l t o o ls , for proper measurement. The settlem ents represent another important area o f play school in­ flu en ce in th e community.

The e a r lie s t play schools were organized around

large-scal© recreation al a c t i v it ie s under l i v e l y , o ften untrained, volunteer lead ership .

This was the e x istin g pattern in the settlem en ts, and play

schools started by adapting th e ir programs to lo c a l con d ition s.

As the

play schools began to introduce trained leadership into cen ters and to en­ gage s p e c ia lis ts to go from school to school to enrich the program, the sponsoring agencies began to change some o f th e ir own year-round p ra ctices. In 1951 the follow ing statement appeared:

"One settlem ent has changed to

mixed groups because o f Play School; another has u n its of work going on in afternoon club work rather than unrelated play and manual work.

Several

-5 8 2 -

organizationa have added year-round home v is it o r s or homemaking s p e c ia lis ts 1 because of our work with th e ir parents." During the depression years the play schools not only increased th e ir own serv ices to fa m ilie s but they se t something of a pattern fo r other community agencies.

Adele Mossier, reporting on th e work in 1954, stated:

Out o f t h is d irect work with parents th ere has de­ veloped a plan o f f ie ld work tra in in g for such per­ sons as neighborhood so cia l workers and home-making students who, in th eir p rofession al c a p a c itie s , have many con tacts with parents. These workers have been given sp ecial courses in parent education directed toward giving them in sigh t end techniques in parent 2 education which may enrich t h e ir serv ice to fa m ilie s . The in clu sion of play schools in the programs o f r e lig io u s organiza­ t io n s o f various denominations i s believed to have had two major r e s u lts . In the f i r s t place, i t has extended the customary time and content o f the programs.

A Sunday school, and an occasional two to four weeks o f h a lf­

day summer sessio n s devoted to Bible study, arts and c r a fts , music, drar m atics and a mid-morning serving of milk and crackers, once represented the most forward-looking recreational program for children under r e lig io u s auspices.

When play schools were included th e program became an a ll­

day feature for six to eigjht weeks in th e summer. cen ters were added.

Later, after-sch o o l

The second e f fe c t i s probably a more sub tle one.

Because play schools involve some app lication of public funds, they have required a f filia te d centers to accept children o f a ll races and creeds. A few ch u rch -a ffilia ted schools chose to leave the program rather than abide by i t s non-sectarian regulation s, but many remained to accept and p ra ctice the ways of the play schools.

1. 2.

Lucy R etting, "Summer Vacation— A Problem and a P r iv ile g e ," Progressive Education. Vol. VItt, No. 5 (May, 1951), p. 587. Child Study (March, 1954), pp. 172-5.

-5 8 5 -

Other typ es of agencies in the New York area have been a ffected by th e ir con tacts with the play schools.

I f a l i s t of them were made, i t

would include th e Oity Departments of Health, Public Welfare, Education and Parks.

I t would also encompass public and private c o lle g e s , camping or­

g a n iza tio n s, and oth ers. ing and Service P ro jects.

These w ill be discussed la te r under Teacher Train­ Community stu d ies have brought play school

children and th e ir teachers face to face with the s t a f f s of museums, lib r a r ie s , and other cu ltu ral organizations, and with public and p rivate serv ice agencies.

The discussion o f The Play School Child, at the clo se

o f t h is chapter, w ill include treatment of these community co n ta cts. Broad and General Influences Although th e most immediate and d irect e f f e c t s of th e establishm ent o f play schools were probably f e l t in th e New York ares, there is evidence th a t the idea received the attention of others, farth er a f ie ld , almost as soon as i t reached th e lo ca l consumer.

A publication of the Federal govern­

ment, issued a fte r the second year of play school operation, devoted al­ most

i t s en tir e contents to a d escription of a Federation for Child Study

play

school.

I t s fin a l paragraph addressed to the reader th e follow in g

statement: A Challenge to Youi In building up the health of the undernourished ch ild you but play up in bold r e l i e f the needs o f a ll school ch ild ren . Where the community service f a i l s th e under­ nourished ch ild , i t also f a i l s a ll ch ild ren . Let the play-health school demonstrate to your community the v i t a l p oin ts where the development of the. individual ch ild i s dependent upon community action.

1.

Summer Health and Play School, Health Education No. J . the In te r io r , Bureau of Education, 1919, p. 12.

Department o f

-584It

was not u n til a dozen years a fter t h is was w ritten th a t the Child

Study A ssociation , with th e help o f

a Rosenwald Foundation grant, was able

to conduct a search to fin d out what was being done, across th e nation, fo r children in th e ir o u t-o f-sch o o l hours.

According to James Frederick

Rogers, Consultant in Hygiene of the United S tates O ffice o f Education, 1 0 0 ,0 0 0 co p ies o f the f i r s t O ffice of Education pamphlet on play schools,

(quoted above), had been sold by 1955 and i t was s t i l l in demand a fter f if t e e n years o f d istrib u tio n .* Child Care at Home and Abroad The e a r lie s t play schools emphasized fa cto rs of h ealth and n u tr itio n . I t was th e ir achievements in th ese areas that f i r s t reached the public at la r g e , as th e follow ing excerpt from an early report in d icates! As word o f the experiment began to appear in the news­ paper columns, in terested v is it o r s looked in at the canteen end Play Schools. There were s p e c ia lis t s in n u tr itio n a l work from Pennsylvania, Ohio, Minnesota, New York, I l l i n o i s , Connecticut, Kentucky, Texas, and Canada and Japan, who took n otes preparatory to in tro­ ducing sim ilar methods in th e ir own communities. Re­ p orters and cameramen arrived, and the progress of th e children was c lo se ly watched by health experts in many p arts o f th e country. In th e ensuing years th e overall a c t iv it ie s o f the Federation for Child Study and o f i t s successor, the Child Study A ssociation o f America, broadened in both geographical and educational im p lication s.

The play

schools became an in crea sin g ly important par t of th e work of th e parent organ ization .

Many of the developments presented in th e h is t o r ic a l portion

1. In the foreword, by Dr. Rogers, to Community Programs for Sumer Play Schools, by LeRoy Bowman, pp. i i i and iv . 2. Federation for Child Study, Giving the Child a Chance (An Experiment in Combating M alnutrition), unpaged, undated (probably 1919).

-585o f t h is study were probably responsible fo r spreading the play school idea across the nation and abroad.

By 1929 there were twenty-one centers in

New York O ity, one in Cleveland and one in D etroit. had i t s own pattern o f operation and sponsorship.

Each play school Each play school reached

a v a r ie ty o f in d iv id u a ls and groups through service to children and fa m ilie s , through cooperative r e la tio n sh ip s with other agencies of h ealth , education and so c ia l w elfa re.

All were v is it e d by observers.

in teacher tr a in in g and parent education programs.

A ll were p a rticip a n ts One of th ese play

sch ools, The Family Center, was part o f the origin al experiment that la te r became The L i t t l e Red School House. The Child Study A ssociation made a special e ffo r t to bring the play schools to the a tten tio n o f educational leaders in 1929.

"Exhibitions

at conferences, newspaper and magazine a r t ic le s , and radio ta lk s were given fo r the express purpose o f promoting the work.

At a luncheon at

th e N ational Education A ssociation Conference in Cleveland the idea was explained to a group o f school superintendents and others in terested in „1 elementary education." In 195© th e Child Study A ssociation reported on the Summer Flay School

movement to the White House Conference on Child Care and Protec­

tio n which included a subcommittee on summer vacation a c t iv it ie s fo r the school c h ild .

Dr. K ilp a trick , in t h is com aittee's report, stressed the

idea th a t vacation time was id eal for educational experimentation.

The

play schools, with th e ir p riv ate agency sponsorship, were free to experi­ ment with new ideas and to p u b licize them.

1.

During the 1950 , s the play

The 1929 Report o f th e Summer Flay Schools Committee of th e Child Study A ssociation o f America (mimeographed), p. 5 .

-5 8 6 -

schools Increased th e ir con tacts with many types of educational agencies. Through th ese contacts they worked to spread the ideas o f progressive education.

At a national so c ia l work conference in Minneapolis, LeRoy

E. Bowman, then Director of Extension A c t iv itie s for the Summer Play Schools Committee, presented a paper on th e "Application o f Progressive Educational P r in cip les to Group Work."

In h is report, Bowman stressed

the psychological and s o c io lo g ic a l con viction s upon which play schools operated, as e s se n tia l to th e new tr a n s itio n a l program than being i n i t i ­ ated in group work. In Chicago the Superintendent of Schools, impressed by the fin d in gs of the 1950 White House Conference on th e sunsner vacation needs o f c ity children, set up a play school program th e follow in g year.

V isited by

hundreds o f teach ers, the school where the i n i t i a l play school was housed, la te r became the f i r s t o f seven experimental schools in Chicago.

Among

the advisory agencies ca lled in to h elp organize t h is Chicago play school was the Summer Play Schools Committee o f the Child Study A ssociation. The play school idea had spread to other large c i t i e s and to a few small ones by th e time the so -c a lle d "recession" became a fu ll-fle d g e d depression and the budget cu ttin g began.

P rivate philanthropy dwindled.

Summer

a c t iv it ie s for children were e ith e r wiped out e n tir e ly or such expensive experiments as play schools were replaced by mass recreation programs. Within a year or two most o f the la rg e c i t i e s which had experimented with play schools, reopened them with Federal a ssista n ce, and on a much larger sca le .

In a number o f th ese c i t i e s , notably New York and Philadelphia,

the Summer Play Schools Committee was again c a lled upon for help in settin g up emergency play school p r o je c ts.

These urban W.P.A. programs involved

-587hundreds o f teachers and thousands of children in each c it y .

While th eir

p ra c tica l application o f play school p o lic ie s was widely varied and repre­ sented a ll kinds o f m od ification s, the ideas, m aterials and methods reached a much wider consumer group then could p o ssib ly have been served in the handful o f experimental demonstration schools. In th e la t e s t decade o f play school h isto r y , th e work of the movement has gone out to more d ista n t p laces on an in creasin gly broad s c a le .

The

Play Schools Association has been an in v ited p articip an t in lo c a l, sta te , regional and n ation al conferences of related organizations in education 1 and so cia l work. In 1948, i t s National F ield Worker went to the Inter­ n ation al Congress on Mental Health in London, England, as a Commissioner. She was chosen as chairman o f one of th e d iscu ssion groups th ere, and was able to apply her knowledge of play school p o lic ie s and p ra ctices to the r e h a b ilita tio n programs planned for the displaced children of the world. The Play Schools A ssociation has been a p articip an t in the White House Conferences o f 1950, 1940, and 1950*

In February, 1940 i t was ii>-

v ite d to take part in the program of th e National Council of Childhood Education, held in conjunction with the American A ssociation of School Administrators' Conference in S t. Louis.

The report o f th e Flay Schools

A ssociation included a resume o f i t s methods o f operation in rela tio n to schools and other community agencies and an exh ib it o f i t s p u b lication s. In the same year the A ssociation p a rticip ated in conferences o f the United Neighborhood Houses, the United Parents A ssociation, the W.P.A. and various departments o f New York U n iversity. Somewhat hampered by tra v el r e s tr ic t io n s during the war years, the

1.

Mrs. Monica B. Owen

-5 8 8 -

Play Schools A ssociation continued to cooperate with agencies working in ch ild care, although i t had to rely on correspondence and the d istrib u tio n o f p u b lication s for many of i t s services*

Having started to advise nearby

l o c a l i t i e s on the settin g up of wartime ch ild care centers in th e early days of the war, the demand for A ssociation help from farther a fie ld grew u n til the s t a f f could no longer meet it®

In 1945*

Special Play School ex h ib its were requested and shown at conferences including the National Conference of Social Work, Child Study A ssociation, Teachers Union, N ational A ssociation for Nursery Education, Union Theological Seminary, Teachers C ollege, and the Greorge Bruce and Epiphany Branches o f the New York Public Library® Among the radio t a lk s waB one noteworthy broadcast to the men overseas to t e l l them about the care th e ir children were g e ttin g in ch ild care cen ters and play schools when mothers went out to work. The story o f play school work in ch ild care was to ld over national and lo c a l radio hookups.

I t appeared also in e d ito r ia l comment in the news­

papers o f large and small c i t i e s a ll over the nation aa w ell aa in the m etropolitan New York p ress. on July 29, 1946*

Said th e Streator, I ll i n o i s , Timea-Press,

"There i s no real reason why every community should

not have ju st such play schools in vacation tim e, including S treator. School boards should govern them, we should pay ta x e s for them, and we should consider paying for such schools both a p r iv ile g e and a joy." Observers from far and near, who have always come to th e play schools in auch numbers th a t teachers have occa sio n a lly regarded th e ir v i s i t s as occupational hazards, returned as soon as gasoline ration in g and other tr a v e l r e s tr ic tio n s were l i f t e d .

Through th ese v is it o r s , through s t a f f

p a rtic ip a tio n in a wide v a riety o f educational m eetings, through film s,

1® Play Schools A ssociation, Annual Report, 1945, p. 17.

-5 8 9 -

p u b lica tio n s, radio and te le v is io n broadcasts, the play schools have been reaching an ever-widening la y and p rofession al c ir c le . Teacher Training Through th e tra in in g o f i t s own and other teach ers, the play school movement has se t in motion a kind of chain reaction th at would probably continue i f every e x is tin g play school were to clo se i t s doors tomorrow. The aims and methods o f t h is training have been described in e a r lie r chapters o f the study.

The present treatment w ill be lim ited to a d is­

cussion o f th e types of in d ivid u als trained and th e known or estim ated in flu en ces o f th e process. Trainees in the play schools may be roughly divided in to three ca te­ g o r ie s .

The teach ers at work, or planning to work, in play schools repre­

sent the f i r s t c la s s if ic a t io n .

O rientation courses are scheduled for

them, and follow ed by in -se r v ic e sessio n s and supervision on the job.

The

Play Schools A ssociation provides t h is combination of tea ch er-tra in in g ser­ v ic e s to i t s sponsored and a f f ilia t e d schools. The second category, composed la rg ely o f co lleg e students, also re­ c e iv e s planned and premeditated tra in in g op p ortu n ities.

Supervision and

guidance o f both the p re-p rofession al and experienced students i s usually shared by play school personnel with members o f the u n iv ersity or pro­ fe ss io n a l school f a c u lt ie s involved.

This group may also be said to in­

clude a ll but the most casual observers o f play school programs, whether they be p ro fessio n a l or la y workers, or students.

The headquarters s t a f f

o f th e Play Sohools A ssociation has regarded the guidance of observers as a serious tra in in g o b lig a tio n for a long tim e.

Records dating back

more than f if t e e n years in d icate that provision has been made fo r at le a s t

-590th a t long fo r ca refu l in terp retation o f the program to observers.

Direc­

tio n sh eets have been issued and arrangements made for group d iscu ssio n s or private conferences based on suggested to p ic s , or questions raised by the observers. In recent years observation in th e centers has been part o f the scheduling for annual play school conferences, and sim ilar op p ortun ities have been provided for other organizations with related in te r e s t s .

V isito r s

who come to the play schools ju st once in t h is almost in cid en tal way probably belong in the th ird category o f per eons believed to be influenced in a tr a in in g sense by th e play sch ools.

This th ird group i s composed of

in d iv id u a ls, having no o f f i c i a l connection with the cen ters, whose pro­ fe s s io n a l a c t i v i t i e s may, n ev erth eless, have f e l t the impact o f play school id ea s. The e f f e c t o f play school tra in in g on the f i r s t group has been most c le a r ly demonstrated in th e New York m etropolitan area.

The public school

teach ers o f New York C ity have been th e major b e n e fic ia r ie s of th e tra in ­ in g.

I t s Influence upon th e ir p ra ctices has already been d iscu ssed .

the e a r lie s t years most play school teachers were recruited lo c a lly .

In Later,

p a rtic u la r ly for the demonstration p ro jects, teachers were brought into the program from more d ista n t p la ces.

Some teachers Came summer a fter

summer, returning to th e ir own schools in the f a l l .

Many of th ese have

reported th e ir adaptations o f play school p o lic ie s and p ra ctices to acar demic school programs.

A goodly number have moved from classroom teaching

in to supervisory and adm inistrative appointments where they have been, p o te n tia lly , of stra te g ic importance to the spread of play school id eas. An attempt has been made to follow the careers of former play school workers who were reputed to have aohieved s ig n ific a n t p o sitio n s o f leader-

-5 9 1 -

ship in education.

A few examples o f the r e su lts o f t h is search w ill be

supplied la te r in t h is chapter.

What i s true o f teach ers trained in the

play schools undoubtedly ap p lies to some degree also to supervisory, ad­ m in istr a tiv e , so c ia l work, homemaking and n u tritio n personnel.

Some of

th e nonr-teaching members o f play school s ta f fs have extended or adapted play school p r a c tic e s to areas seemingly fa r removed from the elementary school classroom. To il l u s t r a t e th e extent o f -the train in g program for workers in the f i r s t c la s s if ic a t io n , in terms o f numbers d irectly influenced by i t , some s t a t i s t i c s fo r one f a ir ly ty p ic a l year are included.

The spring tra in in g

courses and la te r supervision on the job affected 256 p ro fessio n a l s ta ff members in th e summer play schools in 1940.

"There were six teen d irecto rs,

four a ssista n t d ire cto rs, th irty -fo u r Board of Education tea ch ers, fo rty four p rivately engaged teach ers, twelve so cia l workers (in clu din g h ealth workers, p sy ch ia tric so cia l workers, and home v i s it o r s ) , fo rty -fo u r W.P.A. a s s is ta n ts , f i f t y - f i v e N.Y.A. a ssista n ts, and forty-seven vo lu n teers. o f t h is personnel tends to move on to larger f ie ld s , 1 Play School techniques."

Much

and so spread the

The second group o f tr a in e e s, the students, p a rticip a n ts and observers whose f ie ld work has been done in play schools, represent many geographical areas and a v a r ie ty of educational d is c ip lin e s .

During th e period o f the

cooperative tr a in in g experiment conducted by New York U n iversity in the play school at th e L i t t l e Red School House, for instance, students were involved in many aspects o f the p ro ject.

1.

Undergraduates served as student

Play Schools A ssociation, Annual Report, 1940, p. 2.

-592teach ers or observers in the demonstration courses.

Graduate students

acted as supervisors, a s siste d the U niversity fa cu lty , worked in guidance and home v i s i t i n g areas.

Sociology majors studied and recorded th e ir

progress with th e problems o f individual children.

Psychology students

administered, studied, and scored many types o f t e s t s . In 194-5 there were fu ll-tim e student teachers in a number o f selected play schools, part-tim e p a rticip a tin g students in an even larger number o f cen ters, and hundreds o f observers whose c o lleg e programs involved see­ ing one or more o f a ll of th e play sch ools.

Undergraduates from twenty-

two d iffe re n t c o lle g e s in 1946, and from twenty-one in 1947, worked in some capacity in the play sch ools.

These students came from the midwest,

the farw est, and the deep south ae w ell as from the c o lle g e s in New England and those in or near New York.

Many o f the graduate students from New

York U niversity and Teachers C ollege were already teachers in schools a ll over th e country and abroad.

The follow in g excerpts quoted from the re­

a ction s of th ree of th ese teacher-studen ts may give Borne in d ication of the a ttitu d e s they took home to th e ir own classrooms: Prom V/inston-Salem, North Carolina; Most n o ticea b le in some classroom situ a tio n s was the replacement o f submission, external control and comrp e t it io n , by spontaneity, s e lf-c o n tr o l and cooperar tio n . I t was t h r il l in g to see children and teachers working and liv in g togeth er. From D en v ille, New Jersey; The observations were wonderful. I made many notes on co n stru ctiv e ideas for group organization and for making th in g s with the child ren . There was a splendid f e e lin g o f homey warmth in most of the cen ters.

1.

More inform ation about t h is student w ill be found under The Role of the In d ivid u al, p. 4 l l .

-5 9 5 -

Prom New York Oity; The atmosphere i s calm, th e children have a fe e lin g o f belonging and are happy in th e ir daytime home. Of these three teach ers, th e f i r s t was a p articip an t, the second ah ob­ server, and the th ird g e ttin g p ra ctice in supervision and adm inistration. A ll o f the student tr a in in g mentioned above has taken place during summer se ssio n s.

The New York School o f Social Work, Antioch C ollege

and a few others have assigned students to the play school winter programs a lso .

These students whose major courses are not usually directed toward

teach ing, tend to carry th e play school influence in to areas other than the elementary school. The third and f in a l group under consideration here receiv es somewhat l e s s d ire ct, but not n e c e ssa r ily le s s in flu e n t ia l, play school orientar t io n .

In th ese days o f increasing community p articip ation in the business

o f education, th e board members, P.T.A. leaders and parents, as well as the p rofession al persons who see or hear about play school work may also contribute to the spread o f play school p o lic ie s and p ra ctices.

During

World War II and the postwar period, the Play Schools A ssociation 's annual conferences have attracted audiences o f from 600 to 700 each year.

Among

th ese p a rticip a n ts, from a wide v a r ie ty o f p laces and p rofession s, and among the readers o f play school p u b lication s have been many in d ivid u als responsible fo r d irectio n a l trends in the education of children. The three ca teg o ries discussed above do not comprise the t o ta l teacher tra in in g program o f the play sch ools.

Because a number o f teacher train in g

p ro jects have been o f a temporary or emergency nature, or prim arily supplied as serv ices to organizations other than th e play schools, they have been d elib era tely omitted from t h i s treatm ent.

They w ill be mentioned, sep arately,

-594as service p ro je cts, in the pages immediately follow in g. Service P rojects After the i n i t i a l organization of play sch ools, and the beginning o f parent education and the in -se r v ic e tra in in g o f s t a f f , the movement ex­ panded to in clu d e other a llie d a c t iv it i e s .

Cooperative arrangements with

c o lle g e s and p ro fessio n a l schools were among the e a r lie s t service areas entered by th e play sch o o ls.

Although the teacher tra in in g involved would

appear to have the most d ir e c t influence upon elementary school p ra ctices, other aspects o f the work have given evidence o f r e a l, p ossib ly more su b tle, e f f e c t upon th e to ta l pattern of childhood education.

An illu s t r a tio n o f

one such extension o f play school in fluence may be found in a report by 1 the coordinator o f th e New York U niversity demonstration at the L it t le Red School House. In the summer o f 1956, the parent education leader,

2

provided by the

Summer Play Schools Committee o f the Child Study A ssociation, devoted six f u l l days, one each week, to the program at the L it t le Red School House. She v is it e d classroom s, held conferences with individual parents, and con­ ducted general m eetings fo r parents and teachers at the clo se o f each day. Mrs. Grossman's se rv ices were among the most valuable contributed to the Summer Demonstration School. She understood tea ch ers, ch ild ren , and parents. She spoke the language o f each group and so f a ir ly interpreted each to th e oth ers. She had liv ed and does l iv e in the realm o f each group. She estab lish ed splendid re­ la tio n sh ip s between the homes and school end improved in many cases rela tio n sh ip between parents and ch ild ren . She opened th e way and set up a plan fo r continuous parent education in t h is oommunity.? 1. 2. 5.

Clara P. S k ile s (now Clara S k ile s - P la t t) . Jean Schick Grossman. Prom an unpublished report by Clara P. S k iles, in the f i l e s of the Play Schools A ssociation, p. 25.

-5 9 5 -

The parent education services provided in other a f f ilia t e d play schools freq u en tly carried over into year-round community p ro jects th at have un­ doubtedly influenced lo c a l home-school t i e s .

The tra in in g o f teachers and

other play school workers in family l i f e education has been r e fle c te d in many improved p r a c tic e s. During th e depression tra in in g serv ices were provided for fe d e r a lly sponsored lo c a l ch ild care programs in New York City and other urban areas. A report on the lo c a l p roject includes the follow ing paragraph: I t i s s ig n ific a n t that although the o rig in a l purpose was only to take care of four hundred unemployed teach ers by p u ttin g them in charge of outings for about f iv e thousand children d aily, a number of conferences with the Play School s t a f f resulted in the development o f a point o f view which looks beyond the immediate c r i s is , toward a con stru ctive educational program for the c i t y ' s ch ild ren . In th ese conferences the s ta f f p a rticu la rly stressed teacher training and supervision. As a r e s u lt Dr. John Loftus, one of the year-round d is t r ic t superin­ tendents, e s p e c ia lly appointed to head up t h is p roject, a fter a conference with Mrs. Stein, members of the Play Schools s t a f f and m yself, arranged for a week's tra in in g sessio n for h is teachers before the opening o f the sch ools. At one o f th ese session s which was turned over to the Child Study A ssociation, Mrs. Mossier, Dr. Gunther, Miss Youngblood and I presented to the teachers the r e s u lts o f our experience with m aterials and techniques, and gave the background and h isto r y o f the play school idea. During World War II the Play Schools A ssociation supplied parent and teacher education se r v ic es, plus supervision and sponsorship o f cen ters, to th e ch ild care programs conducted under City and State auspices in New York C ity .

The school-age centers in t h is program, now a u n it in the

New York C ity Department o f Welfare, are se t up, exoept for a few minor v a r ia tio n s, ex a ctly lik e the play schools after which they were modelled.

1.

Prom an unpublished report by Sidonie M. Gruenberg, (D irector o f the Child Study A ssociation ), July JO, 1954, p. 1.

-5 9 6 -

S p ecial tra in in g in ch ild care was also provided fo r public school teachers end others who volunteered th e ir serv ices for various wartime programs. In -ser v ice courses under Board of Education auspices have been conducted by the Play Schools A ssociation for teach ers in New York and other c i t i e s . Play school s t a f f members have frequently served as con su ltan ts and resource s p e c ia lis t s at the conferences and in the tra in in g programs of other o rgan ization s.

At a conference on play schools and home camps on

April 29, 1954, Ohild Study Association personnel joined th e s t a f f o f the Jewish Welfare Board in the conduct of the sessio n s.

At one meeting Louis

K raft, Director o f Center A c tiv itie s for the Jewish Welfare Board, stated: "The pioneer work which the Flay School has done in the f ie ld o f summer a c t iv it y and which has encouraged end aided the development of the Home Camp, may y et prove to be a fundamental factor in in flu en cin g educational procedure in th e much larger area of p rivately conducted le is u r e time a c tiv i­ t i e s and o f public education. C hildren's camping i s but one o f the a llie d educational areas th at have c a lle d upon and received play school h elp . sch ools in housing p ro je cts.

Since 1940 th ere have been play

I t may w ell be that th e ir in flu en ce has helped

to assure th e in clu sio n o f play space and equipment for school age children in contemporary and projected new housing u n its.

The Amalgamated Housing

Corporation i s one o f the agencies th at have in vited the p a rtic ip a tio n of play school s t a f f in th e ir training programs.

The G irl Scouts i s another.

In 1940, play school s t a f f members provided train in g se r v ic e s, through ta lk s at conferences, p articip ation on panels or demonstration a c t i v it ie s , to th ese organ ization s and to the United Neighborhood Houses, the United 1.

Prom a mimeographed record of the Conference Proceedings, p. 9.

-5 9 7 -

Farents A ssociation, the National A ssociation o f Day N urseries, th e W.P.A., and a number o f c o lle g e s and profession al schools. By 1942 the Play Schools A ssociation had begun to give a lim ited degree o f f ie ld serv ice in the tra in in g o f child care personnel in communities o u tsid e the m etropolitan New York area, while continuing to develop i t s cooperation with agencies nearer home.

The in it ia t io n o f a n ation al f ie ld

work program in 1945 made p ossib le a much wider range o f s e r v ic e s. w ill be included in the d iscussion of the national program on

These

pages 401-

408. Films and P ub lications Reasonably d etailed reports o f the use o f play school film s and printed m aterials in work with parents and s t a f f have been given e a r lie r in the study.

L istin g o f the major p u blications and the three film s w ill be found

in th e Appendix.

The extent of th e ir in fluence may be te n ta tiv e ly measured

in terms o f d istrib u tio n .

Pertinent numerical and geographical data w ill

be supplied fo r t h is purpose on the follow ing pages. Radio and t e le v is io n broadcasts by play school s t a f f have undoubtedly reached a much larger audience than a ll the p u b lication s o f the past th ir ty years combined.

I t i s highly probable, a lso , th a t the many a r t ic le s play

school lead ers have w ritten for lay and p rofession al journals have brought the play school story to many more readers than the A ssociation could hope to reach with i t s own p u b lication s.

Now and then some extension o f the

work may be traced d ir e c tly to the e f f e c t of such a r t ic le s , although ac­ curate measurement o f th e ir influence i s v ir tu a lly im possible.

For example,

a report* in th e National Elementary P rin cipal describing the introduction 1.

Rowena M. Shoemaker and Doris L. Bock, The Play School and I t s Program.

-5 9 8 -

o f a play school into a large public school in New York City brought about th e organization o f a sim ilar program fo r 1200 children in Hammond, Indiana. The Hammond Board of Education sent for the Play Schools A sso cia tio n 's f i e l d worker to help in s t itu t e and maintain th e program.

Other, sometimes

l e s s successfu l, ventures have been attempted by readers of play school a r t ic le s . Childhood Education, Progressive Education, and Child Study are among th e journals where play school contributions have appeared most frequently and c o n siste n tly over the years.

Occasional a r t ic le s by play school s t a f f

or about play school a c t iv it ie s have also appeared in School and S ociety, The American Journal o f Public Health, The Family, The Journal o f Home Economica, Parents Magazine. Better Times, Child Care News, The Independent Woman, The Junior League Magazine, the Ladies Home Journal, and in news­ papers, government b u lle tin s , and the yearbooks of p rofession al a sso cia tio n s. There are no availab le s t a t i s t i c s to determine what segment o f th e t o ta l population may have been affected by th ese media o f widely varying c ir c u la ­ t io n .

I t i s more nearly p o ssib le to estim ate the s iz e o f th e consumer audi­

ence fo r the m aterials published by the Play Schools A ssociation. In recent years the A ssociation has kept records o f the d istrib u tio n o f i t s p u b lica tio n s and film s.

A few sample fig u r e s may serve to in d icate

th e s iz e and geographical spread of th e ir p o ten tia l in flu en ce.

The f i r s t

play school film , "Health and Happiness", was shown, mostly before lo ca l audiences, by the Child Study A ssociation.

Prepared during th e f i r s t decade

o f the movement's h isto ry , i t was brought up to date from time to time, but there i s no evidence o f i t s d istrib u tio n on any siza b le s c a le .

A

second film , combining new shots with some reissued m aterial from the old ,

-

599-

was released as "The Play School Film" in January, 1958*

By mid-May o f

th e same year i t had been shown at twenty-one p la ces in s ix s ta t e s .

Re­

q u ests from th ree additional s ta te s snd Hawaii had not yet been f i l l e d . During 194-0 the film was given f if ty -fo u r showings in tw enty-three s ta te s and th e Territory of Hawaii.

Among the groups requesting i t were public

school o f f i c i a l s , park, health and recreation departments, lib r a r ie s , 1 museums, c o lle g e s , community centers and r e lig io u s organ ization s. The f i r s t and second film s were made and d istrib u ted under play school a u sp ices.

There was only one p rin t of each availab le at a tim e, and re­

q u ests for showings had to wait th e ir turns.

The la t e s t film , "Play Is

Our Business", was filmed in the cen ters, under play school supervision, but the production was done by s p e c ia lis t s .

The producing company has

a lso served as o f f ic ia l d istrib u tor o f p rin ts for ren tal or purchase. "Play I s Our Business" was released in the spring o f 1945*

At that

tim e the United S tates Department of S ta te 's O ffice o f International In­ formation and Cultural A ffairs adapted i t fo r worldwide d istr ib u tio n . has been tra n sla ted into seven additional languages. p osited fo r use in sixty-one d ifferen t countries.

It

P rin ts have been de­

The English version i s

a v a ila b le in th irty-tw o countries, the Spanish one in twenty, and the Portuguese in f iv e .

Some countries have only one p r in t.

Others have more.

Mexico has tw enty-three Spanish p rin ts; Brazil has f if t e e n in Portuguese and one in English. "Play I s Our Business" was «hown before lay and p ro fessio n a l audiences in th ir ty o f the fo r ty -e ig h t s ta te s in 194-9*

1.

The u se rs of th e film have

From records in the f i l e s of the Play Schools A ssociation .

400 -

included Boards o f Education, p ub lic, p rivate and parochial schools and c o lle g e s , book said film lib r a r ie s , churches, settlem en ts, housing p ro jects, h o s p ita ls , camps and ch ild care agencies o f many kinds.

Liberal arts co l­

le g e s , schools o f nursing, and junior c o lle g e s , as w ell as schools of so cia l work and teacher tra in in g in s titu tio n s have ehown the film to th e ir stu­ d en ts.

Teachers' groups, parents' groups, and combinations o f the two, and

community co u n cils engaged in so cia l planning, have used the play school f ilm.^ Their p u b lication s have also been made availab le by the Play Schools A ssociation to a wide v a riety o f groups and in d iv id u a ls.

In 19^2 orders

from fo rty -th r e e sta te s, Alaska, Hawaii* Mexico, Canada and the Oansl Zone were f i l l e d .

More than 8,000 copies of pamphlets and b u lle tin s were

d istrib u ted in 194-5, to almost every state in the Union and to Alaska, A u stra lia and I t a ly .

Eighteen u n iv e r s itie s , forty-seven public school

system s, ten public lib r a r ie s , twelve public h ealth organizations and ten co u n cils o f so c ia l agencies ordered 5,120 p ieces of published m aterial in 1946.

P illin g these orders plus individual ones took play school informar

tio n to 557 c i t i e s in fo rty -fo u r s ta te s , Puerto Rico, Alaska and Hawaii, and to Mexico, I ta ly , Hew Zealand, Canada, A ustralia and South A frica. The American Book Center for War Devastated L ibraries began i t s d istr ib u tio n o f packets, each containing ten key play school p u b lication s, to M inisters o f Education a ll over the world in 19^7.

Sim ilar packets

were supplied through the War Department's C iv il A ffa irs D ivision to the M ilita ry Governments in Tokyo and B erlin .

1.

Between six and eig h t thousand

Information obtained from an unpublished report prepared by the Play Schools A ssociation for the Mid Century White House Conference on Children and Youth, 1950*

-4 0 1 -

p u b lica tio n s went out from th e Play Schools A ssociation each year from 1947 through 1949*

They reached every one o f the fo r ty -e ig h t s ta te s , the

t e r r it o r ie s , and many foreign countries.^ The National Field V/ork Program I t was not u n til the establishm ent o f a n ation al f ie ld program in 1945 th a t the Play Schools A ssociation was able to begin to coordinate i t s h ith e rto sporadic work in other parts o f the country with the t o t a l func­ tio n in g o f i t s program.

The headquarters s t a f f had fo r some tim e been

meeting more and more requests for service in the f ie ld .

In 1944 play

school personnel had helped to set up ch ild care cen ters for Boards of Education in D allas, Buffalo snd Rochester, and fo r migrant workers' c h il­ dren in upper New York S tate. Emergencies and trends in child care have tended to d ic ta te the direc­ tio n the f ie ld work has taken.

At the sta r t, the th reat to wartime ch ild

care programs took precedence over a ll other aspects o f th e nation al f ie ld work.

The newly-appointed f ie ld worker found h e r s e lf engaged in special

p ro jects rela ted io t h is emergency.

While information was being co llected

and b u lle tin s issued by the National Committee on Group Oare of Children, a ll her time went into t h is p roject.

In 1946 th e c o a s t-to -c o a s t extension

o f play school ideas end techniques through a n ation al program o f f ie ld work was f in a lly launched.

2

1. Numerical data on t h is and the preceding pag© gathered from various unpublished records in the Play Schools A ssociation f i l e s . 2. Except where otherwise indicated, a ll information on th e n ational f ie ld work program has been gathered from unpublished reports by Monica B. Owen, th e National Field Worker, and in a s e r ie s o f conferences with her.

-402-

The Migrant Camps At the in v ita tio n o f the Home M issions Council o f North America* the Play Schools A ssociation came to i t s assistan ce in the pioneer venture of developing ch ild care se rv ices for the migrant camps of New York S tate. In th e summers o f 1944 and 1945 pre-season conferences were held for tea ch ers in the renovated bam s snd shacks where the program began*

The

headquarters s t a f f o f the Flay Schools Association also supplied sample to y s and m aterials* p u b lica tio n s, and on-the-spot guidance fo r the teachers who had been recruited from a ll over the country to work with th e children in th e migrant camps. In the years since 1945 work with the New York State Migrant Child Care Progrgm has become an in teg r a l part of the A ssociation 's f ie ld a c t iv it ie s . The n a tio n a l f ie ld worker Bpent a week in 1946 tra in in g s ta f f members and help in g them to set up and equip a ch ild care center in a public school. She devoted a f u l l month each in 1947 and 1948, three months in 1949 and two months in 195® to th e work.

I t involved teacher o rien ta tio n , planning

and organization o f cen ters, and consultation with the New York State Youth Commission's adm inistrative and supervisory personnel. In advance o f each summer session Mrs. Owen, the National F ield Worker, has given a ninety-hour tra in in g course at Cornell U niversity fo r d irectors and other workers in the cen ters.

Among the students have been public

school tea ch e rs, mostly Negroes from the deep south, as well as undergradu­ a tes from the Ivy League c o lle g e s of the northeast.

Following th e o rien ta ­

tio n course, th ese key students have been helped to set up demonstration cen ters fo r the tra in in g o f from f i f t y to one-hundred additional teach ers. One such center was set up in a renovated bam in the la r g e st Negro labor

-

cgmp in the S ta te.

405-

In another conanunity the pariah house o f th e local

P rotestan t church served as liv in g and tra in in g quarters for the s t a f f . Once the cen ters are underway, the Play Schools A sso cia tio n 's f ie ld worker goes on to work with the public school teachers who have been se­ le cte d to serve as sta te supervisors responsible for a ll th e play cen ters. Some o f the migrant camps have a ll Negro fa m ilie s from Florida.

One has

Hungarian and P o lish mothers and children from the Pennsylvania mining areas.

The fa th ers remain at home to work in the mines while th e ir fa m ilie s

tend and harvest crops in New York S tate.

In other camps w hites from the

Kentucky mountains work side by side with Negroes from various parts of th e south.

S ta ffs o f the cen ters are also mixed.

The i n i t i a l tr a in in g course given at Cornell U niversity includes two weeks of o rien ta tio n for lead ers in the child care work.

The demonstrar

tio n s that follow in the lo c a l areas la s t from one to two weeks.

The

program as presented in th ese pre-opening session s p a r a lle ls that of the c it y play sch ools, but i t i s o f n ecessity adapted to the twenty-four hour liv in g o f a migrant camp.

The work with parents i s said by the camp

a u th o r itie s to have improved morale in the camps. murders since th e ch ild care program was se t up.

There have been fewer The b etter th e program,

the more th e parents are w illin g to send th e ir children to school instead o f into the f i e l d s . From 1944 to 1950 play school f ie ld work among the migrants was lim ited to New York S ta te.

In 1950 beginnings were made in the tra in in g

o f personnel for sim ilar ch ild care serv ices for the State o f Florida. C a lifo rn ia i s now planning to organize centers for the care of i t s migrant children and has turned to the Play Schools A ssociation for h elp .

The

sig n ifica n ce o f play school education to thousands of uprooted children,

-4o4msny o f whom experience no other regular school attendance, ia receivin g belated recogn ition across th e nation. Schools and C olleges A burning issu e in 1946 was the continuance o f th e w artim e-institu ted c h ild care c e n te r s.

With the notable exception o f New York C ity, most of

th e cen ters were in public schools, under th e ju r is d ic tio n o f lo c a l boards o f education.

Communities from Connecticut to C a lifo r n ia c a lle d on the

Play Schools A ssociation for help in maintaining th e ir ch ild care se r v ic e s. In P h iladelphia, where th ere were child care programs under so c ia l agency auspices and under the Board of Education, as w e ll, the nation al f ie ld worker conferred with personnel from both groups j o in t ly in 1946.

During

th a t year she a lso spoke to ch ild care groups on the philosophy, methods and m aterials o f the play schools in New Haven, S a lt Lake C ity, Denver and M ontclair. One o f the play school p rojects involving the c o lle g e s became, i f such a th in g i s conceivable, too su ccessfu l.

The n ation al f ie ld worker toured

the n a tio n 's c o lle g e s in 1946 to recru it young people for work in the play sch o o ls.

She spoke to groups of students on the philosophy and methods of

the schools and encouraged them to apply for play school a s s is ta n td iip s . As a r e s u lt, th e Play Schools A ssociation was deluged by hundreds o f student a p p lica tio n s.

Although Mrs. Owen returned to many o f th e c o lle g e s as a

resource person, when in v ited to p a rticip a te in education courses or vocatio n a l guidance, the recruitment plan was abandoned. The Board o f Education o f Newark, New Jersey, requested serv ice in 1947, as part o f a plan to introduce more play into i t s elementary c la s s ­ rooms.

A short s e r ie s o f t a lk s was given, and la te r , a f u ll semester course

-405for teach ers from kindergarten through the second grade. course was provided for teachers through the sixth grade. carried c r e d it.

In 1949 a sim ilar Both courses

Supervisors of elementary education sat in as auditors.

At the in v ita tio n o f th e C aliforn ia State Youth Authority the national f ie ld worker spent a month in 1948, and a shorter period in 1949, in that s ta t e .

She conducted discussion groups with s ta te , county and c ity super­

v is o r s , d irecto rs and teachers of the C aliforn ia child care cen ters.

All

are located in public school buildingB and the day care program i s under th e ju r is d ic tio n o f the C alifornia State Department o f Education.

The f ie ld

worker has also conferred with many educational lead ers, including lo c a l superintendents, on methods and values o f coordinating the s e r v ic e s of the C a lifo rn ia play centers with the program o f the day schools. When Mrs. Owen returned from the International Congress on Mental H ealth, held in London in the summer of 1948, many communities sought her help in the solu tion o f th eir lo ca l health problems.

She went to Des Moines

in 1949 to a s s is t in the organization of a play school for ch ild ren whose mental or physical handicaps precluded th e ir attendance at regular public schocSB.

Local a u th o rities were beginning to f e e l th at th e education of these

ch ild ren , conducted largely by v is it in g teachers, fa ile d to meet the com­ monneed o f a ll youngsters for some experience in group liv in g . The f ie ld worker waB Called into deprived areas of some o f the southern s ta te s by the Save the Children Federation.

During the school year, 1948-

1949, she met with sta te supervisors and teaohers from the rural schools of Tennessee and West V irgin ia.

They conferred on ways and means of enrich­

ing th e lim ited educational opportunities provided for ch ild ren from the mountains and woodland sectio n s of t h is part o f th e nation . Mrs. Owen conducted a course of workshops at an in s t itu t io n for boys

-406in. the n ortheast in 1950.

The ch ildren, em otionally disturbed end educa­

t io n a lly retarded, have fa ile d to make sa tisfa c to r y adjustments to home, school, or neighborhood patterns on the ou tsid e.

The course, based on

play school philosophy and p ra ctices, was planned for the counselors and volu n teers who compose the in s t it u t io n 's recreation s t a f f . t io n worker took the course. in s t itu t io n .

Every recrear

A public school i s maintained w ithin the

Every public school teacher took the course. Related Educational Services

Thougjhtful educators have come to recognize th a t many community agencies, other than schools and c o lle g e s, are concerned with the growth and develop­ ment of ch ild ren .

The f ie ld work services o f the Play Schools A ssociation

have been made availab le to a number o f th ese related educational agencies. In 1947 o rien ta tio n sessio n s for settlem ent workers were held in Cleveland, Boston, and Rochester.

A s e r ie s o f two courses for parent groups was given

in Bridgeport, Connecticut, th at year, with a return engagement directed prim arily toward fa th ers, the follow ing year.

In 1948 a s p e c ia lly designed

course in play school a c t iv it ie s was conducted for the New Jersey Depart­ ment o f I n s titu tio n s .

The p articip an ts were board members, d irecto rs and

group lead ers representing orphahi

homes, penal in s t itu t io n s , homes for

neglected ch ild ren and the Salvation Army. In her report to the International Congress on Mental Health in 1948, Monica Owen c a lle d attention*- to the work of the play schools in meeting the sp ecial needs of migrant children.

Her d iscu ssion o f the reje c tio n of

such youngsters by the more established citizen ry included the statement th a t: 1.

"All migrant children face common problems: in secu rity , discriminar

From a copy o f the Final Report o f the Ooranission on Migrant Children, Monica B. Owen, Chairman of Commission, pp. 5"*10.

-407tio n and economic in ju s tic e .

They are r o o tle ss; they have no experience 1 o f permanence, o f s e ttle d fam ily or community l i f e or of belonging." Groups o f c it iz e n s who were concerned about the deprived and troubled

youngsters in th e ir own communities began to c a ll for the f ie ld worker's se r v ic e s as soon as she returned from the Congress.

She was asked to help

se t up mental h ealth serv ices in many d iffe r e n t parts o f the country.

She

conferred with the personnel of departments of h ealth ; she met with cot­ tage parents o f children in reform atories; she addressed settlem ent workers, so c ia l work students, parents, board members, Boy Scout lead ers and church groups.

At each meeting, large or small, the group liv in g o f children was

discussed and communities were helped to find the ways and means of settin g up play programs for th e ir boys and g i r l s . The most recent developments in the national f ie ld work program seem to in d ica te a d e fin ite trend in the d irectio n of the provision of play op­ p o r tu n itie s fo r handicapped children and a growing in te r e s t, on the part o f h ith erto seldom reached groups, in the t o ta l w elfare of ch ildren.

A

convalescent home for orthopedically handicapped ch ild ren c a lled on Mrs. Owen to se t up the space, equipment, and m aterials for a play program.

She

also conducted workdiops for i t s adm inistrative s t a f f , nurses, psycho­ th e r a p ists and volu n teers.

Additional sessio n s were la te r provided for

the recreation department and a summer program based on play school prin­ c ip le s was inaugurated. The lead ers o f a Delaware housing p roject came to New York Oity for two days o f con sultation on the Care of children in housing developments.

1.

. I b i d . , p. 1.

-408The International Business Machines' headquarters in Endicott, New York, c a lle d on the f ie ld worker to help plan a building for three-hundred c h il­ dren o f th e ir employees.

The con su ltation serv ices were applied to archi­

te c tu r e , standards o f health and w elfare, program, s t a f f and m aterials in th e se ttin g up o f a play school for a ll day in sunmer and a fter school in w inter. The General A lliance o f Unitarian and Other L iberei C hristian Women requested the help o f Dr. Abigail E lio t o f the Nursery Training School of Boston and o f Monica Owen of the Play Schools A ssociation in the settin g up o f sunmer play schools under church auspices in New England. book was prepared to guide lo c a l groups in g ettin g started .

A hand­

Reference

m aterials, including many o f the play school p u b lication s, were supplied to branch organizations. Requests for f ie ld serv ice far exceed the A sso cia tio n 's a b ility to honor than.

Financial and personnel resources are lim ited .

The one of­

f i c i a l f ie ld worker has responded to a ll the c a lls cited here as examples, and a good many more, in the f iv e years o f her serv ice to the organization. The in d ivid u als whom the D irector o f the Play Schools A ssociation c a lls i t s " u n official f ie ld workers"

have also helped.

Their in flu en ce, im­

measurable in both meanings o f the word, w ill be considered n ext. The Role o f the Individual The play schools began as the r e s u lt o f the in fluence o f a few inspired in d iv id u a ls.

Their message has been carried far and wide by men and women

who have become in terested in the movement.

Board and committee members

have frequently transferred th e ir own knowledge and enthusiasm about play

schools to th e ir frien ds and a sso c ia te s in other organizations and other lo c a litie s .

Volunteers and trained p rofession al workers have made sig­

n ific a n t contributions toward spreading play school p o lic ie s and p ractices 88 they have moved about, geographically and ed u cation ally.

In order to

present a few examples o f how t h is p a rticu la r aspect o f play school in flu ­ ence functions, a number o f individual play school workers have been traced to th e ir present or q u ite recent p rofession al p o sts. Henry Harap directed the f i r s t p lsy school. for at le a s t f iv e summers.

He continued in that post

During th at period he contributed to the early

lite r a tu r e about the movement.

In the years since h is association with the

schools, Dr. Harap has taught in in s titu tio n s o f higher education in various p a rt8 of the country, has w ritten widely in books and p erio d ica ls, and has probably influenced curriculum changes in thousands o f elementary schools. He i s today Associate D irector of the D ivision o f Surveys and Field Ser1 v ic e s at George Peabody C ollege for Teachers. Another director of the same play school i s now a national leader in the parent education f ie ld . Several former play school d irecto rs have moved into other p osition s o f leadership in the New York area.

Bio d irector

2

o f the center at Union

Settlement in 1927 became the head o f the United Neighborhood Houses.

A

former play school director^ i s now D irector o f the All-Day Neighborhood Schools.

Two others

are d irecto rs of w ell known community schools which

•serve as cooperative tra in in g centers fo r the lo c a l c o lle g e s and professional sch ools. 1. 2. 5. 4. 5.

Another^ heads a special program for the orien tation to th e ir new

Jean Schick Grossman. Cynthia Knowles. Adele Franklin. Lawrence Reece o f The Downtown Comnunity School; Theresa M. Engelbrecht of the Brooklyn Community School. Esther Cushman.

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environment o f non-English speaking c it iz e n s from Puerto Rico.

One play

school teacher,^ who la te r became a d irecto r, went on to study and teach sp a stic children in C a lifo rn ia and returned to take charge o f the education o f th e handicapped.for th e New York S tate Department of Education. Two women holding p o sitio n s of eduoational leaderdiip today began as 2 volunteers in the play sch o o ls. One la te r became a teacher, then a play school d irector in a housing p roject, and is now an educational consultant responsible for th e adm inistration and supervision o f a number o f ch ild 3 care cen ters. The other was a play school parent who entered c o lleg e as a re su lt o f the renewed in te r e st in education th a t grew out of her work as a volunteer with her own and other youngsters in a play school.

After

four years of c o lle g e she continued with graduate study in both education and so cia l work, became a play school so c ia l worker and la te r a d irector. She has also been director o f a large day camp and has taught and done c lin ic a l work on the s t a f f s o f two o f New York C ity 's municipal c o lle g e s . It has not been p o ssib le to lo ca te a ll former play school personnel responsible for the tra in in g o f teachers and others in the n a tio n 's col­ le g e s .

Play school workers are known to have f il l e d teaching p o sitio n s in

c o lle g e s and p rofession al schools in th e follow ing states*

Alabama*

C aliforn ia, Connecticut, Maryland, M assachusetts, Ohio, New York, North Carolina, Tennessee and Texas.

Those who have moved into supervision, ad­

m inistration and teacher tra in in g in the child care f ie ld represent an even wider geographical d istrib u tio n , with foreign countries and United States' te r r ito r ie s included. 1. 2. 5.

Joseph Fenton. Esther Stillm an. Esther Shefrin.

-4 llWhat i s p e r h a p s p a r t i c u l a r l y s i g n i f i c a n t f o r t h e p u r p o se s o f t h i s

study i s the number o f play school workers who have become p rin cip als and supervisors o f public elementary sch ools.

The la rg est number is to be

found in New York C ity, but there have been two in Scarsdale and at le a s t one each in Mahhasset and Middletown in New York S tate.

Play school teachers

and d irectors have also served as supervisors or p rin cip als in the schools o f Newton, M assachusetts, A tlantic C ity, Baltimore, Kansas C ity, Omaha* and 1 Winston-Salem, North C arolina. The supervisor of the elementary schools for Negroes in Winston-Salem was once a student participant in the play sch ools.

As a r e s u lt o f her enthusiasm and superior work with children

the Association in v ited Miss Hayes to return as a regular teacher.

Her own

in te r e st must have been keen for she accepted the p osition although i t in­ volved postponement o f cer ta in personal and professional plans for an e n tir e year. There are probably u n o ffic ia l f ie ld workers of whom the Play Schools A ssociation never hears. Now and then a rip p le may seep back to the source. 2 A story recen tly appeared in the Ladies Home Journal describing a summer play school in St. Louis.

Tracing down i t s o rig in s, the A ssociation d is­

covered that the school had been organized by a parent who had been a play school d irector in New York C ity twenty years ago.

One play school teacher,

5

la te r a d irector, then a supervisor o f ch ild care cen ters, recently organized a play program under United S tates m ilita ry auspices in the P h ilip p in es. In the summer o f 1949 the young country o f Israel sent the director o f

1 . Dorothy Hayes (B lount), whose comment as a New York U niversity student in the play schools was quoted on page 592. 2 . "Hamilton-School Mothers," The Ladies Home Journal. Vol. LXVII, No. 5 (May, 1950). 5 . Ester Stewart.

-412playgrounds fo r Tel-Aviv to th e United S tates to study recreational programs here.

He v is it e d the play schools and took back many ideas, p u b lication s,

and, apparently a teacher or two.

The follow ing year Mark McCloskey o f the

New York City Board o f Education, on a v i s i t to I sr a e l, found a play school program in f u l l swing in Tel-A viv, and discovered at le a s t one New York C ity teacher on i t s s t a f f .

There i s a former play school director* serving

as consultant to a w ell known manufacturer of educational equipment.

Each

o f these in d iv id u a ls i s b elieved to have played some part, however small, in bringing th e in flu en ce o f the play schools to bear upon education, in ways that may be more r ea d ily assayed when another th ir ty years have passed. New Designs in Education The tr a d itio n a l classroom with i t s immovable furn itu re, i t s restricted curriculum, i t s authoritarian d is c ip lin e and i t s s ile n t children has been in the process o f tr a n sitio n throughout the period under consideration in t h is study.

Some o f the changes, p a rticu la rly in the s k ill areas, appear

to have l i t t l e connection with the development o f play school a.

Other

changes bear a much clo ser resemblance to p o lic ie s and p ra ctices described in the preceding pages.

I t i s proposed th at certa in d irection al trends

already underway, or rea d ily p red ictable in the n o t-to o -d ista n t future, have been strengthened and reinforced by the work of the play schools.

Pour

areas within which the play schools have set precedents or sponsored experi­ mentation have been selected for d iscu ssion h ere.

They are related to the

tim ing o f the school day and year, th e focus of the curriculum, i t s content snd i t s method.

1.

Olive Galston.

-4 ij-

The Extended School Day and Year William Heard K ilp atrick , in h is report to the 1950 White House Con­ feren ce, stressed the importance o f the summer vacation as a tim e for experimentation in education. had w ritten:

Six years e a r lie r Beatrice Borg Stein

"Thus th e Play Schools are pointing the way to a ll-y o a n -

round schooling—demonstrating th at the summer vacation period need not be one o f mental, moral and physical d eterioration and waste for c h il­ dren who l iv e in unsupervised or congested d is t r ic t s , but may become a source of h e a lth , education, and happiness to them, and of opportunity 1 and s a tis fa c tio n to teach ers and p a r e n ts.11 The early summer play school was a pioneer venture in extending school serv ices to include an or­ ganized a ll-d a y Sumner program for children o f school ago.

A fter-school

a c t iv it ie s were advocated in the e a r lie s t play school p u b lication s, end for many years th e r e a fte r , but the f i r s t year-round play school did not m a teria lize u n til 1940. Examples o f school experiments involving changes in tim ing the school day and extending the school year were few and far between u n til World War II and i t s demands fo r mothers in industry made the care of th e ir c h il­ dren an immediate n e c e s s ity .

Junius Merism, whose laboratory school was

organized at th e U niversity of M issouri in 1904, arranged th e school day into four f le x ib le blocks o f time fo r observation, play, s to r ie s and hand2 work. Adolph Meyer observes th at Meriam's plan represented the f i r s t major break with tr a d itio n in the organization o f the school day.

1. 2.

Many

"Summer Play Schools," Federation for Child Study B u lle tin , Vol. 1, No. 6 (May, 1924), p. 2. The Development o f Education in the Twentieth Century, pp. 14-15.

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years la te r th e public schools o f B luffton, Indians and Nev/ark, New Jersey provided for year-round school attendance.

Both experiments in­

volved more academic le sso n s rather than a d ifferen t kind of program in th e summer and both were eventually abandoned. The time pattern s e t by an e a r lie r agricu ltu ral so ciety i s s t i l l th e most common one in our n a tio n 's sch ools.

The W.F.A. experiments of

th e depression years, th e ch ild care programs of World War I I, the A llDay Neighborhood Schools, and the play schools have helped to show that tim ing more c o n sisten t with contemporary urban l i f e i s p o ss ib le .

Al-

thouf^i many schools are sorely overcrowded and unable to meet present de­ mands fo r additional tim e, space, and service, the trend in t h is d irectio n i s b elieved to have made a firm beginning. Summer camping as part of the educational program o f the public schools represents both an extension o f the school year snd an expansion of the tr a d itio n a l concept o f curriculum.

As evidence of an educational trend 1 school camping i s s t i l l more p o ten tia l than actu al. New York, Michigan,

and C a lifo r n ia are probably the only sta te s where summer camping has achieved any measurable sig n ifica n ce in public school programming.

It

i s mentioned here because, lik e the play schools whose work i t has recog­ nized and sometimes adapted, and the All-Day Neighborhood Schools, the 2

school camp supports the trend toward extending the serv ices of the school, 1. 2.

Hedley S. Dimock in th e 1949 Social Work Year Book, p. 76» The follow in g sources were consulted in the preparation o f t h is summary o f extended school services: Margaret Hampel, “Extending the School Day and Year"; William Van T il, "Schools and Camping," both in Toward A New Curriculum, 1944 Yearbook, Department of Supervision and Curriculum Development, N .E .A .; The 1949 3 o cla l Work Yearbook; Clara F» B litz e r , “Open A ll Day, A ll Year , 11 Educ a tio n al Leadership, Vol. I l l , No, 5 (February, 1946); Margaret Hampel and Hazel Gabbard, Open Doors to Children, Washington, D. C .: U, S. O ffice o f Education, I9A5,

-415-

The Community-Centered School Probably no book on elementary education w ritten in the la s t ten years has f a ile d to emphasize the importance of the community as a cur­ riculum focus*

Serving the community* studying the community* surveying

th e community, u t iliz in g the community as a laboratory, are a ll recom­ mended curriculum p ra ctices for contemporary schools.

The u ltim ate goal

o f a s o c ia lly oriented educational philosophy is clea rly implied in the many e f fo r t s th a t are being made to bring school and community together fo r the w elfare o f ch ild ren .

The ideal is not new.

I t s r e a liz a tio n on

any siza b le sc a le s t i l l l i e s in the realm of the future. 1

The N ational Society for the Study o f Education advocated community-school r e la tio n sh ip s away back in 1911.

clo se r

Jansen sta ted ,

2

in

1940, that the recreation al and community a c t iv it ie s within the school system needed to be more c lo se ly related to the work of the day school. As play schools have been introduced into more and more public schools, they have brought with them th e ir community-oriented philosophy and th e ir program o f a c t i v it i e s centered around the resources, physical and human, o f the lo c a l scene. Clara P. S k ile s, describing The Demonstration Community Flay School, wrote: The central purpose, as the name im plies, i s to r e la te the school to the community. We make special e f f o r t s to work with every in s titu tio n that bears on the li v e s o f th e children in our classrooms—with public end p riv a te and parochial schools, with settlem ent houses and w elfare agencies and h o sp ita l c lin ic s .

1. 2.

Part 1, The C ity School as a Community Center, 10th Yearbook, Chicago, 1911, pp. 1-75. William Jansen, The Social Agencies and Public Education in New York C ity , p. 57*

- 4 l6 We try to r e la te th e ch ild ren 's experiences to the community. Recreation i s part of th e program, and i t i s found in the neighborhood playgrounds and swimming and wading pools. Big and l i t t l e , the ch ild ren are encouraged to explore th e ir own immedi­ ate world. Evidences w ill be found throughout th is research of the v it a l im­ portance o f community fa c to r s in al l play school planning and function ing. One o f the four major aims o f the movement has been community cooperation. Most o f the chapter on sponsorship has been devoted to a d iscu ssion of the r e la tio n sh ip s developed between the play schools snd other community agencies in the service o f children and fa m ilie s.

The growing emphasis

on so c ia l valu es in elementary education has unquestionably been served, i f not p a r tia lly prompted, by the type of community-centered education exem plified by the play sch ools. The Expanding Curriculum Extending the sch o o l's time of service makes some s h ift in emphasis and some expansion in content almost in ev ita b le for curriculum planners. The community focus h elp s to expand the curriculum in terms o f space, ju st as the extended day and year expand i t in tim e.

A recogn ition of

the growth p attern s o f children and an increased understanding of the in te r e s ts and m otivations ch a ra cteristic o f various age le v e ls have tended to make the development o f children seem at le a s t as important as the teaching o f subject m atter.

The introduction o f play approaches to

language, scie n c e, music, the arts, and even arithm etic, has probably done more than any other educational innovation to broaden the tr a d itio n a l

1.

A Community Play School Helps to Orient the Child, New York Times, July 16, 1959.

-4 1 7 -

b a s e o f t h e c u r r ic u lu m .

The gradual acceptance of play as an important fa cto r in the learnring prooesa is beginning to a ffe c t both th e focus and the content of contemporary curricula*

Almost twenty years ago the Chicago Superintendent

o f Schools stated : For eight weeks during t h is vacation an experimental public summer school w ill be conducted in the LewisOhamplain b u ild in g. I t has been planned fo r one pur­ pose, and th at i s to help Chicago school a u th o r itie s, from teacher to Superintendent, to discover and appreci­ ate values in fr ee or se lf-e x p r e ssiv e programs that can be secured in Chicago public schools under the circumstances that confront public school support and adm inistration. The la t e s t yearbook

2

o f the Association fo r Supervision and Curriculum

Development emphasizes the importance fo r teachers o f (1) understanding the backgrounds of each child and of the group, (2) fo ste r in g ch ild ren ’ s v i t a l in te r e s ts to m otivate learning, and (5) u t il iz in g c r e a tiv e , so cia l­ ly v a lid methods in the classroom.

The teacher o f tr a d itio n a l academic

background and formal school experience has u su ally had few opp ortunities to study ch ild ren , know th e ir fa m ilie s and apply th e ir own m otivations in helping them grow and develop.

The play school teacher, who has had

the b en efit of sp ecial orien tation to th e freer program, and con sultation with trained so cia l workers to help in approaches to both parents and ch ild ren , i s apt to be more comfortable in a ll th ree areas stressed above. As die goes in to the elementary school classroom she takes with her the knowledge and techniques that are believed to be v it a l l y important for

1. 2.

From a statement by Superintendent William J . Bogan, in 1951» in the records o f the Chicago experiment f ile d with the Play Schools A ssociation vfoose s t a f f a ssisted in i t s in it ia t io n . Fostering Mental Health in Our Schools, 1950.

-4 1 8 -

t h e e x p a n s io n and e n rich m en t o f t h e c u r r ic u lu m .

Teaching and Learning Tools The presence o f play school designed or adapted equipment in the classroom s and on the playgrounds of America's schools i s ta n g ib le evi­ dence o f play school in flu en ce.

Less obvious, and probably more im­

portant, i s the approach to education that the use o f such m aterials im p lies.

The play schools have undertaken experimentation with to o ls

and techniques as a means o f Improving the q u a lity of group liv in g in classroom s.

They have designed, revised, and demonstrated methods and

m aterials calcu lated to relea se the crea tiv e impulses of youngsters and to improve th e ir p erson ality development and so c ia l adjustment. The photographs on pages 46^-472

o f the Appendix illu s t r a t e some

o f th e curriculum experiences in the play sch ools.

They also in d icate

how th ese experiences may be motivated or enriched by the use o f simple, rea d ily a v a ila b le m aterials. sim ilar m a teria ls.

Many public schools are using th e same or

Some schools have made copies of both the indoor and

outdoor equipment in th e ir own shops.

Commercially executed version s of

play school designed or adapted equipment are now a vailab le on the order l i s t s of c it y schools. Members of the Play Schools A ssociation 's headquarters s t a f f have studied th e classroom needs of individual children and o f groups. have consulted with ch ild ren , parents, and s t a f f at th e c e n te r s. have taken th e ir fin d in g s to r e lia b le equipment companies.

They They

As a r esu lt

many o f the m aterials o r ig in a lly made for nursery schools are now being b u ilt in larger dimensions and sturdier construction for school-age boys and g i r l s .

A n est o f bridges has been designed fo r both indoor and out-

-4 1 9 -

door u se.

This year, for the f i r s t tim e, tab le blocks have been made

a v a ila b le in the same shapes and r e la tiv e dimensions as th e more common flo o r blocks.

These smaller ta b le blocks are more su ita b le fo r older

ch ild ren , who may wish to do more in tr ic a te , arch itectu ral typ es of con stru ction , and who frequently ob ject to playing on the flo o r . Some o f the new trends in play school equipment show the e f f e c t of recent planning for handicapped children.

Others are p a rticu la rly

adaptable to use in public school classrooms.

A tr a v e llin g e a s e l, for

example, may be used in school or transported to park or playground for p ain tin g ou t-o f-d o o rs.

Book-racks on r o lle r s serve to make reading a

p o s s ib ilit y in many p laces other than the estab lish ed lib ra ry or book corner.

L is ts o f equipment and m aterials, arranged according to age

le v e l in te r e s ts , have been made availab le to schools and ch ild care cen ters as w ell as to play schools.

These l i s t s , added to the many pub­

lish ed or mimeographed b u lle tin s in such curriculum enrichment areas as t r ip s , puppetry and dramatic play, have helped to make many schools happier, h e a lth ie r places for children. The PlaV School Child A long time ago the Summer Flay Schools Committee o f the Child Study A ssociation asked i t s e l f these two challenging questions: What i s the beat type o f summer program for th ese ch ild ren , and how can e x is tin g f a c i l i t i e s be used to provide for them a happy, h ealth fu l experience throughout the summer? How Can the p rin cip les o f child care and tra in in g which prove valuable with children in Play Schools during the summer be carried over to parents and made a part o f the year-round environment o f the e n tir e family and neighborhood? 1.

From a small undated, unpaged brochure e n title d Health and Fun Through Constructive Play, probably printed in 1926.

—420— The program has touched many in d ivid u als and many educational forces in th e ensuing years.

At i t s core has always been the w elfare o f the

play school c h ild , who has probably been a prime moving fa c to r in spread­ ing i t s influence to other agents of education in the community.

C lass­

room teach ers, parents, storekeepers, so c ia l workers, play th e r a p ists have f e l t the impact o f play school philosophy through bhe play school c h ild . Many a fireman, postal clerk, lib ra ria n , or grocer has had h is f i r s t con tact with groups of children studying th e ir environment, through the play sch ools.

When the play schools f i r s t ventured forth on t r ip s with

ch ild ren , they went into what was p r a c tic a lly unexplored school te r r ito r y . The present a ttitu d es o f acceptance, to le r a tio n or r e jectio n by com­ munity workers of school-age children in t h is ro le may w ell have been b u ilt, to a considerable degree, on e a r lie r con tacts with the play schools. This in fluence works both ways, a ffe c tin g gu ests as w ell as h o s t s .

Many

a public school youngster has had h is f i r s t group experience with com­ munity serv ices as part of h is sunnier in a play school.

He has then

carried into h is home and h is classroom the learn in gs in a ttitu d e and content gained on these play school exp loration s. Ever since 1940, when after-sch ool cen ters were started in publio school b u ild in g s, the c h ild 's lin e of communication from h is p lsy school to h is day school has grown diorter and more d ir e c t.

How much h is par­

tic ip a t io n in both programs has done to influence elementary school prac­ t i c e s i s probably a matter for conjecture at t h is tim e.

I t seems certa in ,

however, th a t where p rin cip als and teach ers are recep tive of curriculum m otivation from children, play school p o lic ie s and p ra ctices have been brought into the elementary school.

-421-

Summary One d iff ic u lty with educational programs ia that they are never b u ilt for time but are always b u ilt for e te r n ity . Each pedagogical reformer, convinced th at he has found at la s t a changeless and enduring way of educating human nature, announces h is program as a s e r ie s o f tim ele ss ab solu tes. Every curriculum has an air o f being b u ilt upon the impregnable rock o f h o ly scripture; and, since academic in s t itu t io n s are h igh ly conservative, the new curriculum, once a liv e and v i t a l , when i t becomes moribund, e ith e r changes slow ly or changes not at a l l . As a so cia l agency operating within an educational framework, neith er bound by academic tra d itio n nor lim ited by "tim eless absolutes", the play school has been able to maintain an experimental philosophy and a s u s c e p tib ility to change.

It has been f le x ib le enough to meet the chal­

lenge o f sw iftly changing so cia l p attern s.

The play school movement i s

young enougjh to have learned a great deal from the older d is c ip lin e s . Perhaps i t i s old enough now to have some te n ta tiv e assessment made of what i t has taught i t s teach ers. The presence of play schools in the public schools of Mew York City end the employment of public school teachers in the cen ters have tended to introduce play school p o lic ie s , p ra ctices, and m aterials in to the elementary school curriculum in that c it y .

The a v a ila b ility of so c ia l

workers for consultation with play school parents and teach ers has helped to build stronger home-school rela tio n sh ip s.

I t has also enabled many

teachers to develop improved a ttitu d es o f acceptance toward children and t h e ir p arents.

1.

Teachers who have worked in both the play and day school

Howard Mumford Jones, Education and World Tragedy. Harvard U niversity Press, 1?4£. p. 88.

Cambridge:

-422programs of the same public school have been p a rticu la rly in flu e n tia l in bringing about the in tegration of the two. The educational in fluence of the play school movement in New York C ity has not been lim ited to the public schools.

Each play school has

esta b lish ed con tacts with the fa m ilies and other community agencies serv­ ing i t s ch ild ren .

From i t s e a r lie s t days, the play school has tended to

b o lste r and promote the p rin cip les of progressive education in areas out­ sid e the customary sphere of in fluence of the public sch ools.

In recent

y ears the movement has reached out to places and agencies in an everwidening o r b it. After th e 1950 White House Conference on Child Health and P rotection , where considerable a tten tio n had been devoted to summer a c t i v i t i e s for school ch ild ren , a number of American c i t i e s began to organize play sch o o ls.

Ground lo s t during the early days of the depression was more

than made up by th e tremendous growth o f play programs under W.F.A. aus­ p ic e s shortly afterward. c h ild care served to

During World War II the renewed emphasis on

further expand the movement.

In p u b lica tio n s, on

radio broadcasts, and at conferences of educational and s o c ia l work organi­ za tio n s, the play school story was being told to a larger and more d iv ersi­ f ie d audience. The teacher tra in in g a c t iv it ie s of the play schools have involved many in d iv id u a ls in p o sitio n s of leadership ou tsid e the A sso cia tio n 's c e n te r s.

O rientation, in -se r v ic e tra in in g and supervision have been pro­

vided for c o lle g e students on f ie ld work assignments and fo r workers in other ch ild care programs as w ell as for the s t a f f s of play sch ools. Observation in the cen ters, p u b lication s, film s and conferences, have supplied l e s s in ten siv e but probably equally meaningful guidance to

-4 2 5 -

p ro fessio n a l and le y workers occupying key p o sitio n s in ch ild care. The Play Schools A ssociation in itia te d a program of n ation al f ie ld work in 1945*

At f i r s t most of itB e f fo r t s were concentrated upon the

continuance o f wartime child care cen ters.

Since 1946 the f ie ld work

has revolved around migrant camps, schools and c o lle g e s , and the intro­ duction o f play programs into housing p rojects and in s t itu t io n s , as w ell as in to public school systems in various parts o f the nation. There are today, in important p osts in sch ools, c o lle g e s , and a llie d educational programs a ll over t h is country, in d ivid u als who were formerly associated with the play schools as students, teachers, so c ia l workers or d ir e c to r s.

There are also, on the boards o f many in s t itu t io n s , lay

and p ro fessio n a l workers interested in spreading the p o lic ie s and prac­ t i c e s o f th e play schools.

The d irect contacts of th ese in d iv id u a ls,

added to the other methods of communication employed by th e play school movement, are believed to be responsible for idle widespread influence of play school ideas on educational practice in gen eral.

Play school c h il­

dren may also have made sig n ifica n t contributions to educational change. The most e f fe c t iv e play school influ en ces have probably been related to trends in the timing of the school day and year, the focus and content of the curriculum, and the methods and m aterials of teaching.

chapter

IX

summary and implications

The fin d in g s o f t h is research are presented in b r ie f as summary and im p lication s rather 1han as conclusions.

The r e s u lts o f t h is study of

an experimental educational program, developed during a period o f h isto ry when almost any prediction i s hazardous, may be regarded as conclusions in the sense o f te n ta tiv e judgments, only.

They are not con clusive in

a d e f in it iv e or terminal sense. General Summary The h is t o r ic a l development of the play school movement has furnished th e major focu s o f the study.

Some emphasis has also been placed upon

i t s im p lication s for elementary education.

The t o ta l outcome o f the

study appears to have threefold sig n ifica n ce.

I t has:

1.

Recorded the development of the play school movement during the f i r s t t h ir ty years o f i t s h istory;

2.

Enabled the in v estig ator to esta b lish te n ta tiv e hypotheses rela ted to the future development o f the play schools and of elementary education, in general;

J.

H ighlighted the need for further research in a number o f re­ la te d areas.

The major fin d in g s in each category have been condensed fo r summarization h ere. The Findings fo r Speoifio Problems At th e sta r t o f t h is in v estig a tio n six s p e c ific sub-problems were o u tlin ed .

An attempt has been made to answer, as h on estly and o b je c tiv e ly

-425as p o s s ib le , th e qu estion s o r ig in a lly raised under each s p e c ific problem. A summary o f th e fin d in g s, so organized, appears below. Causes 1.

Play schools have been estab lish ed as a d irect r esu lt of th e socio-economic and p o lit ic a l cond ition s o f the period (19171947) under consideration.

C r is is conditions produced by war, economic in secu rity and in d u stria l upheaval* supplied the immediate impetus for the opening o f play sch ools. Successive emergencies have continued to h ig h lig h t the need for ch ild care se r v ic e s and play schools have continued to serve t h is need.

World

War I , the depression, and World War I I , furnished the major causes for the development o f play schools.

Both wars opened up new p laces for women

in industry and play schools were estab lish ed to care for th e ir ch ildren. The fin a n c ia l problems o f fa m ilies and the unemployment o f teachers and other ad u lts combined to create a new c r is is need for play schools during the depression.

Mass persecution o f m in orities in Europe during and pre­

ceding World War II brought a wave o f new immigration to American shores. 1

Play schools served as Americanization centers for some o f th ese emigres and t h e ir ch ild ren . 2.

The play school movement represents one part o f a larger configuration of programs in education and so cia l welfare in stitu te d at about the same tim e.

The f i r s t play school opened i t s doors in 1917* Education A ssociation was founded in 1919.

The Progressive

The same year the second

White House conference was held to esta b lish standards o f ch ild wel­ fa r e .

The M erril 1-Palmer School was started in 1921.

Centers for

ch ild development study were in stitu te d in various parts o f the country during th e 1 9 2 0 's.

The s h ift from subject-centered to ch ild -cen tered

education in th e schools and the many p a ra llel achievements in the w elfare

-426o f women and children at home and abroad may be traced to p h ilosop h ical ro o ts as far

back

as the time o f Rousseau.

Their more immediate impetus

probably derived from the work of Buch leaders as William James, John Dewey, G. Stanley Hall and F elix Adler in the la t e nineteenth and early tw entieth cen tu ries. Sponsorship 1.

The major purposes of the play school movement, constant throughout most o f i t s h isto r y , have determined the b asic pat­ tern o f operation o f the cen ters.

The four major purposes o f the play schools include: Service to a ll children, beginning with the most needy; Experimental programs b u ilt around c h ild ren 's play in te r e sts; Farent and teacher education; Community cooperation. The Play Schools A ssociation regards i t s e l f as a so c ia l agency in the f ie ld o f education.

I t has r e fle c te d , in common with other so c ia l agencies,

both p rivate and governmental, a gradual change from a predominantly philanthropic to an e s s e n t ia lly functional approach to so c ia l w elfare. Economically underprivileged youngsters s t i l l make up the bulk o f play school r e g is tr a tio n .

Play schools have reoeived in creasing amounts o f

a ssista n ce from public funds, but they are s t i l l la r g e ly p riv a te ly sup­ ported.

The play schools have assumed a dual serv ice ro le in -their re­

la tio n s with the p u b lic.

They have met the needs o f children end fa m ilie s

in th e ir educational programs.

At th e same time th ey have demonstrated

to public and p rivate agencies the ways and means o f conducting such en ter p r ises.

-4 2 7 -

2.

Tha programs, p ra o tices, and personnel o f play schools have tended to r e f le c t the p revailin g aims and a ttitu d e s o f th eir sponsoring agencies.

Most play schools have received th e ir housing and support from edu­ ca tio n a l or so c ia l welfare sources.

Settlem ents and neighborhood houses

have furnished the conmunity s e ttin g s of nearly h a lf o f a ll the play schools esta b lish ed in New York O ity.

Evidence o f th e ir leadership i s

c le a r ly d iscer n ib le in the so cia l work emphasis o f many cen te r s.

The

concentration o f e ffo r t toward s p e c ific a lly educational g o a ls has grown with the increase in number and extent of the r e la tio n sh ip s to the pub­ l i c sch ools.

The f ie ld s o f education and so c ia l work, moving along

separate paths toward sim ilar, even id en tica l g o a ls, have o ften joined fo rc es in the sponsorship end operation o f play sch ools. 3.

The Play Schools Association*- has fur­ nished child care serv ices on three major le v e ls : as a sponsor of canters} as an advisory body to i t s a f filia te d schools; as a cooperating agency in various types o f service p ro jects.

The A ssociation operates some centers in partnership with the New York Oity Board o f Education.

I t has also sponsored other sch ools on

a temporary b a sis, from time to tim e, u n til lo ca l sponsorship could be organized to assume the leadership.

Supervision, teacher and parent

education, snd co n su lta tiv e serv ices have been provided fo r a f f ilia t e d c en ters.

A chart illu s t r a tin g the cooperative asp ects o f play school

sponsorship appears on page 456 of the Appendix.

1.

And i t s p r e d e c e s s o r s .

-4 2 8 -

O hildren and F a m ilie s

1.

The play schools have served prim arily the children from congested, low-income neighbor­ hoods o f lerge c i t i e s .

The program o f the play schools hss attempted to a lle v ia t e the p hysical dangers and emotional stra in s of urban liv in g for young children by th e p rovision o f safe and wholesome places fo r th e ir play*

Although

ch ild ren from a ll kinds of communities and a ll economic le v e ls have at­ tended play schools, the broken homes end crowded tenements o f New York Oity have been the major focus for the work so fa r. . 2.

The family as an in stitu tio n has benefited from play school serv ices, p a rtic u la rly in tim es o f c r is is .

That segment o f th e population which fin d s i t s way into the play schools o ften l i v e s under the conditions associated with war and depression, even in reasonably normal tim es.

When d if f ic u lt liv in g situ a tio n s are

further in te n s ifie d by widespread unemployment or the d islo c a tio n s and te n sio n s o f wartime, the slender thread that holds fa m ilie s together may snap under th e stra in .

Through i t s program of parent education, i t s pro­

v is io n o f care for ch ild ren , and i t s in terpretation of fam ily l i f e to tea ch ers, th e play school has helped to build b etter home-school rela tio n ­ ships and has frequently strengthened the a ffe c tio n a l t i e s th a t sustain the fam ily as the basic so cia l unit in our so cie ty . S ta ff 1.

A modern play school s ta ff i s composed o f ca refu lly selected , trained in d ivid u als, whose rela tio n sh ip s with each other, th e ch ild ren , and th e ir parents, strongly in­ flu en ce the learning climate o f the cen ter.

V olunteers, who formed the backbone o f many an early play sch ool’ s stru ctu re, have gradually been replaced by paid p rofession al workers,

-4 2 9 -

trained in education or so c ia l group work.

The New York O ity Board o f

Education s e le c t s and lic e n s e s the teachers i t supplies to the play sch ools. The headquarters s ta ff o f the Play Schools A ssociation and the lo c a l ad­ m in istration o f individual centers share in the s e le c tio n o f p rivately engaged s t a f f , and in the placement o f Board of Education teach ers.

Every

member o f a play school s t a f f has teaching r e s p o n s ib ilitie s , whether th ese be o f f i c i a l l y assigned, or merely incid ental to everyday liv in g with c h il­ dren. 2.

The headquarters s t a f f o f the Play Schools A ssociation provides orien ta tio n , in -serv ice tra in in g , and supervision for the p rofession al personnel of i t s cen ters.

The film s, p u b lica tio n s, conferences and other teacher train in g tech­ niques developed by play school leaders have been employed in the pre­ serv ice tra in in g o f c o lle g e students end the in -serv ice education of p rofession al workers in related f ie ld s as w ell as in the preparation and guidance o f th e ir own personnel. Curriculum 1.

The play school program aims to promote the physical w elfare, personal happiness, and so c ia l adjustment o f the school-age child during h is ou t-of-sch ool hours.

After school in w inter, and a ll day in summer, the play schools pro­ vid e a balanced program o f health rou tin es and long, unbroken periods o f indoor and outdoor supervised play with ca refu lly selected m aterials end equipment. altern ated .

The daily program i s f le x ib le .

Quiet and active periods are

The early emphasis on n u tr itio n and th e household arts has

sh ifted toward greater atten tion to psychological end so cia l fa c to r s in ch ild care and education.

-4 3 0 -

2.

The curriculum o f the play school contbines contemporary so cia l work philosophy with th e o rien tation and content o f the modern elementary school.

The play school s e ttin g , be i t a settlem ent, a housing p ro ject, a church, or a public school, usually determines the recreation al or educar tio n a l focus o f the program.

Methods and m aterials are organized to re­

le a se cr e a tiv e expression for th e individual and to encourage the in terp lay o f p e r s o n a litie s th at makes for wholesome group liv in g . porting r e f le c t the so c ia l work base.

Records and re­

Work in science and the so cia l stu d ies

u su ally shows th e influence o f the elementary school. 5.

The modem play school and the modem elementary school are strik in g ly sim ilar in curriculum organization; important d if­ feren ces, where th ese e x is t , tend to center around the academic s k i l l s .

The curriculum o f th e elementary school has progressed from i t s trar* d itio n a l sub ject-centered focus, to a child-centered o rien ta tio n , and most r ecen tly , to a community-centered or experience-centered base.

Most

elementary sch ools, however, s t i l l place th e ir major emphasis on the achievement o f academic s k i l l s , and u t iliz e such learning media as play experiences and community stu d ies only in c id e n ta lly , for curriculum en­ richment.

In the play schools, conversely, exploratory experiences in

scien ce, t r ip s , dramatic play, and expression in the a rts are a ll of major consequence, and the three R's are included only in cid e n ta lly in the curriculum. Influences 1.

Play school oriented teach ers, play school methods and play school m aterials are to be found in many New York Oity schools and in a stea d ily increasing number o f educational systems in other parts o f t h is country end abroad.

-4 5 1 -

The presence o f play schools in the public schools o f New York Oity end the employment o f public school teachers in the cen ters have tended to introduce the p o lic ie s and p ra ctices o f the movement into th e c la s s ­ rooms o f th a t c it y .

Play School rela tio n sh ip s with homes and fa m ilie s

and th e ir u t iliz a t io n o f the resources and techniques o f so c ia l work, have strengthened home-school t i e s in those public school systems where th e

cen ters havebecome esta b lish ed .

The

national f ie ld work program*

the

p u b lica tio n s, film s, and conferences, have a ll served to spread

play

school id ea s. 2.

I t seems reasonable to predict th at play school p o lic ie s and p ra ctices w ill exert th e ir moat t e llin g in flu en ces on elementary school organization and cur­ r ic u la o f the fu tu re, in the extension o f school serv ices, the focus and content o f the program, and the methods and materi­ a ls o f teaching.

Observation in the cen ters, in -serv ice tra in in g and supervision, and the dissem ination o f play school p o lic ie s and p ra ctices through publica­ tio n s , film s, conferences, radio and te le v is io n , have reached an ever­ growing number o f lay and p rofessional workers and students.

As these

in d ivid u als move out into widening spheres of in flu en ce, they convey the play school message, not only to schools and c o lle g e s , but to other re­ lated educational in s t itu t io n s . Tentative Hypotheses This study has traced the development of the play school movement, as comprehensively as time and resources permitted, from i t s inception in 1917 through most o f the year 1947*

I t has, moreover, given some con­

sid era tio n to th e twenty years preceding the major period o f the study, in order to set i t in p erspective and to ind icate the roots whence i t sprang.

Some a tten tio n has also been accorded the years 1948, 194-9 and

-4 5 2 -

1950 during which the research has been organized into f in a l form.

It

i s now proposed to look ahead and make te n ta tiv e p red iction s concerning th e d ire c tio n s both the play schools and elementary education, in general, may ta k e. The te n ta tiv e hypotheses derived from the research pursued in the preparation o f the study are presented b r ie fly below, with a minimum of explanatory comment.

Statements related to the future of th e play school

movement are d e fin ite ly based upon an in terp retation o f th e fin d in g s of the study.

Statements dealing with the future of public elementary educar

tio n are somewhat more broadly based and involve the r e s u lts o f wide read­ ing in contemporary educational lite r a tu r e as w ell as fa c to r s more c lo se ly a llie d to the major problem under consideration. D irectional Trends in Flay Schools Play schools may be expected to: Continue to serve children and fa m ilies o f low economic sta tu s. Include a larger middle c la s s c lie n t e le , as such government sponsored w elfare measures as planned housing and so c ia l se­ cu rity gradually d isp el the tr a d itio n a l stigma associated with public a ssista n ce. Receive increased appropriations for the le isu r e tim e needs o f children from public, tak-supported sources. Have th e ir future centers located in many more public schools and housing p ro jects. Expand in the d irection o f work with handicapped youngsters in h o sp ita ls and other cen ters for the in s titu tio n a liz e d care o f ch ild ren . Be included in new educational snd community planning on a wider sca le, during normal ae well as emergency p eriod s. Experiment with le isu r e time a c t iv it ie s for youth above elementary school age, and for adults.

-4 3 5 -

With public education assuming more o f the r e s p o n s ib ility for play school operation, and the c o lleg es and profession al schools beginning to —

recognize the importance o f play experiences in the tra in in g of teachers and so c ia l workers, the Play Schools A ssociation should be free to de­ vote more time and e ffo r t to pub lication, demonstration and experim entation in new and rela ted f i e ld s . D irectional Trends in Elementary Education Many o f the coming events in education have already ca st shadows be­ fore them.

A few o f the trends appear to in d icate th at the elementary

schools o f tomorrow w ill: Be open a ll day, a ll year. E stablish c lo se r rela tio n sh ip s with fa m ilie s and other community agencies. Build more b ea u tifu l end more functional school b u ild in gs, with adequate space and su itab le equipment for indoor and outdoor play. Permit school buildings to be used as community cen ters for youth and adults as well as for school-age ch ild ren . Make provision for summer experiences, in camps or on farms, as part o f the year-round curriculum. Enrich e x is tin g cu rricu la by wider use o f community resources, audio-visual teaching aids, and the application o f play therapy, psychodrama and sociodrama techniques to classroom liv in g . Improve p ra ctices in t e s t in g , grading, recording, and report­ ing to parent^ Contribute to world peece by taking d irect action to improve human r e la tio n s in the school, the immediate community, and the wider arena o f national and in tern ation al a f fa ir s . A complete reorganization of the school calendar i s long overdue. A fte r -s c h o o l c e n te r s and summer programs have served as tem porary s o lu t io n s

-4 j4 -

to the problem o f how to provide su ita b le educative experiences for a ll the children a ll the tim e.

In the probably too remote future the elementary

school may r e v is e i t s day, i t s year and i t s curriculum to meet the t o t a l growth needs o f children, excepting the ex clu siv ely fa m ilia l ones.

This

may meen a program so f le x ib le that children w ill have long hours o f super­ v ised play ou t-of-d oors in the early mornings and la te afternoons during the warm months o f the year, and spend the middle o f the short winter days in th e fresh air and sunshine.

I t may involve a month or more o f camp

or farm l i f e for c it y children, and provision for rural youngsters to be­ come acquainted with c i t i e s snd larger and more varied groups o f people. Teachers in tomorrow's elementary schools may be so trained in the techniques o f play snd in the arts snd sciences as w ell as in the three R's th at fewer s p e c ia lis t s w ill be employed to f i l l out the curriculum. Instead, schools may come to accept the need for consultants in so cia l work and psychology or psychiatry to help the emotional and so c ia l achieve­ ments o f education keep pace with the academic. Im p lication s for Further Research The accumulation o f data co llected in the preparation o f the h is t o r ic a l portion o f the study was too voluminous for in clu sion in any sin g le w ritten document.

Only the most immediately pertinent or seemingly most s ig n if i­

cant elem ents appear on th ese pages.

The in v e stig a to r 's records o f tra in ­

ing se ssio n s conducted fo r teachers and d irectors in play schools and ch ild care cen ters, for instance, have been omitted from the study.

To

have supplied even a resume of th ese session s without according sim ilar treatm ent to the work o f others might have disturbed the balance necessary

- 455 -

to a ju st in terp reta tio n o f the t o ta l program.

1

These and other sig n ific a n t

m aterials are more rea d ily availab le, as a r e su lt of the study, and may be valuable for future researches. Inclusion and Omission of Data The o r ig in a l o u tlin e for t h is research has been followed almost to the l e t t e r .

The choice o f a major problem and six sub-problems dealing

with the play school movement now appears to have been somewhat overam bitious. any

On the b a sis o f the quantity and q uality o f data c o lle c te d ,

oneo f the problems might have served as the core o f a complete study

in i t s e l f .

In the process of se le c tio n o f items for in clu sion only three

areas have been omitted or treated l e s s thoroughly than was o r ig in a lly planned. 1.

They are: Budget Considerations Contributions o f serv ices, equipment and sup plies made i t almost im possible to measure accurately the t o ta l cost of operation o f play schools. The data showed tremendous d if­ feren ces between co sts in centers in any given year. Chang­ ing economic valu es at d ifferen t periods further complicated the p ictu re . Conferences with play school leaders confirmed th e impression that fin a n cia l matters had best be included only when there were r e lia b le fig u res availab le and when they were needed for illu s t r a tiv e purposes. Hence, in the d iscu ssion of s a la r ie s, for instance, the known range for d ire cto rs in 19^9 i s given but no attempt i s made to do so fo r a ll periods or a ll ca teg o ries of personnel.

2.

Population Trends When the research for t h is study was sta rted , population trends were being widely discussed on a ll sid e s. There was great concern over a f a llin g birth rate and a study of the subject was made as part of the preparation fo r th e reporting on children and fa m ilie s. The m aterials c o llected have been rejected on the b asis o f subsequent fin d in gs end e n tir e ly omitted from the study.

lT 2.

See pp. 435-437 for further discu ssion of tra in in g sessio n data. See page 256.

-4 5 6 -

5.

The Content o f Training Sessions In the preparation and c o lle c tio n o f data for the tr e a t­ ment o f Play School Personnel, a ll availab le records o f teacher tra in in g session s were studied. The techniques and methods have been included in th e study but content has been la rg ely omitted. B rief reference has been made, for illu s t r a t iv e purposes, to the content o f tra in in g se ssio n s conducted by Clara Lambert and others in the 19 5 0 's. This was the only period covered by published rep o rts. Proper treatment o f the e n tir e subject would require a thorough study of great q u a n titie s of unor­ ganized and unpublished records, and more time and space than t h i s study could afford to devote to i t . Areas fo r Further Study

Each o f th e three areas omitted from the study has w ithin i t s e l f valuable research im p lication s.

A study o f th e cost o f operating play

schools migjrt be undertaken by the Play Schools A ssociation.

I t i s doubt­

fu l whether any individual researcher could lo ca te or in terp ret a ll o f th e data involved.

The study of population trends as they apply to school

serv ices in general might have important im plications for long-range planning in education.

Such a study should probably be attempted only by

a trained s o c io lo g is t.

The content o f teacher tra in in g se ssio n s, i f

properly recorded and evaluated, would have meaning not only fo r play school personnel but fo r so c ia l workers, teach ers, and those responsible fo r the tr a in in g o f both and the supervision and adm inistration o f educational 2 programs. From th e Records! An Adventure in Teacher Training, was pub­ lish e d in 1959*

No o f f i c i a l record e x is t s o f th e teacher tra in in g work o f

th e play schools sin ce th at date.

The in v estig a to r has kept thorough and

complete records o f tra in in g sessions fo r teachers and d irecto rs in play

1. 2.

See page 275» By Clara Laabert.

- 457 -

schools and ch ild care cen ters during 1944-1947.

This m aterial ia in the

form o f typed sheets, mimeographed data and handwritten rep o rts.

It is

availab le for use by any responsible individual or group wishing to bring the record up to date. As -the study has progressed, i t has highlighted a number o f subjects fo r further research.

A follow-up o f the so cia l adjustment o f children

with play school experience to la te r situ a tio n s in and out o f school might be carried on, p a rticu la rly in th e New York area, where there are many graduates o f play sch ools. The cooperative programs involving the Play Schools A ssociation and various c o lle g e s and p rofession al schools have never been thoroughly in­ v e s tig a te d . record.

This research may be the only treatment of the subject on

I t might be extremely valuable for future planning in t h is area

to have a more d etailed study made than was p ossib le or p ra ctica l for t h is research. A number o f short-term studies conducted in the play schools them selves should be Carried further or in vestigated anew.

The study o f fa tig u e in

ohildren, for in stan ce, might w ell be applied on a broader sca le and given more thorough con sid eration .

In 1926 a study was made of attendance in

a ll play schools for one suHsner.

A complete set o f graphs supplying en­

rollment fig u r e s, data on periods of maximum service to children and other pertinent information, i s availab le for that one year.

A sim ilar study

Carried over a number o f years and including winter as w ell as summer programs might have educational sign ifican ce and v a lid ity .

-4 3 8 -

The ch ild study movement, progenitor o f the play school movement, because o f i t s im p lication s for work with parents and communities as w ell as i t s r e s p o n sib ility for the introduction o f a new approach to education, seems a worthy to p ic fo r further in v estig a tio n .

b ib l io g r a p h y

Each reference c lo s e ly related to the study or frequently used in i t s preparation i s marked with an asterisk

Adams, Fay, Educating America1s Children. 1946.

New Yorks The Ronald Press,

♦A lien, Olara M., DaV Pare Centers for School Children. Welfare League o f America, In c ., 1947.

New York: Child

♦A lschuler, Rose H., Editor, Children* s Centers. Issued by National Commission fo r Young Children. New York: William Morrow and Company, 1942. A lschuler, Rose H. and H einig, C h ristin e, Play; The C hild1s Response to L ife . New York: Houghton M ifflin Company, 1956. American Council on Education, Commission on Teacher Education, Cultural and Social Elements in the Education o f Teachers. Washington, D. C. : 1940

.

American Council on Education, Commission on Teacher Education, Helping Teachers Understand Children. Washington, D. C .: 1945. Anshen, Ruth Nanda, E ditor, The Fam ily : I t s Funetion end D estiny. York: Harper and Brothers, 19$9»

New

♦Armstrong, Mary G ilpin, "Summer Play Schools in New York C ity," School and S ociety, Vol. XVI, No. 407 (October 14, 1922). A ssociation fo r Childhood Education, What i s Happening to the Children, B u lletin 1. Washington, D. C.: 1946. _________________________ ___________ , Children and Music, B u lle tin _1. 'Washington, D. C .: 1948. ____________ , Are These Our Schools, B u lletin 2. Washington, D. C.: 1949. . Partners in Education, B u lletin 1. Washington, D. C.: 1950. ____________________________________ , Helping Children Solve Their Problems, B u lletin 2 . Washington, D. 0 .: 1950. A ssociation fo r Supervision and Curriculum Development of th e N.E.A., Organizing the Elementary School fo r Living and Learning, 1947 Yearbook. Wadiington, D. C.: 1947«

-4 4 0 -

A ssociation fo r Supervision and Curriculum Development of th e N.E.A., Toward B etter Teaching, 1949 Yearbook* Washington, D. 0 .: 1949. , Postering Mental Health In Our Schools. book.__ Washington, D. O.s 19%>»

1950 Year­

, Home-School R elation s, Educational Leader ship, Vol. VI I , No. 5, February, 1950* Axline, V irg in ia M., Play Therapy; th e Inner Dynamics of Childhood. Bostons Houghton M ifflin Company, 19^7* Baber, Ray E ., Marriage and th e Family. In o ., 1959. ♦Bacmeister, Rhoda W., Growing Together. Company, 1947.

New Yorks McGraw-Hill Book Company, New Yorks D. Appleton-Century

Bain, Winifred E ., Parents Look at Modem Education. Century Company, I n c ., 1955«

New Yorks D. Appleton-

Bai*uch, Dorothy W., Parents and Children Go To School. Foreemsn and Company, 1959.

New Yorks Scott

♦Baumgartner, Leona, Goldsmith, C ornelia and Bokhaut, Yetta* The Day Care o f L it t le Children in a Big C ity . New Yorks Child Welfare League o f America, 1946. ♦Beard, Charles A. and Mary R., Rise o f American C iv iliz a tio n . The Macmillan Company, 1955* ♦

America in Midpasaage (2 v o l s . ) . Macmillan Company, 1959.

New Yorks

New Yorks The

♦_________________ A Basic H istory o f the United S ta tes. Doubleday, Doran and Company, 1944. Benedict, Agnes E. and Franklin, Adele, The Happy Home. Century-Crofts, In c ., 1948.

New Yorks New Yorks Appleton-

Biber, Barbara and Others, Child L ife in School—A Study of j* Seven-YearOld Group. New Yorks E. P. Dutton and Company, I n c ., 1942. Bingham, Florence 0 . , E ditor, Community L ife in a Democracy. National Congress o f Parents and Teachers, 19^-2.

Chicagos

♦ B litz e r , 01ar a F ., "Open All Day, A ll Year," Educational Leadership. V ol. I l l , No. 5 (February, 1946). Board o f Education o f th e O ity of New York, Guiding P rin cip les in Curriculum Development. Curriculum B u lle tin , 1942-45, No. 2.

-441Board of Education o f the C ity o f New York, Curriculum Development in the Social Studies (Kindergarten-9B). Curriculum B u lle tin , 1942-45, No. 5. ____________________ Curriculum Development in th e Elementary Schools. Curriculum B u lletin . 1945-1946, No. 1. ,_______________ , Changing Concepts and P r so tic e s in Elementary Educa­ tio n . Curriculum B u lle tin . 1942-1945, No. 1 (Reprint 1948). *_____ _____ _______ , The C h ild 's Day In School. 1945-1944, No. 6 (Revised 1949).

Curriculum B u lletin ,

♦Bowman, LeRoy E ., Community Programs fo r Summer Play Schools. Child Study A ssociation o f America, 1955* ♦Brown, Francis J . , The Sociology of Childhood. In c ., 1959.

New York: Prentioe-H all,

♦Brubacher, John S ., The H istory of the Problems o f Education. McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1947. B utts, R. Freeman, A Cultural History o f Education. H ill Book Company, In c ., 1947. Byrnes, James F ., Speaking Frankly.

New Yorks

New York:

New York: McGraw-

New York: Harper and Brothers, 1947.

Caswell, H o llis !>., Education in th e Elementary School. American Book Company, 1942.

New York:

Caswell, H o llis L. and Campbell, Doak S ., Curriculum Development. York: American Book Company, 1955* ♦Cavan, Ruth ShconLe, The Family.

New

New York: Thomas Y. Crowell Company, 1945*

♦Child Study A ssociation o f America, "The Summer Vacation," Child Study, V ol. 2, No. 4 (March, 1925). * Pamphlet No.

, When Parents Meet At School. JL. New York: 1951*

*___________________ _, When Children Sat Together. Pamphlet No. 2. New Yorks 1951.

Summer Play Schools Summer Play Schools

*____________________ , Healthy A ttitu d es Toward Health. Pamphlet No. Ji. New York: 1952.

Summer Play Schools

Child Welfare League o f America, Daytime Care, A Partnership o f Three P ro fessio n s. Findings o f the T ri-P rofession Conference on Day Care, March, 1946. Children and Food in Day Gare Centers. Society, May, 1944.

New York: The Community Service

-4 4 2 -

Children In _a Democracy. General Report adopted by the White House Conference, January. 19, 1940. Washington, D. 0 .: U. S. Department o f Labor, C hildren's Bureau, 1940. Olapp, E lsie R., Community Schools in Action. 1959.

Mew York* The Viking Press,

Cole, N atalie Robinson, Arts in the Classroom. Company, 1940.

New York: The John Day

Community Action for Children in Wartime. Washington, D. C.s U. 3. Department o f Labor, C hildren's Bureau, 1945* ♦Community Planning on Group Care o f Children, National Committee on Group Care o f Children. B u lletin No. December, 19^5* *_____________________, B u lletin No. 2, January, 1946. Cook, Lloyd A llen, Community Backgrounds of Education. H ill Book Company, In c ., 1958* Counts, George S ., Dare the School Build The John Day Company, 1952.

jj

New York: McGraw-

New Social Order? NewYork:

Cubberley, Ellwood, P ., Changing Conceptions of Education. Houghton M ifflin Company. Cambridge, Massachusetts: The Riverside P ress, 1909. C u rtis, Henry S ., Education through Play. New York: The Macmillan Company, 1924 (o r ig in a lly published in January, 1915). ♦DeLima, Agnes, The L it t le Red Sch6olhouae. 1942.

New York: TheMacmillan Company*

♦Department o f Supervision and Curriculum Development, N.E.A., Toward a New Curriculum, 1944 Yearbook. Washington, D. C.: 1944. Department o f Supervisors and D irectors o f In stru ction , In stru ction al P ra ctices of Promise, Twelfth Yearbook. 19^0 . Department o f Supervisors and D irectors o f In stru ction , A ll; Studies in In tercu ltu ral Educ at ion, l4 th Yearbook. 1942. Dewey, John, Democracy and Education.

N.E.A., Newer Washington, D. C.: N.E.A., Americana Washington, D. C.:

New York: The Macmillan Company, 1916.

_____________________, Experience and Education.

New York: Hie Macmillan

Company, 1958.

Dollard, John and M iller, Neal E ., P erson ality and Psychotherapy. McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1950.

New York:

-4 4 5 -

Educational P o lic ie s Commission, N .E.A., S ocial S ervices and the Schools. Washington, D. C.: 1959. , Education for A ll American Children. D.

C .

j

Washington,

1948.

Edwards, Newton and Richey, Herman G., The School in the American Social Order. Boston: Houghton M ifflin Company, 1947. ♦Evans, Eva Knox, Children and You—A Primer o f Child Care. Putnam's Sons, 1945. E verett, Samuel, Editor, The Oonmunity School. Century Company, In c ., 1958.

New York: G. F.

New York: D. Appleton-

Faegre, Marion L. and Anderson, John E ., Child Care and Training. U niversity o f Minnesota, 1947.

Minneapolis:

♦Federation for Child Study, The Play School. An Experiment by the Federation fo r Child Study. New York: n.d. (1918?). ♦Federation for Child Study, The Play School—A Comprehensive Program of Service for the Neglected Child. New York: 1918. ♦Federation for Child Study, Giving the Child a Chance, An Experiment in Combating M alnutrition. New York: n .d . (l9 1 9 ? ). ♦Federation for Child Study, A Summer Play School, A demonstration in the care o f the c ity child in summer tim e. New York: Central Committee of the Society for Ethical Culture, n .d . (1920?). F orest, U s e , Early Years At School. 1949.

New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company,

Frank, Lawrence K., "The Fundamental Needs o f th e Child," Mental Hygiene, Vol. XXII, No. 5 (Ju ly, 1958). Frank, Mary and Lawrence K., How to Help Your Child in School. The Viking Press, 195^.

New York:

♦Franklin, Adele and Benedict, Agnes, Flay Centers fo r School Children—A Guide to Their Establishment and Operation. New York: William Morrow and Company, I n c ., 1945. ♦Freud, Anna and Burlingjiam, Dorothy T ., War and Children. Medical War Books, 1945.

New York:

♦Gabbard, Hazel F., "Planning for Play," Educational Leadership, Vol. V, No. 6 (March, 1948). ♦G arrett, Helen, Play I s Learning, Too, B u lletin No. 1558. Albany, New York: U niversity of th e State o f New York, December 15, 1948.

-4 4 4 -

G esell, Arnold and I lg , Prances, The Child from Five to Ten, Harper and Brothers, lp46.

New York:

Good, Carter V ,, Barr, A. S. and Scates, Douglas IS., The Methodology of Educational Hesearch, New York: D, Appleton-Century Company, 1941 • *Grossman, Jean Schick, Parent Educ at ion in a Summer Play School Program, Summer Play Schools Committee. New York: Child Study A ssociation, n .d . *_____________________ , The Story of _a Child Study Croup. Study A ssociation o f America, 1955*

New York: Child

*_____________ ,What Parents Are Saying in War Time. Schools A ssociation, 1942. *_____________________ , L etters from Mothers in Wartime. Schools A ssociation , 1945* _______ Grayson).

New York: Play

New York: Play

, Do You Know Your Daughter? (under pen name, A lice Barr New York: D. Appleton-Century Company, I n c ., 1944.

*_____________________ , Ways and Means o f Reaohing Parents. Schools A ssociation, 194^. , L ife with Family.

New York: Play

New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts

I n c ., 1948. *___________________ , Twenty- Four Pages for Parents. A ssociation , 1949.

New York: Play Schools

, "The Parent Looks to the Social Worker," The Family, (A p ril, 1954.) ____________________ _, "E nlisting the Parents," Progressive Education, Vol. XIX, No. 1 (January, 1 9 4 2 ). Group Living o f Children. New York: C itizen s' Committee on Children of New York C ity, I n c ., Second Printing, April, 1948. Gruenberg, Benjamin C ., The Summer Play School, A Handbook on th e Organizer tio n and Conduct o f Play Schools, Based on the Experiments o f the Federar tio n fo r Child Study. New York: The Federation for Child Study, 1919* *Gruenberg, Sidonie Mataner, Editor, The Family in Harper and Brothers, 1942.

World at War.

New York:

* , "Parent Education and Child Development," in Social Work Yearbook. New York: R ussell Sage Foundation, 194-7, PP« 342-J47* *Hampel, Margaret and Gabbard, Hazel, Open Doors to Children. Washington, D.C.: United S ta tes O ffice o f Education (Extended School S erv ic e s), 1945*

-4 4 5 -

Hanna, Paul R. and W. P. A. Research S ta ff, Youth Serves the Community. New York: D. Appleton-Century Company, 195^» Harap» Henry, The Technique o f Curriculum Making. Company, 1928.

New York: The Macmillan

____________________, (Chairman o f Study), The Changing Curriculum. D. Appleton-Century Company, 1957.

New York:

_____________________ * "Results of a Health Frogram in a Summer Play School," The American Journal of Public H ealth, Vol. XII, No. 7 (J u ly , 1922). H elseth, Inga 0 . , Living in the Classroom. Brothers, I n c ., 1959.

Ann Arbor, Michigan* Edwards

H ildreth, Gertrude, Child Growth Through Education. P ress Company* 19^8.

New York: The Ronald

Hockett, John R, and Jacobsen, E. W., Modern P ra ctices in the Elementary School. Boston: Ginn and Company, 195^. ♦Hodgea, Margaret B ., Editor, Social Work Year Book. Sage Foundation, 1949.

New York: R ussell

Hoover, Herbert and Gibson, Hugh, The Problems of Lasting Peace. Doubleday* Doran and Company, I n c ., 1942, 19^5•

New York:

Hymes, James L ., Teacher L iste n . The Children Speak. New York: New York Committee on Mental Hygiene o f the State C h arities Aid A ssociation, 1949. ♦Jansen, William, The Social Agencies and Public Education in New York C ity . New York* Bureau o f P u b lica tion s, Teachers C ollege, Columbia U n iversity, 1940. Jones, Howard Mumford, Education and World Tragedy. U niversity P ress, 19?6.

Cambridge: Harvard

Kenworthy, Leonard S ., Going to School in War Devastated C ountries. Washington, D. C.: United Nations Educational, S c ie n tific and Cultural Organization, and the Commission for International Educational Recon­ stru ctio n , 1947. K ilp a trick , William H., Group Education fo r a Democracy. tio n PresB, 1940.

New York:

Associa­

*________ ____________ , Chairman, Summer Vacation A c tiv itie s of the School Child, Report of the Subcommittee on Summer Vacation A c t iv itie s of the School C hild, White House Conference on Child Health and P rotection IIIC. New York: The Century Company, 1955* *Koos, Earl Lomon, Fam ilies in Trouble.

New York: King's Crown Press, 1946.

-4 4 6 -

♦ L a m b ert, C la r a , From t h e R e c o rd s : An A dventure in T ea ch er T r a i n in g . New Y ork: Summer P la y S chool Com m ittee o f t h e C h ild S tudy A s s o c ia tio n o f America* 19 5 9 . *__________;______________

»

P la y ?

A

Yardstick o f Growth.

New York: Flay Schools

A ssociation, 19^2. *_______ ;_____________ , A Handbook for Play Schools fo r Croup Leaders and Teachers. New York: Play Schools A ssociation, 1942 and 1945 e d itio n s . *_____________________ , School1a Out; Child Care Through Play Schools.

New

Y ork: H a rp e r and B r o th e r s , 19^4.

*

» Wien They Play Out of Doors. A ssociation, 1945 (with 1949 in s e r t ) .

New York: Play Schools

.» PlaY8 A C h ild 's Nay of Crowing Up. Schools A ssociation , 1947. and Shoemaker, Rowena, Let Them Play. Play Schools A ssociation , 1945*

New York: Play New York:

LaJlger, William L ., Editor and Compiler, An Encyclopedia of World H istory. Boston: Houghton M ifflin Company, 1948. Leonard, J . Paul and Eurieh, Alvin C ., An Evaluation of Modern Education. New York: D. Appleton-Century Company, I n c ., 1942. Lieberman, Joshua, Editor, New Trends in Croup Work. P ress, 1959.

New York: A ssociation

L iving and Learning in the Elementary Grades. An Intimate Study o f the P. K. Yonge Laboratory School (by the school s t a f f ) . G a in sv ille, Florida: U n iversity o f Florida, 1945. Lowenfeld, Margaret, Play in Childhood.

London: V ictor Golancz, L td ., 1955*

*Lundberg, Emma 0 . , Standards o f Child Health Education and Social Welfare. Washington: U. S. Government P rin tin g O ffice, 19^2. , Unto the Least o f These. Centu ry, I n c ., 1947.

New York: D. Appleton-

_, Our Concern—Every O iild , State and Community Planning for Wartime and Post-War Security o f Children. Bureau P u blication 505 (Reprinted, 1948). Washington, D. C .: Federal Security Agency, Social Security Adm inistration, C hildren's Bureau. ♦Lynd, Robert S. and Lynd, Helen M., Middletown: A Study in Contemporary American Culture. New York: Harcourt Brace end Company, 1929. , Middletown in T ransition: A Study in Cultural C o n flic ts . New York: Harcourt Brace and Company, 1957. Lynd, Helen M«, F ield Work in C ollege Education. s it y P ress, 1945.

New York: Columbia Univer­

-4 4 7 -

Maclntosh, Archibald, Behind the Academic Curtain. Brothers, 1948.

New York: Harper end

McGaughy, J . R ., An Evaluation of the Elementary School. Bobbs-Merrill Company, 1957* Menninger, 'William C ., P sych iatry. P ress, 1948.

New York: The

Ithaca, New York: Cornell U niversity

♦Meyer, Adolph E ., The Development o f Education in the Twentieth Century. New York: P ren tice-H a ll, I n c ., 1959. K ie l, A lice. Changing the Curriculum. Company, 1946.

New York: D. Appleton-Century

M itch ell, Lucy Sprague, Our Children and Our Schools. and Schuster, 195°•

New York: Simon

♦Mossier, Adele S ., "Summer Flay Schools," Child Study, Vol. XI, No. 6, (March, 1954J. *

19447.

"Play Schools Increase," The Parents* Magazine (July,

*____________________ "Our Work i s C hildren's Play," Independent Woman, National Federation o f Business end P rofession al Women's Clubs, December, 1949. ♦Mossier, Adele S. and Frank, J o s e tte , "The Long Vacation," Progressive Education, V ol. X III, No. 4 (A p ril, 1956). Myers, Alonzo F. and W illiams, Clarence 0 . , Education in a Democracy. New York: P rentic e-H a ll, I n c ., (revised e d itio n ), 194-2 (o r ig in a l 1957). ♦New York City Board o f Education, Report on Play Schools, 1899. (Boroughs o f Manhattan and the Bronx.) New York: Board o f Education, 1899. New York State Council for Early Childhood Education, Good Education for Young Children. (Revised Edition) New York, 1947* Olsen, Edward G. and Others, School and Community. H all, I n c ., 1945.

New York: P rentice-

♦Play Schools A ssociation , Annual Reports for 1940-1947. *________ ____________ , The Play Schools A ssociation and the School-Age C hild, n .d . (printed A pril, 19^7)• *____________________ , How To Make A Play School Work ( a Manual for Teachers and Group Leaders). New York: 194-9. P resco tt, Daniel A., Bnotlon and the Educative Process. American Council on Education, 1958.

'Washington, D. C.:

-4 4 8 -

Pro at on, George H., The Substance o f Mental H ealth* New Yorks Farrar and Rinehart, In c ., 1945. R etting, Lucy N ., "The Summer Play Schools," Child Study, V ol. 2, No. 4 (March, 1925). ________________, "Summer V a c a t i o n — A Problem and a P r iv ile g e ,11 Progressive Education, V ol. VIII, No. 5 (May, 1951). Rogerson, Cuthbert H,, Play Therapy in Childhood. Press, Humphrey M ilford, 1959.

London: Oxford U niversity

* Ross, Mabel, "For Today's Children and Tomorrow's Adults," Educational Leaderdiip, Vol. VI, No. 8 (Kay, 1949). *Rugg, Harold, The Conquest o f America.

Bostons Ginn and Company, 1957.

Rugg, Harold and Shumaker, Ann, The Child-Centered School. Yorks World Book Company, 1928.

Yonkers, New

* School Children and the War S eries. All-Day School Programs for Children o f Working Mothers, L ea flet No. 2. Washington, D. C.s U. S. O ffice o f Education, 1945* *____________________, Recreation aid Other A c t iv itie s in the All-Day School Program, L ea flet No. 7. Washington, D. C.s U. S. O ffice o f Education, “1 945." *__________ __________ , Ju ven ile Delinquency and the Schools in Wartime, L eaflet No. 8 . W ellington, D. C.s U. S. O ffice o f Education, 194-5. Schorsch, Robert S ., Psychology o f Play;. Dame, 1942.

Indiana: U niversity o f Notre

Shoemaker, Rowena, "Go Play, Dear," from Growing, Presbyterian Board of C hristian Education, P h iladelphia, July-September, 1949* ♦Shoemaker, Rowena M. and Bock, Doris L ., "The Play School and I t s Program," The National Elementary P rin cip al (June, 1946). Slavson, Samuel R. and Speer, Robert K., Science in th e New Education, as applied to the elementary school. New Yorks P ren tice-H ail, In c ., 1954. ♦S tein , Beatrice Borg, "Summer Play Schools," Federation fo r Child Study B u lle tin , V ol. 1, No. 6 (May, 1924). ♦ Summer Health and Play School, Health Education, No. 5» Washington, D. C.s Department o f the In te r io r , Bureau o f Education, 1919. Summer Play Schools A ssociation, The Teacher Looks at New York (mimeographed). Mew York: June, 1941. Syrkin, Marie, Your School, Your Children.

New York: L. B. Fischer, 1944.

Todd, Lewis Paul, ’Wartime R elations o f the Federal Government and the Public Schools, 1917-1918. New Yorks Bureau of P u b lica tio n s, Teachers C ollege, Columbia U niversity, 1945*

-4 4 9 -

*United S tates C hildren's Bureau, To ParentB in Wartime, Bureau Publication No, 282, Washington, D. 0 .: 1952. *_____________________, A C hildren1s Charter in Wartime, Bureau Publication No, 28J. Washington, D. C.: 1942. ♦United S tates Works Progress Adm inistration, Handbook fo r Summer Play Schools o f New York C ity . City o f New Yorks Board o f Education, revised 1958. V incent, William S ., Emerging Patterns o f Public School P r a c tic e . New Yorks Bureau o f P u b lica tio n s, Teachers C ollege, Columbia U niversity, 1945* V irgin ia State Department o f Public In stru ctio n , Pourse o f Study for V irginia Elementary Schools, Grades I-V III. Richmond: 19^5» Wallace, Henry A., The Century o f the Common Man. Hitchcock, In c ., 1945. Waller, Willard, War and the Family.

New York: Reynal and

New Yorks The Dryden P ress, 1940,

♦Wang, James D ., A Study o f Certain Factors Associated with Children1s Play I n te r e s ts . N a sh v ille, Tennessee: George Peabody C ollege for Te achera, 1941. Washburne, Oarleton, Adjusting the School to the C hild. Book Comply, 1952.

Yonkers: World

♦White House Conference on Child Health and P rotection , Addresses and Abstracts o f committee rep orts. New York: The Century Company, 195l» ♦White House Conference on Children in a Democracy, Proceedings, January 18-20, 1940. Washington, D. C.: U. S. Department of Labor, Children's Bureau P u b lication No. 266, 1941. ♦White House Conference on Children in a Democracy, Final Report. Washington, D. C.s U. S. Department o f Labor, C h ildren's Bureau P ublication No. 272, U. S. Government P rinting O ffic e , 1942. Wickman, E. K ., Children1a Behavior and Teachers' A ttitu d es. The Commonwealth Fund, 1928. W illk ie, Wendell L ., One World.

New Yorks

New Yorkt Simon and Schuster, Inc. 1945*

♦Wrightstone, J . Wayne, Appraisal o f Newer Elementary School P r a c tic e s. New York: Teachers C ollege, Columbia U n iversity, 1958* ♦Zirbes, Laura, "The Challenge o f C hild ren's Needs," Childhood Education. V ol. 25, No. 9, May, 1949.

a p p e n d ix

-4 5 1 -

APPENDIX A L etters o f Support

G 0

BOARD OP EDUCATION OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK BUREAU OP REFERENCE, RESEARCH AND STATISTICS P Y

110 Livingston Street Brooklyn 2, New York Eugene A. Nifeneoker, D irector William H. B riston, A ssista n t Director Leo I. Kearney, A ssista n t Director J . Wayne Wrightstone, A sst. D irector September 10, 19^7

K iss Doris L. Bock Instru ctor in Education New York U niversity Washington Square New York 5, N . Y. Dear Miss Bocks I t has come to my atten tion that you are planning to make a c r i t i c a l study o f some o f th e en terp rises designated as "Extended School Services." I hope you w ill push t h is study because i t i s much needed. I say t h is because I have ju st worked with our All-Day Neighborhood Schools group in bringing together a report o f th e ir a c t i v it ie s . In t h is report we had great d if f ic u lt y due to the fa c t th at the terminology and premises have n o t been e sta b lish ed . Likewise, in my work with preschool groups I find great need fo r c r i t i c a l study and evaluation - to mention only one other area. Your wide contact with newer movements in education would seem to me to make work in t h i s f ie ld e sp e c ia lly f r u it f u l. Sincerely yours, (Signed)

William H. Bristow A ssistant Director In Charge, D ivision o f Curriculum Researoh

-4 5 2 -

play

SCHOOLS ASSOCIATION

119 West 57th Street New York 19, N. Y.

C ircle 7-4885 September 2, 1947

Mrs. Doris L. Bock 1 Christopher Street New York, New York Dear Mrs. Bock: I was most in ter ested to hear o f your intention to w rite your t h e s is on the Play School and Child Care Movement. As a person who has long been connected with t h is f ie ld of work, I f e e l that i t i s high time some research be done on t h is subject since those of us who are in the f ie ld have never taken time to c o lle c t pertinent m aterial. In the la s t few years we have had a number o f requests for information and m aterial through our f ie ld work department. The s ta te s of C alifornia, and Washington, the c it y o f Hammond, Indiana* have been among those which have asked fo r h elp . We have never had the time to give the amount o f a ssista n ce needed although our f ie ld worker has worked in various parts o f the country in connection with t h is problem. I t would have been most u sefu l to many to have had available relevant h is t o r ic a l m aterial. Those o f us who have worked in the f ie ld , as you have done in the past (both with our agency and with the D ivision of Day Care) know p ra ctica l­ ly what i t has meant to children, what b e n efits i t has brought to fa m ilie s. We have had demonstrated beyond doubt the real needs o f children in t h e ir natural group liv in g in th ese programs. The question th at has long in ­ te r e ste d many o f us i s the relation sh ip o f t h is so -ca lled ou t-o f-sch o o l program to th e f ie ld o f education and i t s e f f e c t , i f any, on education. I t i s e s p e c ia lly fortunate, I think, fo r you to have undertaken such study, fo r you have had a wide experience in i t in interview ing teach ers, helping to guide through d iscu ssion groups, as w ell as by givin g counsel, by s e ttin g up cen ters, and supervising them. I t would seem th a t, when t h is m aterial i s fin ish e d , i t would be well worth publishing. Good luck to you in th e next few months in g ettin g your t h e s is readyJ Sincerely yours, (Signed) AM: e

Adele S. Mossier Director

-455c

o p Y

Board o f Education o f the City o f New York O ffice o f the Superintendent o f School a DIVISION OF COMMUNITY EDUCATION 110 Livingston Street Brooklyn 2, N. Y.

Mark A. McCloakey D irector Francis J . Brennan A ssistan t D irector

Room 610 Main 4-2800

September 12, 1947

Dear Mrs. Bock: I am cheered by the thought th at you might undertake research in the f ie ld o f day care fo r small children. There i s n ' t a sin g le d e fin itiv e piece on the philosophy, organiza­ t io n and management o f day C are fo r small children that I know o f. I hope you w ill be w illin g to undertake such a task and th at you would have tim e to d iscu ss i t s content with me and with others who see the urgency o f such a study. Yours sin cerely ,

(Signed)

Mrs. Doris L. Bock Instructor in Education New York U niversity Washington Square New York 5, N. Y.

Mark A. McOloskey Director

-454APPENDIX B Play School Films and P u blications Films T itle

R e le a se d

1.

Health and Happiness

8

mm. s ile n t

2.

The Play School Film

16 mm. s ile n t

January, 1958

5.

Play la Our Business

16 mm. sound

April, 1945

Late 1920's, brought up to date from time to tim e.

Major P u b lica tio n s Date*

T itle

Publisher**

1918*

The Play School— An Experiment by the Federation fo r Child Study

1918

The Play School— A Comprehensive Program o f Service for the Neglected Child

n

11

11

1919*

Giving the Child a Chance— An Experiment in Combating M alnutrition

11

11

11

1919

The Summer Play School— A Handbook on the Organization and Conduct o f Play Schools, Based on the Experiments of the Federation for Child Study

11

n

it

1920*

A Summer Play School— A Demonstration in th e Care o f the City Child iri Sumner Time

Federation for Child Study

Central Committee o f the Society for Ethical Culture

1920*

Summer Play School

Ethical Culture School

1925

Summer Play Schools

Federation for Child Study

1924

Summer Play School

1925*

E th ical Culture Summer Play School

I95O*

Parent Eduoation in a Sumner Play School

Summer Play Schools Conrm ittee, Child Study Assn.

* All dates so marked are estim ated; these p u b lication s were not dated. ** Only p u b lication s o f the Play Schools A ssociation and i t s predecessors have been included.

-

Date*

455-

T itle

Publisher**

1951 1951 1952

When Parents Meet At School When Children Eat Together Healthy A ttitudes Toward Health

Summer Play Schools Pamphlets 1»2,5, Child Study Associar tio n .

1955 1955

The Story o f a Child Study Group Community Programs fo r Summer Play Schools

Child Study Association " " 11

1958

Play* A Yardstick o f Grovrth (Revised 1945* Play Schs. Assn.)

Summer Play Schools Committee, Child Study A ssociation

1959

From the Record si An Adventure in Teacher Training

1940-41 Annual Reports

"

"

11

"

Summer Play Schools A ssociation

1942* 1942 1942

Play M aterials Made From Waste Play Schools Association What Parents Are Saying in V/ar Time " " " A Handbook on Play Schools' for Group 11 " " Leaders and Teachers (Revised 1945) 1942-47 Annual Reports " 11 11 1945

11

11

"

1945

Let Them Play— A Frimer to Help C hildren Grow Up L etters From Mothers in Wartime

n

»

n

1944*

Twenty-One Pages for Parents

11

"

"

1945

When They Play Out of Doors (in s e r t added 1949)

"

"

11

1946

Ways and Means o f Reaching Parents

"

"

"

1947*

11

1947

The Play Schools A ssociation and the School-Age Child Play* A C h ild 's Way of Growing Up

"

"

"

1948

The Play Schools A ssociation in 1948

n

n

n

1949 1949 1949

Twenty-Four Pages for Parents How to Make a Play School Work Moving Ahead with Flay Schools

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11 " 11

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1950

Primer on Play Schools

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* All dates so marked are estim ated; these p u b lication s were not dated. ** Only p u b lication s o f the Play Schools A ssociation and i t s predecessors have been included.

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Chart o f Play School Operation

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Sponsor,

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This chart appeared in the 1947 Annual Report,— pp. 10-11.

-457APPENDIX D R egistration for Personal Service in Sumner Play Schools (1919) at

From July 7 to September 1, 1919* P lease designate with a cross (x) the kind o f service you can render .C le rica l

•Physical Care

•Home V isitin g

.Flay

•Excursions

•Story T ellin g

•Lunch

•Music

.Gymnasium Work

•Occupations

• Dental C lin ics

•Kindergarten

•Medical*

• Shop V/ork

•Sewing

. Dr amat ic s

. Dane ing

•Modeling

•Red Cross Work

•Club Work

Workers are asked to volunteer to serve eith er for a period of two weeks or more, or fo r a sp ecified day or days each week for as many weeks as p o ssib le .

P lease designate what time you d esire to give to t h is work: I w ill serve every day f o r . . . .

weeks, beginning................................

I w ill serve................... day(s) a week fo r ...................weeks, b e g in n in g .... ....................................................(Specify which day(s) o f the week)

.

Any o ffe r s o f tim e for service other than here suggested w ill be g r a te fu lly considered.

NAME.......................................................................................

ADDRESS

* This service i s required c h ie fly in May snd June.

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QUALIFICATIONS AND SaLARI PUR THE PKUP'ESSIUNAL SlAFP UP a PLAY SOHUUL Prepared by Play Schools A ssociation E ffe c tiv e - Summer. 1949 GROUP TEACHERS The f in a l in ter p r e ta tio n o f our work-play program i* made through the carefu l planning and sin cere in te r e s t of our teachers or lea d ers.

We

look , th erefo re, fo r the Group Teacher who, in addition to an adequate tra in ­ in g , has those plus q u a lit ie s o f warmth, .imagination, f l e x i b i l i t y and genuine Liking o f ch ild ren .

I t i s d esira b le a lso fo r a teacher to possess sp e c ia l

s k i l l s in the crea tiv e a r ts which are inherent in the work-play program of her group,

tfe recommend th a t the fo llo w in g q u s lific a tio n s as to preparation and

experience be adopted as a b a sis fo r the s e le c tio n of personnel. Step I Preparation 1.

T ra in in g s

A.

A Bachelor's Degree secured w ith in the l a s t ten years from an accredited sch o o l, c o lle g e or u n iv e r sity on -^Kindergarten-Elementary Education, or a student with sim ila r educational background in an approved school o f s o c ia l work, with s p e c ia liz a tio n in group work with children o f school age. 1.

Training should include a t le a s t s ix semester hours

of cred it in supervised p ra ctice teaching and s ix semester hours o f c r e d it in supervised observation on the kindergarten-elem entary school le v e l, or supervised group work w ith children o f school age in an accred ited and recognized sch ool of s o c ia l work.

-4 5 9 Group Teachers, cont*d. 2.

Education or S o c ia l Work Courses - mini mum of 24 semester hours of c r e d it are d istrib u ted in the f ie ld s below:

b.

a-

Child Development - 6 or 8 semester hours o f c red it - Child Psychology or behavior - Health & N u trition of the loung Child - Parent R elationships - Study o f th e Pamily & Community - Mental Hygiene

b-

Curriculum - m eth o d s and M aterials - 10 semester hours o f c r e d it. - Kindergarten or elementary age le v e l - Group work fo r child ren of school age

c-

H istory and Philosophy of -Education, or related s o c ia l philosophy - approximately 4 semester hours o f c r e d it.

bxperience — One y e a r 's teaching experience on the kindergartenelementary l e v e l , depending upon the age group to be taught, or rela ted experience

in the group work f i e l d with children of school

age. step 11 In addition to the q u a lific a tio n s l i s t e d in Step I , the teacher in Step I I has: 1.

6 a d d itio n a l, or a t o t a l o f 30, semester hours of cred it in the f ie l d s o f Education, as l is t e d in Step I — A-2, and

2.

Three or more years of su c c e ssfu l paid teaching experience as described in Step I - b , or

3.

Two or more years o f su c c e ssfu l teaching in a play sch ool.

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3

Step I I I 1.

Training A.

A M aster's Degree with a major in Kindergarten or Elementary Education from a recognized sch o o l, c o lle g e or u n iv ersity ; or the equivalent from a recognized school o f s o c ia l work, with s p e c ia liz a tio n in the group work f i e ld with children of school age.

B.

At le a s t three years o f paid teaching experience with children of school age, or previous teaching in a play school of such high q u a lity as to m erit s p e c ia l con sid eration.

Assignment o f the Group Teacher o f the summer play school includes: 1.

Attendance a t the preparatoiy workshops fo r teachers.

2.

Attendance a t a l l o rien ta tio n se ssio n s and training days prior to or during the e n tir e play school season.

3.

Presence in the play school to which assigned, from July 5th through August 25th, 194-9. sa la r y Bange

I t i s recommended th a t the b a sic salary fo r any p riv a tely employed Group Teacher i s the same as the Board o f Education sa la ry fo r the play school season paid to teachers holding the playground lic e n s e . I t i s recognized th a t because o f conditions w ithin certain agen cies, t h is salary base may be adjusted. III.

Increases should be rela ted to Steps I I and

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A ssistan t Teachers An A ssista n t Teacher in play schools may be a teacher who does not meet the educational q u a lific a tio n s or experience fo r a Group Teacher, but who does have some tra in in g which i s geared to future work with ch ild ren . An A ssistan t must be a student with at le a s t two years of tra in in g in an accredited sch ool, c o lle g e or u n iv e r sity , preferably in education or in the group work f ie ld in an approved school o f so c ia l work.

The A ssistan t

i s in te r ested in u sin g the play school program as a means of learn in g more about ch ild ren , or an opportunity for observing and working with children in a r e a lis t ic urban s e ttin g . S tep I P rep aration I.

T rain in g

A.

Two years o f c o lle g e in an accredited school, c o lle g e or u n iv ersity in a recognized school o f s o c ia l work, or a combination of c o lle g e or s o c ia l work, plus rela ted group work experience which equals two years o f study on the kindergarten-elementary school le v e l . S tep I I

The A ssista n t in t h is category has one add itional year o f c o lle g e or s o c ia l work and play school experience, or some related experience in group work. S tep I I I

1.

Four years study in an accredited c o lle g e , with or without a degree, with a major in Education on the kindergarten-elementary school le v e l, or

2.

A combination o f c o lle g e and experience which equals four years of study of school-age children in the group work f ie ld from a recognized school of s o c ia l work, or

3.

Two or more years o f experience o f high q u a lity in a play schodL

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A s s is t a n t T each ers, c o n t'd

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Assignment o f the A ssistant Teacher o f the Summer Play School includes: 1.

Attendance at the preparatory workshops fo r teachers.

2.

Attendance a t a l l general o rien ta tio n se ssio n s and train in g days prior to or during the e n tir e play school season.

3.

Presence in the play school to which assigned , from July 5th through August 25, 1949. SALARY RANGE $150 to $250, depending on tra in in g and experience. o----------

S p e c ia lis ts

Whenever a school has enough money to employ extra quota teachers or sp e c ia l teachers who are s k ille d p a r tic u la r ly along the lin e s of the crea­ t iv e a r ts such as music, scien ce, woodworking, e t c . , i t i s necessary that th ese sp e c ia l teachers have enough educational background to enable them to understand the program which th e group teacher i s trying to carry out, as w e ll as the standards which the play school program endeavors to uphold.

•^Kindergarten — wherever the word Kindergarten i s used, training in a re­ cognized c o lle g e , u n iv ersity or school in Nursery Education, with s p e c ia li­ zation in the upper le v e l (ch ild ren o f 4 and 5) raay be included. ^Related Experience — may include camp co u n sellin g in an approved camp, G irl or Boy Scout leadership, or any Camp F ire or Girl Reserve leadership, or any recognized club settlem ent house or neighborhood center leadership.

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Flay Schools A ssociation 119 Nest 57th Street New York 19, N. Y.

APPENDIX F

TEAC H ER S * RECORDS FOR SCHOOL-AGE C H ILD R EN

The aim and purpose o f records in a c h ild -ca re -cen ter are to help in developing a b etter understanding of children as growing Individuals and as members o f a group. Adjustments in a play group depend upon in d ivid u al and so c ia l re­ action s.

Children are happy when they are secure in th e ir so cia l relar

tio n sh ip s, and when they are conscious of progress or growth in th e ir d aily liv in g .

Children build up confidence in them selves and in others

as they work su c ce ssfu lly on individual and group e n te r p r ise s. Records o f the so c ia l end emotional development o f children help teachers to evaluate a c h ild 's own progress in terms o f h is a b ilit y . This h elp s to point up, o b jectiv ely , the strengths on which to build as w ell as the weaknesses which in dicate need fo r help*

The use of

t h is w ritten co n fid en tia l material gives a valuable and permanent record for a ll p ro fessio n a l people working with th ese ch ild ren .

This con sti­

tu te s the tea ch ers' contribution toward a ll the records kept on children. ftie f in a l aim o f record keeping for the teacher i s to create the kind o f environment which w ill o ffe r each child the b est p o ssib le chance for development.

Play Schools A ssociation 119 West 57th Street New York 19, N. Y.

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SUGGESTED OUTLINE GUIDE - RECORDS FOR SOHOOL-AGE CHILDREN 1 - Social and Snotional Development Total growth pattern in terms o f a ttitu d e s and concept Consideration for others* A ttitu d e o f o th e r s toward him .

Attitude of ch ild toward h im self. A ttitu d e toward r o u t in e s .

A ttitudes toward ad u lts. Independence, Leaderdiip of ahd/or cooperation with other children. S elf Control. Acceptance o f r e s p o n s i b i l i t y .

2 - Physical C h a ra cteristics Total physical w ell being. Coordination. Appearance. Posture. Voice and Speech. Eating. Relaxation. 5 - In terests - Play A c tiv itie s and Hobbies. Special a b i l i t i e s - d i s a b i l i t ie s . Likes and d is lik e s . Achievements in a ll areas. 4 - The Home and the School in r e la tio n to the c h ild .

-4 6 5 appenddc g

Photographic I l l u s t r a t i o n s o f Curriculum E x p erien ces in th e P la y S ch o o ls

M A P M A K IN G

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"After we have our fill of trips and have seen our city — the way it works, the people who live in it and the buildings that make it different — like all explorers, we try our hand at making a map."

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TRIPS •

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"The older we get the more we examine the exciting world we live in."

"We start young thinking about others. Even O N E W O R LD # boys like to sew — especially when we're making things for 'toyless' children overseas."

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LUNCHES

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NAPS

BOOKS

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"When we are well fed and rested, we can enjoy active play or have an equally fascinating time over books th a t m ake our minds grow too."

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S'f’SM

BLOCK BU ILDING • • • "The floor is our play world and on if w e can work together building bridges, skyscrapers, churches and other things grown-ups make, or playing alone with the right materials, like colorful paints, there is no end to the ideas we can create." FINGER P A IN T IN G •

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"Let's pretend . . . with real dolls and a carriage and a make-be­ lieve house . . . They're just right for us when we are very young . . . and when we're older and feel a bit too grown-up to play with dolls, puppets take their place."

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SCIENCE

• • • "For us, to o, the m o d e rn w orld is full of m ystery a n d w onder. W e satisfy our curiosity indoors b y building radio sets, a n d out-of-doors b y nature s tu d y ."

O U T D O O R LIFE •

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D EM O CR A TIC LIV IN G

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"W e k n o w w e can p l a y to g eth er, m a k e things to g eth er, work together. . . . A n d , if given a c ha nce, w e ca n live a n d g ro w to g eth er in a d e m o ­ cratic w a y ."

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