A clear and practical presentation of the workings of an experimental nursery school. The author offers no hasty generalizations; she sets down the record of her eight years' experience, and indicates the conclusions which may be drawn from the study of children's activities during the most significant period of physical, mental and social development--from fourteen to thirty-six months. She exlains how the nursery goes about its attempt to scale civilization down to the child level in its behavior demands and to open up wider opportunities for active exploration that an adult world can afford.
In discussing the environment offered by the nursery school, she considers the child's activities and materials, his relation to other children and to adults, and his introduction to language and rhythm.
Introduction
Preface
Part I Why We Do What We Do
Chapter 1 Planning For Growth
Chapter 2 Habits and Conventions
Chapter 3 The Schedule and the Rules: How they are amde
Part II Our Planning of the Environment
Chapter 1 The Physical Environment--Activities and Materials
Chapter 2 The Social Environment--Other Children and Adults
Chapter 3 Language and Rhythm
a Our Observation of Language Forms
b Our Procedure
Part III Records
Chapter 1 How we keep Records of the Children's Growth
2 Records of Children's Use of the Environment
a Activities and Materials Slide, Hammer, Building Materials, Color, Crayons and Paper
b Other Children and Adults
c Language and Music
Part IV Conclusion
Part V Index
Biography
Harriet M. Johnson is the director of The Nursery School, an experimental school for children of fourteen to thirty-six months which is associated with the Bureau of Educational Experiments.
