A. S. Makarenko Reference Archive
Parents who think that cultural education is the exclusive obligation of the school and society and that the family need do nothing in this area are mistaken. One sometimes sees families who pay attention to the children's food, clothing and play.... but who say that the child has enough culture in school....
Cultural education in the family is easy if parents believe that culture is necessary - not only for children!....Where parents themselves do not read newspapers or books, do not go to the theatre or movies, are not interested in exhibits or museums, obviously it will be difficult to carry on cultural education for the child. Such parents would not really try to do so, their efforts would be insincere and artificial; the child would understand that his parents do not consider this really important.
On the contrary, in those families in which the parents themselves are living active, cultured lives, where papers and books are a necessary part of their existence, where questions of theatre and movies are touched upon in a lively way at home, there cultural education will take place when the parents may not even be thinking about it....
Cultural education must begin very early, when the child is not yet literate, when he can only observe, listen and talk a little.
A well-told story is the beginning of cultural education. Every family should have collections of stories on the bookshelf ... Perhaps the parents know stories heard in their youth. ...The choice of the story is of great importance. We must throw out stories about evil forces, devils, baba yaga (witches), goblins, etc. ...The best stories for the very young are animal tales... In general one should choose stories which stimulate energy, faith in one's own power, an optimistic view of life and hope for the future. Sympathy for the oppressed must not be accompanied by pictures of despair...
A significant turning point appears at the time of learning to read. Usually this happens in the children's collective - in school. The child enters into the realm of books and the printed word, sometimes reluctantly, surmounting the technical problems with difficulty. We must not force the child, but not encourage laziness either; we must encourage him to struggle. Books with large print and many illustrations must be acquired at home. Even if the child cannot read them yet, they will stimulate an interest in study and a desire to learn to read...
The general cultural tone of the family has a great effect on the child's school work, on the quality and vigor of his study...
Newspapers
Even when children can only listen to reading, newspapers make an impression...Reading the newspaper should not be done apart from the children; parents can find material which can be read aloud and discussed in their presence, even if it is not especially written for children.
It is even better if the reading is done in such a way that it does not seem to be directed especially to the children. They will listen even more attentively if it is done casually. In any paper there will be international affairs, heroic achievements of workers....The family discussion of what is being read should be free, never formal, or in a special pedantic tone....It is even better if such talks arise unexpectedly, apropos of some household event, or one may simply ask what there was of interest in the paper....
Books
Acquaintance with books must also begin with reading aloud and later, even when the child can read well, reading aloud should continue, should be part of the general family program and should become a habitual and constant part of both leisure and work days. If parents do the reading at first, the task will be taken on by the children later. Reading aloud should not be done especially for the child but for the family circle, to stimulate collective opinion and expression of ideas. Only with the help of such collective study may we direct the reading taste of the child and develop in him the habit of reading critically. In addition to reading aloud one must inoculate the child with a desire to sit down by himself with a book....
Parents must pay attention to what their child reads, even when he is in school....they must know how he reads...whether he thoughtlessly turns pages only for the plot...what books he chooses...whether he takes good care of them...
Movies
In our time movies are an immensely important educational medium, not only for children but also for adults. In the Soviet Union all films are made in government studios and our films are a beautiful and highly artistic means of education. Nevertheless, this does not mean that children can see movies in unlimited quantity or without control....The child may become accustomed to passive pleasure - the artistic impression runs over the surface, does not involve him, arouse any ideas or questions. Such moviegoing is insignificant and sometimes harmful....We recommend that children go to the movies no more than twice a month and see only films suitable for their age. Before the 14th or 15th year children should always go with parents or with older brothers or sisters. This is necessary, not for the control of behavior, but so that what they have seen may be a subject for discussion and conversation. The child should describe his ideas, talk about what pleased him and what did not please him, what strong impressions he carried away....If parents see that the child carries away only external, entertaining aspects, the adventures of this or that hero, they should, by the help of one or two questions, bring to the child the deeper and more important aspects of the film. Sometimes it is not even necessary to ask questions but only to express opinions in the child's presence.
To a considerable degree parents should choose the films they want their children to see....some pictures may be beyond the child's understanding, some may arouse wrong reactions....In choosing films, the child's school work, behavior and condition should be taken into account.
Theatre
Everything that has been said about movies applies to the theatres, but the theatre much more often presents subjects unsuitable for a child. Such plays as "Othello" or "Anna Karenina" should be absolutely forbidden for middle school ages. Care should be taken in recommending ballets also. In our society, this is achieved by forbidding admission of children to evening performances before the proper age.
The question of theatre is not difficult, for in many cities we have special theatres for children with a special repertoire. Going to these theatres is highly desirable...
Plays require a very serious and prolonged effort of attention. They are more complicated than movies.... Theatre-going needs careful planning and even more than a film a play should be discussed, analyzed....
Museums and Exhibitions
Museum exhibits and art galleries are very important educational media...They help to organize the child's intellectual experiences, arouse deep feeling. One should look carefully in a museum, not merely gape....Do not try to see too much at one time.
Other Forms of Cultural Education
We have glanced at only the main forms of cultural education, those organized by the Soviet government. Parents do not need to be inventive in these areas, they only have to make the best use of all the cultural facilities of our land. If parents make full use of newspapers, movies, books, theatres and museums they will do much for their children in the sphere of knowledge and character-building.....
But many parents do even more....Walks in the country, becoming acquainted with nature, with towns, with people, reconstruction, building houses, laying roads, building factories -- all these are wonderful subjects for a day of leisure. But an excursion must remain an excursion, recreation - there is no need to force the child's attention and compel him to listen to speeches.
During these excursions a few words will reinforce impressions, a joke, a story drawing a parallel with the past or a humorous tale will accomplish its purpose unnoticed...
By all means the family must encourage an interest in sports and an interest that will not be that of a frustrated spectator. If your son shouts at every football match with heated intensity, knows the names of all those who have made records, and all the figures of records, but does not take part himself in even one physical culture circle, does not skate, ski, does not play volley ball - his interest in sports is nearly useless and sometimes actually harmful. There is little sense in his interest in chess if your child doesn't play it! Every family should try to see that its children become not only interested but actually participants in sports. It is better if parents themselves take part. For older parents, such a demand may be too late - but young parents have every possibility and in such cases the road to sports for their children will be much easier... Our mothers seldom participate in sport, yet this is very useful for young women. Also our girls are drawn into sports less than the boys...
There are also such types of cultural education as putting on shows at home, producing wall newspapers, keeping diaries, carrying on correspondence with friends, participation in political campaigns, improving the home, organizing children in the yard for meetings, games excursions, etc.
We must always try to achieve the greatest participation on the part of the children, to educate them not only to observe and to listen but also to hope, want, achieve, aim for victory, overcome obstacles, and to draw in their comrades and younger children.
It often happens that the first success in one type of activity or another arouses an exaggerated idea about their own abilities, scorn for others; they may expect quick victories and then will be unable to overcome obstacles...
Parents should plan for the future activities with the child and see that the plan is carried out. Reading books and papers, going to movies and theatre, etc. should be part of this plan.... Cultural education can be made very interesting if all these methods are used...It requires resourcefulness from parents....Older children should learn to keep an album of clippings on certain subjects....All this work should be directed toward political and cultural activity. Children should, ever more and more, feel themselves citizens of our land, see its heroic victories, its enemies, know to whom they owe their conscious, cultural life.