Ada Van Stone Harris

Ada Van Stone Harris (1866–1923) was an American educator as well as a city and county school district administrator. She held various positions associated with Kindergarten and primary grades in Michigan, Iowa, Minnesota, New York, Virginia, and Pennsylvania. A member of the National Education Association (NEA), Harris served as its President, Department of Elementary Education. She also wrote books and articles on educational topics.

Early life and education Ada Van Stone Harris was born in Albion, Orleans County, New York, on July 27, 1866. She received her early education in the state of New York.

Career She entered upon her professional work soon after leaving school. Her experience in the grades was a foundation for her subsequent work. She soon found that her talents fitted her for the supervision and training of teachers. As she preferred the work associated with the younger children, she devoted her energies to kindergarten and primary school instruction.

In the fall of 1901, Harris left Newark and came to Rochester, New York as supervisor, uniting the kindergarten and primary departments. She brought experience from other fields to this comprehensive work, and her influence was felt immediately. The kindergarten work throughout the city benefited by her supervision. A feature of the general plan which served to bring kindergartners together and to unify the work of the city was the Kindergarten Institute, which was held at least four times during the year. On this day, all kindergartens were closed and the teachers spent the day together, receiving instruction in art and music, or joining in round table conferences and sometimes games, under the guidance of Harris.

In 1904, while employed in the Rochester public schools, Harris was elected to be head of the domestic science department of Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, but declined the offer. In the same year, the eleventh convention of the International Kindergarten Union was held in Rochester, New York in April, with Harris serving as Chair of the Local Committee.

Harris was a member of the NEA and served as its President, Department of Elementary Education, in 1916.

After resigning from her position in Rochester, New York, in 1910, she came to Richmond, Virginia as assistant assistant superintendent of schools in charge of primary instruction.

She also made important contributions to the educational magazines and was author or co-author of valuable books for schools.

Later life While residing in Pittsburgh in the Ruskin apartments, she became ill in September 1922 and for a time was in the Presbyterian Hospital. She died in Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania on January 18, 1923. Interment was in Albion, New York.

Selected works Editor Sophie, adapted from the French of Madame De Segur by Charles Welsh. Illustrated by Eugene Prand. Edited by Ada Van Stone Harris. (Heath's Home and School Classics, 1895)

Books Harris, Ada Van Stone & Waldo, Lillian McLean, Little Folks in Busy-Land, 1916 Harris, Ada Van Stone, "The Sixth Yearbook", The Kindergarten and Its Relation to Elementary Education, Manfred James Holmes (ed.), 1917 Harris, Ada Van Stone & Waldo, Lillian McLean, Number Games for Primary Grades, 1919

Articles Harris, Ada Van Stone, "Arithmetic in the grades", 1895 Harris, Ada Van Stone, "Homes and life of the people", The World Visualized for the Classroom, 1915 Harris, Ada Van Stone, "Interrelation of functions in a city school system. Influence of the supervisor.", Proceedings of the Annual Meeting, National Education Association of the United States, 1906 Harris, Ada Van Stone, "Literature for children", 1903 Harris, Ada Van Stone, "The importance of the primary teacher", 1912