For many young children, kindergarten is a fun, play-filled experience and a first introduction to school. But just who invented kindergarten? Read on to find out.
Revolutionary German educator Friedrich Froebel opened the first kindergarten in 1837. His approach to education was considered radical at the time. Influenced by the views of Enlightenment philosophers like Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Froebel’s school focused on freedom and expression through play-based learning. His assumption was that children are naturally good and active learners.
Froebel thought that children would gain a deeper understanding of the world around them when given opportunities to interact with hands-on materials. He designed several learning materials (e.g., coloured balls, geometrical building blocks and mosaic tiles), which he called “gifts”.
As children played with these “gifts” (pictured above), they developed spatial skills as well as an understanding of engineering and physics. At kindergarten, children would engage in gardening, singing and dancing too.
The impact of Froebel’s work is far-reaching. Froebel's methods inspired and informed the work of other pioneering educationalists like Maria Montessori and Rudolf Steiner. The influence of the Froebel’s kindergarten can also be seen in the Reggio Emilia approach.
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