Friedrich Froebel, Founder of Kindergarten - 2058 Words

Friedrich Froebel, Founder of Kindergarten Friedrich Froebel was a German educator of the nineteenth century who developed an Idealist philosophy of early childhood education. He established kindergarten and education for four and five-year-old children. Kindergarten is now a part of education worldwide. Friedrich Froebel was born in the small town of Oberwiessbach, Germany in 1782. His mother died when he was a baby. His father remarried, but Froebel never liked his stepmother. His feeling of rejection and isolation remained with him for life. This had a strong effect on his theory of early childhood education. He believed the kindergarten teacher should be loving, kind and motherly. Froebel also had an unsatisfactory relationship†¦show more content†¦This word expressed Froebel’s vision for early childhood education: â€Å"Children are like tiny flowers; they are varied and need care, but each is beautiful alone and glorious when seen in the community of peers† (Smith, 1999,  ¶ 6). He used play, s ongs, stories, and activities to establish an educational environment in which children, by their own activity, could learn and develop. According to Froebel, this meant that children, in their development, would learn to follow the â€Å"divinely established laws of human growth through their own activity† (Net Industries, 2008, Biography section,  ¶ 5). This is where he used his kindergarten gifts and occupations. â€Å"Gifts were objects Froebel believed had special symbolic potential. Occupations were the raw materials children could use in drawing and building activities that allowed them to concretize their ideas† (Gutek, 2005, p. 265). Froebel became famous as an early childhood educator in Germany and by 1848, forty-four kindergartens were operating in Germany. Froebel began training young women as kindergarten teachers. Kindergarten achieved its greatest influence in the United States. It was brought to America by the Germans after the European Revolution of 1848. Kindergartens appeared wherever there was a large concentration of German immigrants. Henry Barnard, the first United States Commissioner of Education, introduced Froebel’s kindergarten into educational literature in theShow MoreRelated Friedrich Froebel and Marie Clay Essay example1538 Words   |  7 PagesFriedrich Froebel and Marie Clay Friedrich August Wilhelm Froebel was born in Oberweissback, Germany in April 21, 1782 (Ransbury, 1995). He was the sixth child of a Lutheran Minister, but lost his mother before his first birthday. As a young boy, he played and explored in the gardens surrounding his home most of the time. His deep love of nature would later influence his educational philosophy. He did not become educated until age eleven. When he was fifteen years old, he was apprenticedRead MoreEducation : The United States1654 Words   |  7 Pageshappening as well. There was a German educator named Friedrich Froebel who was very critical in emerging an Idealist philosophy of early childhood education and instituting the kindergarten. He became to develop that that education started in infancy, Froebel then began to see mothers as the ideal first teachers of humanity. Women, he believed, were best-suited to nurture children and became the Kindergartners teachers for his schools. Froebel also offered the first significant careers for womenRead MoreMy Philosophy Of Teaching And Learning1603 Words   |  7 Pagesthat competition is good for students. He believed competition created productive children and served as motivation. Friedrich Froebel was the kindergarten founder so to speak. I agree with him on his ideas about hands-on learning. He used activities such as games, playtime, songs, storytelling, and crafts to enhance the learning environment. This is still much like our kindergartens today. Some of my own key beliefs in education include social development, intellectual development, and moral developmentRead MoreComparative Analysis of the Purpose of8067 Words   |  33 PagesA Comparative Analysis of the Purpose of Kindergarten in Finland and Ontario, Canada The theories of Friedrich Froebel, the founder of kindergarten have influenced kindergartens in several regions including in Finland and Ontario, Canada. The kindergarten program in Finland is one of envy as it contributes the nation’s successful educational system. Kindergarten in Finland is a free service available to all children, which is similar to Ontario, Canada’s program which is also free to childrenRead MoreEymp 15616 Words   |  23 Pageset al, 2011). â€Å"Friedrich Froebel  (1782-1852), the great German educator, is famous pre-eminently for his radical insight that the first learning experiences of the very young are of crucial importance in influencing not only their later educational achievements but also the health and development of society as a whole† (Weston, 1998). Friedrich Froebel had the idea that children learn best through play and by having real experiences and from these theories he was the founder of the first everRead MoreYouth Development Programs4107 Words   |  17 Pagesdevelopment–contributed to the growing belief that, with appropriate nurturing, children could be molded into successful adults. As a result, childhood began to be viewed as a particularly critical point in human development. Friedrich Froebel (1782–1852), the German educator and founder of the kindergarten movement, encouraged this viewpoint and contended that children required special preparation for adulthood, as well as opportunities for recreation and play. The publication of American psychologist and educatorRead MoreSantrock Edpsych Ch0218723 Words   |  75 Pagesthe Fathers of Confederation. I also wanted school based in the Froebel philosophy. Friedrich to incorporate play-based activities that would help Froebel, best known as the founder of kindergarten, them develop a deeper understanding of these believed that play is critical for healthy child develop- early Canadians. ment. Below, Debra explains how she incorporates the â€Å"As part of the unit, students were required to use Froebel methodology into her classroom instruction. their research findings