Froebel

Friedrich Froebel was the first person to create his own school and call it kindergarten. Kindergarten is a German word and it means “children’s garden”. He had made his kindergarten in 1837. Friedrich Froebel was born on April 21, 1782 and died on June 21, 1852. While he was a small child, he used to play outside alone in the garden that was at his house. This would explain his love for nature. His father was a pastor and his mother died when he was only 9 months old. He was the youngest of six children. Froebel had a strong Christian faith.

When Froebel was a young man, he went and attended the training institute between 1808 and 1810. It was named Frankfurt Model School. There was a well-respected educator that had worked there. His name was Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi. Pestalozzi’s theory had included permissive school atmospheres for the ideal environment to learn in, emphasis on nature, and the object lesson. Froebel’s view of education was closely linked to religion since he was an idealist. He had figured that Pestalozzi’s theory had lacked spiritual means which, according to Froebel, was the foundation of early learning.

The four major principles that were Froebel’s philosophy of education are free self-expression, creativity, social participation and motor expression. He had mainly focused on the needs of children before they had entered the school. He had wanted a school where four to six year old children would be nurtured, cared for, and protected from outside influences.

In 1837, he had founded the Play and Activity Institute and then created the word kindergarten for it in 1840. This institute was mainly used to stimulate the child’s imagination and develop physical and motor skills. To Froebel, the pur...

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Learning through play, group games, goal orientated activities and outdoor time were all ideas of Froebel and can still be observed today. Froebel respected all the children as individuals with rights and responsibilities. His philosophy has affected educational policy and practice around the world. Maria Montessori was one of the people who were influenced by the educational philosophy of Froebel.

Even today, educators will look to the past for philosophers who can assist them. They will strive to attain the common goal of being responsible for nurturing, educating, and cultivating each child toward their maximum potential through the educational process.

Works Cited

http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/pioneers-our-field-friedrich-froebel-founder-first-kindergarten

http://www.baliadvertiser.biz/articles/teach_children/2007/friedrich.html