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Kindergarten

society Maturity 7-9 Next article →

Kindergarten is a special way for young children to learn.

It helps them move from home to school. Children learn through playing, singing, and drawing. They also practice social interaction with other kids. This helps them grow in many different ways. Today, many countries use this term for schools. These spaces are for children aged two to six.

Max Liebermann Kleinkinderschule in Amsterdam 1880
Max Liebermann Kleinkinderschule in Amsterdam 1880

Learning in a kindergarten happens through many activities. Children use self-directed learning to explore the world. This means they can choose how to learn. They use songs and stories to help them understand. Play is a very important part of this system.

Johann Sperl - Kindergarten (um 1885)
Johann Sperl - Kindergarten (um 1885)

Some teachers even use music to teach. In Germany, a special music method was used around 1873. These activities help children develop their own way of expressing themselves. It is a much different way than older schools.

Early schools for young children started a long time ago. In 1779, two people founded a center in Strasbourg. This was to help children whose parents worked. In 1780, similar places opened in Bavaria.

Frederick-Froebel-Bardeen
Frederick-Froebel-Bardeen

In 1816, Robert Owen opened an infant school in Scotland. He wanted children to learn good morals for work. Samuel Wilderspin opened many schools in London starting in 1819. He is even credited with inventing the playground. In 1828, Countess Theresa Brunszvik opened an "angel garden" in Hungary. She founded eleven centers for young children.

Friedrich Fröbel is a very important name in this history. He was a German teacher who lived from 1782 to 1852.

Frederick-Froebel-Bardeen
Frederick-Froebel-Bardeen

He opened his own institute in 1837. On June 28, 1840, he gave it a new name. He called it "kindergarten," which means "garden of children." He believed children should be nurtured like plants. His ideas spread to many different parts of the world. In 1856, the first US kindergarten opened in Wisconsin. Elizabeth Peabody started the first English-language one in 1860. By 1873, Susan Blow started a public one in St. Louis.

Kindergartens look different depending on where you live. In Australia, the name can mean different things. In some states, it is the first year of primary school.

A girl at a Japanese kindergarten entrance ceremony, April 2019 (02)
A girl at a Japanese kindergarten entrance ceremony, April 2019 (02)

In Afghanistan, many kindergartens were run by the government. In Bangladesh, most schools are run in the Bengali language. In Bulgaria, two years of preschool are now mandatory. Even in Canada, rules change from one province to another. It is amazing to see how this idea grew globally.

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🖼️ Images & Media (18)
File:Kindergarten is fun (2908834379).jpg
Kindergarten is fun (2908834379).jpg
File:Max_Liebermann_Kleinkinderschule_in_Amsterdam_1880.jpg
Max_Liebermann_Kleinkinderschule_in_Amster...
File:Johann Sperl - Kindergarten (um 1885).jpg
Johann Sperl - Kindergarten (um 1885).jpg
File:Frederick-Froebel-Bardeen.jpeg
Frederick-Froebel-Bardeen.jpeg
File:AF-kindergarten.jpg
AF-kindergarten.jpg
File:Student teachers Kindergarten 1898.jpg
Student teachers Kindergarten 1898.jpg
File:北京师范大学实验幼儿园 - Experimental Kindergarten of Beijing Normal University - 2010.11 - panoramio.jpg
北京师范大学实验幼儿园 - Experimental Kindergarten...
File:Päiväkoti Taikurinhattu (14780188937).jpg
Päiväkoti Taikurinhattu (14780188937).jpg
File:Trondes Salle d'asile.jpg
Trondes Salle d'asile.jpg
File:Unterhaus keilhau.jpg
Unterhaus keilhau.jpg
File:Bundesarchiv Bild 183-37156-0001, Beenz, Erntekindergartengruppe.jpg
Bundesarchiv Bild 183-37156-0001, Beenz,...
File:OVODA.jpg
OVODA.jpg

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