kinder garden

2.  Friedrich Froebel
 Contribution and ideas
 Beginning of kindergarten education system
 Educational philosophy of Froebel
 Froebel ‘s principles
 Characteristics of kindergarten system
 Main features
 Curriculum
 Teaching methods
 Analysis of kindergarten system of education( merits and demerits)

6.  In 1816 Froebel opened a school at Griesheim under the name German
General Education Institute, which was later shifted to Keilhau.
 Froebel put into practice his educational theories in this school and he
developed his own methods of instruction. During this time Froebel wrote
numerous articles.
 In 1826 published his most important work titled “The Education of Man”.
In this work he presented his philosophical principles and ideas on
education in great detail.
 In 1831 went to Switzerland accepting Swiss government’s invitation to
train elementary school teachers. There he founded an educational
institution, worked as the head of an orphanage, and published the
magazine titled Features of Human Education.
 During the training sessions he conducted for teachers, Froebel noticed
that there is no systematic education system available for children who are
of pre-school age. When he returned to Germany in 1837 he started his
first infant school in Prussia. This school was originally named the Child
Nurture and Activity Institute.

7.  Later in 1840 he renamed it to Kindergarten, or “garden of children”. He
dedicated his time exclusively for developing methods to educate young
kids.
 He also started developing educational materials for preschoolers
including geometric building blocks and activity blocks. These
educational play materials designed by Froebel were known as Froebel
Gifts.
 Froebel recognized that the activities carried out by children play an
important role in process of learning. He proposed that game has
educational worth in the early years of childhood.
 The first kindergarten he started had many activities such as singing,
dancing, gardening and self-directed play with the Froebel Gifts.
 He also published a collection of Mother-Play and Nursery Songs with the
aim of introducing kids into the adult world. This book became popular
and was translated into many languages. He believed that the most
important step towards comprehensive educational and social reform
should start by improving infant education. His experiments at the first
kindergarten were extremely successful, and that concept generated
widespread interest.
 Many other kindergartens were started across the country. Slowly it started
spreading into other parts of Europe. Froebel died on 21 June 1852 before
he could see the spread and popularity of the education system he
developed.

8.  His ideas about childhood development and education were
propagated to other parts of Europe by one of his enthusiastic
disciples Bertha Marie. She brought his ideas to the notice of
educators in England, France, and the Netherlands.
 Other countries such as the United Sates adopted his educational
methods later, and they were immensely successful. John Dewey
implemented the educational principles of Froebel in his
experimental school at the University of Chicago. Very soon
kindergartens became popular across the globe, and today it is
regarded as one of the standard educational institution for
children of three to six years of age.
 The origin of kindergarten education in Asia, especially India,
was largely a missionary enterprise. Today it is a widely
accepted system of early childhood education in India together
with Montessori system of education.

9.  Many scholars argue that Froebel’s educational philosophy was
based on absolute idealism. He assigned an important place to
education in the development of an individual.
 In his masterpiece titled The Education of Man he expressed his
idea that “The purpose of education is to encourage and guide man
as a conscious, thinking and perceiving being in such a way that he
becomes a pure and perfect representation of that divine inner law
through his own personal choice; education must show him the
ways and meanings of attaining that goal.”
 Frobel held the belief that developing harmony with the world and
with God is the way to achieve fulfillment in life. Practical work and
direct use of materials should be given importance in the early
education of children.

10.  It is through exploring the environment that children understand the
world around them. Thus Froebel gave heavy emphasis on the role
of games and playing in a child’s learning process. It helps children
develop intellectually, socially, emotionally and physically.
 According to Froebel, the education of a child begins with his/her
birth. Both parents and teachers have an important role to play in
helping children in this activity.
 He considered education not as a preparation for future life, but as
the preparation of the life around an individual. To him, a child
learns a lot of important things in life from school, including the
essentials of truth, responsibility, justice, free personality etc. These
cannot be learnt by studying, but can be learnt only by living and
practicing them.
 Thus, schools should enable children to discover their own identity
and personality. Schools should also help children to develop their
abilities for initiation and execution.

11.  As an idealist, he viewed the entire universe as a unit. His
principles were based on the idea that there is unity between
man, nature and God. According to him, human beings should
realize the fact that there is absolute unity in the universe. All
through his life, Frobel advocated the idea of unity in diversity.
 According to him, the school shouldn’t communicate a variety
and multiplicity of facts. The aim of schools should be to teach
children that there is an everlasting unity in all things. To him,
the child was an agency through which God’s will in human
nature can be realized.
 Education is a development through which individuals can come
to the realization that they are one unit of the all-encompassing
unity.

12.  This is an offshoot of his principle of unity. Froebel proposed a
balanced as well as unified development of body, soul and mind.
Life is in a continuous process of changing and growing. Thus
development should happen from within and the purpose of
development should be to achieve unity.
 He also argued that development should not be based on any
artificial or unnatural force, but it should be directed by natural
inner laws. Children are born with some innate tendencies which
inspire them to realize God. The development of both mind and
body will happen only if such innate tendencies are exercised by
children through self-activity.

13.  Froebel maintained the view that in early childhood education,
games play an important role. Young kids have more interest in
play activities and games. Hence, the curriculum of young
children should be organized in the form of activities and games.
This will help the children learn more easily and effectively.
Also, children should be given full freedom so that they can
express their ideas through activities and attain educational
development.
 Frobel was a proponent of self-discipline. According to him self-
discipline is attained through self-activities. Outside interference
in the form of compulsion and control should be avoided
completely. Education in a free atmosphere and under social
discipline is what children need. Such a discipline should be
exercised in team activities and group work as well.

14.  1. Self-Activity
 2. Creativeness
 3. Social Participation.

15.  By self-activity Froebel meant that the child should not indulge in any activity
which is suggested by parents or teachers but he should carry out his own
impulses and decisions. Education, he believed, is a process of individual
growth.
 This growth is directed by inner forces in the child. As the child has
perception and reason he can be made conscious of the presence of God
within him. Divinity is already within the child. That divinity has to be
revealed or manifested through spontaneous self-activities of the child.
 It is this self-activity which merges the child’s individuality with the spirit of
humanity. Education, said Froebel, should not be prescriptive, categorical,
interfering, but should provide for “free self-activity and self-determination on
the part of man — the being created for freedom in the image of God.”
 Self-activity makes instruction easier and continuous. It requires no artificial
techniques. Self-activity, in his opinion, is a process by which the individual
realizes his own nature and the phenomenal nature and then he harmonizes the
two. In all this, the child is free and determines his own activities

16.  Self-activity arises out of one’s own interests and is sustained by one’s own
power. It alone can produce the evolution of mind and can secure the aim of
education. It is, therefore, essential that all processes of instruction must
originate with the interests of the child.
 Self-activity manifests in the child a desire to enter into the life around it, the
desire to help, to discover, and to participate in common activities. The child
wants to know the connection between himself and the activities of others.
Froebel said that there is no conflict between theory and practice and no
discrepancy between profession and deeds.

17.  The second characteristic of Froebel’s method is creativeness. This
principle is closely connected with self-activity. Creativeness is the natural
inner urge of the child. Man is, he said, by nature an active and dynamic
being. He is not a passive and silent observer of events. He wants to do
something and must create.
 Froebel believed in the unitary character of human nature and its
harmonious growth. Head, soul and hand are inseparable. They are
interdependent parts of man and must be developed together. Mind and
soul express themselves through bodily activities.
 Froebel condemned intellectualism and verbalism. He advocated that
thinking and doing must go hand in hand. Gandhiji accepted and
developed this ideal of education.

18.  The third feature of Froebel’s method is social participation. Rousseau
advocated isolated and unsocial education for Emile, but Froebel attached
great importance to social participation of the child.
 Froebel believed that self-realisation is only possible through, self-activity
and self-activity is effective and productive only when it comes through
social participation. Man has a social self. Social instinct is a primary
instinct of man. Individual self cannot be developed without social self.
 An individual can be educated truly only in the company of other human
beings. Human life is intimately connected with social life. The home, the
school, the church, the state — all are social institutions and the media for
individual activity and means of social control. The school, Froebel said,
is an association for the child wherein he discovers his relations with the
society in an effective manner.
 It is a means of social progress and individual development. In the society
the child gets the necessary nourishment for development and social
efficiency for healthy living. The child’s growth, therefore, should be in
harmony with the unity and purpose of humanity to which be belongs.


19.  As we have already seen, one of the remarkable contributions of
Froebel was that he established the first kindergarten in 1837.
 Kindergarten is a German word which means “garden of
children”. It was the name of his first school, but later the word
kindergarten began to be used as a common word to denote
schools that offer early childhood education.
 According to Froebel, children are plants and the teachers are
gardeners. Just as a gardener nourishes the plants, a teacher
should take care of children and help them develop their skills
and abilities.
 He found many similarities between children and plants. Just
like plants children are delicate and tender. Hence they need
utmost care and protection. Also, plants grow from within the
inner fertility of seeds. Likewise, the development of children
happens based on their innate tendencies.

20.  Froebel envisaged kindergarten as a place where children can
enjoy freedom and pursue playing and activities. The aim of this
place is to inculcate a sense of self-realization and socialization
in young kids.
 Froebel’s kindergarten didn’t have books or fixed academic
tasks for children. The training was conducted through songs,
gestures, and constructions which were identified as three
connected parts of a whole process.
 For example, when a story is read out, it is done in the form of a
song, enacted through gestures and illustrated using blocks or
clay or drawing. Emphasis was also given to the use of
language as it helps to enhance self-activity, creativeness,
social cooperation and concrete expression.
 Some of the main features of kindergarten are self-activity,
creativeness, social participation, child-centered education,
freedom and the role of games and plays in the process of
learning.

21.  Froebel identified different stages of development in the education of children.
Hence different programmes should be offered at these different stages.
 Infancy is a period when children rely completely on sensory perceptions.
They use only sense organs during this period to acquire knowledge.
 During childhood; innate tendencies, actions, external thoughts, watchfulness
and attention are manifested in children. The method of instruction at this stage
should be the play-way. Actual education of a child begins at this stage. The
external is made internal during the period of adolescence.
 Whatever the children perceives in their environment are internalized during
this period. Hence this stage requires child-centered education. Froebel made
a set of recommendations with regard to what should be taught as part of
educational curriculum.
 His suggestions include drawing, painting, gardening and nature study along
with formal subjects such as mathematics, language, natural sciences,
philosophy, religion etc.
 He proposed that all these subjects should have internal unity as well as
higher degrees of correlation. The curriculum followed in the kindergarten
included manual work, religious instruction, natural sciences and mathematics,
language, and arts.

22.  Froebel was a great advocate of spontaneous
development of children by means of self-
expression. His kindergarten was a place where
kids could move around freely and joyfully. The
teaching methods used in the kindergarten
included
 1. Teaching through songs
 2. Teaching through Froebel gifts
 3. Teaching through occupations
 4. Teaching through play

23. Songs:
 Songs were one of the important tools Froebel used in his
Kindergarten to impart education. These songs were
meant to satisfy the social, moral and mental needs of
children. They were also meant to enhance the physical
development of children through facilitating physical
movements of muscles, limbs, and other senses. The
songs were organized based on the development of
children.
Froebel Gifs:
 Froebel gifs is the name given to a set of educational
materials developed by Froebel. These gifts are designed
to provide materials for the self-directed activity of
children. They contain a series of activity-based playthings
such as simple sphere-shaped objects, geometric wooden
blocks, wooden balls, cylinders of different types and
shapes, triangles, tables, sticks and rings.

24. Occupations:
 Occupations are activities connected with the gifts. They
include activities such as construction with clay, paper,
wood and other materials, mat making, basket making,
embroidery, clay moulding, wood carving, sewing, painting,
cardboard worksetc. These gifts and occupations were
designed with the purpose of enabling children to use their
senses, sight and touch. They also give kids an idea of
shapes, size and other spatial relationships.
Play-way Method:
 As we have already seen, Froebel stressed the
significance of play in the process of education. So he
introduced play-way method in his kindergarten as a
gateway to knowledge to help the development of children.
Learning through play was introduced as a means to
develop the children’s senses, habits of action and
thinking.

26.  • It gave importance to the education of children between the age of 3 to 6
 • Play and games were given prominence in the early childhood education
 • Froebel expanded the concept and scope of school as a social institution which
enables children learn many values including empathy, cooperation and
responsibility
 • The Gifts and occupations designed by Froebel introduced an altogether novel
approach to early childhood education
 • It have importance to the creativity of young kids and provided children ample
opportunities for activities
 • It gave importance to the role of natural impulses and instincts rather than
relying completely on textbooks or fixed curriculum
 • Sense trainingwas given importance in this system of education
 • It is a child-centered education
 • It is argued that, in kindergarten system, children are able to sustain their
interests in learning till the end
 • It offered children a healthy atmosphere of freedom, joy, love, peace and
contentment
 • It was designed to cater to the mental, physical, social, cultural and spiritual
development of children

27.  • It has been pointed out by critics that Froebel gave too much
importance to the inner development of children. He didn’t pay
attention to the environment in which children grow up, and the
adaptations they have to make within that environment.
 • The songs developed by Froebel were outdated and can’t be used
uniformly by all schools. The songs need to be revised based on the
changing needs of kids.
 • Critics maintain the view that Froebel neglected individual
attention while he gave too much importance on socialization.
 • Teachers who are part of the kindergarten system require proper
training, without which they can’t create new songs or come up
with new techniques.
 • The use of gifts and occupation within the system consumes both
time and energy.
 • Too much stress is given to play and games that it might distract
children from serious learning.
 • It is also pointed out many educators that the subjects are not
taught in a correlated way within the kindergarten system

28.  Frobel established a new era in the field of early childhood education which
continue to influence even in the modern times. Kindergarten system is the
greatest contribution of Froebel.
 His ideas on educational theory and practice provided the world new insights
into the development of younger children. The nature and structure of
preschool education was radically transformed with the advent of kindergarten
system.
 He gave emphasis on nursery education that made modern educators
recognize the importance of education in the early years of children. He was
the first educator who introduced self-activity as the basis of education. He also
brought a new approach that valued and respected a child’s individuality.
 Introducing a method of learning using arts and crafts is yet another
contribution made by Froebel in the field of education. His ideas of sense
training and education through play are also regarded as greatest milestones in
the history of modern education. Likewise, he put emphasis on the sociological
aspect of education.
 In addition to these, he introduced nature study as part of school curriculum. It
is also argued that, due to Froebel’s influence, women teachers are considered
suitable for the task of instruction in preschools and pre-primary level classes.
Above all, he introduced a new conception of school by deve
 loping the kindergarten system where the responsibility of young children is
shared by all. Many modern educators consider kindergarten as a miniature
form of ideal society which is based on brotherly sympathy and voluntary
cooperation.