Kindergarten

Kindergarten was created in Germany by Friedrich Fröbelin in the 1800s. By giving children a strong foundation in education, Fröbelin hoped to improve children’s future academic careers (Hill, 2010). The new program he created would also acclimate children to the learning environment of school while also helping children begin to create their own identities and learn independence from their parents (Mascle, 2008). Typically, much of the learning occurring in Kindergarten is through play. For many children, kindergarten is their first experience interacting with a large group of children. This allows children to build social skills with other children by playing games and doing group activities. Fröbelin also believed children learned a great deal from a stimulating environment (Hill, 2010). Providing children with a stimulating environment filled with toys and art supplies, children are able to learn on their own. http://www.prlog.org/10865388-kindergarten-kids.jpg

Though the emphasis is mostly on learning through play, a curriculum still exists for kindergarten classrooms. Children learn basic knowledge, such as the alphabet and counting, as well as skills needed to become more independent, such as tying shoes. Learning to read is also part of the kindergarten curriculum along with some basic math thrown in too. For most kindergarten classes, only about half of the school day is spent on academics. There are two schedules widely used in United States public schools for kindergarten. Children going to half-day kindergarten go to school for three hours a day, while those attending full-day go for the full school day. Full-day kindergarten has become the most popular schedule over the past few decades; however, many school systems still prefer the half-day system.

Citations Hill, PS. (1920). Kindergarten, The. //Encyclopedia Americana//. Retrieved September 28, 2010, from http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Encyclopedia_Americana_(1920)/Kindergarten,_The

Mascle, D. (2008, April 27). //Do you know what is the// // purpose of kindergarten? // . Retrieved from http://searchwarp.com/swa324916.htm