THROUGHOUT the world most children start first grade when they are 5, 6 or 7 years old. But many children start going to school before first grade. They attend kindergarten or nursery school classes. These classes may be part of a country's state or public school system or they may be run by private institutions.
UNITED STATES
In the public school system of the United States, kindergarten is the class in elementary school that comes before the first grade. Children who are 4 or 5 years old may start school in kindergarten and at the end of that year go on to the first grade. In the U.S.A. most nursery schools are privately run. Children from 2 to 5 years old may attend.
The kindergarten program is designed to help each child grow in independence, solve problems, develop skills, and live comfortably with others. Children in kindergarten are at play most of their day, but they are constantly learning through their play. They learn to plan activities, to follow simple directions, and to adjust to school life.
Young children also learn from each other. They learn to express their mind or ideas in speech, as well as in artistic and musical activities. They learn to share ideas with their friends and to take turns in using materials. They learn to help others, and they grow in independence by helping them selves. They develop physically through healthy activity and through learning good health habits.
The aims and activities of nursery school are very much like those of kindergarten, but nursery school children are younger and less independent. Classes must be smaller, and the parents must work more closely with the teachers.
EUROPE
In Europe in the late 1700's and early 1800's industry was growing, and women and children went to work in factories along with men. Mothers sometimes had to take their youngest children into the factories with them. Many children received little or no schooling.
One answer to this problem was the development of the infant school. The first infant school was started by Robert Owen, a Welsh cotton-mill owner. In 1816 Owen set up a system of schools for all the children under 12 in the town of NewLanark , Scotland. (Those who were 12 years old could work in the mill). They very youngest children were placed in an infant school as soon as they had learned to walk. In this school the children were treated kindly and played happily together.
Today many cities have day nurseries and day-care centres, in which children of working mothers are cared for from morning untilafternoo. These centres continue the traditio of infant schools.
Johann Amos Comenius, a Czech, and Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi, a Swiss, believed that children learn by actually seeing, hearing and touching things rather than by reading or hearing about them.Pestalozzi thought that the purpose of education was to guide a child as he developed his natural abilities.
Friedrich Froebel, a German teacher now known as the father of the kindergarten, developed his own theory and methods of teaching young children. These he put into practice in a school he opened inBlankenburg, Germany, in 1837. He named his school a "Kindergarten', meaning "children's garden". This was the first kindergarten.
FRIEDRICH FROEBEL, a German teacher now known as the father of the kindergartean. The house, where he was born.
Froebel believed that children expressed their interests through their play. He developed a set of play materials, which he called gifts, for use in the kindergarten. The gifts included six soft, coloured balls and several wooden balls, cubes and cylinders. In addition to using the gifts, children inFroebel's kindergarten sang songs, played games in a circle, and listened to stories.
More than 50 years after Froebel's death, Maria Montessori (1870 - 1952), an Italian doctor, developed another method of teaching young children. Montessori felt that children should have independence in doing things for themselves. In Montessori's schools the children learned to arrange the equipment for themselves and keep the classroom in order.
John Dewey (1859 - 1952) an American philosopher, developed a method of teaching that became known as the progressive method. He also believed that children learn by doing. In his school, children did not simply sit in the classroom and learn from their teacher passively. Dewey's contribution can be seen in the play activities in the classroom and in the trips outside of school through which children learn and find satisfaction.
The kindergarten or nursery school teacher is usually a friendly woman who loves and understands young children. In addition to regular college lessons the training of kindergarten teacher includes special courses to help her learn to teach young children. These courses include child development, child psychology, methods of teaching the early grades, music, art, handiwork and children's literature.
Kindergarten is the first society experience away from home for a 5-year-old child. The first year at school serves as a bridge between the child's life at home and his life at school. Many kindergarten teachers visit the child's home before he goes to school. Parents go to school for conferences with the teachers and may take part in class activities such as parties and trips.
A satisfying first experience at school has a great influence on the way a child will feel about school and about learning later on.
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