Frederick Fröbel and the Concept of Kindergarten

[@howarddavis289]

The comment about kindergarten age children needing more play instead of testing was spot on.

[@larsiverchristiansen8484]

ever heard of Steiner/waldorf schools?

[@steveclark4291]

Very very true ! Now there preschool then kindergarten ! So much had changed since I went to school and graduating in 1975 !

[@martinstent5339]

Worth remembering that Kindergarten is for learning through play, and not learning through lessons.

[@dcs6500]

True. It is very sad that the amount of recess at most kindergartens I’ve seen has been cut down drastically from when I was a kid. Many today only have 15 minutes of recess.

[@bearcubdaycare]

Learning through play is useful at any age.

[@randalljeffs7272]

Amen

[@Dirtzoo]

Absolutely

[@KonradTheWizzard]

@@dcs6500 Wait a second. Recess? This implies there are "lessons". But why? There should be a healthy balance of free play and guided play, but not a single lesson (at least not until the last few months before school).

[@abbofun9022]

In Dutch, to fröbel is to creatively fool around with paint, clay etc. Never knew the verb was based on this giant man.

[@cherylm2C6671]

Just being Fröbelous.

[@okeydokey3120]

Thank you for that very interesting fact. I'm going to remember that! ☺

[@233bedson]

@@cherylm2C6671 sounds like fabulous. :)

[@misledprops]

Super interesting!!

[@DavidKutzler]

When I was in kindergarten in 1956, it was a half day, and the primary focus was on school socialization. How to be separated from mother, how to be quiet, how to sit still, how to take turns, how to raise your hand to be called on, how to stand in line, how to sit in a circle, how to play cooperatively with others, etc. They also managed to squeeze in mid-morning milk, recess to run off fidgeting, and a nap. There were lots of class and small-group activities involving simple hand-eye skills, like drawing, tracing, finger painting, cutting shapes out of construction paper, etc. There was no reading readiness beyond identifying letters and numbers. Now kids are getting reading readiness in pre-K and many kindergartners can already read.

[@hawgryder13]

I went to kindergarten in the 1950s and it was a fun experience. We played with other kids we had never met before, listened to stories read by our teacher (Mrs. Munch) and took a nap o a rug we brought from home on the first day of class. There was nothing to do with reading or writing, it was about learning to be away from home for a period of time and sitting quietly and paying attention when the teacher was talking to us. I was surprised as an adult when my son had to already know how to spell his name and tell his address before starting kindergarten. How the times have changed.

[@chiron14pl]

I remember my kindergarten teacher, Miss Gardner. It did start a life long love of learning, which now includes THG and the many fascinating stories you bring to life.

[@wendychavez5348]

I think my kindergarten teacher was Mrs. Gomez. In my defense, I sustained a traumatic brain injury at as get 15, and credit my educational experience from kindergarten on for my amazing recovery! It's not perfect, my memory has suffered greatly, but after my brain got beaten with my skull it still found a way to do its job because I was taught many patterns of thinking.

[@susellis493]

My kindergarten teacher was Ms. Gardner too, then she got married and it changed to Mrs. Brock (I think).

[@newq]

Mrs Shepherd was mine. Still the best teacher I ever had. I was lucky enough to have her again in 2nd grade. Such a patient and caring person and a top notch educator to boot. I should look her up someday and tell her what an impact she made on me.

[@alec_f1]

Yes, the original concept of kindergarten IS completely lost today. Thank you for reminding everyone.

[@nirfz]

I think that depends on where in the world. In some countries Kindergarten is still to play and not to learn to read and write. Where i am from, the only thing children after Kindergarten are supposed to be able to "write" is their own first name. (while they don't need to know the letters, they get shown what their name looks like, memorize it and "draw it") Otherwise they just do play, paint/draw, sing like the original intention was. Reading and writing is reserved for school.

[@fromgermany271]

The concept might be lost somewhere, but not where it came from. The Kindergarten is (and has been when I was there 56y ago) the place where children learn by playing. We did not make it „part of the school system“, as it is not meant to be one. Yes, most of the time, parents have to pay, but based on their income. It’s funny to hear „not free“ from the country, where every help from to government to the non-rich is named „socialism“. Our concept is, the country helps the people when they are young and they pay back when they are old enough to monetize the education. So each generation helps the next.

[@JTA1961]

I remember my son giving me a radish he grew at kindergarten. Best damn radish I ever had.

[@rosameryrojas-delcerro1059]

Grown with love. You probably tasted that love too.

[@markrowland1366]

I financed the establishment of Montessori in New Zealand in 1979. My friends and family found premisis and parent supporters who worked preparing, painting and many early participants came from service clubs. Teacher training used my home where many lodged. At twenty months, my son spent a morning with a great aunty. When we returned, she said he carried a conversation like an adult.

[@wendychavez5348]

My sister used to have a Montessori school for I think ages 5-12. She had a neighbor with a son in that age range who periodically got locked out of his house when his mom went to the bar while he was at public school. One afternoon, I think it was winter or raining or something, my sister invited him to wait with her students, fed him and allowed him to explore as any of her regular students would. The mother was very angry when she got home--apparently she would rather have her child bored, hungry, and cold than in a safe environment. I think he was slightly older than kindergarten age, but this presentation reminds me of the story because the original idea was much like what is now the Montessori method.

[@heathertaylor-willockx3632]

Good for your sister. She obviously cared a lot about children.

[@Mikidy303]

Thank you. Kindergarten was probably the last year of school that I enjoyed. That didn't stop me from continuing my education for the next 20 years, but getting that high school GED was worth it!

[@pieter1102]

When I was a kid in The Netherlands, we referred to "kleuterschool" (Kindergarten) as "froebelschool". I never knew where that name came from. One of the advantages of watching the History Guy. Thanks!

[@fredherfst8148]

pieter zeeuwen ... Agree. I was placed in one in Amsterdam in 1952 and I couldn't handle it and was overwhelmed and cried a lot...so I was told. I was taken out, thank God. I remember really disliking the kindergarten teacher. She was mean and not likeable. My grade 1 teacher was awesome so all was well. My point is that not every kid is ready at the same age. The teacher also makes a huge difference. Great episode.

[@smurdock3]

I went to kindergarten in 1969. The school had only had kindergarten for a few years prior and many people didn't send their kids until grade 1. Not like it is now. We had play time, huge fat red pencils, naps... it was pretty good as I recall it.

[@compscript7973]

When I was a tutor, a kid had a big book on aviation. We went through the book reading the comments under the pictures and he loved it. Next time I asked him about his book he was not happy. He told his parents how much he liked the book and they forced him to read it.

[@KevinCGleason]

I had the good fortune of attending kindergarten which involved mostly creative play. In 1st grade I wondered how the other kids knew those numbers and letters. Even without that "head start" I managed honors in elementary school, salutatorian of my high school, Dean's list at an Ivy, and a doctor of laws degree. Education began and remained fun. Nearly 60 years on, I still play with blocks, albeit concrete blocks.

[@disposablebasterd]

I have more old memories of Kindergarten than many other grades of primary, and that was 79/80 school year, my teacher Raine Macpherson. The sweetest teacher ever. She was teaching us about taste one day and one of my friends saw her preparing the samples and he saw chocolate, so he stole it shoved a huge handful in his mouth and nearly gagged to death at the bitter taste.

[@ender920]

I live in Watertown, WI, and clicked on this video excitedly when I knew this was probably the only chance I'd get to hear my town mentioned on your channel. I love watching your videos! Thank you for you channel.

[@leifsonoferik]

I grew up near there in Portage, WI. I did get to go to kindergarten in Albany, WI where we lived when I was 4-5. My older siblings didn't get to go, they lived in Durango, CO when they were 4-5.( they are 7 & 8 years older than I am). Kindergarten is where I learned the order of the letters, ABCD.... Before then, I could accurately identify all of the letters because of flash cards at home. I didn't realize until kindergarten that they came in any particular order. This early concept of learning has helped me with my recent study of the Georgian language. Those early days in Miss Spring's class will always be treasured.

[@michaelspurlock3096]

Kindergarten was the best three years of my educational career...I did not want advancement to first grade because the teacher would expect me to think and do advanced math such as adding. I do remember the teacher giving us graham crackers and milk. I found out latter that the graham cracker was given to suppress sexual urges...really? We were also given wooden blocks to build with...I threw mine across the room; fortunately no one was injured; I did not become an architect or construction engineer. The teacher attempted to inculcate social values and manners to no avail; I was told to slide the chair out from the table so that my classmate Marsha could be seated; she said to me "I can do it myself"...this made me cry. After having spent three years in kindergarten which by age alone allowed me to be the class valedictorian and graduating magna cum lousy. Class of 1958,1959,1960.

[@mtovani]

Excellent! I to this day have fond memories of my Kindergarten class of 63 years ago.

[@stephengoetsch349]

As a fifth generation descendant of German immigrants to southern Wisconsin, my family grew up in the Watertown area, where the first Kindergarten in America was held, in a unique building called The Octagon House. My family visited it several times when we would come to visit relatives in Watertown and Oconomowoc.

[@1frogass1]

Kindergarten was not held in the Octagon House. The first kindergarten was moved to octagon house grounds in 1956. www.watertownhistory.org/articles/kindergardenfirst.htm

[@stephengoetsch349]

Ah! You are correct! As I had always visited the kindergarten when I visited the house, I had not realized it had not been there originally. Thank you!

[@MrSheckstr]

I used to drive by that ever day coming in from oconomowoc on 16 before the built the two northern bypasses

[@dannyjones3840]

I may not remember all my teachers, but I'll never forget Mrs. Glasser, P.S. 86, The Bronx NY, 1980-81.

[@lindaknight3518]

Dear THG, thank you so much for the episode on Kindergarten! It brought back a lot of fond memories to those of us who actually did attend Kindergarten back in the day. I do find that kindergarten nowadays seems to be a bit more complicated than when I was in it. I was surprised to find out how much education one has to have to become a kindergarten teacher. Years ago one only had to have two years post-secondary education in either a normal school or college/university and certificate from an accredited institution of higher learning. Now one has to have, at least, a master's degree and be working on getting their Ph.D before they would even be considered for the position of a kindergarten teacher! I am told this is because of so many new developments in the field of early childhood education. Having been an elementary school teacher, who occasionally substituted in kindergarten classes, I must say that it's good to look back at the main reasons why they were started in the first place. It helps to keep things in prospective. Sincerely, L.M. Knight

[@davidcampbell4465]

My sister was sent to kindergarten. She's now a registered nurse. My brother was sent, he's retired military. When it was my turn, I wasn't sent. Now, I r a truck driver from rknsaw! Yippee.

[@samiam619]

I used to tell shipper/receivers a joke: “Last week I couldn’t spell truck driver. Now I r one.” One of them said “Really”? Then I had to tell her “No, I’ve been driving 20 years”...

[@Face2theScr33n]

Too bad the unions got devastated by laws in the 80's and 90's, truck drivers got paid and respected more from what friends and family say. My Dad and Uncles made some good money back then.

[@Face2theScr33n]

@@poetryflynn3712 A Russian friend of mine has a trucking company. Living in Florida though. I'd forget what my house looks like before I got back driving for him. "Honey, who installed this new dishwasher?" "You did, 3 years ago!"

[@rodchallis8031]

@@Face2theScr33n In Ontario, they put the squeeze on both Brokers and Company drivers in the 80's and 90's, and into the 00's a lot of experienced guys got out. It just didn't pay, particularly for Brokers. Now that the remaining ones are hitting retirement, the Companies are crying for drivers. Gee, I wonder why?

[@bradleyweiss1089]

@@samiam619 Was she blonde?

[@grapeshot]

Yeah in my hometown to Columbus, Ohio, it had a large ethnic German population in the nineteenth and early twentieth century and there's a historical marker in Downtown Columbus where the courthouse sits. It marks the site of the first kindergarten school in Columbus.

[@jeanart597]

I was taught at home. Reading and writing plus. I never missed kindergarten. Hammer, nails, skates made scooters. Sew,knit crochet and embroidery. Food prep, chickens, rabbits and garden. We missed out on nothing! I'm 68 years young and use most of everything I learned at home from grandma and grandpa! I was blessed!

[@buckeyeman7631]

I grew up in Shelby, OH. An hour north of Columbus, on a farm, from a German family. I know the spot you speak of very well.

[@9ZERO6]

Speaking of Columbus Ohio, I need some Schmidt's from German Village.

[@mrjeh49]

@@9ZERO6 Then you need to run for your Schmidt's.. (ha! sorry...)

[@9ZERO6]

@@jeanart597 you grew up taught by family that cherished independence. Unfortunately, that is a luxury now. Those that pass those skills down to the next generation are wise, but the receiving generation is always very fortunate.

[@chrispeoples4606]

As a physics teacher, I tell my students there is three ways you learn: 1) you see it, 2) you hear it, or 3) you can touch it. The best of three is touching things and it's why I love doing lab work with my students. I tell my students they learn more with their fingers than with their eyes and ears combined. They laugh when I tell them that when I was in kindergarten that I failed finger painting, but it's the finger learning that is most critical.

[@MissMarinaCapri]

So true, however there were too many people in my class so we all didn’t get to do it. But the teacher did it and we saw it and learned.

[@pamelamays4186]

Kindergarten for me was way different than it is today. When I went to kindergarten in 1964, the school day was divided into Morning Class and Afternoon Class. I attended the morning class. Around middle of class time we had a snack, usually graham crackers and milk. Then we had nap time. Our nap mats were a favorite towel from home. For painting, our art smock was one of Daddy's old shirts. Good times, good times. BTW, my kindergarten teacher's name was Miss Whitlock.

[@WeedMIC]

Did you do duck and cover drills and then paint you bud's face white until the all clear whistle?

[@okeydokey3120]

I went to kindergarten in 1968...my teacher was Mrs. Dow. I have a little miniature diploma from her. ☺

[@flounder31]

My friend bought a house on Blow St. in south city St. Louis a few years back... after the requisite snickers and agreement on how that was an appropriate place for her to live, we went to the internet to see where the strange street name came from. And thus, I was introduced to Elizabeth Blow, American early education pioneer. Thanks THG for the rest of the Kindergarten story!

[@daleinarizona1561]

I lived in Germany for 4 years. My oldest daughter got to attend kindergarten in our village and learned German. Loved it!!!!!

[@canadaehxplained77]

When I switched into to a French school - Kindergarten became 'Jardin' - and I got really confused as to why children were kept in the garden. Slowly learned that's not what the word meant.

[@01cthompson]

Here in Connecticut parents are learning(as a result of the pandemic) that kindergarten is not mandatory and a number are delaying the enrollment of their children. The teachers and school systems obviously concerned.

[@williambabbitt7602]

Yay for this free guy! I went to a one room school house with five different grades. The last one in my district and county in New York disqualified me for home teaching. Anybody give me a love of learning that I still have even at 75 years old. The older I get the more I realize there’s so much that I don’t know. Even though I hold two masters degrees one in theology and one in education, the more I learn the happier I become. The more humble and peaceful you are a loves good things to come your way in unexpected manners. Thank you history guy for giving me such a wonderful memory of my educational process.

[@aftp4i94]

In Australia, kindergarten is for 5 year olds and is basically 1st grade lite. We have pre-school which is aimed at 4 year olds which follows the original kindergarten philosophy of learn through play. Pre-school isn't mandatory but most Australian states provide 2 to 3 days a week free of charge. Childcare, which is aimed at under 4 year olds whose parents work is subsidised (but still expensive) and it also follows the learning through play philosophy.

[@JuliusGalacki]

This is one of my favorite History Guy episodes. Froebel did more good for humanity than 99 percent of the names remembered by history.

[@JasonLambek]

Absolutely one of the gems of TheHistoryguy. Thank you very much for producing this work.

[@CeeLiberty]

As a former kindergarten teacher, I fought hard for more playtime for my students. In the end I left the profession. It morphed into something very alien to me and no pension was worth what was going on.

[@groermaik]

The greatest teachers you will ever have are your parents. They teach you to walk, talk, use the bathroom, wash your hands, say "excuse me" and "please" and "thank you", among a myriad of other things.

[@lizj5740]

Or don't, as the case may be.

[@joeyjamison5772]

In the US, the children are kind, but in Germany the children are kinder!

[@cherylm2C6671]

In Germany the children are Kinder, as nouns are always capitalized.

[@bazonka1]

@@seanwebb605 I don't think the right to keep and eat chocolate eggs is mentioned in the Constitution.

[@bazonka1]

@@seanwebb605 Well, actually it does.

[@bazonka1]

@@seanwebb605 Yes, yes it does. A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed. The right of the people, not some of the people, the people, shall not be infringed. Countless Constitutional scholars, men with greater minds than mine, over the years have said that it means all of the people.

[@Pfsif]

School was the biggest hindrance to my education.

[@jamieoglethorpe]

I spent some time in a Montessori school in Holland as a youngster. Very similar IIRC. My sister did a Duisendroll (thousand roll) of 10 hundred squares. I asked to do one but was told I was too old. An older child asked a group of us if we could subtract 5 from 3. The others immediately said no, but I said yes, but I didn't know how to. I am still impressed by my young self.

[@joerogers4227]

I was born 1942 and never went to kindergarten. First experience was 1st grade in 1948. Our special school was in a town split by the Ohio/Indiana state line. Center line of the school (center of Gym also) was the state line. grounds were in 2 states, 3 counties, and 4 townships and was called Union School district. It had no kindergarten. My mother made it her special mission to make sure milk was served with lunches. College Corner in both Indiana and Ohio. Indiana students had to buy their own school books and Ohio students had them for free. Just 5 miles from Oxford Ohio and on the corner of the township created to support Miami University.

[@MrDmitriRavenoff]

Modern kindergarten in the US is just 1st grade light. It's a real shame. Even the Young 5's programs are a bit too structured these days.

[@tncorgi92]

And now we have Pre-K to condition kids for kindergarten.

[@LorneGrimmer]

Thus is ao interesting. My mother-in-law is a kindergarten teacher and I will forward this along. I have great pride for the kindergarten teachers.

[@MrWATCHthisWAY]

But I bet she will tell you that we need to conform to the states mandate! I can’t change it and this has been proposed several times before. Lol nothing changes because students who learn discipline in learning do better in school. Unfortunately they may not become the innovators they could have become because they never learned to think outside the box until they were told to think outside the box and by that time they never learned how to think outside the box. That damn box!!!

[@lucianprescott8357]

I'm well acquainted with Susan Blow in St. Louis. There is a street named after her on the south side of the city. My first job was a porter for a liquor store on the corner of Gravois Avenue and Blow Street, which made me wonder who named a street "Blow"; furthering me to research the name and Susan Blow's achievements. And yes I attended kindergarten in St. Louis in the 1950's.

[@untruelie2640]

Very interesting :) The Kindergarten issue is still somewhat controversial here in Germany. A few years ago, a new law was passed in order to assure that every child has the right to go to Kindergarten. The problem is that there are not enough of them and there are often considerable waiting lists. There is also a division between former West Germany and former East Germany: In the East, almost all children went to Kindergarten so that both parents were able to work full time. There was (and still is) even and institution called "Kinderkrippe" (lit. "Child hay rack") were children from the age of 6 months upwards were looked after during daytime so that - again - both parents could go to work. A similar instiution exists for children in elementary schools who's parents have to work during the afternoon: the "Schulhort". The children can play there but also can do their school homework, do group activities, go on trips together, etc. (Note: Most elementary school days in Germany do end between 12 am and 14 pm) However, in most parts of former West Germany, there aren't nearly as many "Kinderkrippen" or Schulhorte" since it is much more common for women to stay at home. Another issue is that many Kindergärten there are run by one of the two big churches (Lutheran and Catholic); non-christian parents often have no other choice but to send their children there because of the general lack of Kindergarten slots. Not a very ideal situation. (Note: About 33% of the german population is not part of any religious organization or group and at least 10-15% are atheists or agnostics. In former East Germany, usually more than 75% of the population (at least in urban areas) is non-religious.)

[@JTA1961]

"Day care" or put them all together full-time so parents can function completely for the state while kids get indoctrinate... USSR style~mother Russia

[@untruelie2640]

@@JTA1961 It was used this way during the communist era, but it should be clear (as I'm sure that you watched the video), that the general concept is way less sinister and more humanistic. There is simply no other way to garantee that women can work in a full time job than daycare.

[@lizj5740]

@@untruelie2640 Um...I can think of one way: don't have children.

[@untruelie2640]

@@lizj5740 Not very ideal for an aging society with a serious shortage of births... But if people don't want to have children, there is nothing one can do.

[@deadfreightwest5956]

I could read even before Kindergarten. That's thanks to my mother, who sat me on her lap, with an open book, and parsed every word. I weep for those who can't read or write today. I'm looking at every texter!

[@JTA1961]

Same here, except for father & Kings James Bible. I must say that I appreciate spell check (Big Time) i before e except after c... WTF📉😂📈

[@lelandframe1029]

My mom taught me to read, too. No Kindergarten, and I was reading at 2nd Grade Level in 1st Grade. It was 1964-65!

[@deadfreightwest5956]

@@lelandframe1029 - Great year, 1965: when I was born, lol!

[@goodun2974]

Dead Freight, yup, me too. My mom reading to me as a little child instilled a great love of books and the written word that has stayed with me throughout life.

[@areyouhappynow99]

Reading to your child doesn't always work. I read and read to my only child.. She learned to love to have me read to her. But, age is not much of a reader herself. She prefers quilting and finishing he PhD. In physics. I have well, I tried.

[@brucefay5126]

What a great episode. Several connections for me. All of my grandparents attended the St. Louis (MO) public schools as did both of my parents. My maternal grandfather spent most of his career working for the system, first teaching English and then in curriculum department. My mother also taught English in the system and was an assistant superintendent for magnet schools when she retired. I knew the system had a reputation of being a very good public school system, but I was not aware of its connection to the widespread adoption of Kindergarten in the U.S. The first philosophy class I ever took was a graduate course in Philosophy of Education when I was studying to be a teacher (a career change for me later in life). The professor, Dr. Frank McBride, considered Pestalozzi a very important figure and we spent quite a bit of time on him, in addition to Tolstoy and then John Dewey. Frank became a mentor and I ended up studying Philosophy of Mathematics independently with him as part of my doctoral program, in which my cognate was mathematics. During that time, he also encouraged me to teach the Philosophy of Education course, which I did on three occasions.

[@Thereal111t]

A lot of school pictures in this episode. I’ve worked as a school photographer for many years. I’ve heard some stories about the origins of the company I work for which started in the 1930s. It might make an interesting topic.

[@Phryxil]

What about a history of sleep prior to the invention of artificial lights?

[@kripht]

Schools are way too separated from normal life. It's weird.

[@RobinP556]

So very true! It’s a shame that public schools don’t teach why we need to learn something instead they simply teach that we must. It leads to a hatred of such things as reading, math, and history.

[@nameinvalid69]

yep, school isn't there to teach people how to live; but rather just shoving down bunch of "syllabus" down children's' throat. the best part of learning in school have nothing to do with the classroom - but rather - the social interaction with other people. making friends & connections have far larger effect to one's mind, live and future endeavor. being a person with good grads, but no friend, no connection, and a broken mind; I understood that problem very well.

[@thanksfernuthin]

It's true! School was fun in kindergarten. I didn't get sick of school until the second grade. Good times!

[@Ryan-gn4ge]

My kindergarten teacher was Mrs. Warren, thank you Mrs. Warren as well as the rest of my teachers. Mrs. Bone, Mrs. Hopkinson, Mrs. Page, Mr. Poloisek, Mrs. Wray during elementary school in Hamilton Ontario Canada.

[@InformationIsTheEdge]

My parents taught my siblings and I to love knowledge and learning and it totally worked! It didn't take the US public school system long to crush that out of me. Conform, don't create. Memorize, don't learn.

[@DrStrangeLemon]

Frobel's story was really touching - thank you! I wish I could have attended kindergarten. Unfortunately, mom decided it was best to keep me at home & dad kept quiet to keep the peace ... too young to have any say in that discussion, and how different life would have been ... those Prussian voices just don't seem to go away.

[@johnciccone]

Tim, Yes, I remember the same thing. Thanks for jogging my memory. Yes, life was so much simpler than.

[@richardanderson2742]

Kindergarten today, whether public or private, seems to be more focused on social indoctrination rather than developing skills and habits that will serve the child in learning and in life. It is enlightening that at the start of the COVID lockdowns that a Harvard professor, with the backing of the university, published a paper outlining the "dangers" of not providing uniform believes in children that were "allowed" to not attend kindergarten. It went on to emphasize the author's belief that allowing parents, and not the public school system, to influence the child's thinking posed a real danger to society. To say I believe that such educators should be tarred and feathered, and then run out of town on a rail is an understatement.

[@robertmoore1472]

I am 40 years old and I went to kindergarten. but I have met people that are a little older than I am that never went to kindergarten they didn't even have one they went straight to first grade.

[@whalesong999]

Straight to first grade for me, Kansas, 1947.

[@lelandframe1029]

That's how it was with me. I'm 61 years old and I didn't go to Kindergarten. But I remember my mother taught me the alphabet and I was able to read by the time I went to Grade School. I ended up reading at 2nd Grade level in First Grade! I don't give all the credit to my Mom, though. I went to a Rural, Two-Room school where Grades 1-4 were in one room and 5-8 were in the other! I remember listening and picking up a LOT of stuff from the upper grades! The next year we were in the same building, but there were only two grades per room. By the next year, we were all moved to a newly-built school and each grade (1-6) had their own room, plus a Kindergarten.

[@billd.iniowa2263]

I didn't like school from day one. When I came home Ma asked me "Well Bill, how did you like your first day of kindergarten?" I disapprovingly replied "Gee Mom, I coulda stayed home and colored."

[@Chris_at_Home]

I hated school all the way through and my grades showed it. I barely graduated but did well after that.

[@richardnott9587]

My mom said I came home and said I am glad I don't have to do that everyday. I didn't go to a large school either. Graduated with 6.

[@susellis493]

You were a smart kid :D

[@rutabagasteu]

Didn't have kindergarten when I was a kid. But I learned to read before first grade. My teacher was upset. I politely pointed out she had more time to help others, but she didn't see it that way.

[@okeydokey3120]

My 2 year old granddaughter reads...she's the youngest of 8, and she just picked it up somehow. (Plus she's probably a genius or something lol)

[@FuzzyMarineVet]

Thank you, Lance, for bringing back pleasant memories, and even some unpleasant. It was in kindergarten that I had my insatiable curiosity whetted by a skilled educator. It was also that same year of 1963 that I was introduced to death when our class was made to watch television coverage of President Kennedy's assassination. My most poignant memory of that year was comforting my classmate in front of the television that displayed the most beloved president of my lifetime getting shot over and over.

[@eliscanfield3913]

I wish preschool was free in the US, though I think Kindergarten is a fantastic thing. One of mine just left and the other will go in next year. I do wish it was more like the Kindergarten I attended back in the 80s. It's a bit more academic than even many teachers prefer.

[@monday8895]

My love of learning came from my father who before even kindergarten age on Sundays would teach me to read the funny papers(comics), he also taught me to tell time and count change before I ever attended school. And he taught me curiosity, to think about things. I did and I do, it has kept me young inside. Thanks Dad,.I am sorry I couldn't be everything you wanted.

[@amommamust]

My kindergarten was a lot of finger painting, singing and such, I loved it. My grand daughter just started kindergarten. They are very dedicated to teaching children to comply these days. She comes home every day and tells me her teacher is angry. Talk about feeling helpless, this child hates KINDERGARTEN. How will we ever get her to graduate with that kind of foundation?

[@constipatedinsincity4424]

Hey History Guy, I'm watching Penny Serenade! It's a great tearjerker and underappreciated Cary Grant and Irene Dunne!

[@jasonstinson1767]

That's great but I bet he wishes that he was getting your sweet watch time instead of Cary Grant,

[@kaseymeier5944]

It really is a great movie

[@constipatedinsincity4424]

@@jasonstinson1767 I watch each and every video to the end! Eventually 🤫

[@constipatedinsincity4424]

@@kaseymeier5944 It really is. I think everyone should have at least 1 tearjerker movies twice a month! And thank you for your great taste!

[@kaseymeier5944]

@@constipatedinsincity4424 I watched it a couple weeks ago on KZbin. Had 10 minutes left when my husband came home. He asked why I wasn't watching the copy we had. It's in a collection of old movies he bought for my birthday. Apparently it was the only movie we hadn't watched yet. Lol!

[@buckeyeman7631]

All I need to know about life I learned in kindergarten.

[@tommy-er6hh]

Yeah, i am surprised he did not mention this book in the video.

[@buckeyeman7631]

@@tommy-er6hh I appreciate that you caught that reference without me having to state it. Thanks for the smile you put on my face today!

[@MrWATCHthisWAY]

Wasn’t that supposed to be “In the Third Grade”? Lol just as long as you learned it....

[@jeanbean1390]

Great book by Robert Fulghum

[@goodun2974]

Robert Fulghum, " Everything I really Been To Know, I Learned In Kindergarten". My own version: Everything I really need to know I learned from Dr Seuss!

[@greenoak1]

Another excellent episode. My wife is a kindergarten teacher in a Waldorf school. She loved the episode too. Frobel was right on!

[@MotownWes]

I have one child in first grade and currently have two in kindergarten. The model for kindergarten has changed dramatically since I went in the 80s. Most notably they go to school all day now as we only went half day. Kindergarten is absolutely important. My kids have been in school for 3-4 years already by Kindergarten. The push for more and sooner education will continue to gain steam.

[@trishthehomesteader9873]

We are learning from the moment we're born. I believe the question is the form that learning takes. Children still need to be children which is why I believe Fröbel was was on point.🙂

[@itsjustkevin6652]

Interesting video as usual. I have faint but fond memories of kindergarten. The blue and red mat for nap time, coloring, and of course the teacher

[@katieandkevinsears7724]

This was worth watching just for your last line. Well played History Guy.

[@TechnoGolem]

Ah, I vaguely remember my Kindergarten year. The teacher was a vile woman that would hit us with rulers and yell at us if we struggled. Despised anything related to education until after I finished high school. It was the History channel (when they actually had history programs) that got me to start to enjoy education.

[@z0phi3l]

Sadly they have ruined Kindergarten these days, just another grade in school geared towards pumping out little drones For now at least Head Start is filling the gap, but who knows for how much longer it will keep Frobel's ideas alive

[@shortwavekitty1365]

I learned to read in kindergarten, via a phonetic system called "The Letter People". Yes, it was fun. Our school had a 98% success rate in teaching kindergartners to read. My husband did not go to kindergarten, but was taught to read at home before starting first grade. (In a one room schoolhouse no less.) We are from the Midwest and the majority of the population felt that reading and basic math were the most important things. Rural people had a higher literacy rate due to the fact that we did not have things like town cryers or newspaper boys on the corner screaming out the headlines to sell papers. Reading was essential in learning news. The Letter People were not developed until the late sixties, but it does work with the concept of play. We weren't DRILLED in it. The same went for math. We were also taught to add and subtract single digits numbers in kindergarten as well. The concept was not used in all schools in my state, but the ones that used it had better educational results. Learning to read early opened up new forms of play. Same with math skills. As an anecdote, I have noticed that those of us who learned to read in kindergarten tend to read more and overall do better in understanding problems and solving them. It does not necessarily provide us with better grades in school. My husband's grades were outstanding. Mine ranged from outstanding to poor. Yet, both he and I scored extremely well on our ASVABS, for the military, and I ultimately scored higher than my entire communications class in reading comprehension. I was the only one on a college level. I have never been to college.😂 You see, there was a very important reason to make this alteration in the Midwest and Western areas of the country. Our remoteness. This has gone by the wayside now and the people are less literate and it shows very badly. Before anyone says anything. My writing skills are not as high as my reading skills. I know I have errors in the above and confess it freely. 😂

[@frankiii4587]

Superb.... I am currently homeschooling my kids and this will certainly contribute to some complimentary alterations! Thank You.

[@310McQueen]

I remember going to kindergarten in American public school, in about 1983. At the time, it was widely available and it was free, but it was not required. At that time, it was pretty much as described as a proper kindergarten, and students were not taught to read or do arithmetic until the first grade. It's a great age, when children naturally want to learn and do more for themselves. Kindergarten was a pretty good transition between the freedom of playing at home or at grandma's and a regular school routine. It also provided an opportunity to be exposed to a lot of the common "bugs" that afflict elementary school children, without the pressure of missing or having to make up work. Another aspect of history that deserves to be remembered is what was then known as "gifted" education. For a while I was actually a participant of such a program, wherein one day a week, I would take my second-grade self to the high school via early school bus and navigate the '70's era maze of hallways to a classroom of smart children from around the district, and be exposed to more challenging material by our Ph.D. instructor, including history, vocabulary, Greek mythology, science, and oddly enough, Bloom's Taxonomy.

[@gingerhiser7312]

Most American children experience that home to "school" transition at six weeks when their parents hand them over to a day care provider to raise them while they parents go to work. Maybe it's time to rethink the function of "kindergarten".

[@lynnmitzy1643]

Thanx THG . In Pennsylvania, the compulsory school law, is age , 8. Kindergarten is not mandatory here.

[@insideoutsideupsidedown2218]

I think "K thru 4 should be done at home.

[@lynnmitzy1643]

@@insideoutsideupsidedown2218 yep♥️

[@stephenmelton2532]

Government doesn’t “mandate” enough already?

[@lynnmitzy1643]

@@stephenmelton2532 they do , they surely do.

[@Thor-rq4lk]

I was struck by that bust or carving of Froble surrounded by children. Very powerful. When you erect monuments and statues to educators that’s saying something.

[@metroplexchl]

Love this! Shared it on FB with all my many friends and family that are teachers!

[@maryerb6062]

I remember very little about my kindergarten days except the day I couldn't bring myself to ask if I could go to the restroom. Thanks for your picture! You were a little blondie! I am sending this segment to my friend who works with little kids.

[@violetedge83]

My daughter is in kindergarten now. In Texas and they are moving fast imho. I was told they need to be reading by the end of 1st semester. They are learning things I know I learned in 2nd and 3rd grade.

[@metanoia8088]

In 1876, feisty Wisconsin schoolteacher Anna Lloyd Jones visited Philadelphia to attend The Centennial International Exhibition of 1876, the first official World's Fair held in the United States. While there she became captivated by the Friedrich Froebel exhibit. She purchased a beginner’s program that came with a set of gifts (blocks) and a detailed explanation of the Froebel system. She thought the program perfect for her seven-year-old son back home. Today we know that seven-year-old boy as Frank Lloyd-Wright. "Mother found the `gifts,' and what gifts they were," he once wrote. "I soon became susceptible to constructive pattern evolving in everything I saw. I learned to `see' this way, and when I did, I did not care to draw casual incidentals of Nature. I wanted to design." "That early kindergarten experience with the straight line; the flat plane; the square; the triangle; the circle! If I wanted more, the square modified by the triangle gave the hexagon, the circle modified by the straight line would give the octagon. Adding thickness, getting 'sculpture' thereby, the square became the cube, the triangle the tetrahedron, the circle the sphere." "These primary forms and figures were the secret of all effects . . . which were ever got into the architecture of the world" - Frank Lloyd Wright, from An Autobiography

[@MrSheckstr]

I was a military brat until 7th grade and went to four different school systems. The system I went to from kindergarten (k5 only) through 4th grade had the kindergarten and 1st grade in it’s own school. Instead of classrooms with walls and doors it was built more like a shopping mall. There was a giant open central area that had the library, and four classes shared a square that was open on one side to that open area, the opposite wall was a huge floor to ceiling glass wall looking out onto the school yard. The area inside was divided into four class areas buy three curtain walls that each could be gathered up into a vertical bundle with a wrap around bundle that looked like a tree trunk. The rooms were deliberately designed to feel like a garden/ green house and to make it feel like outdoors while indoors

[@mcebisap8806]

Do Montessori.

[@Roger-ny9xr]

Danka schoen for schooling us on the development of the kindergarten program by Herr Frobel.

[@DGKED-td7mf]

Thanks for posting ! From a preschool teacher and mother of 7

[@MrBelmont79]

I highly recommend Robert Fulghum’s huge bestseller “ All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten “ Things like: Share everything. Play fair. Don’t hit people. Put things back where you found them. Hold hands when crossing the streets. And that naps and milk with cookies are good for you 😃

[@henrykrecklow817]

The school systems in the U.S. have become too strict on the kids learning. Pushing them hard in lots of cases to the point that they drop out. You really see it in large metro schools and with minority students.

[@JTA1961]

Love to learn... works better when you start off with more carrots than sticks.

[@conveyor2]

Too strict? See east Asia for that. Not done in North America for a few decades.

[@Tenkai917]

"Too strict" = being able to read by the 10th grade.

[@steveclark4291]

Thank you for sharing this with me ! Take care , stay safe and healthy with whatever you maybe doing next ! Doing well here in Kansas .

[@thexalon]

I have to think, based on this description, that there was some sort of relationship between Frobel's methods and the methods of Maria Montessori, who also emphasized learning through play.

[@lylekjonaas6848]

This program needs to be shown to every parent with a child reaching the correct age, and to Kindergatden teachers and administration so as to get back to basics.

[@dankiedrowski6535]

Great episode. Thanks for covering an educational topic!

[@RetiredSailor60]

I never attended kindergarten or preschool. Went straight to 1st grade. I'm 58 years old.

[@pamelabrown7204]

Interesting. I am 60 and attended kindergarten, half days.

[@tonyk1584]

You are going to find second grade even harder !!!!! LOL

[@RetiredSailor60]

@@tonyk1584 LOL. That was funny!!

[@RetiredSailor60]

@@pamelabrown7204 I grew up in Texas. My older sister didn't go to kindergarten either

[@pamelabrown7204]

@@RetiredSailor60 Ohio here. Very interesting.

[@Minends7]

I remember I was always introverted even when I was in kindergarten. I would always sit beside the wall while the whole class sat in front of the teacher. XD That only happened during the 1st year but I still like to sit at the sides till this day. I remember I legitimately soiled my pants in my 3rd year. I vaguely remember myself just crying before the teachers came to me. I only remember I was being brought to the toilet before my memory cuts out. Also, I had the same lunch for 3 years which was some form of small brown cakes which had a pattern similar to that of an umbrella. I live in asia so I'm not sure if anyone knows what they are XD.

[@zach7193]

This is something interesting. We owe it to Froebel for kindergarten. Great that the History Guy mentioned he was in kindergarten.

[@JavierCR25]

This man is truly someone who deserves to be remembered

[@skingolem4456]

Great vid, absolutely enjoyed it. Thanx History Dude!

[@rldenny2]

HG, it’s been a long time since my history classes at UNC CH, but I recall learning that Frank Lloyd Wight’s mother was a Fröbel convert and she home schooled the young future architect with these prepared courses. It has been suggested that one can build some of Wight’s iconic Prairie Gothic homes out of Fröbelian blocks.

[@ForceSmart]

Back in the 1990s I went to a semi-private preschool for a couple years and started kindergarten at the public elementary school shortly before I turned 6. My experience in preschool was probably more like Fröbel's kindergarten than actual kindergarten, so I'm glad my parents enrolled me in both. I have fond memories of those times. My parents and early teachers were wonderful and by 1st or 2nd grade I was already exploring the non-fiction section in the school and local libraries and devouring any history book I could find. Historical fiction didn't escape unscathed either. The "My Name is America" and the "Dear America" series of historical fiction journals were especially excellent reading in elementary school. I absolutely loved survival and coming-of-age books like "Hatchet" and "My Side of the Mountain" and I think those and other similar books had a great influence on me a few grades later.

[@patrickgiroux7596]

Where I was at that age, there was no kindergarten. I went in to the first grade in the Fall of 1970. I'm doing fine without it. I had brothers and sisters older than me. I had no choice, than to learn. My siblings and my parents taught me more than school ever did.

[@augustuswayne9676]

I believe your videos are worthy of being shown in class rooms all across the country . Keep up the good work .

[@russwoodward8251]

Thanks Mr. and Mrs. History Guy