(Excerpts from John P. Manning's Article in the Early Childhood Education Journal: "Rediscovering Froebel: A Call to Re-examine His Life & Gifts")
At age 58, 38 years after he began teaching, he
introduced "German Kindergarten" ("children's
garden"). It incorporated the concept of structured/
guided play as a cornerstone of a young child's
learning.
Froebel reasoned that school was intended to
empower each individual student, and it was to be
expected that the child would demonstrate this new-
found power and excitement in other areas of his life.
On the importanee of play in learning, Froebel
(1887/1974) further wrote:
"Play is the highest phase of child development - of
human development at this period. Play is the pur-
est, most spiritual activity of man at this stage,
and, at the same time, typical of human life as a
whole - of the inner hidden natural life in man and
all things. It gives, therefore, joy, freedom, content-
ment, inner and outer rest, peace with the world. It
holds the sources of all that is good (pp. 54-55)."
Play, then, is the methodology by which the child
works to achieve inner harmony and develop the
knowledge and skills he will need to grow as a human
being. "His classes were not in schoolrooms, but in
gardens for children where every activity was de-
signed to instruct through giving pleasure" (Braun &
Edwards, 1972, p. 68).
Former President Lyndon B. Johnson
(Excerpts from Martha Tevis' Paper: "Lyndon Johnson and Education for All the People")D.B. Hardeman, an associate of Sam Rayburn's, remembers hearing Johnson speaking "about teaching little Mexican children, about prejudice and discrimination, saying 'If I ever get the power, I said I'm going to do something about it, and now I've got the power, and I am going to do something.'"
"Just as ignorance breeds poverty, poverty all too often breeds ignorance in the next generation."
A few Inspirational Early Childhood Education Professionals...
“so I started to look at the research about how children begin to develop identity and attitudes. And it was discovered that the preschool years are critical. They are the first, most fundamental period when children are in fact noticing who they are noticing the attitudes and the stereotypes and the discomforts or the positive messages about their skin color, their racial identity, their ethnic identity and so on, and that teachers didn’t know what to do about that…”
“I think they’re damaged when they get positive message that they’re better than others simply because of their skin color or because of their economic class or because of their gender and I-- I hate the waste. It doesn’t allow children to grow up to their fullest potential and their fullest ability.”
- Louise Derman-Sparks, Professor Emeritus, Pacific Oaks College
“I think my passion comes from wanting to make a difference…I truly believe that I’m not here to save the world, I’m here just to make a difference in the community that I’m working in…”
- Raymond Hernandez, MSEd
Louise Derman-Sparks was right on. Preschool children are just beginning to notice how they are different than other children. These discoveries can effect the rest of thier lives, one way or another. A good teacher can help children explore these differences in a positive way, helping them become more confident and better equipped to succeed.
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