In this article on Kita concepts, we highlight the man responsible for the entire concept of Kindergarten, including the term itself, Friedrich Fröbel.
This article was written by Suzanne Uprichard. Suzanne holds a Masters degree in Education and has worked with children of all ages for nearly a decade. Having specialized in early years education (0-6), she now manages a private daycare facility for a med tech start-up here in Berlin. Her passion is providing pedagogical mentoring for teachers and parents and creating fantastical, other-wordly educational spaces so that children can develop to their full potential.
Friedrich Fröbel's professional work and passion for children was inspired by the lonely and isolated childhood that he himself experienced. He opened his first Kindergarten in 1837, after decades of philosophical thought and wandering woodlands. His educational approach was an immediate success and even today is a world-renowned school of thought for early childhood education.
What does the Fröbel concept entail?
Childhood is not seen as the preparation for adulthood but as a separate and valid part of life itself. As a result, education must be based in the present and not based on future requirements or predictions.
For the first time, the child as a whole was considered to be important with not only an emphasis on physical health but mental health aspects such as emotions and spirituality, too.
Fröbel argued that quality education is about three things:
the child
the context in which the learning takes place, and
the knowledge/understanding that the child develops.
The principles that he put in place were simple but ground-breaking for its time:
Freedom with guidance
Unity, connectedness and community
Engaging with nature
Learning through self-activity and reflection
The central importance of play
Creativity and the power of symbols
Knowledgeable and nurturing educators
As you can see, Fröbel believed that all education should be child-centered, with the role of the educator as supportive.
This meant the focus was on what children could do and not what they couldn’t as the starting point for knowledge assimilation.
Different stages of development also included special receptive periods of learning that educators should be able to nourish and extend with their participation.
Learning is intrinsic and does not have to be proven through assessment at any particular time. It can be observed with time.
What should I see in a Fröbel Kita?
The Fröbel concept has been extensively developed both in Germany and internationally; the Fröbel Kindergarten group, for example, has around 220 Kitas and Krippen and is highly-regarded for both its teaching practices and modern learning environments.
Nevertheless, even within this one organization, you can see a huge variance on how the open-ended pedagogy has been applied.
Much of Fröbel’s theory could be considered in the current day as common sense but I maintain this shows how successful and far-reaching his ideas were.
It is safe to say that many other educational practices were also built on the foundations of his great work.
Therefore, it can be more difficult to look for Fröbel-specific aspects of an individual Kita. However, you may observe:
Close links with external communities and the outside world - visits from skilled workers or professionals, day trips to factories, museums, or services e.g. police stations. An emphasis on explaining the how and why to many societal structures.
Time in nature - either with a Kita garden or daily opportunities to be in parks and playgrounds. A focus on the seasons and the changes that they bring e.g. I always look for displays or evidence such as autumn leaves to see if this is heavily featured.
A program with a mixture of set group participation and free play. There should be more than one opportunity in a day for children to participate in an activity that is led by an educator, where they work with others and their thinking process is scaffolded with questioning and support. This is where learning is observed and recorded by staff. Children should then have plentiful time for individual play where adults only observe and no structure is given. Look here for a learning environment that is split into several, clearly-defined sections. Resources are well-organized and accessible for children to freely choose and use.
Educators have the most important role in a Froebel setting - a large part of this pedagogy lies in the communication between adult and child and how these roles interact depending on the educational aims. When speaking to staff, don’t be afraid to learn more about how they do their job. When looking around, see what questioning you hear, how much power is being given to the child to create their own learning outcomes and how they are encouraged to reflect on what they have done.
How can I apply this to my own parenting?
I believe the most important features of Froebel’s approach are centered around communication with children and your own awareness of the power balance between you as an adult and them.
Since learning about his theory, I have always tried to ensure that children in my care are given autonomy in their daily lives so that they feel secure in developing their independence and exploring the world.
I encourage them to explain to me their own intentions for the day and what their mood is in general before I start to plan so that I can give them the space they need to achieve their goals.
I also spend time talking about my own thought processes and how I have reached decisions, which is an excellent way of modeling this behavior.
Remember, children are always observing you too!
Learning more about how to scaffold learning through questioning is a very easy way to change playtime with your child into one where you both feel you have understood more about each other!
