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Born on 21 April 1782 Friedrich Froebel was a German educator who invented the kindergarten. He believed
that "play is the highest expression of human development in childhood for it alone is the free expression of
what is in the child's soul." According to Froebel, in play children construct their understanding of the world
through direct experience with it. His ideas about learning through nature and the importance of play have
spread throughout the world.
Froebel considered the whole child’s, health, physical development, the environment, emotional well-being,
mental ability, social relationships and spiritual aspects of development as important. Drawing on his
mathematical and scientific knowledge Froebel developed a set of gifts (wooden blocks 1-6) and introduced
occupations, (including sticks, clay, sand, slates, chalk, wax, shells, stones, scissors, paper folding). It seems
appropriate to mention Froebel's gifts and occupations in conjunction with this new course. Particularly as the
gifts and occupations are open-ended and can be used to support children’s self initiated play.
Froebel believed that it was important for practitioners to understand the principles of observation including
professional practice, the multiple lenses through which they see children- and that children see their worlds, as
well as offering children freedom with guidance and considering the children's environments including people
and materials as a key element of how they behave.
Because Froebel based much of his understanding of children on observing them this has changed the way we
think about children's play.
We have Froebel's insights to thank for placing child initiated activity with adults working with children to give
them freedom with sensitive guidance and symbolic and imaginative play at the heart of our curriculum
Principles
Froebelian principles as articulated by Professor Tina Bruce (1987, 1st edition and 2015, 5th edition).
1. Childhood is seen as valid in it self, as part of life and not simply as preparation for adulthood. Thus education
is seen similarly as something of the present and not just preparation and training for later.
2. The whole child is considered to be important. Health – physical and mental is emphasised, as well as the
importance of feelings and thinking and spiritual aspects.
3. Learning is not compartmentalised, for everything links.
4. Intrinsic motivation, resulting in child-initiated, self directed activity, is valued.
5. Self- discipline is emphasised.
6. There are specially receptive periods of learning at different stages of development.
7. What children can do (rather than what they cannot do) is the starting point in the child’s education.
8. There is an inner life in the child, which emerges especially under favourable conditions.
9. The people (both adults and children) with whom the child interacts are of central importance.
10. Quality education is about three things: the child, the context in which learning takes place, and the knowledge
and understanding which the child develops and learns.