Froebel, Montessori and Steiner: Champions of Children

Published April 21, 2008
Friedrich Froebel, Maria Montessori and Rudolf Steiner were trail blazers in early education. Froebel 'invented' kindergarten, though few people with the exception of  educators or trivia buffs know who he is. Dr. Montessori dared to take on the enormous challenge of educating the poor, inner-city children. Montessori schools are her lasting monument, though not every school which bears the Montessori name is the genuine article. Steiner was a humanist who created a philosophy named anthrosophy that very few people have even heard of.
 

What did these educators have in common? They believed that children deserved to be children and have fun learning. The Froebel gifts are all about childish fun and play. At the root of these wholesome activities are a basic child-rearing concept: encourage a child's creativity, stimulate his imagination and allow him to explore. Long before Fisher-Price toys appeared on the market, Maria Montessori used natural wooden toys to teach shapes and geometric concepts. Steiner kept academics out of the early childhood education experience preferring instead to have children engage in activities appropriate to their tender years.

In a time and society where many parents fret about the kind of start their children are receiving as they begin school, it is important to realize that basics are important. Let your child progress at his own pace within the warm, cheerful environment of a well-run primary school. Pre-kindergarten and kindergarten build on those first years spent under your watchful, loving eye.They add socialization and all the enrichment interaction with other children offer.

Read about the concepts so thoughtfully laid down by the early childhood champions, Froebel, Montessori and steiner. Then carefully choose a primary school to serve your child's best interests.

 

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