Froebel's idea of early childhood education – freedom and unity

1. Free education

Fu believes that human nature is good, that human nature and tendencies are also good, and that the essence of goodness within human beings has been in its infancy since birth. Human development is the development of this intrinsic, perfect essence, and education can contribute to this development. He added: "Within the child there is a sleeping individual who should unfold like a plant and become a full adult." One of the main principles on which he was based was that all true development, all true education, was a "self-guided process," which was "the essence of human civilization and progress."

Therefore, he believes in the free development of children and advocates child-centered free education. He said: "The teaching and training of education must be passive and compliant in fundamental principles, focusing on maintenance, rather than commanding, arbitrary, and interfering. He argues that children's poor performance is due to a "disturbed" relationship between their true, primitive nature and inappropriate circumstances.

As for the explanation of liberal education, he said, children need to be guided and trained, and without reasonable guidance, their childish activities will be reduced to aimless play, rather than work to prepare for life. However, the real purpose of education is to help children in their internal developmental processes, not to attach the arrangements of adults to their personalities.

Froebel's idea of liberal education was consistent, and his kindergarten was a product of this idea.

Second, human development and phased education

Froebels believed that the development and cultivation of man was a continuous whole, moving steadily, continuously, and gradually rising. Human beings go through the development process of infants, young children, adolescents, youth, adults and old age, which is continuous, which is very important for the formation of human beings as a whole. It would be harmful if it were to divide or divide in the continuous process of human development, and the result would be that what is always continuous and vigorously bound together, the true essence of life, will be ignored.

He said that a teenager did not become a teenager because he reached the age of a teenager, nor did a youth become a teenager because he reached the age of youth. They grow up in early childhood with at least a few years of fulfillment of their mental, emotional, and physical requirements, as well as faithful adherence to a normal life. In the same way, an adult does not become an adult because he reaches the age of adulthood, but only by faithfully fulfilling the requirements of his infancy, adolescence, and adolescence. The abilities and tendencies, sensory and physical activities that are presented sequentially in childhood should be developed sequentially. This view of his is consistent with the mid-18th-century French Enlightenment scholar Rousseau's ideas on the ageization of children and the educational view of following nature.

Froebels recognized the inherent value of the various stages of human development, but believed that the initial development would be the basis for the development of the other stages. In this sense, he attaches particular importance to the development of infancy and early childhood.

(1) Infancy

According to Froebel, infancy is primarily "the stage of birth, the stage of living life itself", the period of sensory, physical, and limb activity. Therefore, this period is mainly a "period of conservation", a period of care and protection for the body.

On the other hand, infancy is also a period of "absorbing" diverse things from the outside world, and it is also a period of understanding of "common feelings". This affection is initially between mother and child, then between father or brother, and finally between other people and children. As a result of understanding and development, it eventually becomes the feeling of oneness between man and God. In this sentiment there is the moral basis of all humanism and the basis of true religious belief, such as the love of compatriots, the love of the fatherland and the love of mankind. Therefore, he attaches particular importance to the "common feelings" that mothers cultivate in infancy. This is consistent with Pestalozzi's view that human beliefs and thoughts are established on the basis of the natural and meticulous care of parents for infants and young children, and the resulting human relations and morals based on love and trust. During this period, it is very important to prepare children with a suitable material and human environment.

To this end, he demanded that the eyes and appearances of the people around the baby must be serene, serene, reassuring, and that the children should feel safe and trustworthy. The environment itself must be pleasant, fresh air, bright light, clean houses ... All are necessary.

(2) Early childhood

According to Froebels, early childhood is a period of activity with a mind that "begins to express the inner spirit outwardly" and "begins to use language", a stage in which the inner mind is externalized, and the stage of development of human language ability. With the development of language, the inner things of the child are organized and differentiated, trying to make themselves known, trying to make the internal existence manifest external, so that the internal and external are unified. At this time, the care and protection of children's bodies can be reduced, and more attention needs to be paid to the development of their minds. This is the beginning of true education. Education in this period must be achieved through life, including the lives of the children themselves, parents and families. He said: "Parents live in every period of a child's growth, and no, it is incomparably important throughout a person's life. ”

Froebels first argued that early childhood education should be carried out entirely by the mother, father, family members and the child herself as a whole through nature or by using nature. It is also believed that the first half of the early childhood should be guided by the mother, and the second half should be mainly guided by the father. So he called on parents to "Let our children live!" Especially to fathers: "No matter where you are, no matter what work you do, the children are always around you." Do not rebuke them unkindly, or drive them away; Don't give the color of impatience when children ask questions or pester, repeatedly asking questions. Every time you stubbornly blast them away, or utter a word of rejection, you are destroying the shoots of their tree of life, the impulse to grow. On the other hand, he also saw that most parents lacked sufficient educational knowledge and training to take on the heavy responsibility of early childhood education, so he asked for the establishment of a special institution , kindergartens , to help families properly educate young children.

In Froebel's later years, after the creation of kindergartens, the requirements for parents were extended to teachers and people in society, so that young children received a more comprehensive education.

Fows believes that play marks the highest stage of early childhood development during this period, and is a natural expression of their thoughts and feelings. The inner needs and desires of young children can be met by fully enjoying the lively and lively play. He appealed: "Mother, raise your children to play!" Father, pay attention to the game of protecting your children! ”

Froebel believed that early childhood was primarily a period of education. In addition to play, attention is paid to cultivating children's common feelings, and the names, nature and uses of objects are learned through collection and classification.

Froebel also attaches great importance to walking, saying: "Walking, especially common walks, is the same as play in terms of moralization. ...... Nature and people walking unconsciously harmonize. This is because any contact with nature is a practical enhancement, reinforcement and moral purification. Nature, therefore, is as fascinating as noble, great human beings. He stressed that humans must observe the nature around them very early. Receive knowledge about nature and be educated. Fowler is right to ask children to be close to nature, but his starting point is still to understand nature as "the source of God", and when children come into contact with nature, they know "God".

3. Creative activities

Froebels believed that children had an instinct for activity, and in his discourse he proposed that "human beings, like God, must be created and must be active", and require education corresponding to it. He believes that there is an "impulse to move and to build" in children, and to enrich and nurture this impulse. One of Froebel's most important statements is: "To date, children have done too little, or have done inappropriately, that is, not enough self-activity." Education must evoke "the free self-activity of mankind."

Therefore, he encourages infants to engage in sensory and limb activities, and in early childhood, play activities are mainly. He believed that play was an internal manifestation of inner needs and impulses, and was a child's nature. It is the purest spiritual product in the game, and at the same time it is the model and symbol of the natural life that is all human life, hidden within human beings and all things. Thus, games fill the children who play or the adults who watch them with joy, freedom, and satisfaction, and promote harmony between children and the adults around them. All goodness comes from the game and is manifested from it. Fully, spontaneously, quietly, persistently, until the end of physical fatigue, the child who plays games must grow into capable, persevering, patient adults who dedicate himself to the happiness of others and his own happiness, a child who is fully engrossed in play, a child who is intoxicated with play, is not the most beautiful expression of children's life? He believes that in the quiet and keen gaze of a person who truly understands human nature, the spontaneous play of children shows the inner life of man in the future.

Fluke Perler also attaches great importance to children's various homework and labor activities, believing that through these exercises children can systematically develop their language and creativity. There are also many types of work, such as various paper workers, using white or color paper to make paper weaving, origami, paper cutting and paper stinging paper by hand, making beautiful pictures.

Masonry is also an important job that Fook respects. He encouraged children to play with wet mud blocks. It's not just about imitating, it's about being creative.

Fushi also prepares a "picture box" for children, children can color a variety of pictures, not only to distinguish the light and shade of the color, but also to make the color coordinated and beautiful. It's a lot of homework for kids.

In addition, kindergarten assignments include music (rhythmic movement and singing), stories, and soybean work and beading.

With regard to labour he once said: "The study through labour and the learning associated with labour, that is, learning through and from life, is the most thorough and easiest learning, the learning that continues to develop vigorously in itself and in the people who carry out such learning." He advocated the combination of learning and labor and life.

Considering that young children have a narrow scope of life, limited thinking ability, and are not suitable for accepting theoretical concepts and abstract narratives, and realizing the importance of children's self-activity in education, Froebel designed some game materials and equipment that can accelerate the educational process without books, and called them "gifts" and "gifts", which means that they are given by parents to play with their beloved children and realize self-activity.

Based on the doctrine of symbolism, Fows believes that the natural things of the universe are one. Natural phenomena, if outwardly appear to be concrete sensory phenomena, are in essence external manifestations of the universe itself (i.e., God's will). He said, "Everywhere there is a law that governs eternity; This law was and is manifested externally, in nature, internally, in the spirit, and in life that combines nature and spirit...", and the basis of this all-powerful law is the eternal "unity," that is, God.

Froepel wants to use his "gifts" to embody his idea of "unity in change", so that children understand the unity and diversity of the universe, with symbolic meaning. He said that the natural world is actually a big school for understanding the divine nature, and the natural world is all-encompassing, and it is difficult to grasp the truth from it, let alone suitable for the level of thought of young children. Therefore, they must be sorted out and made into various "gifts" to know the world and understand the truth.

5. Children's garden

Froebel believed that tangible natural objects were manifestations of God, and that knowing nature meant knowing God, and carefully observing and studying the changes in natural objects could appreciate the hidden laws of God. The growth and development of natural objects reflects the growth and development of humans and individuals, and is particularly suitable for comparative comparison of growing children. Opportunities should therefore be provided to enable children to receive adequate education in the process of comparative observation. "The basic meaning of kindergarten should be a children's garden." The connection between the garden and the kindergarten is also a social necessity for the development of the child, and the child, as a part of humanity, should not only be regarded as part of the whole, but must also see himself in this way and adapt his life to this law.

Fu shi suggested that the kindergarten should be divided into two parts, half for all children and half for individual children. Collective gardens enclose and protect smaller gardens for individual children. The collective garden is divided into two parts: field and garden. Flowers and vegetables can be grown in the garden, and the fields can be planted with a variety of cereals, legumes, bulbs, herbs, and rooting plants. The individual's small garden can be owned by the child, growing the plants that the individual likes, taking care of and continuously observing according to the growth rules of the plants. If there is not enough distribution, two children can co-own a small plot of land to develop the child's ability to share and cooperate.

Teachers demonstrate planting and cultivation on collective land, so that children can see the whole process of plants gradually growing, enlightening and producing results from seeds, and recognize and identify different plants. In summer and autumn, children collect seeds and preserve them.

The collective garden is taken care of by all children in turn, and the individual small pieces of land are taken care of by the individual and kept tidy. Insert a small wooden sign in front of each plant and write the name of the plant and the name of the child, which is not only conducive to children to identify different plants, but also convenient to check the work of each child.

Children's activities in the garden not only acquire general knowledge of the whole and part, but also have a deep impression of the quality of objects, names, spaces, time and growth. In the garden, children can also experience real social life, such as the whole protects the part, the part serves the whole; Seeing the life that is growing from the continuity and stage of plant life; Through the cultivation and care of simple plants, a love for nature is generated, and noble moral feelings and endurance are enhanced.

Froebels views children from the perspective of development, attaches importance to the development of children's body and mind in all aspects of body, intelligence, morality and beauty, emphasizes the independent activities of children themselves, pays attention to the cultivation of children's language and understanding of nature, uses physical teaching to develop children's perception, formulates the educational content and methods of kindergarten homework, labor and play, especially points out that play is the main activity of young children, which is indeed valuable. He devoted his entire life to the education of children. Many of his educational principles and measures, especially his "gifts", are still widely used and developed, enriched and improved by early childhood educators around the world as toys. To this day, people still call him a pioneer of early childhood education and the father of early childhood education.