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From Seed To Mighty Tree: Susan Blow And The Development Of The American Kindergarten Movement, Madelyn Silber

Undergraduate Theses—Unrestricted

St. Louis is home to the first continuously running public kindergarten in the United States. In 1873, Susan Blow began teaching a small group of students at the Des Peres School using the methods of German educator Friedrich Froebel, “the father of the kindergarten.” Despite the rejection of Froebel’s ideas in Germany, Blow studied his pedagogy and implemented his curriculum into classrooms in America. Her first class was known as the kindergarten “experiment,” which would later become a standard in schools across the nation. Froebel’s kindergarten curriculum was unique because it was based on learning through play, an understanding of …

The Montessori Method And The Kindergarden, Elizabeth Harrison

Elizabeth Harrison’s Writings

Report commissioned in 1914 by the U.S. Bureau of Education on a study of Dr. Maria Montessori's schools in Italy, by Miss Elizabeth Harrison. Describes Maria Montessori's contribution to the education of young children and compares her methods with that of the Froebelian Kindergarten method.

Some Evolutions In Kindergarten Work, Elizabeth Harrison

Elizabeth Harrison’s Writings

In this address delivered to the International Kindergarten Union at Pittsburgh, PA, Harrison discusses the expansion of Kindergarten thought and examines some previous evolutions of the field, which include: mother-play books, self-expression through play (particularly by way of rhythmic use of the body as a means of obtaining self-control), Froebel Gifts, and Occupations. Includes sequences for selected Gifts.

Originally published in Kindergarten Review, November 1903