III 

109TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 119 

Designating April 21, 2005, as ‘‘National Kindergarten Recognition Day’’. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

APRIL 25, 2005 

Mr. SALAZAR (for himself, Ms. LANDRIEU, and Mr. BINGAMAN) submitted the 

following resolution; which was considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION

Designating April 21, 2005, as ‘‘National Kindergarten 

Recognition Day’’.

Whereas Friedrich Froebel, known as the ‘‘Father of Kindergarten’’, opened the first kindergarten classroom on April 

21, 1837, with the goal of shaping young children in a 

nurturing, educational, and protected environment; 

Whereas kindergarten has a long history of enhancing children’s cognitive, physical, and social development in the 

United States and throughout the world; 

Whereas Margarethe Meyer Schurz opened the first Germanspeaking kindergarten in the United States in 1856, Elizabeth Peabody opened the first English-speaking kindergarten in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1873, and the first 

public school kindergarten classrooms were established 
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•SRES 119 ATS

under the leadership of Susan Blow and William Torrey 

Harris in St. Louis, Missouri, in the early 1870s; 

Whereas kindergarten is a critical year in children’s formal 

education, as well as in their continued physical, social, 

and emotional development, that prepares them for later 

school success and lifelong learning; 

Whereas quality kindergarten programs use developmentally, 

culturally, and linguistically appropriate curricula, teaching practices, and assessments to support each child’s 

learning and development progress to reach his or her 

maximum potential; 

Whereas teachers who teach kindergarten need to have specialized knowledge and skills in working with young children to respond to the unique interests, learning styles, 

and developmental characteristics of children in their kindergarten year; 

Whereas kindergarten programs need to be ready for all children who are eligible, including children with disabilities 

and children who are not native English speakers, and 

their families; 

Whereas kindergarten programs should collaborate and coordinate with preschools and with the other early elementary grades in order to provide a continuum of appropriate, effective early learning for all children as they 

transition to and through the early grades of school; 

Whereas in 2001, more than more 3,700,000 children between the ages of 4 and 6 years old attended kindergarten, including full-day, half-day, or alternate day programs; 
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•SRES 119 ATS

Whereas the percentage of children attending full-day kindergarten programs has grown from 28 percent in 1977 to 

60 percent in 2001; and 

Whereas establishment of a ‘‘National Kindergarten Recognition Day’’ will help draw attention to the critical role kindergarten plays as the transitional year from early education programs to the elementary and secondary education system: Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) designates April 21, 2005, as ‘‘National 

3 Kindergarten Recognition Day’’ to raise public 

4 awareness about the impact of the kindergarten year 

5 on the development of our nation’s children; and 

6 (2) urges the people of the United States to 

7 recognize the historic tradition of kindergarten in 

8 the United States and its contribution to preparing 

9 children for their elementary and secondary edu10 cational achievement and experiences.

Æ