Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1904-07-13
the wants and needs of the children

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the wants and needs of the children
who came under his care.
After his tenth year he went to live
with his mothers brother, who sent
him to q city school where he was
taught the common branches, together
with Latin and German. Froebel, at
school was always seeking for hidden
connections and an underlying unity
in all things; but since nothing Of the
kind was to be perceived in the piece
meal OF studies of the school, his
mind busy as it was for itself, would
not work for instructors. It is there,
fore no wonder that when he returned
home four years later, he had not
learned as much as might have been
expected. Az he succeeded so poorly
with his studies, and as the time had
now come when it was necessary for
him to choose q profession, he be-
came two years apprentice to a
forester, with the intention of learn.
ing forestry. But he failed In this
also as we'll as in many other enter
prises In which he engaged. 1t seem.
ed now as though Froebel would never
find q vocation which he could like
and in which he could succeed. He
was almost on the verge of losing
faith in his own ability to find his
right place in the universe, and of
believing with the rest of mankind,
that he was good for nothing, when
drifting to Frankfort on-the Main, he
became acquainted with DR.. Gruner,
head master of Model school. This
man discovered Froebel's talent and
succeeded in getting him to accept q
position in his school as teacher
Here at last Froebel had found a
profession that was to his liking, and
this fact is the cause OF his being now
reckoned among the worlds greatest
educators. In speaking later of his
first experience in teaching, he says,
sit seemed as If I had found some
thing had never known, but always
longed for, always missed; as if my
life had at last discovered its native
element. I felt as happy as fish in
the water, the bird in the air.
After teaching two years at the
Model school he gave up his position
nd ini ho it,to Of
where he also remained for two years.
While at this institution he mingled
with the boys in their play, and there
by learned to recognize the mighty
power of these games in awakening
and strengthening the intelligence and
mind. 1t was really at this period
that he first saw the necessity OF child
education, and began to form such
"a would meet the requirements of the
situation.
When Froebel was quite q young
man, and still more when in later life
he took up the study of science in
good earnest, he seemed constantly to
have been struck by the fact that in
every part OF organic nature, life and
growth appeared to be q progressive
development from lower to higher
grades of being. Also, that the exer-
else OF function produces development,
while the loss of exercise checks or
destroys it. Occupying himself with
humop loinno ho fbora fora oono1,1o1
that the wisest and best course to
adopt in dealing with children, was to
develop their Unborn original capa-
cities and abilities. This was to be
done, not by isolating the children as
Rousseau advised, but by placing
many children amid favorable eur
roundings and giving them the CON-
partnership of persons who we're fit
to guide and help them in the develop
ment of their faculties. He thus aim
ed to protect the young child from
evil, and at the same time sought to
fit it to become its own true guide.
The children brought together in
Froebel's school were to be taught
singing and games; because he had
found out from obse rving the child 3
Unborn desire for activity, that by
means of games and songs he could
best put his educational ideas into
practice. This method of teaching 10
what we call the Kindergarten system
the main ones used in our Kinder
gartens OF to day.
Froebel introduced the Kindergar-
ten first in Prussia, where he met with
good success to begin with, but later
was forbidden by the Prussian minis.
ter to continue his system there. This
Off :ial claimed that the new school
formed part OF the so.called Froe.
belian socialistic system, the aim OF
which was to teach children atheism
But the great idea which he was try
ing to put into practice had far too
much vitality to De starved out or
frowned down. Though Kindergar.
tens were forbidden in Prussia, the
rest of Germany was still open; and
here Froebel in spite of his poverty
and difficulty Of gaining recognition,
succeeded in establishing few schools
founded On his principles.
He had how reached his seventeen
year, and his life work, the Kinder.
garten, had gained such an important
place among the educational institu-
tions of his native country, that when