FR I E D R IC H F R O E B E L ' S

P H IL OS O P H Y
L IAM V INCEN T N . SO RIA
WIL
FRIEDRICH FROEBEL'S PHILOSOPHY
• FRIEDRICHFROEBEL WAS A GERMAN EDUCATOR WHO INVENTED THE
KINDERGARTEN. HE BELIEVED THAT “PLAY IS THE HIGHEST EXPRESSION OF
HUMAN DEVELOPMENT IN CHILDHOOD FOR IT ALONE IS THE FREE
EXPRESSION OF WHAT IS IN THE CHILD’S SOUL.” ACCORDING TO FROEBEL,
IN PLAY CHILDREN CONSTRUCT THEIR UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD
THROUGH DIRECT EXPERIENCE WITH IT. HIS IDEAS ABOUT LEARNING
THROUGH NATURE AND THE IMPORTANCE OF PLAY HAVE SPREAD
THROUGHOUT THE WORLD.
SUMMARY OF THE PHILOSOPHY
• HE THOUGHT THAT A CHILD WAS INHERENTLY GOOD, AND BECAUSE HE KNEW HOW IMPORTANT A
CHILD'S NATURAL SKILLS WERE, HE ENCOURAGED PARENTS AND TEACHERS TO TREAT THEM WITH CARE.
HE WAS THE ONE WHO MADE PEOPLE CARE MORE ABOUT HOW EACH CHILD IS DIFFERENT.

• FROEBEL SAW HOW IMPORTANT IT WAS FOR EDUCATION TO HELP PEOPLE FIND AND DEVELOP THEIR
INDIVIDUALITY THROUGH INITIATIVE, ACTION, AND WORKING WITH OTHER PEOPLE.

• HE GAVE PEOPLE IDEAS FOR ARTS AND CRAFTS LIKE CLAY MODELING, WHICH ARE NOW TAUGHT IN
SCHOOLS. HIS FOCUS ON ACTIVITY AND SOCIAL INTERACTION, AS WELL AS HIS IDEA OF A SCHOOL
WITHOUT BOOKS AND SET TASKS, WAS A UNIQUE ADDITION TO THE WAY SCHOOLS WORK.
SUMMARY OF THE PHILOSOPHY
• HIS FOCUS ON MANIPULATING THE OBJECTS AND BEING FREE TO EXPRESS YOURSELF MADE PEOPLE PAY
MORE ATTENTION TO ACTIVITY AND SENSE REALISM INSTEAD OF READING BOOKS ALL THE TIME IN A SET
WAY.

• HE WANTED EACH PERSON'S EDUCATION TO PREPARE THEM FOR A FULL LIFE AS PART OF A GROUP. HE
ALSO WANTED TO GIVE HIS STUDENTS A WIDE RANGE OF HUMAN KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE. HIS IDEA
IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IN EDUCATION TODAY.

• HE KNOWS THAT PLAY, SELF-ACTIVITY, CREATIVE WORK, SOCIAL PARTICIPATION, AND LEARNING BY
DOING ARE ALL GOOD WAYS TO LEARN.
DECONSTRUCTIVE ANALYSIS
ADVANTAGES
•FROEBEL'S GIFTS
• IT PROMOTES THE VALUE OF UNITY
•RESPECT FOR THE CHILD'S UNIQUENESS
•LIFE, BEAUTY, AND KNOWLEDGE
•UNSUITABLE TOYS
DECONSTRUCTIVE ANALYSIS
DISADVANTAGES
• CRITICS OF THE FROEBEL EDUCATION THOUGHT THAT THE PROGRAM WAS TOO RIGID IN HOW IT
WAS SET UP. THE ORIGINAL KINDERGARTEN PROGRAM WAS CHANGED BY MORE OPEN-MINDED
TEACHERS INTO THE KINDERGARTEN WE KNOW TODAY, WHICH GIVES KIDS MORE TIME TO PLAY
FREELY AND USE THEIR IMAGINATIONS. IN ADDITION TO THE FROEBEL GIFTS, UNSTRUCTURED
MATERIALS LIKE DOLL HOUSES AND BIG BLOCKS WERE ADDED SO THAT CHILDREN COULD PLAY
MORE FREELY AND TALK TO EACH OTHER MORE. REFORMERS THOUGHT THAT CHILDREN NEEDED
MORE WAYS TO EXPRESS THEMSELVES, SO THEY ADDED MUSIC, ART, AND MOVEMENT TO
FROEBEL'S ORIGINAL IDEAS.
DECONSTRUCTIVE ANALYSIS
DISADVANTAGES
• SOME PEOPLE ALSO THINK THAT THERE IS TOO MUCH FOCUS ON FINE MOTOR
SKILLS AND THAT STUDENTS WOULD BENEFIT FROM MORE LANGUAGE,
WRITING, AND READING. MANY PEOPLE THINK THAT THE FOCUS ON GIFTS
AND OCCUPATIONS SHOULD BE PAIRED WITH MORE ACADEMIC ACTIVITIES,
LIKE READING AND WRITING, SO THAT CHILDREN WHO ARE READY FOR THESE
KINDS OF ACTIVITIES WILL HAVE THE CHANCE TO DO THEM.
THE FROEBEL PHILOSOPHY PUTS AN EMPHASIS ON:

• PLAY HELPS KIDS LEARN. PLAYING FILLS OUR NATURAL NEED TO FIGURE
OUT HOW THINGS WORK. FROEBEL EDUCATION IS BASED ON THE IDEA
THAT PLAY HAS A PURPOSE AND IS NOT JUST A WASTE OF TIME, AND THAT
MEANING IS MADE THROUGH PLAY ACTIVITIES.
• CHILDREN CAN ONLY LEARN WHAT THEY ARE READY TO LEARN. THEY
SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO GROW AND LEARN AT THEIR OWN PACE.
THE FROEBEL PHILOSOPHY PUTS AN EMPHASIS ON:
• THE TEACHER SHOULD SHOW YOU THE WAY. TEACHERS SHOULDN'T BE
SEEN AS THE PEOPLE WHO KNOW EVERYTHING. INSTEAD, THEY SHOULD BE
SEEN AS GUIDES WHO CAN HELP A CHILD LEARN.
• THECLASSROOM SHOULD BE READY FOR LEARNING. EVEN THOUGH
FROEBEL CLASSROOMS MAY LOOK LIKE THEY ARE MADE FOR FREE PLAY,
THEY ARE ACTUALLY VERY CAREFULLY SET UP TO GIVE CHILDREN THE
TOOLS AND MATERIALS THAT ARE BEST FOR THEIR LEVEL OF DEVELOPMENT.
THE FROEBEL PHILOSOPHY PUTS AN EMPHASIS ON:

• YOUNG LEARNERS NEED TO MOVE AROUND A LOT. THE CLASSROOMS OF

FROEBEL ARE FULL OF FINGER PLAYS, SONGS, AND DIFFERENT WAYS TO
MOVE.