let me tell ya about

my man Froebel.

Frederich Froebel was an educational theorist born in 1782. He developed his educational theory that became what we call Kindergarten in 1837. Froebel believed that children best learned through play and the action of exploration. Even back then, the idea of learning through lecture and the banking of information left a sour note in Froebel's heart.

Many of the tenets of Froebel's philosophy are reflected in today's popular educational theories.  Waldorf, Reggio Emilia, Montessori, progressive and/or play based schools all lend themselves to the ideas that Froebel brought forth. Click here for some light Froebel reading and a breakdown.

The coolest thing, to me at least, about Froebel's Kindergarten is that many of the routines we do in preschool come from him. Circle time? Froebel. Nursery Rhymes? Froebel. Manipulatives such as block playing and sorting? Froebel! I have been hard pressed finding reading material on this fascinating philosopher. Most of the books I have found were written in the 1800s. So imagine my delight when I found out there was to be a Froebel convention just a few hours away from the tiny casa! This year's convention will feature the use of the Froebel gifts (i.e. manipulatives) and I am over the moon with the idea of learning more about them. As I wrap my head around articulating how awesome I beleive Froebel's theory is, I will be adding more info the scrumdilly-do! If you are a reader or fan or passer by who is interested in supporting my journey, I would greatly appreciate any donations to help me get to the convention. There is a happy little donate button up there on the left side-bar of the blog. If you have any direct questions, feel free to email me, I would love a conversation with you!

Thank you, and happy reading!

On a teeny tiny break...

Happy New Year! I just wanted to let y'all know that I'm in school all this week.

I don;t know if I have shared this with you before or not but I am working on a degree in Human Development. The school I go to is rich in progressive education and the democratic way. My specialization is in early childhood education and child development. My goal is to work with you, the parents!

This week, I am taking what we call an intensive class. For five days, eight hours a day, I am soaking up everything that is being thrown at me about infants, brain development, attachment and the early years. Today I get to check out how a RIE class operates. I can't wait wait. I have to tell you that all this information is blowing me away. It is the most exciting thing to learn about and I am simply itching to put it all into words to share with you. I gotta get to class though so for now, here is a book list if you are wondering. Even if you are familiar with RIE and not a fan, I urge you to read the philosophy. I've worked with children raised through RIE and it is remarkable how confident they are.

Why Love Matters by Sue Gerhardt
The Rie Manual by Magda Gerber
Your Self Confident Baby by Magda Gerber
Our Babies, Our Selves by Meredith Small

I'll be back next week with another fun hat day project! January is full of nifty, odd holidays!