First+Kindergartens+in+America

=What led to the establishment of the first kindergarten in America? = = =

When Margarethe Schurz was sixteen years old she attended a series of lectures in Germany on new education, of which kindergarten was the first step. Later on Margarethe chose to come to America and eventually moved to Watertown, Wisconsin. In 1856 she decided to open a kindergarten in her home for five children. She used the ideas she learned from her sister and the experience she had working in a classroom in London and applied them to her school. The class proved to be a success. So where did the idea of kindergarten originate? The term “kindergarten” was created by Friedrich Frobel from the idea that children should be cared for and taught in “children’s gardens” like plants in a garden. Frobel’s main goal with kindergarten was to teach children how to play, sing, do practical activities, and learn social interaction. These ideas are now widely accepted as essential aspects of developing skills and knowledge.

Source: http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/hp/register/viewSummary.asp?refnum=72000055