Inferencing isn't so bad if you keep the meaning simple for them: It's when the reader has to be a detective and figure out things that the author doesn't tell us. (It could be the meaning of an unknown word, the author's message, how a character is feeling, or just the overall events of a book)
A lot of Kevin Henkes books are good for inferring characters feelings. Also, Somebody Loves You Mr. Hatch, is good for that. Before reading them aloud, just go through and look for places where the character does somehting or says something, but the author doesn't come right out and tell how they are feeling.
I love the book The Other Side by Woodson for inferring the author's message. A lot of Dr. Seuss ones are good for this too-- like the Sneetches, the Grinch, the Lorax. Again, Kevin Henkes books work too.
For inferring what's going on in a book-- or sometimes I call it inferring to piece together a puzzle-- I LOVE Grandfather Twilight. I was just looking on Amazon yesterday, and you can buy it used there. It is SOOOOO worth it and your kindergartners would love it. I always read it aloud 3 or 4 times with no talking or commenting (it's very short). They are mesmerized. Then we start from the beginning and comment on things we notice that are giving us clues to the story. We infer the whole way through to make meaning for ourselves.
Inferencing is my favorite strategy to teach, and once the kids start to realize how much authors don't say, they'll be inferring all over the place!!
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Forest Kindergarten Strategy
Forest Kindergartens are commonplace in Scandinavia where the concept was developed more than 25 years ago.
The idea is that children are encouraged to lead their own play and learning within an outdoor environment on a regular basis.
Studies have shown that such experience is beneficial to children’s health and well being, self esteem, confidence and the acquisition of knowledge and skills.
Although there are some Forest Kindergartens in Scotland the coverage is ad hoc and largely dependent on the enthusiasm of individual staff.
The Strategy seeks to investigate what opportunities exist for school and pre-school establishments to access local woodlands or greenspace and understand what level of interest exists in the forest kindergarten scheme.
The Way Forward
The project will pilot and support a selection of Forest Kindergartens initiatives across the Glasgow and Clyde Valley region. This will introduce children to the Green Network at a very early age and foster a positive relationship with the outdoors at a local level.
Positive and visible use of woodlands and greenspace for Forest Kindergartens is likely to bring about a greater sense of ownership of the Green Network and this should encourage its wider use by all in the community.
The aim is for the pilot projects to create practical examples of Forest Kindergartens in action leading to a programme rolling out the approach across the GCV.
In 2009 the Forestry Commission Scotland created the post of Forest Kindergarten Officer to lead on the promotion and piloting of Forest Kindergartens.
The idea is that children are encouraged to lead their own play and learning within an outdoor environment on a regular basis.
Studies have shown that such experience is beneficial to children’s health and well being, self esteem, confidence and the acquisition of knowledge and skills.
Although there are some Forest Kindergartens in Scotland the coverage is ad hoc and largely dependent on the enthusiasm of individual staff.
The Strategy seeks to investigate what opportunities exist for school and pre-school establishments to access local woodlands or greenspace and understand what level of interest exists in the forest kindergarten scheme.
The Way Forward
The project will pilot and support a selection of Forest Kindergartens initiatives across the Glasgow and Clyde Valley region. This will introduce children to the Green Network at a very early age and foster a positive relationship with the outdoors at a local level.
Positive and visible use of woodlands and greenspace for Forest Kindergartens is likely to bring about a greater sense of ownership of the Green Network and this should encourage its wider use by all in the community.
The aim is for the pilot projects to create practical examples of Forest Kindergartens in action leading to a programme rolling out the approach across the GCV.
In 2009 the Forestry Commission Scotland created the post of Forest Kindergarten Officer to lead on the promotion and piloting of Forest Kindergartens.
Preschool and Kindergarten Reading and Lesson Plan
How to Use the Printable Reader To Teach Preschool and Kindergarten Reading
Printable emergent readers are a cost effective and a powerful avenue to teach beginning reading skills and other concepts related to the curriculum. The video below gives you an idea of how they can be used.
Access to 100 Emergent Readers - Try Free Sample Below - Focus on Letter "t" and Positional Words
As a member of the Kinderplans website you will have access to approximately 100 emergent readers. The reader below can be used for the duration of a week as outlined in the lesson plan found on this page. This allows you to sample how these readers can be used effectively within the classroom to teach preschool and kindergarten reading. In this reader the focus is on the children being introduced to the letter "t" and its corresponding sound, as well, positional words. The children will be cutting and pasting Trix the cat in the correct position indicated in the print.A Weekly Lesson Plan for Kindergarten Reading
What is Shared Reading?
Shared reading is done as a whole group activity where the teacher provides a supportive and encouraging environment. The text should be fairly repetitive and predictable so the children can experience success in reading. The reading selection is displayed on a pocket chart, overhead projector, chart paper, or displayed on the smartboard for all the children to view.
Teacher Modeling
The teacher models the reading process by pointing to the words (tracking). This indirectly teaches the children what a word is and how print moves from left to right and top to bottom. The teacher may choose to develop further concepts using the selection as outlined below.
Shared Reading Strategies
Echo Reading
The teacher reads a sentence. The children echo what she just read (while she points to the words).
Choral Reading
The children read at the same time as the teacher.
Fill in the Word
The teacher leaves out a word or phrase. The children fill in the missing word or phrase. This is a very good strategy to use when teaching the concept of rhyming.
Preschool and Kindergarten Lesson Plan for Using the Reader
Preschool and Kindergarten Reading Day 1 Lesson Plan - Focus on Introducing the Reader and the Interactive Component
Prior to Reading the Story
-Hide a teddy bear by, on and under in different places within the classroom to introduce the children to the positional terms used within the reader.
-Explain that the main character Trix the Cat is found within different places throughout the story. Have the children predict where Trix might be found using the pictures displayed. The teacher reads each line and the children assist her in placing Trix the cat in the correct position on the picture.
-Read the story again with Trix the Cat in the correct position. The teacher reads and tracks, students will join in as they are able.
Preschool and Kindergarten Reading Day 2 - Phonemic Awareness Lesson
The children are introduced to the letter "t" and its corresponding sound within the context of reading the story. Display two pictures which are found in the links below. Use picture pairs beginning with the same initial sound and also a different sound. The children will identify if they hear the same initial sound or not.
Picture Cards With the Words
Picture Cards Without the Words
Using Hand Mirrors and Phonics Phones for Phonemic Awareness Instruction
Some teachers have the children use little hand mirrors so the children can see how their lips and tongue change when making the different sounds. They have the children identify if they feel air blow when making the specific sounds.
Phonics phones are also used so the children can more readily hear the differentiation in sounds. The link below outlines how these phones are made and how they can be used.
Phonics Phones
Preschool and Kindergarten Reading Follow-up Activities
1. If you are teaching the children to print correct letter formation, they can try printing the letter "t" in the air, palm of their hand and on the back of a friend. The link below provides further suggestions on how the children can practice letter formation.
Letter Formation - Printing
2. The pictures in the links above can be used for sorting during classroom instruction time. These would be placed in a pocket chart. Together sort if they begin with a "t" sound or not. After, all the words beginning with the focus sound of "t" would be placed together. Have the children close their eyes while you remove one of the pictures. The children guess what "t" sounding picture is missing. The person that guesses the correct picture will have on opportunity to remove the picture for the next round. The game would continue in the Literacy Center.
Note: There are 156 alphabet picture cards similar to the ones used above. As a member of the site, you will have access to these for similar activities.
3. Picture Mnemonic Activity
Research has shown that children learn the letters and sounds more successfully if they are associated with a picture or visual image. The craft activity displayed to the right could be completed. The letter "t" would be painted and cut or traced on brown construction paper for the trunk. The children would trace around the trunk to make a tree top out of green construction paper. A red bingo marker can be used to make the apples. The children visually can see the association of "t" for the sound heard in "tree" by completing this project.
"t" Template
4. The children will be completing the interactive component of the reader. They will be cutting Trix the cat and gluing her in the appropriate place within the reader. They can use the pocket chart to guide them.
Preschool and Kindergarten Reading Day 3 - Introducing Sight word(s) (this would only be applicable to Kindergarten)
The teacher presents the text with selected word or words masked (could be "is" or "the"). Have the children guess the word that is masked. Place this on your word wall to practice reading each day. Introduce the following game to be played at the Literacy Center.
Click on the Video to View on YouTube or Click Here
Preschool and Kindergarten Reading - Easy Game for the Younger Children
Make two copies of the the picture cards above (with or without words). Each child draws a card. If they draw one beginning with the letter "t" sound, they mark this off on their game chart which is found in the link below. If it does not begin with the letter "t" sound, it is placed in the discarded pile. This pile is used once the initial pile has been played. The first person to have their chart marked off is the winner.
Game Chart
More Advanced Game
Make two copies of the picture cards above, along with the sight word(s) printed on the blank sheet in the link below. Each time they draw the focus sight word, they must say it and mark this off on their game chart. The first person to have their game chart marked off is the winner.
Blank Cards to Print Focus Sight Word(s)
Preschool and Kindergarten Reading Day 4
Have different children come forward and be the teacher and model the reading process by using the pocket chart. Most of the children would be familiar with the text by now.
More Follow-up Activities
1. Sentence strips - Take off the sentence strips from the pocket chart and see if the children can arrange them according to the pictures.
2. Cut-up Sentences - Students are asked to cut apart a sentence, scramble the words and rearrange it. Copies of the text are available for verification. The children are encouraged to read and track as a final check.
3. Look at the word "cat" within the reader. CVC patterning, "at" word family, rhyming and letter "t" as a final consonant can be developed further.
Shared Writing Suggestion
Since positional words are the focus of this lesson, this can be used in shared writing. Each day have children dictate where they found the teddy bear hidden in the classroom. Example: The teddy bear was on the book.
Printable emergent readers are a cost effective and a powerful avenue to teach beginning reading skills and other concepts related to the curriculum. The video below gives you an idea of how they can be used.
Access to 100 Emergent Readers - Try Free Sample Below - Focus on Letter "t" and Positional Words
As a member of the Kinderplans website you will have access to approximately 100 emergent readers. The reader below can be used for the duration of a week as outlined in the lesson plan found on this page. This allows you to sample how these readers can be used effectively within the classroom to teach preschool and kindergarten reading. In this reader the focus is on the children being introduced to the letter "t" and its corresponding sound, as well, positional words. The children will be cutting and pasting Trix the cat in the correct position indicated in the print.A Weekly Lesson Plan for Kindergarten Reading
What is Shared Reading?
Shared reading is done as a whole group activity where the teacher provides a supportive and encouraging environment. The text should be fairly repetitive and predictable so the children can experience success in reading. The reading selection is displayed on a pocket chart, overhead projector, chart paper, or displayed on the smartboard for all the children to view.
Teacher Modeling
The teacher models the reading process by pointing to the words (tracking). This indirectly teaches the children what a word is and how print moves from left to right and top to bottom. The teacher may choose to develop further concepts using the selection as outlined below.
Shared Reading Strategies
Echo Reading
The teacher reads a sentence. The children echo what she just read (while she points to the words).
Choral Reading
The children read at the same time as the teacher.
Fill in the Word
The teacher leaves out a word or phrase. The children fill in the missing word or phrase. This is a very good strategy to use when teaching the concept of rhyming.
Preschool and Kindergarten Lesson Plan for Using the Reader
Preschool and Kindergarten Reading Day 1 Lesson Plan - Focus on Introducing the Reader and the Interactive Component
Prior to Reading the Story
-Hide a teddy bear by, on and under in different places within the classroom to introduce the children to the positional terms used within the reader.
-Explain that the main character Trix the Cat is found within different places throughout the story. Have the children predict where Trix might be found using the pictures displayed. The teacher reads each line and the children assist her in placing Trix the cat in the correct position on the picture.
-Read the story again with Trix the Cat in the correct position. The teacher reads and tracks, students will join in as they are able.
Preschool and Kindergarten Reading Day 2 - Phonemic Awareness Lesson
The children are introduced to the letter "t" and its corresponding sound within the context of reading the story. Display two pictures which are found in the links below. Use picture pairs beginning with the same initial sound and also a different sound. The children will identify if they hear the same initial sound or not.
Picture Cards With the Words
Picture Cards Without the Words
Using Hand Mirrors and Phonics Phones for Phonemic Awareness Instruction
Some teachers have the children use little hand mirrors so the children can see how their lips and tongue change when making the different sounds. They have the children identify if they feel air blow when making the specific sounds.
Phonics phones are also used so the children can more readily hear the differentiation in sounds. The link below outlines how these phones are made and how they can be used.
Phonics Phones
Preschool and Kindergarten Reading Follow-up Activities
1. If you are teaching the children to print correct letter formation, they can try printing the letter "t" in the air, palm of their hand and on the back of a friend. The link below provides further suggestions on how the children can practice letter formation.
Letter Formation - Printing
2. The pictures in the links above can be used for sorting during classroom instruction time. These would be placed in a pocket chart. Together sort if they begin with a "t" sound or not. After, all the words beginning with the focus sound of "t" would be placed together. Have the children close their eyes while you remove one of the pictures. The children guess what "t" sounding picture is missing. The person that guesses the correct picture will have on opportunity to remove the picture for the next round. The game would continue in the Literacy Center.
Note: There are 156 alphabet picture cards similar to the ones used above. As a member of the site, you will have access to these for similar activities.
3. Picture Mnemonic Activity
Research has shown that children learn the letters and sounds more successfully if they are associated with a picture or visual image. The craft activity displayed to the right could be completed. The letter "t" would be painted and cut or traced on brown construction paper for the trunk. The children would trace around the trunk to make a tree top out of green construction paper. A red bingo marker can be used to make the apples. The children visually can see the association of "t" for the sound heard in "tree" by completing this project.
"t" Template
4. The children will be completing the interactive component of the reader. They will be cutting Trix the cat and gluing her in the appropriate place within the reader. They can use the pocket chart to guide them.
Preschool and Kindergarten Reading Day 3 - Introducing Sight word(s) (this would only be applicable to Kindergarten)
The teacher presents the text with selected word or words masked (could be "is" or "the"). Have the children guess the word that is masked. Place this on your word wall to practice reading each day. Introduce the following game to be played at the Literacy Center.
Click on the Video to View on YouTube or Click Here
Preschool and Kindergarten Reading - Easy Game for the Younger Children
Make two copies of the the picture cards above (with or without words). Each child draws a card. If they draw one beginning with the letter "t" sound, they mark this off on their game chart which is found in the link below. If it does not begin with the letter "t" sound, it is placed in the discarded pile. This pile is used once the initial pile has been played. The first person to have their chart marked off is the winner.
Game Chart
More Advanced Game
Make two copies of the picture cards above, along with the sight word(s) printed on the blank sheet in the link below. Each time they draw the focus sight word, they must say it and mark this off on their game chart. The first person to have their game chart marked off is the winner.
Blank Cards to Print Focus Sight Word(s)
Preschool and Kindergarten Reading Day 4
Have different children come forward and be the teacher and model the reading process by using the pocket chart. Most of the children would be familiar with the text by now.
More Follow-up Activities
1. Sentence strips - Take off the sentence strips from the pocket chart and see if the children can arrange them according to the pictures.
2. Cut-up Sentences - Students are asked to cut apart a sentence, scramble the words and rearrange it. Copies of the text are available for verification. The children are encouraged to read and track as a final check.
3. Look at the word "cat" within the reader. CVC patterning, "at" word family, rhyming and letter "t" as a final consonant can be developed further.
Shared Writing Suggestion
Since positional words are the focus of this lesson, this can be used in shared writing. Each day have children dictate where they found the teddy bear hidden in the classroom. Example: The teddy bear was on the book.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
The Mayor Takes Us to Kindergarten
In Budapest, there is a mayor for each of the districts who acts like a superintendent of schools. What luck–we got to meet the best one! No really, he was so passionate about education and proud of the work his teachers accomplished–which is every teacher’s dream, right? After a talk at his office about how the school district works, we were off to visit a kindergarten school before an elaborate lunch in our honor. Wow.
Here is the necessary background: Kindergartens can be public or private–many parents opt for private ones because they want the best for their kids (such as smaller class sizes and foreign language instruction…) However, schools in Hungary are not designated by district, but by choice, so teachers and principals work hard to make their programs attractive. This is also important because with twice as many teachers and schools than needed, the threat of having your school shut down is always real. Nonetheless, schools are half funded by the state and the other half comes through district taxes.
Kindergarten is a three year experience; children are approximately 3 to 6.5 years of age. As far as I can tell, there is little emphasis on reading and writing–more on alphabet knowledge before primary school begins at age 7. As you can see, there is naptime for all!
In this case, the children seen in the photos are kindergarten age, but they are part of a summer “camp” that acts as daycare for working parents. The children are allowed to be in the program for as much as 10 hours a day, but most of the school building was closed off since the majority of kids are vacationing with their parents for the holiday.
My favorite part was seeing how much of the school is cared for by the teachers–you can see them embroidering more pockets for the children while they nap. All the paintings, organizers, cubbies are labeled with little pictures to act as identifiers for everything from cups to combs to art folders. Each room has a theme and teachers take pride in the results of parent satisfaction surveys, which are posted in the lounge for all to see.
In the end, there was a sense of familiarity about the place. Pictures of special events in the hallway, schoolwide “zoo” for biology study, a playground full of equipment and even a daily attendance board with name tags. Also familiar are the issues the school faces: children who have unstable homes or learning difficulties are given extra attention and planning.
Every child should be so lucky to be part of such a caring community of learners–the building was almost empty, but the sense of pride was still tangible.
Here is the necessary background: Kindergartens can be public or private–many parents opt for private ones because they want the best for their kids (such as smaller class sizes and foreign language instruction…) However, schools in Hungary are not designated by district, but by choice, so teachers and principals work hard to make their programs attractive. This is also important because with twice as many teachers and schools than needed, the threat of having your school shut down is always real. Nonetheless, schools are half funded by the state and the other half comes through district taxes.
Kindergarten is a three year experience; children are approximately 3 to 6.5 years of age. As far as I can tell, there is little emphasis on reading and writing–more on alphabet knowledge before primary school begins at age 7. As you can see, there is naptime for all!
In this case, the children seen in the photos are kindergarten age, but they are part of a summer “camp” that acts as daycare for working parents. The children are allowed to be in the program for as much as 10 hours a day, but most of the school building was closed off since the majority of kids are vacationing with their parents for the holiday.
My favorite part was seeing how much of the school is cared for by the teachers–you can see them embroidering more pockets for the children while they nap. All the paintings, organizers, cubbies are labeled with little pictures to act as identifiers for everything from cups to combs to art folders. Each room has a theme and teachers take pride in the results of parent satisfaction surveys, which are posted in the lounge for all to see.
In the end, there was a sense of familiarity about the place. Pictures of special events in the hallway, schoolwide “zoo” for biology study, a playground full of equipment and even a daily attendance board with name tags. Also familiar are the issues the school faces: children who have unstable homes or learning difficulties are given extra attention and planning.
Every child should be so lucky to be part of such a caring community of learners–the building was almost empty, but the sense of pride was still tangible.
Full-Day or Half-Day Kindergarten?
The U.S. Department of Education is funding an extensive evaluation of full day kindergarten by the Center for Evaluation & Education Policy (CEEP). Although correlational, causal-comparative, and other non-experimental designs appear to support the effectiveness of FDK relative to half-day programs, results from quasi-experimental designs are mixed, probably due to nonequivalence of control and treatment groups. CEEP’s evaluation is a randomized controlled trial comparing the academic development of students who attend full day kindergarten (FDK) classes with those attending half day kindergarten (HDK) classes. For more information go to the Indiana University School of Education Center for Evaluation and Education Policy Full Day Kindergarten website.
A frequently asked questions is, "What is better, half-day kindergarten, full-day kindergarten, or alternate day kindergarten?"
From a practical perspective - there is no single answer to the question. It depends on what is happening the other part of the time. It depends on "What is the purpose of kindergarten?" It depends on the needs, resources and abilities of the parents. It depends on the needs and abilities of the child. It depends on what else is available in the community. And, of course, it depends on the quality of the kindergarten itself. Is not quality an even more important variable than quantity? Would you rather have your child attend a top quality half-day kindergarten or a mediocre full-day kindergarten? How about an awful half day program or a pretty good full day program? Doesn't the answer change?
The argument for a full-day kindergarten program should not be based on making kids smarter but should be based on having the "luxury of time" i.e., time for hands-on discovery, time for experimenting and "making mistakes," time for reading the whole story, time for deeper, richer, more developmentally appropriate learning. Why would we compress kindergarten into half a day and then have many of the children bused home to watch television?
The ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary and Early Childhood Education has helped us look more closely at this issue.
A frequently asked questions is, "What is better, half-day kindergarten, full-day kindergarten, or alternate day kindergarten?"
From a practical perspective - there is no single answer to the question. It depends on what is happening the other part of the time. It depends on "What is the purpose of kindergarten?" It depends on the needs, resources and abilities of the parents. It depends on the needs and abilities of the child. It depends on what else is available in the community. And, of course, it depends on the quality of the kindergarten itself. Is not quality an even more important variable than quantity? Would you rather have your child attend a top quality half-day kindergarten or a mediocre full-day kindergarten? How about an awful half day program or a pretty good full day program? Doesn't the answer change?
The argument for a full-day kindergarten program should not be based on making kids smarter but should be based on having the "luxury of time" i.e., time for hands-on discovery, time for experimenting and "making mistakes," time for reading the whole story, time for deeper, richer, more developmentally appropriate learning. Why would we compress kindergarten into half a day and then have many of the children bused home to watch television?
The ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary and Early Childhood Education has helped us look more closely at this issue.
Unveiling of Marker - Mrs. Carl Schurz Honored
Last Thursday night a very large number of our citizens and many from nearby places, were present at the unveiling of the marker at the southwest corner of North Second and Jones streets, erected by the Saturday club in honor of the Mrs. Carl Schurz of this city, who conducted the first kindergarten school in country at that corner in the building now occupied by Charles Heimsehr and his sister. The boy scouts had charge of the unveiling of the marker, and kindergarten pupils scattered rose petals about the stone. The pupils of the three kindergarten classes under direction of their teachers the Misses Adelia L. Siegler, Florence Brownlee and Harriet Blakely, gave a series of dance games, which delighted all present, and the High School band gave a fine musical program. Mrs. E. E. Fischer, president of the Saturday club presented the tablet and the granite marker to the city, and Alderman George W. Block of the city council, made the acceptance speech, the mayor being unable to be present on account of illness. Joseph Schaefer, superintendent of the State Historical Society at Madison, was the principal speaker of the evening’s program at the Elks club, and Miss Hilda Schneider of the High School faculty directed a vocal program by the High school glee club. City Attorney R. W. Lueck was master of ceremonies.
Among other things in his address Mr. Schaefer said:
“Beginnings of great movements are always interesting and since the kindergarten has grown into a tremendous system of education for the children, the fact that the movement had its American origin in Watertown ought to prompt citizens of this town, especially, to feel proud.”
He said that he had spent much time in reading, looking up records and in personal investigations and has satisfied himself that in honoring Mrs. Schurz as the founder of the movement in America that honor is not misplaced, that the kindergarten here was the first one in America and that its influence had brought about the kindergarten system in this country.
Little is actually known of her when one compares it with what is known of her illustrious husband. Coming from a relatively wealthy family, brought up in luxury and comfortable surroundings, with every advantage, it is to her credit as a pioneer that she consented to come to America, and especially to what was then the great undeveloped west. She did so reluctantly, to be sure, but once she had arrived here she made the best of it. Although she always did long for Europe, she nevertheless played her part as a leader in this territory and her influence has been great. Her need for occupation and love of children induced her to start a kindergarten class here.
He praised the citizens of Watertown and the members of the Saturday Club especially for their great interest in perpetuating the memory of Mrs. Schurz. The bronze tablet on the granite stone contains the following .
Among other things in his address Mr. Schaefer said:
“Beginnings of great movements are always interesting and since the kindergarten has grown into a tremendous system of education for the children, the fact that the movement had its American origin in Watertown ought to prompt citizens of this town, especially, to feel proud.”
He said that he had spent much time in reading, looking up records and in personal investigations and has satisfied himself that in honoring Mrs. Schurz as the founder of the movement in America that honor is not misplaced, that the kindergarten here was the first one in America and that its influence had brought about the kindergarten system in this country.
Little is actually known of her when one compares it with what is known of her illustrious husband. Coming from a relatively wealthy family, brought up in luxury and comfortable surroundings, with every advantage, it is to her credit as a pioneer that she consented to come to America, and especially to what was then the great undeveloped west. She did so reluctantly, to be sure, but once she had arrived here she made the best of it. Although she always did long for Europe, she nevertheless played her part as a leader in this territory and her influence has been great. Her need for occupation and love of children induced her to start a kindergarten class here.
He praised the citizens of Watertown and the members of the Saturday Club especially for their great interest in perpetuating the memory of Mrs. Schurz. The bronze tablet on the granite stone contains the following .
150 years America’s First Kindergarten
The event was held on the grounds of the historical society, located at 919 Charles St., Watertown, WI. The public was cordially invited to attend the afternoon festivities which included brief speeches from Mrs. Jessica Doyle, wife of the Governor of the State of Wisconsin, Elizabeth Burmeister, Secretary of Education for the State of Wisconsin, John David, Mayor of the City of Watertown, Joel Kleefisch, State Representative, Dr. Doug Keiser, Watertown Unified School District Superintendent, as well as officials from the Watertown Historical Society. The celebration began at 2:00 pm and after the speeches there was refreshments and a chance to inspect the kindergarten museum building.
The Watertown, Wisconsin, Historical Society, owners and operators of the famed Octagon House Museum and America’s First Kindergarten, paid special tribute to the 150th anniversary of the founding of the kindergarten on Sunday, August 27, 2006.
The kindergarten was founded in America by Margarethe Meyer Schurz, wife of the famous German-American statesman Carl Schurz. Mrs. Schurz was a native of Hamburg, Germany, and as a young woman learned the principles of the kindergarten from its creator, Friedrich Froebel. In the 1850s she came to London, where her sister had founded the first kindergarten there.
While in London she met and married Carl Schurz, then a fugitive from a Prussian jail. They came to America shortly thereafter and settled at first on the east coast and then in 1855 they came to Watertown where Carl Schurz had relatives. Once here Carl began an active career in politics, while his wife set up housekeeping. But she longed for something that would give purpose to her life, so she began a small kindergarten class in the Schurz family home, which was at one time located at 749 N. Church St. in 1856. The Schurz home, known as “Karlshuegel” or “Carl’s Hill” burned to the ground in 1912.
The class proved to be very successful, but the noise of the children was too much for her husband, so she was forced to move her class to a small frame building located originally on the corner of N. Second and Jones Streets in Watertown. At the time the dwelling was being used as a private home by Carl Schurz’s parents.
It was in this little building that the kindergarten took off. The original class numbered only about five students, the Schurz children Agathe and Marianne, two Juessen girls (cousins of the Schurz’s) and the lone boy Franklin Blumenfeld, son of the editor of the local German-language newspaper. Mrs. Schurz ran her school through 1857 when the Schurz family moved to Milwaukee. The kindergarten continued sporadically here, always operated as a private school, through the nineteenth century, finally becoming a part of the public school curriculum after the turn of the last century.
Mrs. Schurz died from complications of child birth in 1876 and her remains are believed to have been transferred to her native Hamburg, Germany. Her husband, Carl, rose through the political ranks, first aiding Lincoln in his bid for president in 1860, then becoming a general in the Union Army during the Civil War, later Secretary of the Interior under Pres. Rutherford B. Hayes and ultimately he went to work in the publishing field. He died in New York in 1906.
As for the kindergarten building, after the Schurz family left Watertown, the building passed through many hands, becoming a cigar factory, fish store and religious book store. In the 1920s a local women’s club, the Saturday Club, erected a memorial marker to designate the historical significance of the building. Then in 1956, exactly 100 years after the founding of the kindergarten, the little building was in danger of being razed. It was through the efforts of Mrs. Rudy Herman and Gladys Mollart of the Watertown Historical Society that the structure was saved and moved to the grounds of the Octagon House, where it now rests. It has been open to the public since 1957.
The Watertown, Wisconsin, Historical Society, owners and operators of the famed Octagon House Museum and America’s First Kindergarten, paid special tribute to the 150th anniversary of the founding of the kindergarten on Sunday, August 27, 2006.
The kindergarten was founded in America by Margarethe Meyer Schurz, wife of the famous German-American statesman Carl Schurz. Mrs. Schurz was a native of Hamburg, Germany, and as a young woman learned the principles of the kindergarten from its creator, Friedrich Froebel. In the 1850s she came to London, where her sister had founded the first kindergarten there.
While in London she met and married Carl Schurz, then a fugitive from a Prussian jail. They came to America shortly thereafter and settled at first on the east coast and then in 1855 they came to Watertown where Carl Schurz had relatives. Once here Carl began an active career in politics, while his wife set up housekeeping. But she longed for something that would give purpose to her life, so she began a small kindergarten class in the Schurz family home, which was at one time located at 749 N. Church St. in 1856. The Schurz home, known as “Karlshuegel” or “Carl’s Hill” burned to the ground in 1912.
The class proved to be very successful, but the noise of the children was too much for her husband, so she was forced to move her class to a small frame building located originally on the corner of N. Second and Jones Streets in Watertown. At the time the dwelling was being used as a private home by Carl Schurz’s parents.
It was in this little building that the kindergarten took off. The original class numbered only about five students, the Schurz children Agathe and Marianne, two Juessen girls (cousins of the Schurz’s) and the lone boy Franklin Blumenfeld, son of the editor of the local German-language newspaper. Mrs. Schurz ran her school through 1857 when the Schurz family moved to Milwaukee. The kindergarten continued sporadically here, always operated as a private school, through the nineteenth century, finally becoming a part of the public school curriculum after the turn of the last century.
Mrs. Schurz died from complications of child birth in 1876 and her remains are believed to have been transferred to her native Hamburg, Germany. Her husband, Carl, rose through the political ranks, first aiding Lincoln in his bid for president in 1860, then becoming a general in the Union Army during the Civil War, later Secretary of the Interior under Pres. Rutherford B. Hayes and ultimately he went to work in the publishing field. He died in New York in 1906.
As for the kindergarten building, after the Schurz family left Watertown, the building passed through many hands, becoming a cigar factory, fish store and religious book store. In the 1920s a local women’s club, the Saturday Club, erected a memorial marker to designate the historical significance of the building. Then in 1956, exactly 100 years after the founding of the kindergarten, the little building was in danger of being razed. It was through the efforts of Mrs. Rudy Herman and Gladys Mollart of the Watertown Historical Society that the structure was saved and moved to the grounds of the Octagon House, where it now rests. It has been open to the public since 1957.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)