Froebel's Philosophies

Throughout the history of Early Childhood Education, there have been many key thinkers both past and present that have influenced today’s policies and practice in early years. Their philosophies are known to be what they believed, a set of values or guidance that are shown through the theorist’s background, views on certain influences and most of all their experience. These philosophies have influenced what happens in current early years settings and it is clear to see that children, in fact thrive in a variety of environments. These environments can include the home setting, outdoor environments and children particularly thrive in environment’s that are accessible, resourceful and safe. The Oxfordshire Government (2008) states if it offers

Each child should have a holistic view of their development, there should be an ecological view of mankind in the natural world, a recognition of the integrity of childhood in its own right, and not as a stage. Finally, Froebel believed the child should have recognition as part of the community. Froebel (1826) states that ‘the purpose of education is to encourage and guide man as a conscious, thinking and perceiving being in a way he becomes a pure and perfect representation of a divine law through his own choice and education must show the ways and meanings of attaining that goal’ (p. 2). He strongly followed the whole child approach where individuals are treated as unique and diverse but connected by both relationships and community. The community is a group of people who are linked and considered to be extended family; this included peers, teachers, family and many others. Froebel soon began to realise the importance of early stages of education and in 1837 opened an infant school which he named The Kindergarten, where learning was to progress from real sensory experiences through abstract concept and ideas. He began