Table of Contents

Part I An examination of the original Froebelian principles and practices in early childhood education in different parts of the world Chapter 1 Friedrich Froebel, his life and ideas. Chapter 2 Tracing Froebel’s legacy: The spread of the movement across Europe and beyond and his influence on education. Chapter 3 The life of the Froebel Archive: a story. Chapter 4 Connectedness in Froebel’s philosophy: women, parents, community and unity. Chapter 5 Froebel’s contributions to early childhood pedagogy. Chapter 6 ‘Social and conceptual spaces – Froebelian geographies’: project for the Froebel Archive collection located at the University of Roehampton. Chapter 7 The psychoanalytic kindergarten project in Soviet Russia 1921–1930. Chapter 8 The transfer, translation and transformation of Froebelian theory and practice: Annie L. Howe and her Glory Kindergarten and Teacher Training College in Kobe Japan 1889–1929. Chapter 9 Froebel is dead; long live Froebel! the National Froebel Foundation and English education. Chapter 10 Working with the 10 principles of early childhood practice: revaluing stories and imagination for children’s biliteracy learning in South Africa. Chapter 11 Advocacy and collaboration in the kindergarten movement of Aotearoa New Zealand: some Froebelian legacies. Part II Case studies, development projects and practitioner publications exploring Froebelian approaches to early childhood education. Chapter 12 Elinor Goldschmied (1910–2009): Let the past inform the present! Chapter 13 The Froebel Blockplay Project: reflections from a practitioner researcher twenty five years on. Chapter 14 Froebelian work in South Africa. Chapter 15: The Froebel Trust Kolkata project. Chapter 16 The educational meaning of ‘wander’ in nature according to the development of early childhood. Chapter 17 Developing creativity in children’s musical improvisations. Chapter 18 A story of Froebel’s global reach. Chapter 19 A case study at Cowgate Under 5's Centre. Chapter 20 Case study: another time, another place: developing Social Studies in nursery school. Part III Research studies documenting, debating and evaluating Froebelian approaches Chapter 21 Ownership and autonomy in early learning: A brief review of the Froebel Fellowship 2002–15. Chapter 22 Caring for babies and children under three: the contribution of Froebelian principles. Chapter 23 Mother’s Songs in daycare for babies. Chapter 24 Living with Children: A Froebelian Appoach to working with Families and Communities. Chapter 25 The Well-Being of babies, children under three and staff leaders in Daycare. Chapter 26 Transnational travelling teachers. Chapter 27 The experiences and pedagogical beliefs , perspectives and practices of students at Froebel College. Chapter 28 Using teacher narratives in early childhood teacher training: history, identity and reflective practice. Chapter 29 How do twenty-first century teacher trainees connect their practice to Froebel’s pedagogic principles? A case study of early childhood specialists at the University of Roehampton Froebel College 2011–2015. Part IV Sustaining and handing on the Froebelian approach to early childhood education in ways fit for purpose in a variety of cultural contexts across the world Chapter 30 The Froebel Colleges. Chapter 31 The Froebel Educational Institute: Influential tutors and Froebelian PhD graduates. Chapter 32 Schools with a strong Froebelian influence. Chapter 33 The Froebel Networking tradition and kitchen seminars. Chapter 34 Communities of Froebelian practice: Strawberry runners and the Edinburgh Froebel Network Chapter 35 Froebelian conferences and course and Early Childhood Research Centre (ECRC), University of Roehampton. Chapter 36 Froebelian work at Canterbury Christ Church University. Chapter 37 The International Froebel Society. Chapter 38 From gutter to sand pile: discourses of space and place in interventions in working class children’s play. Chapter 39 A Froebelian journey: from Froebel to Froebel. (A reflecting on the Froebel Travelling Tutors pilot course). Part V Re-articulating research and policy Chapter 40 Froebelian chimings with the legally framed early childhood curriculum documents of Great Britain: England, Scotland and Wales. Chapter 41 Froebelian influences on early childhood education and care government policy documents in England. Chapter 42 Re-articulating research and policy Appendix 1 References

About the Author

Tina Bruce, Peter Elfer and Sacha Powell with Louie Werth.

Tina Bruce CBE is Honorary Professor of Early Childhood Education at the University of Roehampton, UK. She was co-founding Director of the Centre for Early Childhood Studies at the Froebel College, Trustee of the Froebel Trust and Chair of the Archive Committee and Co-ordinator for the Ministerial Advisory Committee on Early Childhood Education. Tina is Vice President of Early Education and is on the Executive Committee of the International Froebel Society.

Peter Elfer is Principal Lecturer in Early Childhood Studies at the University of Roehampton, UK. He is also a Trustee of the Froebel Trust, a Vice President of Early Education and Chair of the Froebel Trust Research committee.

Sacha Powell is Professor of Early Childhood Care and Education at Canterbury Christ Church University, UK. She is a visiting scholar at the Education University of Hong Kong (2018), Chair of TACTYC and a member of the Froebel Trust’s Research Committee.

Louie Werth is Associate Lecturer in Childhood Studies at Canterbury Christ Church University, UK.

Reviews

"This comprehensive, thought provoking, scholarly, yet immensely practical, International Handbook of Froebel and Early Childhood Practice, edited by Tina Bruce, with Peter Elfer, Sacha Powell and Louie Werth, draws together an international range of highly respected authors, each of whom has taken a critical and reflective approach to the legacy of Froebel and made an unequivocal case for its relevance to modern, contemporary societies. Individually, each chapter provides an insight into the past and present application of Froebel’s principles to professional practice, projects or research, but collectively they stand as a testimony of the continued contribution of this seminal figure’s work to the future development of early childhood education. As such this book provides a rich resource to be plumbed by all those currently pursuing a reflective and action oriented approach to research, practice and policy in early childhood education and care. I believe anyone who engages with this handbook will be inspired and motivated by Froebel’s work, who stretches his hand across the years through these chapters to challenge and extend our current and future thinking, offering a set of guiding tenets which will ensure we adopt a similarly moral and informed stance as we work to develop quality services for all children and families wherever we reside."Professor Chris Pascal, Centre for Research in Early Childhood, UK"The Routledge International Handbook of Froebel and Early Childhood Practice: Re-articulating Research and Policy is a magisterial collection of papers about the Froebelian tradition in education and its renewal over the last two centuries. It is surely significant that this volume documents how Froebelian practice has brought hope and renewal in some of the most challenging environments for children on earth. Jacqui Cousins’s account of her project with Romanian orphans, and the work of Tina Bruce and Stella Louis in the settler camps of Kliptown in South Africa, particularly stand out. The Froebelian tradition is especially important in at least two respects.It has developed through processes of reflection and renewal over the years, whilst staying true to the values and principles of Frederich Froebel. The past informs, but does not control, the present. Much of the handbook is concerned with today’s pressing issues: children’s emotional wellbeing, involving parents in their children’s education, and developing appropriate curricula for 21st Century life. Secondly, the Froebelian tutors and educators connect with the people they work with, rather than imposing their beliefs and programmes. In Japan, South Africa and Romania, and in disadvantaged areas of the United Kingdom, the Froebelian approach is to develop respectful partnerships, to see communities and families as assets to treasure, not problems to solve. Froebel wrote that "children are like tiny flowers: they are varied and need care, but each is beautiful alone and glorious when seen in the community of peers." This collection of papers tells of important histories of thinking, questioning and reflecting, and a truly glorious community of practice."​ Dr Julian Grenier, Headteacher and National Leader of Education, UK.