“幼儿园”(KINGDERGARTEN)一词的诞生及意义

The Origin of the Term “Kindergarten” and its Connotation

“幼儿园(Kindergarten)”是一个几乎人人熟悉的名字,然而在该词中却隐藏着创造者福禄培尔鲜为人知的深意。在对统一体的追寻中,福禄培尔发现了自然发展和人类发展中的统一的力,以及力在各发展阶段的不同表现形式和内在连续性。他进而发现人之天性在于人的精神力,而儿童期的精神力的表现形式与自然发展阶段中晶体、植物、动物的力的表现形式是一致的。具体到儿童早期阶段,其力的表现形式与植物生命力展现的方式一样都是“内在生活的外在化”,因此儿童早期教育必须向照料植物学习,让幼儿在游戏中将自己的内在生活自由展现。这就是福禄培尔选择用“儿童的花园(Kindergarten)”来命名幼儿教育机构的深层原因。

“Kindergarten” is a widely known term, but what is unfamiliar for us is the connotation given by its creator Friedrich Froebel. On his way to find unity, Froebel found the same force for nature and human development, and the different ways of unfolding of the force and the inner continuity at different stages. He also discovered that the nature of man is the spiritual force, and the way of representation of the spiritual force in childhood is similar to crystal, plant and animal at natural development stage. In early childhood, he found the way of unfolding the spiritual force is the same as the living force inside plant, which is “the externalization of inner life”. So early childhood education must follow the rules of tending plants and allow children to express their inner life by play. This is the deep reason why Froebel used “Kindergarten” to name education institution for young children.