谁发明了幼儿园？

张恒

Do you remember kindergarten？ We bet you do！ For many kids， its a happy memory2. In kindergarten， children spend time hearing stories， playing with blocks， and making art. They make new friends. Some even learn to read！Yes， kindergarten is often a fun year full of new experiences3.

你還记得幼儿园的时光吗？我们打赌你记得！对于许多孩子来说，这是一个美好的回忆。在幼儿园，孩子们花时间听故事、玩积木和做手工。他们结交了新朋友，有些甚至学会阅读！是的，幼儿园通常是充满新体验的有趣的一年。

Have you ever wondered4 who invented kindergarten？ His name was Friedrich Froebel. As an educator5， Froebel wanted to help kids to learn through play. This led him to start the worlds first kindergarten program6 in Germany in 1837.

你想知道是谁发明了幼儿园吗？他叫弗里德里希·弗罗贝尔。作为一名教育者，弗罗贝尔希望帮助孩子们通过玩来学习。因此，他于1837年在德国开始了世界上第一个幼儿园计划。

In German， kindergarten means “garden of children” or “childrens garden”. In Froebels program， children used music， stories， and playtime to learn. They also spent time studying nature. This was unique7. However， most people in the 19th century saw playing as a waste8 of time.

在德语中，幼儿园是指“给儿童的花园”或“儿童所有的花园”。在弗罗贝尔的计划中，孩子们使用音乐、故事和娱乐时间来学习。他们还花时间研究大自然。这是独一无二的，19世纪的大多数人都认为玩乐是在浪费时间。

Still， Froebels kindergartens caught on. It wasnt long before they spread to other parts of the world. In 1856， Margaret Schurz set up the first kindergarten in the United States. It was in Wisconsin. Kindergarten grew fast in the U.S. after Elizabeth Peabody brought it to Boston.

尽管如此，弗罗贝尔的幼儿园仍然很流行。很快他们就传到了世界的其他地方。 1856年，玛格丽特·舒尔茨在美国开设了第一所幼儿园，建在威斯康星州。伊丽莎白·皮博迪将幼儿园带到波士顿后，幼儿园在美国迅速发展。

At first， kindergartens in the U.S. were private9. That changed10 in 1873. That year， Susan Blow started the first public11 kindergarten in St. Louis， Missouri. Blow became interested in kindergarten while traveling in Germany in 1870. When she went back to the U.S.， she went on learning about Froebels ideas.

最初，美国的幼儿园是私人的。1873年情况发生了变化。那年，苏珊·布鲁在密苏里州圣路易斯创办了第一所公立幼儿园。1870年，布鲁在德国旅行时对幼儿园产生了兴趣。回到美国后，她继续了解弗罗贝尔的理念。

In St. Louis， Blow also set up a training program for teachers. She went on to write several books about Froebel and education.

在圣路易斯，布鲁还为教师制定了培训计划。她继续写了几本关于弗罗贝尔和教育的书。

Today， many children all over the world go to kindergarten. In the U.S.， its the first year of formal12 schooling for 98% of children. Why is kindergarten so important？ Many people think it makes the move into elementary school easier. In kindergarten， kids learn important lessons about self-esteem13. They practice getting along with others. Kindergarten also gives children a chance14 to learn about the world.

今天，世界各地有许多儿童在上幼儿园。在美国，这是98%的孩子接受正规教育的第一年。为什么幼儿园如此重要呢？许多人认为，它让上小学变得更容易。在幼儿园，孩子们学习有关自尊的重要课程，他们练习与他人相处。幼儿园还给孩子们一个学习世界的机会。

Did you go to kindergarten？ Do you have good memories of your first year of school？ We hope so！Of course， all the other years of school can be great， too. Which one has been your favorite？

你上过幼儿园吗？你对上学第一年有美好的回忆吗？我们希望你有！当然，所有其他学年也会很棒。你最喜欢哪一年呢？

（英语原文选自：wonderopolis.org）