| The purpose of this study was to examine the links that existed between industrial education, the kindergarten movement, and educational reform. This study examined the early period of the kindergarten movement between 1875 and 1890.;The purpose of this study was to explore the use of the early kindergarten as a social institution to prepare children for work and for the demands of living in an industrialized society. This study specifically examined the content and impact of the early kindergarten movement on industrial education.;Emphasis in the study was given to five women who were major pioneers in the kindergarten movement: Grace Hoadley Dodge, Susan Elizabeth Blow, Kate Douglas Smith Wiggin, Sarah Brown Cooper, and Pauline Agassiz Shaw.;The kindergarten functioned as a reform tool for four main reasons. First, the kindergarten's emphasis on the moral, civic, and vocational prospects of urban life was perceived as a way for education to meet the urban demands of American society. Second, social values could be reinforced for children in the nurturing atmosphere of the kindergarten. Third, the kindergarten was used as an agent of educational reform to prepare children for the work force. Finally, it provided for the children's physical needs.;The research found that the kindergarten brought industrial education and the teaching of manual skills and positive work-related attitudes to children under the age of six before they entered elementary school.;The study also uncovered several findings that were not considered at the outset of the study. Much of the "child saving" work associated with the development of the kindergarten was accomplished by the wives and daughters of wealthy families, and carried strong religious and spiritual connections. In addition, it was discovered that the development of the kindergartens followed geographical patterns of industrial expansion.;Based on the findings of this study, recommendations were made regarding further study of the impact of women kindergarten pioneers, the progression of the kindergarten's evolution from the private sector to the public domain, and the effect of the kindergarten movement on specific industrial education programs in the elementary grades and beyond. |
