[a. Ger. Kindergarten, lit. ‘children’s garden.’] A school for the instruction of young children according to a method devised by Friedrich Fröbel (1782–1852), for developing the intelligence of children by interesting object-lessons, exercises with toys, games, singing, etc.
(‘Johannes Ronge … took refuge in England in 1850, and, with the assistance of his wife, established at his house a kinder-garten.’ Allibone, Dict. Authors.)
1852. Motley, Corr. (1889), I. v. 145. Mary has not yet found a school. We have sent her to a kindergarten.
1854. Rep. to Governor of Connecticut, in Encycl. Brit., XIV. 80. The first kindergarten was opened at Blankenburg, near Rudolstadt, in 1840.
1855. Ronge (title), Practical Guide to the English Kinder Garten.
1878. N. Amer. Rev., CXXVI. 370. Such as would be of use in a Kindergarten.
Hence Kindergarten, -gartenize vbs., to employ the kindergarten method; Kindergartener (-gärtner), a kindergarten teacher; Kindergartenism, the kindergarten system.
1872. A. Donovan, in Daily News, 1 Aug., 2/6. You have been reading that article on Kinder Gartenism.
[1881. J. G. Fitch, Lect. Teaching, 198. Your thorough going Kindergärtner.]
1889. Jrnl. Educ., 1 Aug., 410/2. A band of kindergarteners who teach them the rudiments of education.
1893. J. Strong, New Era, xv. 340. There is … no sectarian way of kindergartening.
