Educating Young Children: A Lifetime Journey into a Froebelian Approach

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, as well as Co-ordinator for the Ministerial Advisory Committee on Early Childhood Education. Tina is a Vice President of Early Education and is on the Executive Committee of the International Froebel Society and a patron of the Centre for Literacy in Primary Education (CLPE).

• 1 Gathering thoughts 2 Teachers who inspired me 3 What am I? A Montessorian? Steinerian? Froebelian? Eclectic? Is it important? 4 Which comes first, a philosophical framework, theory and research evidence or practice? What do teachers and other practitioners working with young children need to bring out their best work? 5 Working with principles which are interpreted and embedded in articulated practice 6 The importance of parent partnership and the development of moral values and self-discipline 7 Play – a very complex thing 8 Finding how to position myself in relation to play 9 Inclusion – commonalities, differences … fragmentation or wholeness? 10 Cultivating creativity 11 Remaining a generalist rather than becoming a specialist within one area of early childhood education 12 Changing political climates 13 How best to train teachers of young children 14 Remaining a Froebelian but still exploring why, and wondering, will I always be one?