Kindergarten Comes to the United States: Kindergarten A Stepping Stone Toward Public Education
Mr. Johnston
Phoenix University

Public education in the United States did not include kindergarten as an element of the public school system in the early years. However, in the early eighteen hundreds a variety of churches, and other private organizations across the world offered kindergarten to underprivileged families. Kindergarten was normally held during the daily morning hours, and parent teacher communications were prepared to occupy the afternoon hours. The early kindergarten teacher student ratio was considerably low. Student enrollment in a kindergarten class usually maintained a consistency of fifteen children per class. Students were allowed to attend the kindergarten class as young as four years old. The teacher, often referred to as “auntie” by her students, created a learning environment to nurture a young child’s energy, imagination, and social skills (K. Brown, A. Gordon, 2008, 23-24). By the mid eighteen hundreds a prominent, local resident of St. Louis, Missouri Susan Blow began to investigate kindergarten as a possibility for young children in United States public schools systems. Miss Blow was assisted in her investigation by Superintendent William Harris. Blow and Harris searched for methods to create a safe nurturing environment for children living in larger cities. Through research Harris discovered that a majority of children living in the larger cities would end their education by the age of ten (Toren, 1972, p. 213). These young uneducated children therefore, would turn to a life of industry training occupations or a life of crime as a means for survival. The partners in education decided to bring Western Europe’s Kindergarten classes into the United States public school system to combat the deficiencies of social economics of society. As a result, in eighteen hundred seventy three the National Bureau of Education in New York City adopted an agreement to change the decay urban families in larger cities by uniting family and education (p. 213). In addition, Bernard Bailyn of Chapel Hill North Carolina became a member of the education reform for the United States (p.216).
Susan Blow was born to a wealthy business/political family in the early eighteen hundreds. The influence from her family provided many opportunities for Susan to receive the finest education. She became a well traveled young lady by the age of sixteen while studying abroad in Europe and Brazil. Her educational experiences lead to teaching Sunday school classes, tutoring her siblings, and other community projects occupied her days. However, Susan felt that her experiences molded her to become a responsible, caring and concerned adult for the safety and education of young children living in larger cities in the United States. Susan wanted