張恒

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.

你還記得幼兒園的時光嗎？我們打賭你記得！對于許多孩子來說，這是一個美好的回憶。在幼兒園，孩子們花時間聽故事、玩積木和做手工。他們結(jié)交了新朋友，有些甚至學會閱讀！是的，幼兒園通常是充滿新體驗的有趣的一年。

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.

你想知道是誰發(fā)明了幼兒園嗎？他叫弗里德里希·弗羅貝爾。作為一名教育者，弗羅貝爾希望幫助孩子們通過玩來學習。因此，他于1837年在德國開始了世界上第一個幼兒園計劃。

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.

在德語中，幼兒園是指“給兒童的花園”或“兒童所有的花園”。在弗羅貝爾的計劃中，孩子們使用音樂、故事和娛樂時間來學習。他們還花時間研究大自然。這是獨一無二的，19世紀的大多數(shù)人都認為玩樂是在浪費時間。

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.

盡管如此，弗羅貝爾的幼兒園仍然很流行。很快他們就傳到了世界的其他地方。 1856年，瑪格麗特·舒爾茨在美國開設(shè)了第一所幼兒園，建在威斯康星州。伊麗莎白·皮博迪將幼兒園帶到波士頓后，幼兒園在美國迅速發(fā)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，美國的幼兒園是私人的。1873年情況發(fā)生了變化。那年，蘇珊·布魯在密蘇里州圣路易斯創(chuàng)辦了第一所公立幼兒園。1870年，布魯在德國旅行時對幼兒園產(chǎn)生了興趣。回到美國后，她繼續(xù)了解弗羅貝爾的理念。

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，布魯還為教師制定了培訓計劃。她繼續(xù)寫了幾本關(guān)于弗羅貝爾和教育的書。

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，世界各地有許多兒童在上幼兒園。在美國，這是98%的孩子接受正規(guī)教育的第一年。為什么幼兒園如此重要呢？許多人認為，它讓上小學變得更容易。在幼兒園，孩子們學習有關(guān)自尊的重要課程，他們練習與他人相處。幼兒園還給孩子們一個學習世界的機會。

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？

你上過幼兒園嗎？你對上學第一年有美好的回憶嗎？我們希望你有！當然，所有其他學年也會很棒。你最喜歡哪一年呢？

（英語原文選自：wonderopolis.org）