{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"Kindergarten: A Learning Experience","description":"On this date in 1876, the school board of St. Louis, Missouri, authorized the first kindergarten at a public school in the United States. Here are some things you may not have known about kindergarten. You probably solved this one on your own, but kindergarten is German for children\u2019s garden. It was originally intended to allow for students to ease into going to school. The first kindergartens used an approach based on playing, singing, art and social interaction. They were for children whose parents worked during the day. The first kindergarten was founded in 1779 in Strasbourg, France, and spread quickly through the German-speaking world. Educator Friedrich Froebel coined the term \u201ckindergarten\u201d in 1840, saying that children should be nurtured \u201clike plants in a garden.\u201d Froebel would go on to train women to open their own kindergartens around the world. The first kindergarten in the U.S. was founded in 1856 in Wisconsin and was taught in German. The first English-language kindergarten in the U.S. started in 1860. Susan Blow was the person behind St. Louis\u2019 first public kindergarten. Canada\u2019s firs public kindergarten started in 1882 in what is now Kitchener, Ontario. The idea of kindergarten has evolved as it has spread around the world. In the U.S., students start kindergarten at the age of 5 or 6. Before that they can attend preschool, which usually starts at the age of 3 or 4. In some states, kindergarten attendance is mandatory and is considered to be the first year of primary school. In other parts of the world, kindergarten is more similar to the American idea of preschool. In 1907 Maria Montessori opened her first classroom in Rome. Montessori\u2019s method of teaching expanded on Froebel\u2019s ideas, using mixed-age classrooms and a more student-directed education. Montessori education spread to the U.S. in 1911, but faded in 1914 after an American education scholar criticized Montessori\u2019s methods. The Montessori method eventually returned to the U.S. in 1960 and has spread widely since. In 1967, the U.S. government ruled that the term Montessori is generic, so there can be huge differences between Montessori schools. Our question: How many states do not require school districts to offer kindergarten?   Today is Women\u2019s Equality Day in the United States, Repentance Day in Papua New Guinea, and Heroes\u2019 Day in Namibia. It\u2019s National Dog Day, National Cherry Popsicle Day, and National Toilet Paper Day. It\u2019s the birthday of Mother Theresa, who was born in 1910; American politician Geraldine Ferraro, who was born in 1935; and actor Macaulay Culkin, who is 36 today. Because our topic happened before 1960, we\u2019ll spin the wheel to pick a year at random. This week in 2015, the top song in the U.S. was \u201cCan\u2019t Feel My Face\u201d by The Weeknd. The No. 1 movie was \u201cStraight Outta Compton,\u201d while the novel \u201cGo Set a Watchman\u201d by Harper Lee topped the New York Times Bestsellers list.      Links Follow us on Twitter, Facebook or our website. Also, if you\u2019re enjoying the show, please consider supporting it through Patreon.com Please rate the show on iTunes by clicking here. Sources https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/August_26 http:\/\/on-this-day.com\/onthisday\/thedays\/alldays\/aug26.htm https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Kindergarten https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Susan_Blow https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Montessori_education http:\/\/nces.ed.gov\/programs\/statereform\/tab5_3.asp https:\/\/www.checkiday.com\/08\/26\/2016 http:\/\/www.biography.com\/people\/groups\/born-on-august-26 http:\/\/www.billboard.com\/archive\/charts\/2015\/hot-100 https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/List_of_2015_box_office_number-one_films_in_the_United_States http:\/\/www.hawes.com\/2015\/2015-08-23.pdf ","author_name":"Trivia People","author_url":"http:\/\/www.triviapeople.com","html":"