Researching kindergarten: the endeavors of women for the play of children

The Team from Alexander Turnbull Library

Come and hear authors Helen May and Kerry Bethell talk about their new book Growing a kindergarten movement in Aotearoa New Zealand describing, in particular, the research and recovery of the several kindergarten biographies featured in the book.

Wednesday 4 July 2018
12.10pm - 1.00pm
Programme Rooms, Te Ahumairangi (ground floor), National Library, corner Molesworth and Aitken Streets, Thorndon
Free event.

Helen May and Kerry Bethell will outline the context of their new book Growing a Kindergarten Movement in Aotearoa New Zealand as part of a broader NZ Kindergarten History Project describing in particular, the beginnings of Kindergarten and its links to women’s suffrage, and the research and recovery of the several kindergarten biographies featured in the book. The presentation will be illustrated with a selection of the photographic imagery illustrating across eras: kindergarten activities and celebrations, the work of teachers, buildings and architecture, gardens and outdoor play as well as kindergarten politics and protest

Speaker biography: Helen May, Emeritus Professor University of Otago and Kerry Bethell, retired senior lecturer, Massey University are historians of early childhood education who have published and presented, nationally and internationally. This is their first joint publication. Helen and Kerry have travelled extensively around kindergarten historical sites and archives, gathering new sources for their research.

Image: Cover of volume 4 of Growing a kindergarten movement in Aotearoa New Zealand by Helen May and Kerry Bethell (Wellington: NZCER Press, 2017)