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Prof. Philipp Ager

University of Mannheim, Germany

Authors: Philipp Ager, Francesco Cinnirella

Abstract: Nineteenth-century social reformers promoted the establishment of kindergartens as a remedy for the problems associated with industrialization and immigration. Using newly collected data on historical kindergarten statistics, we evaluate the impact that the roll-out of the first kindergartens in American cities had on poor families. We find that immigrant women exposed to kindergartens significantly reduced fertility. Their offspring were more likely to attend school, they worked less at age 10-15, and they had fewer children as adults. Kindergarten exposure also helped children and mothers of non-English-speaking households to acquire English proficiency thereby illustrating the importance of kindergartens for social integration.

JEL Classification: N31, J13, I25, O15
Keywords: Kindergarten Education, Immigration, Fertility Transition, Child labor, School Attendance, Social assimilation

Full Text: Froebel´s Gifts: How the Kindergarten Movement Changed the American Family