Publication Date

1994

Document Type

Dissertation/Thesis

Degree Name

M.S. Ed. (Master of Education)

Legacy Department

Department of Leadership and Educational Policy Studies

LCSH

Ryan Playground (River Forest; Ill.); Education; Preschool--Illinois--River Forest

Abstract

This thesis is a history of two women, who, in the late 1930s, opened a private nursery school called "Ryan Playground" for neighborhood children in River Forest, Illinois, an affluent suburb just west of Chicago. The two women worked diligently to create an environment of free play and acceptance for the children they served. The program was well received in the community. Although the school was not advertised, there was a waiting list for entry due to its overwhelming popularity. Also included in this thesis is a study of the schools in the community, the identification of schools in the area, and their role in serving the neighborhood. Ryan Playground was influenced greatly by the Ryan women's Irish-Catholic backgrounds. Demographics, family biography, and review of social and intellectual life are included in this study. The roots of the Ryan sisters date back to the 1840s in County Cork, Ireland, when the great potato famine occurred. Somewhere around that time, the Joseph Ryan family emigrated to the United States, as many Irish did, choosing the Chicago area as their new home. An interesting point of this thesis relates to other nursery school programs that have existed in history. The importance of tracing these programs includes the present day question of structured versus non-structured early childhood programs. By examining the past, new insight is gained for the future and direction of early childhood programs.

Comments

Includes bibliographical references (pages [58]-61)

Extent

76 pages

Language

eng

Publisher

Northern Illinois University

Rights Statement

In Copyright

Rights Statement 2

NIU theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from Huskie Commons for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without the written permission of the authors.

Media Type

Text

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