PIONEERS IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

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PIONEERS IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION
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Defining Terms

• Early Childhood Education ECE includes ages
  birth through 8 years or infancy through third
  grade. Thus, it refers to group settings
  deliberately intended to effect developmental
  changes in children from birth to the age of
  entering first grade and continuing through third
  grade. (reference text, page 7)
• Developmentally Appropriate Practice (DAP)
  Providing instructional programs that meet the
  childs needs, socially, cognitively, physically.

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Influences from Abroad

• Comenius Wrote the first picture book for
  children called Orbis Pictus (The World of
  Pictures, 1658).
• He advocated learning based on the principles of
  naturedevelopment is from within so children
  should be allowed to learn at their own pace.
• He also stressed the basic concept of learning
  by doing.
• He is most noted for three significant
  contributions books with illustrations, an
  emphasis on education with the senses, and the
  social reform potential of education.

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Historical Pioneers continued

• Locke Based his theory of education on the
  scientific method. He theorized the concept of
  tabula rasa, the belief that the child is born
  neutral, rather than evil, and is a clean slate
  on which the experiences of parents, society,
  education, and the world are written. The
  purpose of education for Locke was to make man a
  reasoning creature.

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Historical Pioneers continued

• Rousseau He brought forth the idea that
  children were not inherently evil but naturally
  good.
• He is best known for his book Emile
• His ideas are still followed today in early
  childhood classes. Free play is based on his
  belief in childrens inherent goodness and
  ability to choose what they need to learn.
• Concrete rather than abstract materials for
  children is still one of the cornerstones of
  developmentally appropriate curriculum in early
  childhood.

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Historical Pioneers

• Pestalozzi He, too, used nature study as a part
  of the curriculum and believed that good
  education meant the development of the senses.
• He was pragmatic putting forth ideas and
  practices for teachers on educating and caring
  for the child.
• He stressed the ideas of an integrated curriculum
  that would develop the whole child.
• He wanted education to be of the hand, the head,
  and the heart of the child.

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Historical Pioneers cont

• Froebel He is known as the Father of
  Kindergarten not only for giving it a name but
  for devoting his life to the development of a
  system of education for young children.
• The German word kindergarten means childrens
  garden.
• He started his kindergarten in 1836 for children
  aged about 2-6.
• He believed that play was the highest phase of
  child development.

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Froebel cont

• His kindergartens included blocks, pets, and
  fingerplays.
• He developed the first educational toys which he
  termed gifts.

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Historical Pioneers cont

• Montessori First female physician in Italy
  worked with young children from the slums of
  Rome. They were poor and mentally retarded
  children.
• She designed materials, classrooms, and learning
  methods for young children and proved that the
  children could achieve with proper motivation and
  environments.
• Her materials were self-correcting and emphasized
  self-help skills.

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Montessori cont

• She focused on sequential steps of learning.
• Her materials and approach to teaching and
  learning are widely used today.

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Historical Pioneers cont

• John Dewey was the first American influence on
  American education
• Dewey believed that children were valuable and
  that childhood was an important part of their
  lives
• He believed that programs for children should be
  child-centered
• Children should have real-life experiences and
  programs should be set up so that children were
  allowed to make choices (They must learn to learn
  in a democratic society)

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Expansion of Kindergarten in America

• Margaretha Schurz, a student of Froebel, opened
  the first kindergarten in the United States in
  Wisconsin for German speaking children
• Elizabeth Peabody opened the first English
  speaking kindergarten in Boston. She influenced
  William Harris, superintendent of schools in St.
  Louis. He allowed Susan Blow to open the first
  kindergarten public kindergarten in the U. S.
  (1837)
• Patty Smith Hill of Teachers College, Columbia
  University was an innovator and a leader in the
  Progressive Movement. She wrote the song,
  Happy Birthday and founded the National
  Association for Nursery Education (NANE) now the
  National Association for the Education of Young
  Children (NAEYC)

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Nursery Schools

• Deweys philosophy was embraced (child-centered)
  and by the 1920s and 1930s nursery schools and
  day nurseries went beyond the health aspects.
  They fostered the childs total development.
• Many of the early nursery schools were lab
  schools
• Lucy Sprague Mitcehll established Bank Stree
  College of Education (and its lab)

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Nursery Schools cont

• Abigail Elliot work led to her helping to
  establish Pacific Oaks College where she
  integrated Froebels gifts, Montessoris
  equipment and the McMillans fresh air concept
• McMillan Sisters - It is believed that Nursery
  School in the U.S. blossomed because of the
  dedicated work of these sisters.

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Nursery Schools cont

• The McMillans They opened clinic for children
  of the slums of England and later added
  education. Their theory of fresh air, sleep and
  bathing proved successful when the children of
  their school were not effected during an outbreak
  of the measles
• This concept of nursery schools extended to the
  U.S.

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Nursery Schools cont

• Susan Isaacs influence is felt in schools today
  Her philosophy emphasized the childs point of
  view and the notionof play as the childs work.