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Period: Jan 1, 1483 to
Study of Early Childhood Education
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Jan 1, 1503
Martin Luther (1483 - 1546)
The basis of the Protestant Reformation was the belief that the individual could find his own salvation through the scriptures, therefore, the individual needed to be able to have access to the Bible. To achieve this end, Martin Luther translated the Bible into German (his home language) and advocated for literacy for everyone. This marks the beginning of the belief that everyone is capable of learning and that learning should be accessible in the individual's native language. -
John Locke (1632 - 1704)
Locke introduced the idea that a child develops through stimulation introduced through their caregivers and environment. He believed the mind of a young child was a blank tablet and that his/her experiences laid the foundation for learning. Locke contended that society as a whole could be improved by properly preparing young minds to be able to learn and experiment. This same premise was further supported by John Owen (1771 - 1858) who opened the first infants school in 1816. -
Friedrich Wilhelm Frobel (1782 - 1852)
In the 17th and 18th centuries John Comenius and Jean-Jacques Rousseau, respectively, introduced the ideas that the foundation of all learning begins with sensory experiences and the ability of children to learn is in direct correlation to their sensory development. Friedrich Froebel took these two theories and combined them. He introduced the first kindergartens where a dedicated educator would introduce developmentally appropriate learning activities based on play and self-exploration. -
John Dewey (1859 - 1952) Progressive Education Theory
John Dewey believed in a child centered approach to learning.In his approach the young learner is an active participant in the learning process and that this process is not solely confined to academics. He believed the child is part of a community and he/she better learns through both social and cognitive relationships. This period represents a shift in general belief that learning will be more successful if the student participates in a more engaged process rather than rote instruction. -
Jean Piaget (1896 - 1980) Constructivist Learning Theory
Piaget attempted to explain successful early learning by explaining the process by which intelligence is gained. He introduced the idea of development through a constructivist process; children learn through continual experimental learning and reordering the knowledge. He believed intellectual growth was achieved by the individual through the processing of physical experiences, social interaction or intellectual exploration, the level of growth is based on the stage of cognitive development. -
Abraham Maslow (1908 - 1970)
Maslow introduced the idea that certain human needs must be met before an individual would be capable of of reaching their full potential. In the absence of these needs they would not have the motivation to gain further knowledge. He called this the Self-Actualization Theory and he identified the basic needs as Life Essentials, Safety and Security, Belonging and Love, Approval and Recognition, and Beauty and Order. It is only when these needs are addressed that the individual can succeed. -
Urie Bronfenbrenner (1917 - 2005)
Bronfenbrenner introduced the idea that an individual's education is influenced through a heirarchy of relationships and each relationship has a direct impact on the others. The acquistion of knowledge is dependent on the nature of the individual and the place they occupy in an outwardly expanding social and educational context. For example, child learns from teacher; educator is affected by parent relationship; parent is affected by culture and society; society is affected by economy. -
National Defense Education Act (1958)
Provides federal funding to schools to teach science, technology, engineering and math. -
Howard Gardner (1943 - present)
Howard Gardner introduced the Theory of Multiple Intelligences. He has shown that different people learn in different ways and that intelligence is not a single "thing" or understanding but it is made up of many understandings. He believes concepts can be learned through multiple styles, or intelligences. He has identified nine categories of intelligences. Each individual uses a unique combination of styles and thus comes to a unique understanding of a concept. -
Civil Rights Act (1964)
The federal government ensured education would be available to everyone. -
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (1990,1997, 2004)
IDEA states that all students should have equal access to the cirriculum and classroom and that adjustments be made to teach to the needs of the student. -
No Child Left Behind Act (2001)
Federal government ensures educational accountibility standards by states through testing. Federal funding to states is determined based on the level of standards.