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Period: 1483 to 1546
Martin Luther
Martin Luther was an advocate for establishing schools to teach children how to read. By translating the Bible from Latin to vernacular language he allowed people to be educated in their own language, and ultimately he was a large influence in universal education. -
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John Locke
Locke believed that children are born as "blank slates" and parents and teachers could ultimately raise children to think and act as society wants them to. He firmly believed that teaching and learning should start early in a child's life. -
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Johann Pestalozzi
Pestalozzi believed that all education is based on sensory experiences, and that all children can achieve their natural potential with the correct influence. He taught that education should be done through the senses and firmly believed that when children learn when they represent their experiences through art and writing. He believed in family-centered approaches to early childhood education.He believed in using manipulative's to assist learning. -
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Robert Owen
Owen believed that children's environments contribute to their beliefs, behavior and achievements. He was monumental to the early education movement when he opened the first infant school in London. He believed that education can counteract children's poor environment. He also strongly believed education can help build a new and stronger society. -
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Friedrich Froebel
Froebel founded the kindergarten and is thus known as the "Father of Kindergarten". He believed development occurs through self-activity and play and that teachers should watch children unfold and teach them what they are ready to learn when they are ready to learn it. He developed "occupations", which are materials designed to develop skills through different activities. -
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John Dewey
Dewey was instrumental in the progressive education movement and developing child-centered education. He believed children's interests should form the basis of their curriculum, and that we should worry less about what children can do for us in the future and more about how we can help them learn now. -
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Maria Montessori
The Montessori method focuses on the belief that all knowledge comes from sensory experiences. Prepared environments and respect for children are the foundation for the large number of public and private Montessori schools. Montessori believed that mental deficiencies are more of an educational problem than a medical one. -
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Jean Piaget
Piaget believed children should gain knowledge through experimental learning. He was a strong proponent of matching education to children's current stage of development. He believed that mental and physical activities are important for children's development, and that children continuously structure and restructure their experiences to build their growing knowledge base. -
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Erik Erikson
Erikson developed the theory of psychosocial development, where cognitive development occurs in conjunction with social development. Erikson believed that life has a series of eight stages, and within each stage there is a critical period for children's social and cognitive development. -
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Abraham Maslow
Maslow's hierarchy was vital in the theory that human development and learning can not occur successfully until children are provided with essential basic needs.Teachers should develop programs to meet basic needs in the classroom, such as bright colors that will make them happy and snack time. -
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Howard Gardner
Gardner developed the theory of multiple intelligences, in which intelligence is a set of nine abilities. This supports the idea that teachers need to individualize curriculum to match each child's individual needs. -
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Sputnik
The Soviet Union launched Sputnik-the first artificial Earth satellite-causing the U.S. to worry that their superiority was in jeopardy. -
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The National Defense Education Act
NDEA)was signed into law on September 2, 1958, providing federal funding for STEM in the U.S. as well as foreign language education -
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Economic Opportunity Act/Headstart
United States Public Law 88-452, the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964, authorized the formation of local Community Action Agencies as part of the War on Poverty. These agencies are directly regulated by the federal government.This provided for the start of the Headstart Program in 1965 -
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Elementary and Secondary Education Act
Serves to fully fund primary and secondary education and provides money to low-income children. -
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Education of All Handicapped Children Act
Congress enacted the Education for All Handicapped Children Act to support states and localities in protecting the rights of, meeting the individual needs of, and improving the results for infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities and their families. -
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Even Start Program
The U.S. Department of Education established the Even Start Program to improve parents literacy so they can help their children become literate. It integrates early childhood education, adult education and family literacy. -
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Individuals With Disabilities Education Act
In 1990, Free Appropriate Public Education developed into IDEA to provide for inclusion, universal design, response to instruction and differentiated instruction for children with disabilities. -
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No Child Left Behind Act
Provides Federal Funding for schools that achieve high test scores and other standards. It is important for early childhood education because it specifies what children should know and do at different ages and stages. -
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Preschool for All Initiative
The Preschool For All Initiative provides funding in all 50 states to allow low and middle income 4-year-olds the opportunity to get quality preschool. -
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Every Student Succeeds Act
ESSA was developed from the No Child Left Behind act. One of the biggest parts of the act for early childhood education is that it focuses on increasing access to high-quality preschools. It also continues the expectation that there will be high accountability and action to effect positive change in the lowest-performing schools