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Comenius was a Czech educator who wrote the first picture book for children that was a guide for teachers that included training of the senses and the study of nature. He believed that education should follow the natural order of things and that children should be allowed to work at their own pace. For instance, teachers must observe and work with children's own inclinations to ensure successful learning, and children should "learn by doing" rather than pushing a standard curriculum.
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The founder of modern educational philosophy, basing his theory of off education on the scientific method and the study of the mind and learning. He was one of the first European educators to discuss the idea of individual differences gleaned from observing one child rather than simply teaching a group. Lockes contribution gave children reasons as the basis for helping children to learn and the effect of the environment on learning.
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Rousseau was a Swiss writer and philosopher, proposed that children were not inherently evil, but naturally good. He reasoned that education should reflect the goodness and allow spontaneous interests and activities of children. His concern for the learner led him to the idea that a childs mind develops in distinct phases and teachers should adjust their instructions accordingly. He proposed and insisted that concrete teaching materials instead of abstract, transforming education.
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Pestalozzi was a Swiss educator who offered theories on education and caring that have formed the basis of many common teaching practices of early childhood education. He believed that good education meant the development of the senses, but including principles on how to teach the basic skills and the idea for caring as well as educating the child. He developed the idea of an integrated curriculum to develop the whole child, blending freedom and limits into working with children.
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Owen was an industrialist and self made business man who's philosophy extended to his concerns for social reform to the families of those working in the cotton mills of Whales and the creation of an ideal community. He established labor practices for the workers and schooling for their children. He believed that people were naturally good but were corrupted by harsh environment and poor treatment, so he took his ideas and spoke against the common practice of child labor.
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Froebel was one of the main contributors to early childhood education. He believed that early education should be pleasant, and his organization of educational thought and ideas about learning and teacher training served as the foundation for the development of a system of education for young children. Froebel wanted teachers to see how children developed as they manipulated specific objects and ones first educational experiences should be full of discoveries and delightful adventure.
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German was the first country to have kindergarten. Kindergarten has gone through many social changes throughout the years. At first it was for poor students and then it went to be led by churches. The kindergarten we know today is the first grade that students enter when they go to school to help them become more independent and prepared for the following grades.
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Steiner was a Australian philosopher, scientist, and artist who gave lectures for German factories that led to the establishment of schools now known as Waldorf Education. He theorized that childhood is a phase of life that is important in its own right and the environment must be carefully planned to protect and nurture the child. His philosophy emphasized the whole child and believed that different areas of development and learning were connected into a kind of unity.
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Montessori was the first woman in Italy to be granted a medical degree. She began studying children's diseases and through her work with children with intellectual disabilities, found education more appealing.
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Neil was the most famous proponent of the "free/natural" school movement of the mid-20th century. He claimed that most education was defective because it arose from the model of original sin. Neil's belief in freedom was practiced in his school where children governed themselves and worked toward equal rights with adults. The benefits from these liberties resulted in being highly therapeutic and natural, with an escape from repression and guilt.
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Nursery Schools have always been a place of care for physical needs, the intellectual stimulation, and the socioemotional aspects of young children's lives. These schools and movement fostered the child's total development that is a gentle place of play and growing that began in the United States and Europe.
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When the Soviet Union launched Sputnik, the first artificial satellite, on October 4, 1957, it shocked the United States and led to major education changes. Americans feared they were falling behind in science and technology, so the government increased funding and pushed schools to strengthen math, science, and academic standards. This event influenced education at all levels, including early childhood, by increasing focus on school readiness and building strong learning foundations early.
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The federal government created the largest publicly funded education program for young children ever called "Head Start" which began as part of this country's social action in the war on poverty, providing comprehensive services for low income families. For over 50 years, this program has served more than 37 million children and their families.
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The ethic of social reform expects that schooling for young children leads to social change and improvement. Many programs all tried to improve children's health and physical well being by attending first to the physical and social welfare aspects of children's lives.
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Teaching in the primary grades presents challenges due to the pressure of local, state, or national standards that dictate what children need to learn at this age and grade level. As a result, teachers may have little or no control over what they teach so the outcome may be a curriculum that "teachers to the test." Using a curriculum that is in alignment with the standards is the most effective way to achieve Developmentally balanced learning for this age group.
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The introduction of technology has been staggering in its speed and influence. Propelled by the advent of technology and social media and the rush to academic content, young children are pushed unnecessarily by a fast paced society who pressure to succeed puts children of all ages at risk. We should appreciate and value of childhood as its important period of life to which children are entitled to.
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HighScope was developed by Weikart and colleagues created to address the effects of poverty on children's development and to focus attention on cognitive aspects of learning. The curriculum made long term impacts, identifying key experiences relating to concept development and expanded to include education for all developmental domains.
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The No Child Left Behind Act, signed by President George W. Bush on January 8, 2002, was a major U.S. education law focused on improving schools through yearly testing and accountability for all student groups, especially those who had been underserved. Its goal was to reduce achievement gaps and ensure every child had access to a quality education, influencing how early childhood educators view school readiness, assessment, and fairness in learning opportunities.
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"DAP" means "Developmentally Appropriate Practice." This approach stressed the uniqueness of each child, family, and community as well as their culture, language, and abilities. DAP cites three core considerations on which teachers and caregivers should base their decisions about young children's growth and development. These considerations are commonality, individuality, and context. The main goal is to understand the complexity of each children's background and how they play out in their lives