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Johann Amos Comenius was a Czech educator who worked to further develop and implement childrens senses into their education. he believed that education should be based off of the natural order of things. Comenius also created the first picture book for children. "Orbis Pictus" obtained illistrations to further help children understand the order of things, which supported Comenius's idea of personal learning and readiness.
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John Locke was a European philosopher in the mid 1600's to early 1700's that worked on a theory which demonstrated how each individual child is born with a "clean slate". This theory was created to better understand a child's starting point in their education, and how it may differ for everyone. To this day, Locke's thoughts on taking different approaches on teaching children can be demonstrated through both "playful activities" and instructional "drills" which develops basic sensory skills.
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Jean- Jacques R. was a Swiss writer and philosopher who built ideas off of Locke's research. Rousseau had the idea that every child was born naturally good, rather than evil, in the sense that children are not born with any "original sin". He also wrote a book, "Emile", which demonstrates the simplicity of raising a child. Throughout his life, Rousseau had the idea, which is still followed in today's learning, that children base their behavior on their environment and examples in front of them.
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Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi is also a Swiss educator who worked on theories similar to Rousseau, which connected nature to the development of childhood education. Pestalozzi had the idea that children would gain more knowledge by working in groups, rather than individual attention from an educator. Throughout his career, he also wanted to implement learning for the brain, heart and hand, which would help the development of the child overall.
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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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Friedrich Wilhelm Froebel was a well-known contributor to the development of the children's education system. He was known as the "Father of the Kindergarten", and obtained the idea that a childs experiences in their first years should be pleasent, curious, and playful. This idea is still used all throughout the world and in classrooms to this day.
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Robert Owen was an industrialist who worked to create better working and schooling environments for families working in the cotton mills of Wales. Building off of Rousseau's idea that people are all born good and only "corrupted" by the harsh environment, Owen built nurseries, infant schools, and a system for older children to reduce hours of work. This would ensure a better and safer environment for learning, and by giving children the right resources, it can help them out in the long run.
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Rudolf Steiner was an Austrian philosopher and scientist who is mostly known for his establishment of Waldorf Education. Steiner's big idea was that the most important factor for child development was social interactions. He believed that this could take place in schools, which led him to the creation of many other school buildings.
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Maria Montessori was known for being the first woman to get a medical degree in Italy. Montessori spent her time studying children's diseases. She later on found more interest in working with children with disabilities and their education.
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Sputnik was the first satellite to successfully explore space. This was a Soviet satellite, which created major changes in the education field. Sputnik was made to transition schools into moree STEM (science, technology, engineering, maths) learning.
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Nursery schools played a huge role in "fostering" a child's overall development. Nursery schools were made up of kids from middle to upper class families and working families, until the 1960's when they then aided to lower class or "poor" families.
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Head Start is a program designed to help kids facing impacts and disadvantages of poverty. This program was run by the government and provided young kids with educational, social, medical, dental, nutritional, and emotional services. Head Start is a very beneficial program to less fortunate kids and can get them ready for future schooling and learning.
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A.S. Neill was one of the most famous individuals in the "free/ natural school" movement of the 20th century. Neill had the idea that a child would succeed to their full potential, without the help of an adult or teacher to lean on. To this day Neill's idea has developed into more "child-initiated" learning in and out of the classroom.
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Media and Technology have a huge impact on the development of kids. Some may argue the benefits and harmful factors, but research has concluded that while more children are spending more time on social media and the internet, they are being rushed into the pressure of success in the society. Media and tech advancements in the world have simplified many things, but it has also corrupted the balance of child development.
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Social Reform has been incorporated into schooling to focus more on the social development of children in the classroom. This is very important for kids because it improves the overall health and education process, no matter the background of a child.
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Highscope is a model made to discover and articulate the effects of poverty on a child's development in the classroom setting. Mainly focusing on preschools, HighScope helps recommend physical activities, schedules, and curriculum for children being affected by poverty to supply a helpful and well-delieverd education.
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The Leave No Child Behind legislation was passed in 2002, which authorized schools to hold annual standardized testing. This law would not only benefit the overall school performance and participation, but it would also give teachers more opportunities to aid students needs in the classroom.
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The standards for early childhood education establish a 4-step guideline, involving growth, language, social/ emotional well-being, and physical health. These recommended standards also include recommendations for STEM learning in classes.
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DAP stands for developmentally appropriate practices. DAP has the purpose of connecting learning and what is taught to a child's age. This was developed to create a better learning timeline and pace for children of different age groups. DAP is more specific to the childs needs, which can lead to a better education.