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Period: to
History of Early Childhood Education 431 BC to the 2000's
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Johannes Amos Comenius
Johannes Amos Comenius is known for having created many modern concepts for higher education. He believed that teaching should revolve around a child’s way to learn through sensory experiences. He created the first children's pop-up book as well. -
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Jean-Jacques Rousseau believed that children had spirits that were made up of a natural intent to be good in the world. He believed that children learned through experience rather than having information fed to them by a higher authority. Thus he decided to create a system where education is delivered to a child in a natural way that flows with their development. -
Friedrich Froebel's kindergarten
Friedrich Froebel creates school in Germany to teach preschool age children opening up a new level of education in the public school system. Kindergarten, translating to child's garden, “Froebel believed that every child's inner self contained a spiritual essence -- a spark of divine energy -- that enabled a child to learn independently".(McAndrew) -
John Dewey's Pragmatism
John Dewey believed that children shouldn't have to sit still and be fed information but rather they should learn through experience and activities. He created child centered teaching curriculums and used this method in his own schools he founded. -
First Montessori school is created
Maria Montessori established first school based on the Montessori Method. This method entails children being guided through play to learn at their own pace for proper development. The school helped families gain access to a school system who couldn't before. -
Lev Vygotsky's Cultural-Historical Theory
Lev Vygotsky nicknamed the "Mozart of education". Vyotsky created the Cultural-Historical Theory which entails that children learn best through interactions with their social environment, whether it be friends, acquaintances, parents, teachers, as well as inanimate objects such as chairs or dolls. -
Head Start Organization for Early Childhood Education is created.
Head Start was established due to Lydon B. Johnson's Great Society Campaign to help provide a means of better education to lower income families. Head Start began as an eight week program but led to full year plans and even helped create the TV series Sesame Street. -
Piaget's Four Stages of Development
Jean Piaget created a four stages system to describe early childhood development. These stages are sensorimotor stage, preoperational stage, concrete operations and formal operations. These stages highlight the key elements on how children learn throughout the early years of their lives.
