The History of Early Childhood Education
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The document provides an overview of the history of early childhood education. It discusses influential early thinkers such as John Amos Comenius, John Locke, Jean Jacques Rousseau, and Johann Pestalozzi who emphasized the importance of early experiences and education according to a child's natural development. Later influential figures included Friedrich Froebel, Sigmund Freud, John Dewey, Jean Piaget, Erik Erikson, B.F. Skinner, and Howard Gardner. The document examines their various theories and contributions to understanding child development and early education.
The History of Early Childhood Education
- 1. The History of Early Childhood Education Week 1: 12/01/2015
- 2. Child Development includes the a) physical, b)intellectual, c) social, and d) emotional changes that occur from birth to adolescence. Although people change throughout their lives, developmental changes are especially dramatic in childhood. During this period, a dependent, vulnerable newborn grows into a capable young person who has mastered language, is self-aware, can think and reason with sophistication, has a distinctive personality, and socializes (effortlessly) with others. Many abilities and characteristics developed in childhood last a lifetime. INTRODUCTION
- 3. A variety of factors influence child development: Heredity guides every aspect of physical, cognitive, social, emotional, and personality development. Family members, Peer groups, the School environment, and the Community influence how children think, socialize, and become self-aware.
- 4. Biological factors such as nutrition, medical care, and Environmental hazards in the air and water affect the growth of the body and mind. Economic and Political institutions, the Media, and Cultural values all guide how children live their lives.
- 5. Critical life events, such as a family crisis or a national emergency, can alter the growth of personality and identity. Most important of all, CHILDREN contribute significantly to their own development. This occurs as they strive to understand their experiences, respond in individual ways to the people around them, and choose activities, friends, and interests. Thus, the factors that guide development arise from both outside and within the person.
- 6. Does this Make Sense? On your own, put this list in order (most important to least important), in terms of which factors YOU think most affect kids’ development): Heredity, Family, Peers, Media, School, Community, Biological Factors, Environmental Factors, Economic Factors, Political Factors, Cultural Factors, Critical Life Events Now, join two or three others and share your lists, discussing your opinion, and see if you can revise your lists to come to an agreement. Quick Activity: Go back to the list, privately; can you pick the five influences that most affected you, as a child? You might consider writing about this, as part of next week’s journal (share only what you are comfortable sharing).
- 7. Why is the study of child development important? 1. One reason is that it provides practical guidance for parents, teachers, child-care providers, and others who care for children.
- 8. Why is the study of child development important? 2. A second reason is that it helps society to support healthy growth. Understanding early brain development, for example, means that parents can provide better opportunities for intellectual stimulation, and society can reduce or eliminate obstacles to healthy brain growth.
- 9. Why is the study of child development important? 3. Third, the study of child development helps therapists and educators better assist children with special needs, such as those with emotional or learning difficulties.
- 10. Why is the study of child development important? 4. Finally, understanding child development contributes to self-understanding. We know ourselves better by recognizing the influences that have made us into the people we are today.
- 11. A Look Back---Children Through Time • The concept of childhood and treatment of children through history has always been tied to economic, religious, and social factors. • During the 20th century, the view of early childhood as an important part of human development was valued.
- 12. John Amos Comenius (1592-1670) • Was a bishop in Czechoslovakia • Supported the idea of universal education. • He understood and stressed the importance of the early years. • Emphasized the value of active learning, hands-on experiences, and the involvement of parents in their children’s education • His 1658 publication, ‘The World of Pictures’ is viewed as the first picture book for children • TEACHERS SHOULD WORK WITH THE NATURAL ORDER OF A CHILD’S DEVELOPMENT. • 1997 Life magazine “The Invention of Childhood” • #55 http://www.tostepharmd.net/hissoc/top100events.html
- 13. Influential People in the History of Early Childhood Education • John Locke (1632-1704) • English doctor and philosopher. • Children were born tabula rasa (blank slate). • Experience would determine what a child would become. • Education should be pleasant; get rid of harsh discipline and restrictive practices (like swaddling). • Children are gradually filled with ideas, concepts, and knowledge from experiences in the world. • He concluded that the quality of early experiences, particularly how children are raised and educated, shapes the direction of a child’s life.
- 14. French philosopher Jean Jacques Rousseau (1712 – 1778) • Claimed that children at birth are innately good, not evil (which some people were suggesting) • Their natural tendencies should be protected against the corrupting influences of society. • Recognized that children’s way of thinking and learning is different than that of adults
- 15. Johann Pestalozzi (1746-1827) • All people, even the poorest, had the right to an education as a way of helping them develop their moral and intellectual potential. • Stressed education according to nature, tied to experience and observation. • Stressed the importance of the mother in children’s earliest experiences • He actually worked with children (unlike Rousseau), developing educational methods that we still use today.
- 16. Friedrich Froebel (1782-1852) • Stressed that nature and the child’s developing mind were connected • Children are at different stages at different times. • Stressed the importance of play in young children’s development – play was a pure and natural mode of learning.
- 17. Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) • Developed the theory and techniques of psychoanalysis. In the psychoanalytic view, early experiences shape one’s personality for an entire lifetime, and psychological problems in adulthood may have their origins in difficult or traumatic childhood experiences.
- 18. John Dewey (1859-1952) • The father of progressive education • American attack on traditional forms of public schools. • In the late 1800’s, schools were very teacher-centered and subject-centered, not child-centered • There were harsh punishments and rote learning was the norm (memorization through repetition (how you learned your alphabet). • He developed a child-centered approach • Lots of his principles are still having an influence: nursery school, emphasis on play and parent education
- 19. John B. Watson (1878-1958) • Believed that all human behaviors could be explained as learned responses to stimuli in the environment, an approach known as behaviorism.
- 20. Maria Montessori (1870-1952) • True feminist of her time; first female doctor in Italy • Worked with children with cognitive disabilities • Thought their problems were more educational than medical • Government asked her to take charge of a children’s day nursery • Very impressed with the great capacity of children to learn so much during the first years of life: absorbent mind (sponge) • If you expose their minds to appropriate learning experiences at appropriate developmental times, their minds will grow. • Used the term prepared environment to describe the match of the right materials to the child’s stages of development • Some of these are related to sensory discrimination (sorting by size, sound, shape, smell, etc) and some children learn through practical skills (polishing shoes, setting a table, etc) • More advanced materials for teaching reading, math, etc. Sandpaper letters, for example. http://www.monctonmontessori.com/
- 21. Jean Piaget (1896-1980) • Claimed that children construct new knowledge by applying their current knowledge structures to new experiences and modifying them accordingly. His perspective was called constructivism. • He thought children were like other organisms in that they adapted to the environment around them (he was a biologist) • Ex: if the temp becomes too warm or too cold, we shiver or sweat in attempt to adapt. In the same way, we adapt mentally to challenges in the environment. • When something new presents itself, it doesn’t fit the old structure, so in order to return to equilibrium, adaptation takes place. • He called cognitive structures schemata. Babies are only born with a few (think index cards), but with experience, they create new cards and dividers to store their information.
- 22. Erik Erikson (1902-1994) • His psychological theory, which spans childhood and adulthood, focuses on specific social tasks that need to emerge for healthy development in each of the eight stages. • Like Freud, he saw each stage defined by conflict, but he thought conflict was healthy and resulted in opportunity for personal growth.
- 23. B.F Skinner • The most famous of Watson’s followers • Has had an enormous effect on all aspects of education • Behavioral modification: behavior can be changed or modified by manipulating the environment (socially and physically) • Emphasized that almost all behaviors are learned through experience and can be increased or decreased based on what “happens next” • Ex: if something pleasant consistently happens after a child engages in a specific behavior, he is likely to repeat the behavior.
- 24. videos • http://literacyworks.org/mi/assessment/findyourstrengths.html • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mkin1FhojCo&feature=related – Freud’s Id, Ego and SuperEgo – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLLVYx0IPPU – Piaget – http://thesocietypages.org/socimages/2009/09/15/piagets-stages-of- cognitive-development-experiments-with-kids/ – Gardner – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEFpaY3GI-I&feature=related – Skinner – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AepqpTtKbwo&feature=related – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPHcw2vz9H0&feature=related
- 25. Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences Each person has various levels of different intelligences Unique “cognitive profile” 7 Intelligences: Verbal linguistic Logical Mathematics Musical Visual Spatial Bodily Kinesthetic Interpersonal Intrapersonal
- 26. Written Assignment Now that you have had a general overview of some of the main influential theorists, it’s time to reflect on which ones make sense to you. Write a reflection paper (2-3 pages double spaced). Choose two theorists: one that you MOST agree with and one that you MOST DISAGREE with. In your introduction, tell me of your two choices. Then, in the first half of the paper, write about the one you most like. A) briefly summarize what he or she believed in B) What do you like about the theory and why? C) What do you not like about the theory and why? Now, in the second half of the paper, write about the one you most disagree with and repeat the steps (above – a, b and c).