The History of Early Childhood Education

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The History of Early Childhood Education
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Who are you?

• How did you grow to become the unique person you
  are today?

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What do you remember about your childhood?

• Earliest memory
• Memory you expect to keep throughout life

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Other Memories . . .

• Most embarrassing moment?
• Happiest experience?
• Scariest experience?

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The Importance of History

• Why is it important to know about the history of
  early childhood education?

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Knowing about ECE History

• Provides a sense of support and perspective
• Serves as a source of inspiration
• Helps teachers develop creative expression
• Helps teachers develop better methods of teaching
• Creates awareness and understanding of changes in
  education
• Helps individuals get in touch with their own
  early childhood experiences
• Helps individuals develop a philosophy of teaching

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Many people have contributed to our understanding
of child development
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John Locke
Philosopher
1632-1714

• Founder of modern educational philosophy
• Theory based on scientific method, study of mind
  and learning
• Believed that each child is born with a clean
  slate (tabula rasa) on which their experiences
  are written

Tabula rasa
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Environmentalism
John Locke

• The environment, not innate characteristics,
  determines what children will become
• The environment forms the mind

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Your Views - John Locke

• What do Lockes beliefs and his work mean to you?
• What do you think about his clean slate theory?

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Friedrich Froebel
1782 - 1852

• Coined the word kindergarten
• Started the first kindergarten in Germany in 1837
• Emphasized teacher-directed learning
• Advocated freedom, initiative, and relevant
  curriculum

"Father of the Kindergarten"
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Friedrich Froebel --- Father of the Kindergarten

• In German, the word kindergarten means
  childrens garden.
• Association between flower buds opening and
  children going through a natural unfolding process

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Your Views Friedrich Froebel

• What do Froebels beliefs and his work mean to
  you?
• What do you remember about being in kindergarten?
• Did your kindergarten experiences affect the
  person you are today?

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Sigmund Freud
1856-1939
Neurologist
Psychoanalyst

• A childs personality develops through a
  predictable pattern of psychosexual stages.
• Many emotional and psychological problems of
  adults are connected to how their parents and
  care providers met their basic needs as children.

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The Id, the Ego, and the Superego Sigmund Freud
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Your Views Sigmund Freud

• What do Freuds beliefs and his work mean to you?
• How well were your needs met as a child?

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John Dewey
1858 - 1952

• First real American influence on American
  education
• Founder of progressive movement
• His theory progressivism
• Advocated child-centered learning in groups

Progressivist
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Deweys Pedagogic Creed

• Education, therefore, is a process of living and
  not a preparation for future living.
• -John Dewey

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Your Views - John Dewey

• How much of education do you believe is
  preparation for future living, and how much is
  the actual process of living?
• Do you feel that learning should be centered
  around the subject or around the child?

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Margaret McMillan
1860 - 1931

• Margaret and her sister Rachel extended concern
  beyond education to medical and dental care for
  children
• Created open-air nursery in a slum
• Developed the McMillan theory of fresh air,
  sleep, and bathing

Pioneer

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The McMillan Sisters

• Margaret and Rachel McMillan crusaded to improve
  child care in English slums.
• Many people credit the creation of nursery
  schools to these sisters.
• Margaret created the name nursery school ---
  nursery to focus on the goal of nurturing good
  health, and school to focus on educating young
  children.

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Your Views Margaret McMillan

• How important are fresh air, sleep, and bathing
  to the health and well-being of children?
• Have you ever known a situation where a child did
  not receive adequate physical care? What were
  the results?

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Rudolph Steiner
ART
1861 - 1925

• Founded Waldorf Schools
• Interdisciplinary, multi-sensory curriculum with
  emphasis on the arts
• Emphasized the whole child begin where the
  learner is.
• Promoted self-regulation and self-discipline

Philosopher
Scientist
Artist
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Rudolph Steiner

• Steiner believed that experiences for young
  children need to be carefully selected. He
  believed that fairy tales helped them learn
  important truths.
• Modern-day followers of Waldorf philosophy
  believe that TV-viewing for children should be
  limited.

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Your Views Rudolph Steiner

• What are your views on children and television?

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Patty Hill
1868 - 1946

• Founded the National Association for the
  Education of Young Children
• Originated large-muscle equipment and materials
  for climbing and construction.
• Wrote the song Happy Birthday

Progressive
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Patty Hill

• Her ideas about unifying kindergarten and
  first-grade work became the focus of modern
  kindergarten practice.

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Your Views Patty Hill

• Do you believe it is important for kindergarten
  and first-grade learning experiences to be
  unified?

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Maria Montessori
1870 - 1952
First female physician in Italy
Child copies reality, rather than constructs it.

• Education begins at birth
• The early years are very important as children go
  through sensitive periods. Their curiosity
  makes them ready to learn certain things at
  certain times.
• Goals of education the formation of the child
  and development of character

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Maria Montessori

• Elements of early childhood programs that are
  attributed to Montessori
• A prepared environment (the teachers
  responsibility)
• Self-correcting and sequential materials (usually
  tactile-touch)
• Teaching based on observation
• Trust in childrens inborn drive to learn

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Your Views Montessori

• Which of Maria Montessoris philosophies ring
  true for you?
• Were you ever enrolled in a Montessori school as
  a child, or have you ever visited one?

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Lev Vygotsky
1896-1934

• Focuses on the child as a whole
• Incorporates culture and values into child
  development
• Sociocultural Theory A childs development is
  influenced by more than personal experiences.

Russian Psychologist
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VygotskysSociocultural Theory

• Important influences on a childs development
  include
• Family
• Community
• Socioeconomic status
• Culture

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Sociocultural Theory-Implications for Teachers

1. Incorporate each childs family and culture into
   the school.
2. The relationship between teacher and child is
   very important to learning.
3. Use the tools of the society to help children
   learn.
4. Play is an important part of learning.
5. Its very important to note individual
   differences among learners.

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Lev Vygotsky

• Zone of proximal development (ZPD)
• (the distance between the actual developmental
  level and the level of potential development)

ZPD
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Your View Vygotsky

• Can you think of an area of skill in which your
  ZPD is large --- that is, the distance between
  your actual level of skill and your potential
  skill level is very great?
• You have a long way to go!

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Loris Malaguzzi
1920 - 1994

• Founded Reggio Emilia Schools
• Schools have teachers, a pedagogista, and an
  aterlierista
• All children capable of learning
• Children construct their own learning
• Documenting childrens work is essential for
  success of the program

Founder

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Loris Malaguzzi

• The family and community are important parts of
  the amiable school.

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Your Views Malaguzzi

• What do you think should be the role of the
  family in an early childhood classroom?
• The role of the community?

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Imagine what our world would have been like
without . . .

• Kindergarten
• Nursery school
• Montessori schools
• Child-centered learning
• Medical/dental care for children?

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What do you think the contributions of these
leaders will mean to you as you work with young
children?
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Stay tuned for more . . .

• Objective 3.01
• Recognize the importance of and contributions of
  leaders in the history of early childhood
  education.