1. The History of ECE
Who’s Who?

2. Objectives
 To give students a sense of the evolution, significant
events, and basic theories in early childhood
education
 To demonstrate the interdisciplinary nature of the
early childhood field, particularly the connections
between psychology and early childhood education
 To identify important people as well as articulate
several key themes in early childhood
 To show how current events, such as political, social,
and economic changes and pressures, affect both
the field of education and the realities of child care

3. European Influences
 John Comenius
 John Locke
 Jean Jacques Rousseau
 Johann Pestalozzi
 Freidrich Froebel
 Maria Montessori
 Rodolf Steiner

4. John Amos Comenius
1592-1670
 Fostered the belief that education should “follow the
natural order of things”
 Children’s development follows a timetable of its own
and their education should reflect that fact
 Children should be allowed to learn at their own pace
 Learning by doing
 Three most important contributions are:
 Books with illustrations
 Education with the senses
 Social reform-educate the poor as well as the rich

5. John Locke
1632-1714

Considered to be the founder of modern educational philosophy
 Fostered the idea of “tabula rosa”-the belief that the child is born
neutral, rather then evil, and is a “clean slate’ of which
experiences are written
 One of the first to discuss individual differences and that
education needs to take the individual learner into account
 Three most important contributions are:
 Individual differences
 Giving children reasons
 Theory of the “clean slate’

6. Jean Jacques Rousseau
1712-1778
 Theorized a revolutionary idea-that children were “naturally
good” and that education should reflect this goodness and allow
spontaneous interests and activities of the children
 The true object of education should not be vocational
 Children really only learn from first hand knowledge
 Distinct phases of development of a child’s mind and these
should coincide with the various stages of education
 Most important contributions
 Free play
 Children’s inherent goodness and ability to choose what they need
to learn
 Using concrete rather than abstract materials

7. Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi
1746-1827
 Stressed the idea of “integrated curriculum” that would develop
the whole child
 Education should be the “hand, head and heart of the child”
 Proposed teaching in groups as opposed to using a tutor with
an individual child
 Blending of Rousseau’s romantic ideals with his own egalitarian
attitude that built skills and independence in an atmosphere
much like that of a firm and loving home
 Most important contributions
 Integrated curriculum
 Group teaching

8. Freidrich Wilhelm Froebel
1782-1852
 Advocated the radical thought that children should be able to
play, to have toys, and to be with trained teachers
 Developed the first educational toys
 “Father of Kindergarten”
 Child’s first educational experiences should be a garden full of
pleasant discoveries and delightful adventures
 Most important contributions
 Organization of educational thought
 Ideas about learning, curriculum, and teacher training

9. Maria Montessori
 First female physician in Italy
 Montessori concept is both a philosophy of child development
and a plan for guiding growth believing that education begins at
birth and the early years are of the utmost importance
 “Sensitive periods’ in which children’s curiosity makes them
ready for acquiring certain skills and knowledge
 Great emphasis on the environment
 A sense of order
 A place for everything
 A clear rationale
 Most important contributions
 A prepared environment
 Self-correcting and sequential materials
 Teaching based on observation
 A trust in children’ innate ability to learn

10. Rudolf Steiner
1861-1925
 A German educator whose method of education is known today
as the Waldorf School of Education
 Childhood is a phase of life important into its own self and has
three periods:
 The “will” (0-7)
 The “heart” (7-14)
 The “head” (14+0)
 Child has a natural willingness to learn and initiate and the
classroom needs to support this self-regulation
 Emphasized the whole child
 Most important contribution is the thought that the people with
whom the child interacts are of central importance

11. John Dewey:1858-1952
 The Progressive movement
 Children are valuable and childhood is an
important part of their lives
 Belief in the innate goodness of children
and education should be integrated with
life and provide a training ground for
cooperative living
 Child-oriented schools

12. Non-traditional Perspectives
Perspective Roots In Early Childhood Practice
Harmony Asian Provide an unhurried environment;
be aware of tension spots
Kinship networks African Encourage family participation; make
family trees
Ties with nature Native
American
Provide strong outdoor program,
include nature walks
Respect for elders Pacific islands Invite elders into class; include in
dramatic play, puzzles, books;
manners
Cooperative work Hispanic Encourage small group projects,
teamwork, older children helping,
familial ties
Expressiveness Europ-Am Encourage self-expression; teach
about feelings and how to show

13. Four Themes in ECE
 Importance of Childhood
 The concept of the child as a special part of the human
existence and, therefore a valuable part of the lifecycle. The
early years form the foundation for later development
 Ethics of Social Reform
 Expects that the education of young children will lead to
social reform
 Professionalism
 Transmitting Values
 What children should ultimately do and be is at the core of
all child rearing practices-whether it be at home or child care

14. Developmental and Learning
Theories
The Who, What and How

15. Theory 1A-Basic Child
Development Theory
 Psychosocial Theory-Freud, Erikson
 Behaviorist Theory-Watson, Skinner
Thorndike, Bloom, Bandura
 Cognitive Theory-Piaget
 Sociohistoric Theory-Vygotsky
 Multiple Intelligences-Gardner
 Maturation Theory-Gesell,
 Humanist-Maslow

16. Psychosocial Theory
 Emphasize the critical importance of relationships
with people and the sequence, or stages, of
personality development
 About personality and emotional development
 Life is a series of stages through which each person
passes, with each stage growing from the previous
ones
 Personality and emotional development of utmost
importance, even more so than language, perception
or cognitive development

17. Psycho-social Theory-Erikson
 Development is described in terms of
eight stages that span childhood and
adulthood, each offering opportunities
for personality growth and
development. Each stage focuses on
specific tasks that need to emerge for
healthy development in each stage.

18. Age Stage Focus/Strength
Birth-18 months Trust vs. mistrust Needs must be met
consistently
Hope
18 months-3
years
Autonomy vs.
shame and doubt
Independence
Willpower
3-5 years Initiative vs. guilt Exploration and learning
about the world. Rules
and expectations are
established
Purpose
6-12 years Industry vs.
inferiority
The development of
competence

19. Behaviorist Theory-Skinner,
Watson, Thorndike, Bandura
 Based on tabula rasa-”clean slate”
 “Stimulus-response” technique wherein a
stimulus will recall a response in a person this
forms learned habits
 All behavior is under the control of one or more
aspects of the environment
 Terms associated with behaviorism:classical
conditioning; operant conditioning; positive
reinforcer, negative reinforcer, modeling

20. Behaviorist Learning Process
Classical
Conditioning
Operant
Conditioning
Social
Learning
Kind of
behavior
Reflexive Voluntary Voluntary
Type of
learning
Learning
through
association
Learning
through
reinforcement
Learning
through
observation
and imitation
Role of the
learner
Passive Active or
Passive
Active

21. Cognitive Theory-Piaget
 Also called “constructionist” because he
believed that children “construct” their
knowledge through experiences
 Higher skills are developed through
developmental stages
 Relies on maturational and environmental
factors
 Thinking and learning is a process of interaction
between the learner and the environment
 Terms associated with Cognitive theory:
assimilation, accommodation, equilibration,
schemas

22. Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive
Development
Stage of Development Approximate Age
Sensori-motor
Key concept-Object
Permanence
Birth-2 years
Preoperational
Key Concept-Symbolic
play and language
2-6 or 7 years
Concrete Operational
Reasoning
6-12 years
Formal Operational 12 years to adulthood

23. Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive
Development
Age Stage Behaviors
Birth-18 months Sensorimotor Learn through senses
Learn through reflexes
Manipulate materials
18 months-6 years Preoperational Form ideas based on their
perceptions
Can only focus on one variable at
a time
Overgeneralize based on limited
experience
6 years-12 years Concrete Operational Form ideas based on reasoning
Limit thinking to objects and
familiar events
12 years and older Fomal operations Think conceptually and
hypothetically

24. Sociohistorical Theory-Vygotsky
 Focuses on how values, beliefs, skills and
traditions are transmitted to the next generation
 The connection between culture and development
is paramount-especially between the child and
other important people in their lives
 Emphasized play, family and social interaction as
primary influences in children’s lives
 Zone of proximal development-the belief that a
child on the edge of learning a new concept can
benefit from the interaction with a teacher or a
classmate
 Learning and development are interrelated from
the child’s very first day of life

25. Multiple Intelligences Theory-
Gardner
 Intelligence is the ability to solve a problem
or to create a product that is in culture.
 Solving a problem includes the ability to do so
in a a particular cultural setting or community.
 The skill needed or developed depends on
the context in which the child lives.

26. Multiple Intelligences
 Music
 Bodily-Kinesthetic
 Logical-Mathmatical
 Linguistic
 Spatial
 Interpersonal
 Intrapersonal
 Naturalist

27. Maturation Theory-Gesell
 Physical and mental growth are determined
by heredity
 Maturation sequence occurs in a predictable
stable and orderly way.
 Growth is genetically determined from birth
 Two vital points to remember
 The sequence of development is universal, the
rate at which a child moves through the stages
varies tremendously
 Growth is uneven. Children grow in spurts.

28. Humanistic Theory-Maslow
 Focuses on what people need to become and
stay healthy.
 Centered on people’s needs, goals and
successes
 Based on a hierarchy (or pyramid) of basic
and growth needs

29. Application of Theories
 Montessori Programs
 The Bank Street Approach:
 Developmental Interactionist
 The Cognitively Oriented Approach:
 Based on the theory of Piaget and revolves around activities
that help children learn specific cognitive concepts
 The Bereiter-Englemann Approach:
 Behavior theory and uses a direct-instruction approach
 The Reggio-Emilia Approach
 Designed to foster interactions, exploration, and problem
solving