Early Childhood - Connecticut State Department of Education

Professional Roots And Current Research Chapter 1
OUR PROFESSIONAL ROOTS
Discussion of current practice and theory in early
childhood education would not be complete without
recognizing the foundation built from the outstanding
work of those who came before us. A tremendous debt
of gratitude is owed to pioneers in the field of early
childhood education, who with dedication and passion
contributed ideas that are still influential today. Four
of these educators have been particularly significant in
their influence on early childhood settings and practices
in Connecticut.
Maria Montessori ( 870- 95 ) created one of
the earliest curriculums for early childhood education.
Her work has stood the test of time and is still used in
many early childhood settings. Her theory focused on
the relationship between the child and the environment
as a framework when developing her materials and
teaching strategies. She believed that teachers should
carefully observe children at work and play to determine
what teaching and materials are appropriate for their
next phase of learning. Montessori materials were
designed to be didactic, self-correcting and appealing
to the senses as the basis for intellectual development.
She considered children’s needs with regard to furniture
and materials, even constructing tables and chairs to
better accommodate young children (Goffin and Wilson,
00 ).
John Dewey ( 859- 95 ) believed that education
should contribute to children’s personal, social and
intellectual growth, and that learning occurs by creating
an environment based on shared experiences. Dewey
viewed children as active beings, eager to interact and
explore their world. This type of learning, according to
Dewey, occurs best in the context of problem solving and
investigation within experiences that are meaningful to
children. He saw knowledge and growth as ongoing
– as one question is answered another springs forward
– and identified three levels of activity:
• developing sensory abilities and physical
coordination;
• using materials that stimulate creative and
constructive interests; and
• discovering new ideas.
Dewey believed the ideal school to be one where
administrators, teachers and children planned the
curriculum together (Ornstein, 000). His contributions
can be witnessed in early childhood settings which focus
on providing direct experience with materials and peers,
and encouraging the pursuit of individual interests and
questions.
Jean Piaget ( 896- 980) also believed in the
need of children to explore their environments. Piaget
organized growth and intelligence into four stages of
sequential development. Each of these stages depends
and builds on the preceding. His work guides the practice
of providing stimulating, informal learning experiences
with multiple opportunities for children to grow and
develop. Piaget believed that appropriately planned
learning experiences encourage children to explore and
experiment at their own levels in environments where
they can use objects to construct relationships and
understandings. According to Piaget, the major impact
of carefully chosen materials and a well-prepared
environment is to enable the child to gather physical
and logico-mathematical knowledge.
Although Piaget emphasized that children must
make discoveries independently, he did not suggest that
children can be left on their own in a carefully planned
environment. According to Piaget, the teacher plays
an integral role in modeling, providing examples and
carefully developing questions that engage and support
the learning process (Kamii and DeVries, 993). He also
recognized that social interaction, like the environment
and materials, provide impetus to learn (Sowers, 000).
Lev Vygotsky ( 896- 934) emphasized the
power of social interaction and the value of authentic
cultural experiences for children. According to his
theory of development, children’s growth is influenced
by biological growth patterns, culture and important
individuals within their experiences. Vygotsky theorized
that cognitive development does not occur in isolation
for the child. He described three levels of learning:
• Level 1: unable to do the task without an
adult or mature learner;
• Level 2: able to do the task but needs
assistance from an adult or mature learner;
and
• Level 3: able to complete the task independently.
Vygotsky’s “Zone of Proximal Development” theory
suggests that teachers observe and are prepared to assist
the child’s learning experience at Levels and , so he
or she can become independent at that particular task
or learning experience (Sowers, 2000; Berk and Winsler,
997).
Quality early childhood programs are “highly
organized and structured environments that teachers
have carefully prepared and in which teachers are in
control” (Bredekamp & Rosegrant, 995). Teachers do
teach in early childhood environments. They employ a