Early Childhood Education

Early Childhood Education

Introduction

Each one of the early years educators has played an important role in setting the foundations that is the basis of the main curriculum's and foundation frameworks in Pre-Schools today. This paper will look at several of these educators' theories, philosophies, and concepts and how they relate to early childhood education today.

Early Childhood Education

Maria Pre-Schools, an Italian educator that developed the Pre-Schools method, which focuses on the development of the intellect through the exploration of materials, believed in independence in childcare and that children should be taught to use their senses first rather than just educating their intellect with subjects such as math and science. Children's educations main focus within Pre-Schools centers is to develop observational skills through the environment and learning outdoors, and to provide the children with carefully organized preparatory activities rather than repetition as a means of developing competence in skills. Pre-Schools believed children should be encouraged to take responsibility for their own learning, enabling them to become more independent. In Pre-Schools there is a general atmosphere of children doing things for themselves carefully and competently some of this practice is reflected through the children's play such as tidying away independently at the end of activities and being responsible for making sure toys are put away before a new activity is begun, children are encouraged to pour their own drinks and are given small jobs such as handing out the lunchboxes and folders. These are just a few ways that the children are encouraged to be independent within the Pre-Schools day as well as managing their own hygiene by washing their own hands independently. (Jordan, 2005)Friedrich Froebel's 'kindergarten' is the modern day Pre-Schools, playgroup or parent and toddlers group. He wanted parents to be fully involved with their children's learning and play an active role in their child's educational development. This was an important feature of Froebel's vision and can be seen in current practices through parent/teacher meetings and the various reports and progress write ups that are sent home to parents from early years settings. Froebel believed the role of the mother was to recognize their child's capacity for learning and wanted to encourage the parents to support the children with this, the current approaches to this in early year's settings his work has helped to develop the understanding of the importance of the role of a child's family in their learning and nurturing. This is now very much reflected in the governments recent every parent matters agenda. Froebel also believed children learn through structured play, in an organized and prepared learning environment. This is similar to the guidelines of the curriculum's and frameworks we use today as children are taught through structured activities that are carried out in stimulating environments. (Bruce, 2001)Jean Piaget's theories emphasize on children learning through experimentation, and construct their own knowledge and understanding through adaptation to the environment. Piaget's theory includes play in the early childhood curriculum, describing children as moving through four stages of intellectual development, concluding ...