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ECE104
Foundation of ECE
Historical Influences on Early
Childhood Education
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Why do we care?
Historical events and social timesinfluence our values
Political trends provoke a reaction from
the social group
In turn, influences how are children are
raised and valued
Current trends and practices are oftenrooted by some past practice
(rediscovery)
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Differing cultures
Some understanding of diverse
cultures help us as educators to
better understand an American
perspective on children
What does this mean?
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Remember
We often take what we hold to be
true as the only truth
In fact, there can be many right
ways to do things
Dependent upon values, personal
history, present conditions
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Do you value this?
Early attainment of individuality
and independence
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Do you value this?
Early attainment of individuality
and independence
Western European value but not
for those groups whose society
promotes group harmony and
interdependence
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Do you value this?
Early and free exploration
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Do you value this?
Early and free exploration
This value is not held insocieties where children are
held close, carrying them while
they work; often poor,
developing areas
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Do you value this?
Importance of early stimulation
of intellect and language
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Do you value this?
Importance of early stimulation
of intellect and language
Push down education that hasincreased focus on academic
and intellectual standards with
little discussion ondevelopmental domains in the
early years
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How and when?
Every society has the task ofsocializing and educating its
children, but how and when it is
done, is very dependent upon the
values and resources available.
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What is early childhood? (AKA
Early care and education)
Children ages birth through age 8
In group settings:
1. Infant and toddler rooms
2. Preschools and nursery schools
3. Kindergarten
4. Grades 1-3
5. Before and after school programs
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In early childhood, we are often
the bridge between the childs
two worlds:Home and school (group
setting)
Foundation for future learning
(Building Block years)
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Ancient Times
Definition of early childhood variesthroughout time
Often considered adults by age 7
Education started at home
Schooling provided to wealthy boys
Girls and working class taught domestic
work
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Plato and Aristotle
While education was beginning around 6or 7, Plato and Aristotle thought
education needed to be younger
Romans felt education needed to be athome when started to talk
Highlighted the use of rewards and
ineffectiveness of corporal punishment
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Ancient Greeks and Romans
Time of first schools outside of thehome
Plato (427 B.C.) and Aristotle (384-
323B.C.) founded schools using
small group tutoring
Taught wealthy boys thinking skills,governing, military strategy and
commerce
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400-1200 A.D.
Roman Empire fell apart
Childhood barely lasted past infancy
Education become responsibility of
parents but..
Parents focused on survival
Childhood not seen as a separate time
of life
Children needed to get into labor force
to contribute to family
Schools ceased to exist
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Before 15th Century
No educational system
Church in control in the medieval period
Children viewed as evil and needed to
be prepared for the afterlife
Children needed to be directed,
punished and corrected
Children expected to move quickly intoadulthood
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European Renaissance and
Reformation 1400-1600
Life was getting easier
Humanists educators advocated for
basic education for girls and the poor
Children were viewed as good
Printing press invented which allowed
for books to be available to the common
person This period brought to us the idea of
universal education and literacy
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1500s
Taught reading, writing, arithmetic andbook keeping became common through
out Europe
As living conditions improved, childrenlived longer
Came to understand that the educated
child could help improve the familyconditions but..
Families needed help in educating their
children
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Modern Times
John Amos Comenius (1592-1670)
Books with illustrations
Teachers should follow childs own
timetableLearning by doing, using the
senses, make exciting
Social reform: educate poor and
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John Locke 1632-1714)
Tabula rasa (clean slate)
Education needed to take into
account individual differences
Goal was to make a reasoning
creature so able to conduct
business Instruction be playful and pleasant
as well as drills
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Jean Jacques Rousseau
1712-1778
Children naturally good
Use of concrete materials
Children learn from first handinformation
Phases of development of a childs
mindEducation should match level of
development
Influenced future educators such as
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Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi
1746-1827
More pragmatic: teach basic skills
Caring as well as educating
Integrated curriculum to educate thewhole child
Teaching in groups rather than with
tutors (Rousseau)
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Friedrich Froebel 1782-1852
Father of the kindergarten
Early childhood should be pleasant
Children should be able to playWith trained teachers
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Maria Montessori 1870-1952
First female physician in Italy
Worked with poor and retarded
children
Education begins at birth
Children pass through sensitive
periodsSequential steps of learning
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Rudolph Steiner 1861-1925
Establishment of Waldorf Schools
Carefully planned and nurturing
environment
Different areas of development
connected
Play is important
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Other influences from around the
world
Besides the European influences, therehave been other influences in our
educating of young
Japan and China: harmony, childrengood and worth of respect
Native Americans: interconnectedness
between families and people and natureAfrica: pool resources for common good
Latin America and Hispanic: value
children; cooperation; sensitivity to
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American Influences
Colonial times: children sent to school forreligious reasons
High death rate during starving season (60-70%
under 4)
Little overt affection
Children were economic tools
In the South, tutors to teach sons to read and
write Post Revolutionary War, no move towards
education until late 1800s because focus on
growing crops and pioneering future
During Industrial Revolution, manual labor and
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African Americans
Prior to Civil War, limited opportunities for AfricanAmericans to attend school
Babies and pregnant women treated well
because of their economic value
Laws prohibiting the teaching of slaves; seen as
threatening
Post Civil War, first education of Blacks but often
on a quota system and may be excluded
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John Dewey 1858-1952
Big influence on current teachingpractices
Education should be integrated into
with life and support living in society
(learning and living inseparable)
Children were naturally goodSchool focus on ALL the basics not
just a few
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Moving forward
There are many modern influences oncurrent education that will be explored
throughout the semester
Rarely is position on education new; it is
often a recycle or reforming of a
philosophy from the past the is currentlyadopted as best practice for the current
times