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Period: Mar 12, 1500 to
Early Childhood Education History Timeline
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Mar 12, 1524
1524
Martin Luther appeals to the authorities of the German cities in his, "Letter to the Mayors and Alderman of all the Cities of Germany in behalf of Christian Schools. Luther states, "Our schools are no longer a hell and purgatory, in which children are tortured over cases and tenses, and in which with much flogging, trembling, anguish, and wretchedness, they learn nothing." This shows Luther's departure from popular trends of his time. He established schools that served as models for many others. -
1762
Jean-Jacques Rousseau publishes "Emile," (On Education). This was not intended to be an instructional manual, but a call to examine the nature of children. Rousseau writes, "The wisest men concentrate on what it is important for men to know without considering what children are in a condition to learn". This statement exemplifies Rousseau's work to observe the "natural" development of children and to use these observations to inform his teaching methods. -
1837
Freidrich Froebel establishes the first kindergarten at Blankenburg, Germany. Froebel is considered, "the father of kindergarten," and he sought to inspire parents to involve themselves in educating their young children. He struggled to convince parents that kindergarten was something parents should pay for and therefore was unable to sustain his initial program. Ideas set forth by Froebel are still being practiced and developed today, namely that childhood is a time to be cherished. -
1856
Margarethe Schurz establishes the first kindergarten in America. Margarethe and her sister studied Froebel's kindergarten concept and eventually met Froebel. Schurz modeled her kindergarten after Froebel's techniques using games, gifts and occupations. Occupations were practical work the children could engage in, gifts were essentially toys used to lead the children in a variety of explorations and games included singing, circle games, finger plays and stories. -
1928
The Rudolf Steiner School of New York is established. Based on the curriculum developed by Rudolf Steiner, the Waldorf kindergarten promotes a home-like atmosphere centered around imaginative play. Practices are similar to those proposed by Froebel and teachers emphasize bodily intelligence over academic instruction in early childhood education. -
1950
Erik Erikson publishes, "Childhood and Society". He introduces his idea of the eight stages of psycho-social development, Erikson's work reflects his studies under Anna Freud, daughter of Sigmund Freud. Erikson's writings denote a shift in educational approaches that center around psychology. -
1972
The Office of Child Development initiates the National Home Start Demonstration Program. The program's goal was to, "enhance a mother's skills in dealing with her own children in the home." This program wanted to increase parental involvement in their children's education. The program sought to support children in the context of the whole family. -
2003
United Nations Literacy Decade is launched at the New York Public Library by Secretary General Kofi Annan. Mr. Annan spoke, saying,"Literacy is the key to uncovering the potential in every human being". The goal of this campaign was to increase literacy, particularly in the developing world, within the next decade. This initiative demonstrates the increasing awareness of educational disparities worldwide.
