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John Amos Comenius
John Amos Comenius created the first picture book for children. He believed that learning should be taught early because children are able to absorb the information more easily, and that teachers are able to help mold them. Lastly, Comenius also believed that learning should be experienced through the senses, an idea that was later emphasized by Maria Montessori. -
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Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi
Pestalozzi came up with an important theory that not only helped shape schooling back then, but paved the way for books that we are able to find today. He developed "object lessons" that helped children count and measure while using their senses. His books, How Gertrude Teaches her Children and Book for Mothers, were very influential because it was a tool for teachers and parents to use when they needed guidance and advice about parenting. -
First Infant School
The first infant school was opened in London thanks to Robert Owen and his beliefs that a child's environment has a major role in who they grow up to become. He opened his own school in Scotland that was created for children (ages 18 months - 10 years) to attend while their parents worked in the cotton mills. His ultimate goal was to educate children in the hopes that it would make the world a better place filled with better people. -
The First Kindergarten
Friedrich Wilhelm Fobel is the man we can thank for the creation of Kindergarten. He created a metaphor where children are like flowers and need to constantly be "fed" in order to grow. He believed that children should learn though independent activities and play, and should only be taught things when they're ready to be taught them. Other than the concept of learning through play, Fobel's idea of unfolding is another one of his major contributions. -
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Course of Education Redirection
John Dewey was very influential because he came up with a theory of schooling called progressivism. He believed that children/their interests should be the main focus, and that they should learn things to help them with everyday activities. -
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Montessori Method
Maria Montessori was the creator of Montessori schools, which are a huge part of the early childhood schooling system today. She believed in a very hands on approach to learning, where children can learn independently, freely, and naturally. -
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Psychosocial Development
Erik H. Erikson is the creator of the psychosocial developmental theory. He believes that cognitive and social development happen simultaneously, and that one cannot develop without the other. His theory states that children's personalities and social skills grow based on demands from families and schools. He also believes that parents and teachers are a fundamental part in the success or failure in helping children develop socially and cognitively. -
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Hierarchy of Needs
Abraham Maslow developed a theory that all humans have basic needs that need to be met in order to maximize one's potential. These needs include: life essentials, safety and security, belonging and love, achievement and prestige, aesthetic needs, and most importantly, self-actualization. -
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Ecological Theory
Urie Bronfenbrenner was responsible for the ecological theory, and emphasizing 5 interrelating environmental systems. These systems are: the microsystem, the mesosystem, the exosystem, the macrosystem, and the chronosystem. -
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Multiple Intelligence Theory
Howard Gardner believes that there are 9 ways that people can be identified as intelligent. These include: visual/spatial, verbal/linguistic, mathematical/biological, bodily/kinesthetic, musical/rhythmic, intrapersonal, interpersonal, naturalist, and existentialist. This theory continues to influence us today. -
Sputnik
The launch of Sputnik ultimately caused Congress to pass the National Defense Eduction Act, which provided funding for the science, technology, engineering, and math classes that we continue to talk today. It also helped start federal standards in education, which emphasized the need for these classes in order to help the US regain superiority.