History of Early Childhood Education Theory and Important Landmarks

By stina303

  • John Locke (1632-1704) Tabula Rasa and Thoughts on Education

    Philosopher John Locke states in his essay "Concerning Human Understanding" that we are born as blank tablets, "tabula rasa", and that experiences are the basis for all learning. (Morrison 73) In an essay "Some Thoughts on Education" Locke states that the "purpose of education is to bring children up to be virtuous." (British Library) Presentaton Editions dated 1696 (Attig)

  • Friedrich Froebel (1782-1852) begins the 1st Kindergarten

    Froebel compared children to plants and founded the "Garden of Children" or Kindergarten.Believed Children can and should learn through play.( Morrison 73) Originally the "Play and Activity Institute, it was renamed to Kindergarten in 1840. (Friedrich Froebel Created Kindergarten")

  • Susan Blow Opens the First Public Kindergarten

    Susan Blow was inspired by Froebel's idea and methods. With the cooperation of the St Louis Superintendent William T. Harris and Froebel advocate Elizabeth Peabody, the First Public Kindergarten was opened in St Louis Missouri in1873.Harris would go on to later become U.S Commisioner of Education.(Morrison 268)

  • 1877 Charles Darwin's Biographical Sketch of an Infant

    Darwin hypothesizes that each individual's development from birth to adulthood parallels the phylogenetic development of the human species. His ideas influenced the early study of child development, or the child study movement. ("Landmark")

  • Rudolph Steiner (1861-1925) Opens The Ind. Waldorf School

    Steiner’s philosophy said there are 3 stages to adulthood: early childhood, middle childhood, and adolescence. He founded his school on principles considered radical at the time. He demanded that teachers and direct childcare workers have authority within their school without state interference, and that the be a coed 12 year school that would be open to all children.(Barnes)

  • Jean Piaget (1896-1980) publishes "The Child's Conception of the World", his most famous work

    Ten years later he publishes "The Orgin of Intelligence in Children."
    ("Landmark") English translation not published until 1952 (Morrison 416) "Piaget devoted his life to studying children, including his own. He proposed cognitive theory; that children learn through direct experience with the physical world." (Morrison 84)

  • Arnold Gesell publishes An Atlas of Infant Behavior

    Other works, Child in the Culture of Today,1943, The Child from Five to Ten,1946, and Child Development,1949 ("Landmark")

  • Erik Erikson publishes Childhood and Society

    In this work Erikson suggests his theory of psychosocial development in which he states that "cognitive and social development happen simultaneously and cannot be separated." (Morrison 100) “Each developmental stage in Erikson's theory is concerned with a central conflict: trust versus mistrust in infancy; autonomy versus doubt and shame in early childhood; initiative versus guilt in the preschool period; and industry versus inferiority during the early school years.”("Landmark")

  • Malaguzzi opens the 1st public preschool in Reggio Emilia Italy

    1980 Loris Malaguzzi establishes the National Early Childhood Group in Reggio Emilia that promoted an innovative philosophy of education. (Barnes)

  • Head Start Program Begins

    "The Head Start Program Began with Federal money allocated for preschool educaton. The early programs were originally called "Childhood Development Centers." (Morrison 416)

  • Head Start Program Re-established and Early Head Start Added

    Head Start was re-authorized and a new program, Early Head Start was introduced. Early Head Start was made to assist low-income pregnant women, and families with infants and toddlers. (Morrison 416)

  • No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) is signed into Law

    The law updated the 1965 ESEA, and increased the federal government's role in holding schools accountable for student outcomes. NCLB pressured schools to participate in standardized testing to prove performance or risk losing funding. Additionally it required reporting of performance of the entire school pop and "subgroups including English-learners and students in special education, racial minorities, and children from low-income families. (Klein)

  • ARRA gives 2.1B to Head Start and Early Head Start

    "The American Recovery and Reinvestment (ARRA) of 2009 gives 2.1B to Head Start (HS) and Early Head Start. In 2010 HS celebrates 45 years of success." (Morrison 416)

  • The State of Kentucky Adopts Common Core State Standards

    Kentucky was the first state to adopt the (CCSS) The new English/language arts and mathematics standards were first taught in Kentucky schools in the 2011-12 school year. (Blessing)