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Jan 1, 1483
Maritn Luther
Martin Luther advocated for widespread literacy among children and adults. He translated the Bible into German which allowed people to learn and study the scriptures on their own, in their native language, effectively shifting the people’s dependency on the Catholic church and laying the groundwork for universal education. The encouragement of literacy, especially among children is the bedrock of education. (1483-1546) -
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John Amos Comenius
He wrote the first children’s book and was the first to advocate that young children should be educated. He also believed in the importance of sensory education and that a child can and should learn through active engagement. -
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John Locke
His theory of the mind being a blank slate from birth, or tabula rasa, has influenced the realm of early education with the belief that children are formed by the influences of their environment. This belief is integral to the current move to educate all of America’s children from an early age so as to prevent disadvantages amongst socio-economic divides. -
John-Jacques Rousseau
He believed that children were born good and that as mankind had its influence, they became tainted with evil. He believed that children should develop without interference and that they should grow in a natural progression. This lead to the acknowledgement of different levels of development and is integral to the philosophy of developmentally appropriate practices. Current beliefs about education pivot around teaching to a child’s specific level of development. 1712-1778 -
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Johan Heinrich Pestalozzi
He believed that children can truly learn through a full sensory experience and developed tactile lessons to correspond to concepts like counting, measuring and other activities that included the physical manipulation of objects. Also, he pioneered the concept of parenting books by writing a couple of books designed to help parents with teaching their children. This has had a huge impact on how people approach parenting today as well as instilling the value of teaching young children. -
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Friedrich Wilhelm Froebel
He likened of the development of the child to the growth of a flower and established the first kindergartens. The idea was that the child’s developmental process is similar to the natural growth that takes place in a garden and that the teacher’s role is to tend to that garden and provide the necessary conditions for children to be able to grow. Froebel also believed in instructing teachers on how to teach and encouraged women to be teachers. -
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John Dewey
John Dewey plays an integral role in modern educational theory. He thought it more valuable to base education off of the interest of the student rather than to educate in a didactic way and expect the student to follow. His theory of “progressivism” serves as the basis for the child-centered education that we follow today. Dewey thought learning should be supported through practical tasks that connect the child to the immediate world around him. -
Maria Montessori
Montessori witnessed the effectiveness of equipping children to learn through their experiences and utilized practical tasks as a way for them to be able to engage and learn. She initially began her work with children who were thought to be unteachable because they were mentally handicapped. She believed these children suffered from an educational deficiency rather than a mental one and approached her work scientifically through observation and preparation. 1870-1952
