BUILDING ON A TRADITION OF EXCELLENCE

CHAPER TWO

Learning from the pastProgress ~ Spurts ~ Setbacks…

What does this painting tell you about children?

Changing Views of ChildhoodMiniature AdultsNeed of RedemptionBlank Slates – John

LockeInnocents -

RousseauEconomic ValueCompetent ChildCitizen with RightsProduct of your own

History

Current practice strongly reflects early influences

John Amos Comenisu ~ Johann Pestolozzi ~ Friedrich Froebel ~

Maria Montessori

European Influences

John Amos ComeniusCzech 1592-1670; Minister with his own schoolThree Key Ideas

Change from punitive to making learning easier, deeper and more pleasant

Teacher engage children with nature; follow the child

Children should learn their own language, not Latin

Orbis Pictus – first children’s picture bookLearn through senses; need to be active;

developmental stages; child-centered

Kindergarten Movement

Kindergartens ~ Children’s GardenFirst K – Wisconsin 1856 – Margarethe

SchurzElizabeth Peabody- social reformer…first

English speaking KSusan Blow – expanded K and kept

Froebels vision First public KindergartenDefended Froebel’s ideasFormed the International Kindergarten Union

– became Association for Childhood Education International

John Dewey

Progressive Education

Based on the philosophy of studying and nurturing children’s

developmentPatti Smith Hill ~ Caroline Pratt ~

Lucy Sprague Mitchell

Nursery School Movement

McMillan Sisters ~ WPA ~ Lanham Act

Child Care Movement

Child Care: A different pathKindergarten & Preschool Child Care Movement

Child study; Middle class

children-choice; Education and

development focus;

$$ State monies

Social welfare effort for poor families;

Need to support working parents

Focus on physical care of children initially

$$ Federal child care funding – connected to public policy

Key People & EventsKey People: McMillan SistersWorks Progress Administration (WPA) 1930s

High unemployment rate (25%)WPA nurseries – opened 9-5; provided jobs and

supported families seeking work; rapid growth=often untrained staff

Lanham Act – World War II massive workshiftWork-site child care 10-12 hours per dayKaiser Shipbuilding – 24 hour nursery school – all

year longComprehensive services: Health services; nutritious meals

for children/mothers; parent education; play-based experiences; teacher training

African American Leaders

Equal Rights ~ Equal Education?1954 Brown vs Brown – desegregated schoolsEducation = AdvancementHBCU operated Teacher Education programs

and lab schoolsParralled current trends and influences in ECEMajor players in the development of ECE

professionEvangeline Ward – NAEYC Code of Ethics and

Child Development Associate (CDA) credentialingFoundation for a National Movement – Head Start

http://www.nhsa.org/

Head Start

Bringing the Stories Together1960s Civil Rights movement – President

Lyndon Johnson War on PovertyRepresents the coming together of Nursery

School movement and Child Care movement

Based on lesson learned from early child care history!

Head Start: Key ComponentsComprehensive Program

Serve the whole child; Multidisciplinary10% children with disabilities; early intervention

Educational ProgramBank Street model; Developmentally Appropriate

PracticeImprovement of teacher quality & compensation

Parent Involvement ProgramInvolved in classroom; involved in decision makingParents as teachers; increased professional

developmentNational Laboratory

Research; development of curriculum; teacher training models

Locally administered and controlledIntegrity and consistency – HS Performance Standards

Lessons LearnedCommon ThemesFundamental questions continue…Many ideas revisited…Emerging differences….

INTENTIONAL teachingDevelopment more than unfolding…

INTERACTIVEFLEXIBILITY in Standards and approaches

We are still changing!