Early Childhood Educational Theories And Analysis

DeVries et al. (2002) Developing constructivist early childhood curriculum: practical principles and activities. Teachers College Press: New YorkGagne, Robert. (1968). Contributions of Learning to Human Development. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. (75): 3.

Chapter two discusses various theorists that helped to mold and shape early childhood education to where it is today. There are several different theorists that contributed to the development of early childhood education. Some of these theorists include Alfred Adler, Jean Piaget, Lev Vygotsky, and John Dewey. Each theorist developed a unique theory that has caused early childhood guidance and education to flourish like it has today. Without learning and building on these theories, early childhood guidance and education would never develop or change. The chapter explains how some theories may seem strange to the contemporary families, but these theories are the foundation of how early childhood education got to where it is today. The book goes

At the heart of early childhood education are young children. I thrive on the notion that education is a lifelong process and the building blocks of learning are developed in the early stages of life. I believe that life is all about gaining knowledge and sharing what we have learned with others. My philosophy of Early Childhood Education is based on research that indicates that a child’s growth is developmental. Each and every child is unique in terms of life experiences, developmental readiness and cultural heritage.

In my first semester of college at Concordia, I had the opportunity to have the class EDU 120. A requirement for this class was having 10 hours of fieldwork; at least 3 hours in each level of childhood. The reason for this requirement is to help the students discover what grade level they want to teach in the future.

For my journal article critique I chose Development Approaches to Teaching: Three Preschool Programs. By Amy Sussna Klein from Earlychildhood News

My philosophy of Early childhood education is based on research that indicates that a child’s growth is developmental. Every child is unique in terms of life experiences, developmental readiness, and cultural heritage. A high quality early childhood program that provides a safe and nurturing environment, which promotes physical, social, emotional, language and cognitive development will ensure a positive continuation of the child’s education process

“Early roots of play as a best practice for early learning was documented by Plato, a Greek philosopher, who insisted that play is considered a natural activity of childhood.”(Ingrid Crowther, 2011, Pg. 2) Early Childhood Education is a term that refers to educational programs that are devoted to children from birth to the age of eight. “Children of this age learn by exploring and investigating; therefore, their environment should support and encourage this process.”(Rebecca Isbell and Betty Exelby, 2001, Pg. 11) Early childhood environments should be attractive and exciting. These environments should allow children to work and play using proper resources, materials, and tools.

I am a student at Florida Atlantic University studying early childhood education. I am enrolled in EEC 3214 class this semester; the class is called designing and implementing a blending curriculum: birth to age eight. I am required to complete a field experience assignment at a preschool. I will observe young children ranging from three to five years old. I assure you that I will keep all information confidential. In addition, I reassure you that I will not share the information collected outside of my course and that no identifying information will be shared. I will respect and follow all the school’s policies and procedures in a professional manner.

This research report presents an analysis of and conclusions drawn from the experiences and perspectives of two educators that work in the early childhood setting. The main objective is to identify key elements and issues in relation to the families, diversity and difference. In particular how an early childhood educator implements, different approaches to honour culture and diversity, and to advocate for social justice in an early childhood settings. As such, it allows an insight into the important role that families and their background plays in the everyday lives of the children and educators within early childhood settings. In today’s ever-changing growing society it is essential for educators to be flexible to the

The setting needs to make children fully aware of the impact that discrimination has on others. In early care and education, the school follows an anti-bias curriculum this ensures that the end result is creating secure, respectful and mutual relationships that value diversity amongst other people. From an early age children and young people begin to build a sense of self, gender and racial identity. Practitioners need to develop children’s identities and self-esteem, help children to feel comfortable if they are different to others, create awareness of bias and stereotypes also provide children with the tools to react appropriately to bias. Anti-bias is an effective approach to the identification and challenging prejudicial and discriminatory practices in relationships between others. The following reasons are why anti-discriminatory are so important in the setting: It sets a good example, it creates and good and comfortable atmosphere, encourages children to see themselves and others as individuals, helps boost a child’s self-esteem, ensures equal opportunities for all children and makes sure that all children are included and nobody is every left

The NAEYC statement on developmental practice indicates change and continuity and change in the early childhood education field is vital due to the fact that their main commitment is excellence and equity. Nevertheless, all new knowledge gained over time has been advanced and increased. This means that with understanding, it has allowed us to revise and refine ideas for promoting children's development and learning. With developmentally appropriate practice, meeting and enabling the children are required. This means that teachers should get to know them well and push them to reach goals that may be a challenge but are achievable for them.

Anti-bias education is important for young children because children begin to recognize differences early on in life. (Derman-Sparks) My current understanding of anti-bias education for young children is to teach the children how to accept diversity and respect the differences between each other. I believe an anti-bias education provides the children with the opportunity to gain a sense of self along with feeling reassurance with other differences. As a future educator of young children, I need to be mindful that children create their attitudes and identities through interactions related to different experiences, such as their bodies, cognitive developmental stage, and their social environment. (Derman-Sparks) The variety of biases that exist in the children’s world need to be addressed in order to teach the children how to think critically about fairness; therefore, the children can learn how to oppose the bias. (Derman-Sparks) Likewise, my views about anti-bias education have changed because of the innovative information presented to me. I knew an anti-bias curriculum was essential for young children, but I did not know how important it truly was. My views of an anti-bias education mainly focused on holidays because I knew it would not be appropriate to only celebrate the holidays from one culture or religion. My views about anti-bias education grew because I understand that the overall goals of an anti-bias education are to enable the children to think

Providing children with an environment that nurtures their social, emotional, cognitive, and physical development is the framework that will promote children’s optimal learning and development. Gaining knowledge about the child will help a teacher to develop and create programs that are suitable for the age and the stages of children’s development. Applying developmentally appropriate practices will support the excellence in early childhood education because it is based off of the knowledge of knowing each child as an individual and how they develop.

Teachers are under a great amount of pressure to meet mandated academic benchmarks and goals, starting at even the earliest grade levels. They struggle to provide an environment for learning that is “evidenced based” and “adequately prepares children to succeed” (Burnett 146). Despite this pressure put on early childhood education teachers and students to keep up, research shows that children flourish in a play-based, discovery centered environment. In an article for The International Journal of Interdisciplinary Social Sciences, Sarah Burnett states that the constructivist theory, first proposed by scientist Jean Piaget, is recognized by many early childhood education organizations as the “most appropriate and effective avenue through which children learn” (147).

This paper describes the curriculum at Applied Behavior Consultant, Inc. (ABC) Infant and Toddler Development Program; The writer explains the different approaches, historical foundations, and psychological foundations that affect the preschool at ABC. The reader will understand ABC’s mission statement and how the educators in the preschool have a goal of providing each student with ways to enhance their quality of life. This writer used Ornstein and Hunkins textbook, Curriculum Foundations, Principles, and Issues to help outline the importance of using a curriculum.