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Period: 1483 to 1546
Martin Luther
Martin Luther changed the history of literacy by translating the bible from Latin to German. Through this translation, Luther offered people a way to learn to read in their native tongue. He stressed the importance of education for children, families and society as a whole. -
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Friedrich Froebel
Friedrich Froebel was the founding father of what is now known as kindergarten. He compared children to growing plants in a garden and the role of teachers to gardeners. His curriculum included specific materials coined as "gifts" and "occupations" for the children such as sewing, cutting, drawing or pasting. Froebel believed that children can and should learn through play. -
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Maria Montessori
Maria Montessori believed that children's knowledge is developed through sensory experiences. By creating a child friendly environment that incorporated appropriate sized design and self correcting materials, Montessori promoted the independence and self education of children. The Montessori approach was first established in Italy to educate children with specials needs and/or those living in poverty. Montessori schools can still be found all over the globe. -
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Jean Piaget
Jean Piaget was a Swiss psychologist who wanted examine how children learn differently from adults. Curious to investigate children's logical thinking, Piaget conducted interviews, observation and experiments to help develop his theory of cognitive development. He stressed the importance of mental and physical activity and emphasized project approach learning. -
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Lev Vygotsky
Lev Vygotsky developed the Sociocultural theory which stresses the importance that interpersonal relationships have on children’s social and cognitive development. He believed that there was a zone of proximal development, which describes the effect of when a child moves from independence to requiring assistance from someone more capable to complete a task. Vygotsky also suggested that communication between child and teacher can provide scaffolding for higher learning. -
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Erik Erikson
Erik Erikson believed that cognitive and social development occur together. His theory of psychosocial development identifies 8 stages that people go through from infancy to adulthood. Erikson stresses that emotions play a large role in cognitive and social development. He believes that adults play an important role in the development of a child’s personality. -
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Abraham Maslow
Abraham Maslow believed that development is dependent on basic human needs. He developed Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs which suggests that physiological, safety, and need of belonging must be met before a person is able to develop self esteem and self actualization. This stresses the importance of nutrition and security in children's lives. -
Period: to
Howard Gardner
Howard Gardner developed the theory of multiple intelligences. He proposes that there are nine different types of intelligence; visual/spatial, verbal/linguistic, mathematical/logical, bodily/kinesthetic, musical/rhythmic, intrapersonal, interpersonal, naturalist and existentialist. This theory suggests that children have different ways of processing information.