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Period: Jan 1, 1483 to
Early Childhood Education Key Teachers/Influencers
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Jan 1, 1500
Martin Luther
Martin Luther was the earliest person to be involved in Early Childhood education. He was a big believer in schools teaching kids how to read. He also was religious and was a firm believer in the Bible and its scriptures being read. He translated the Bible into German and also believed everybody should be able to learn/read in their native language. -
John Amos Comenius
John Amos Comenius was a teacher and wrote textbooks. A few of his most notable works are The Great Didactic and Orbis Pictus. Orbis Pictus is considered the first children's picture book. He believed that education should begin at a young age and that belief continues on to this day. -
John Locke
John Locke is best known for his theory that the mind is a blank tablet. This basically means that the experiences you have and your environment can shape your knowledge and development throughout your life and it starts at an early age. This belief is definitely still true and being put into practice today. -
Friedrich Wilhelm Froebel
Friedrich Wilhelm Froebel is known as the 'father of the kindergarten". He strongly believed in children learning through self-activity/play. He developed a systematic curriculum to teach kids which involved "gifts", "occupations", songs and educational games. He made learning fun, which is definitely still a priority in teaching today. -
Maria Montessori
Maria Montessori was the first woman in Italy to earn a medical degree. Through this she became interested in educational issues with children who have mental and physical disabilities and how to help them. She organized schools for young children of families living in Rome. The first school was named Casa dei Bambini, or "Children's House". In this school she tested her ideas and perfected her system, which is known as the Montessori Method and is currenty being used in many schools. -
Andrew Maslow
Andrew Maslow developed the Self-Actualization Theory. It is based on human needs such as; aesthetic needs, achievement and prestige, belonging and love, safety and security and life essentials. He identified self-actualization as the highest human need. However, it can't be achieved until all the other needs are met. All of these needs are very important in the lives of children. -
Erik Erikson
Erik Erikson developed the theory of psychosocial development, which is based on the idea that cognitive and social development go together and cannot be separated. He believed that children's personalities and social abilities develop and continue through society and its demands/expectations, values, families, school and child care programs. -
Urie Bronfenbrenner
Urie Bronfenbrenner developed the Ecological Theory. This theory looks at children's development pertaining to the relationships that form their invironment. These systems are: the microsystem, the mesosystem, the exosystem, the macrosystem and the chronosystem.