Early Childhood Theories Timeline by Alexis Gilles

Theory of the Social Contract

agilles41 — 2024-02-07 01:21:14 UTC

The 'Father of Education's' philosophy led to the understanding of practical development in early years.

Believed children were born good.

He understood education to come from three things, from nature, man and things.

He believed childhood was vastly different from adulthood and stressed that children should be able to develop free of societal constraints.

Pestalozzi Method

agilles41 — 2024-02-07 01:34:49 UTC

Believed that children learn through practice and observation, using all of their senses.

Advocated for the education of the poor and teaching methods that would strengthen each students' own abilities on their own timeline.

Father of Kindergarten

agilles41 — 2024-02-07 01:42:22 UTC

Developed a curriculum that incorporated creativity, imagination, and self-expression.

His approach to learning was that children learn best through their own exploration and discovery. Children should be allowed to play with teachers and others to learn.

He used 'gifts' which were a variety of educational toys such as blocks and balls which are still used widely in curriculum today along with songs and nursery rhymes.

The Montessori Method

agilles41 — 2024-02-07 01:50:12 UTC

She believed that children were naturally eager to learn, unique, and in need of protection from adverse influences in their early years.
She observed how free choice let the children develop a deeper interest in the activities they chose.

She used a child centered approach with child sized furniture which promoted all aspects of development.

Sociocultural Theory

agilles41 — 2024-02-07 01:58:00 UTC

Vygotsky believed that social and cultural environments had a vast effect on a child's cognitive development.

He believed that play was as good for cognitive development as it was for social and emotional development.

Interaction with skilled adults could help them reach their potential development, an impact called the zone of proximal development.

Ecological Systems Theory

agilles41 — 2024-02-07 02:03:28 UTC

Saw the child as developing in a complex social system. They are affected by relationships and surrounding environments that he placed into four environments extended beyond the home. Microsystem, Mesosystem, Exosystem, and Macrosystem.

The Macrosystem affects the microsystem and the impact that children receiving all the support and resources they need benefits their everyday lives.