Theorist that made an impact on early childhood education

    Frobel advocated the idea that children learn through play and play is essentially work for children. Children flourish in a play environment according to Froebel's theory on learning through play. He believed in promoting crucial developmental growth through problem solving, learning, and play. Also, he believed that self-learning was most beneficial to the child to help them comprehend and retain the information to the best of their abilities. Froebel also designed children's toys to promote learning through play. Crafting items such as balls, wooden blocks, tiles, and stick and ring set, his goal of promoting play was achieved.

     Froebel created the learning environment of kindergarten for children in which children should learn through play. He also supported the idea that teachers should be trained and educated in order to work with children. His work helped to inform people of the importance of an educational foundation based upon learning through play.

"Play is the highest expression of human development in childhood for it alone is the free expression of what is in a child's soul"

~Frederick Froebel

    Maria Montessori (1870-1952) studied educational philosophy. She was an Italian physician and she was also an educator who attended many universities and a technical institue after completing her secondary education, following in the footsteps of her father who was considered to be an intellect of the time period. She was mentored by her mother and had a close, positive realtionship with her. Commonly, she studied children with mental disabilities, impairment, or some form of retardation.  

    Montessori founded the Montessori Approach. She said that students learn the best through self-guided learning and can naturally correct themselves. Assignments should be created independently, for the child to receive the most out of that learning experience, according to Montessori. Emphasizing practical skills such as cleaning and caring for themselves, Montessori taught student things they needed for life rather than focusing on what it considered a 'core' subject in America today. She believed that children each developed at their own individual paces. Children learn actively by using there sense. In her observations, she concluded that children were bored rather than unruly.  

    Montessori's approach impacted early childhood education by the formation of Montessori Schools. In Montessori schools students are given self-directed learning tools and teachers serve more of a facilitator, rather than educator, role. Also, she established that child sized furniture should be used, especially in the classroom environment. 

"The child, making use of all things he finds around himself, shapes himself for the
 future"

~Maria Montessori

    John Dewey (1859-1952) studied educational philosophy and psychology. Dewey was an American philosopher, psychologist, and educational reformer. He was also an author, best known for his literary works in relation to childhood development and learning. Dewey was also a major advocate for democracy, though he focused most of his literary works on childrens psychology and building connections and relations with materials as a way of learning.

Dewey's theory of the progressive approach said that students learn best when they can relate content to thier lives or some other real world application. His theories simply promoted connections between the material that is being learned and taught to the student and the real world. The real world accoriding to his theory consisted of things that childrennare farmilliar with and encounter regulary, therefore, giving them a personal realtion to the material, and allowing for them to be able to retain and recall the information easily. Dewey believed that building connections further enhanced the learning experience.

Dewey's ideas promoted laboratory schools in the 1920s. He also believed there should be comprehensive schools with applicable curriculum available to students for them to get the most out of their education. Dewey believed that there should be career focused courses available to students to promote applicable learning and real world uses for concepts learned.

"Education, therefore, is a process of living and not a preparation for future living"

~John Dewey