Pioneers

Rousseau (1712 - 1778)

• influenced by Plato
• children are born innocent - challenged medieval beliefs that children are born bad and need discipline to be good
• should be protected from external influences until adolescence
• education should harmonise with nature
• learn through senses

infancy - first contact with environment, learn to respond with body5-12 - use senses to explore environment and start to learnadolescence - children learn science by observing what happens in nature

• replacing this education with books teaches the child not to reason for himself but reply upon the reason of others
• should be joyful
• natural growth and development, active involvement in education, individuality

Pestalozzi (1746 - 1827)

• advocated education of poor and emphasised teching methods designed to strengthen the student's own abilities
• should observe children closely - feelings and sympathy are important
• educate whole person - head, heart and hand to reach equilibrium
• child is a seed - need to be nurtured, not directed
• developed educational institutes for poor children
• integrated curriculum that would develop the whole child
• develop through natural state and moral state
• importance of mother
• children should learn through activity, saw education as social justice, improvement of social conditions, loving and emotionally secure environment

Froebel (1782 - 1852)

• influenced by Pestalozzi
• father of kindergarten
• most natural child activity is play
• whole child
• natural curiosity
• gifts - actual physical appearance and hidden symbolic meaning, allow children to explore schemas e.g. sticks, cubes, bowls
• occupations e.g. stories, talking, nature walks, gardening
• play is highest phase of development - should be structured but allow children to make choices
• children instruct and educate themselves
• learning should involve first hand experiences and be child-centred
• outdoors-indoors easy to move between
• role of adults - foster play, plan and facilitate, enter play but not intervene, support the child, observe
• develop from within - self active and free while connecting with the whole of the universe
• senses are the origins of the mind
• classroom as a social continuation of the ideal family

Steiner (1861-1925)

• Waldorf schools began in 1919
• education of a child should be a combination of spiritual, emotional, physical and intellectual aspects
• aesthetic environment in school that connects with the universe
• care for the environment and nourishment of the senses
• creative, artistic experiences through domestic and artistic activities
• child-initiated free play
• development of healthy will activity
• protection of gratitude, reverance and wonder
• rhythm, repetition and routine
• child at centre
• develop in 3 stages;
• 0-7 - preoccupied with themselves
• 7-14 - affective stage based on emotions
• 14-20 - cognitive stage or intellect

Steiner (1861 - 1925) Continued

• environment should be simple using natural wood and good architecture, clean and simple, beautiful, calming colours, soft material diffusing light at window, toys made out of natural materials
• a nourshing environment inside and outside engages the senses
• wanted to connect inwardness of man to inwardness of universe
• play - practical, daily life activities (baking bread, planting), artistic activities (singing, drama, musical instruments), imaginative and creative play (symbolic, pretend, socio-dramatic), additional activities (language, movement activities)
• teacher - central importance, role model
• teacher must display competence in music, art, storytelling and languages - thinker, poet, artisti, scientist, musician, environmentalist
• stay with same class from reception to year 6 - after age 8 some specialist teachers are used for particular subjects
• relationships are of central importance
• legacy: 893 schools in 32 countries

Montessori (1870 - 1952)

• hospital work on nervous disorders, intellectual disorders
• set up on school in Rome - 'casa dei bambini'
• in a Montessori classroom children can achieve self-discipline and freedom for their own development when provided with the appropriate environment and materials to explore - should have a choice of what and how to do things
• children deserve respect, superior to adults due to innocence and possibilities of their future
• child-centred
• freedom of choice, of repetition
• respect - self-discipline >> self-motivation
• independence, curioisity, whole child
• environment should have structure and order, no distractions, encourages repetition
• equipment is authentic and child-sized, natural material, authentic objects, student-created, accessibility, asthetically pleasing, community life, sense of ownership, sharing and mixed ages
• Montessori materials are meaningful to the child, progress from simple to complex, prepare for future learning, begin as conrete graduate to aspect, teach only one concept at a time

Montessori (1870 - 1952) Continued

• materials divided into; practical life (pouring, sorting, scrubbing), academic (language, writing, maths), sensorial (learning through senses), cultural/artistic (our world, science, history)
• 4 main developmental stages (sensitive periods); realise children learn differently at different ages; infancy (birth-6 years) - based on senses, absorbent mind, age 3 high level of physical and biologial independence; childhood (6-12 years) - mental independence, learn about the world, peak at 9 yrs; adolescence (12-18 years) - social independence, development of social policy; maturity (18-24 years) - spiritual and moral independence
• role of teacher - make environment educationally interesting and safe, decide on activities and layout, help child develop abilities, observe analyse and provide materials and activities approprite for children, communicate regularly with parents
• role of parent - important role, mother has unique bond with child
• play - work of the child, should be structured, purpose is to learn, shouldn't be interrupted, finish when children feel ready, develops concentration and forms personality, didn't consider free play
• criticisms - encouraged to work individually and not in small groups, lot of structure, no free play, limits on choice and make believe/pretend play - Montessori didn't see purpose

Isaacs (1885 - 1948)

• pioneered the use of observations
• parents are main educators of their children
• believed that institutionalised care before 7 years was a danger
• believed in promoting children's emotions and feelings
• emphasised importance of nursery education - pushed compulsory education - viewed nursery as extension of home, but not a substitute
• thought role of play promoted intellectual growth
• valued play as gave children freedom to think, feel and relate to others - based on observations at her own school
• indoor/outdoor space should be richly resourced
• child needs to learn to solve their own problems through exploring, experimenting and play
• environment needs to be generous in warmth of feeling and opportunity for activity - child needs to feel secure
• play helps development, promotes confidence
• taught us to view children holistically, listen to the talk to children and watch what they do as we can view things as they view them
• teacher - love, sympathy, patience and natural insight, scientific understanding as well as mother wit and mother love

McMillan Sisters - Margaret McMillan (1860 - 1931), Rachel McMillan (1859 - 1917)

• worked with poor
• every child is a person in his/her own right, children of God, right to live and fulfil potential
• children need to be nurtured - senses (intellect), health (wellbeing), love and joy (kindness)
• fairness and social justice, sense of beauty, nature and simplicity
• observing children carefully like Isaacs
• outside environment - all activities outdoors, animals, nature, open air nurseries, bathrooms outdoors, best environment for physical wellbeing
• play - develops whole child, learn through senses, based on experiences and interests, free play, purposeful, responsibility, role-play/imitative/fantasy, problem solving, child initiated
• up to the age of 5, children need a sleep during school hours and opportunities for repose
• role of adult - carer, nurturer, supportive, provide stimulating environment, play companion, observer and recorder of development, facilitator of learning, know when to and when not to intervene, trainer and role model
• legacy - free school meals, importance of good food for wellbeing, medical inspections/clinics, importance of early years, specialist training of teachers, open air nurseries, involvement of parents, nurseries as centre of communities