MODULE ASSIGNMENTS
· Reading AssignmentResource[->0]
Read the following for Module 1: The History of Early Childhood Education:
1. Beginnings and Beyond - Chapters 1 and 2.
2. As you read, ask yourself the following questions: a. Why is the past important? b. How have the beliefs and ideas of great educators influenced early childhood programs?
3. The Lecture Notes and Power Point Presentation found in Course Documents under Lecture Notes
Last modified: Wednesday, December 31, 1969, 07:00 PM
· Homework Assignments--Chapters 1 and 2, due May 28th (online)[->1]

Portfolio Assignment:
After reading and studying Chapters 1 & 2 in Beginnings and Beyond, complete the following assignments for each Chapter. As a suggestion, as you complete your work, add the page number where you located your information. The page will be easy to find again if you need to prove the veracity (or accuracy) of your work.
· Chapter 1
1. Define and be able to explain Key Terms. (pg. 36)
2. Complete Review Questions #1&4 (pg. 36)
3. Define pedagogic creed and then complete Learning Activity #2. (pg. 37)
· Chapter 2
1. Define and be able to explain Key Terms. (pg. 71)
2. Complete Review Questions # 1 thru 4. (pg. 71)

Chapter 1:
KEY TERMS
1) Professionalism – the competence or skill expected of a professional; in early childhood education, this includes a sense of identity, purpose to engage in developmentally appropriate practices, a commitment to ethical teaching and to child advocacy, and participation in the work as a legitimate livelihood.
2) Early childhood education – Education in the early years of life; the field of study that deals mainly with the learning and experiences of children from infancy through the primary years (up to approximately eight years of age.)
3) Building block years – The phrase refers to the foundation years of early childhood; namely the first eight years of life in which the basic skills of life and future learning is set, such as loco motor skills of walking and manipulating cognitive skills of language, literacy and thinking, and affective skills of social interaction, personal identity, and self-expression.
4) Readiness – The condition of being ready, such as being in the state or stage of development so that the child has the capacity to understand, be taught, or engage in a particular activity.
5) Tabula rasa – A mind not affected yet by experiences, sensations, and the like. In John Locke’s theory, a child which all experiences were written.
6) Integrated curriculum – A set of courses designed to form a whole; coordination of the various areas of study making for continuous and harmonious learning.
7) Kindergarten / children’s garden – a school or class for children four to six years old; In the United States, kindergarten is either the first year of formal public school or the year of schooling before the first grade.
8) Self-correcting – materials or experiences that are build or arranged so that the person using them can act automatically to correct errors, without needing another person to check or point out mistakes.
9) Child-centered approach – The manner of establishing educational experiences that takes into consideration children’s ways of perceiving and learning; manner of organizing a classroom, schedule, and teaching methods with an eye towards a child’s viewpoint.
10) Parent cooperative schools – An educational setting organized by parents for their young children, often with parental control and / or support in the operation of the program itself.
11) Open school – A style of education, developed in progressive American schools and in the British infant schools, that is organized to encourage freedom of choice and that does not use pre-determined roles and structure as the basis of education; and educational setting whose ultimate goal and base for curriculum is the development of the individual child, rather than of programmed academic experiences.
12) Vertical groupings (mixed age) – The practice of placing children of several levels, generally on year apart, into the same classroom. Also referred to as family grouping, heterogeneous grouping, multiage grouping, vertical grouping, and ungraded classes.
13) Integrated day – A school schedule with no prescribed time periods for subject matter, but rather an environment organized around various interest centers among which children choose in organizing their own learning experiences.
14) Ethic of social reform – The quality of programs and services needed for children under eight and the education reforms that provide it.
15) Importance and uniqueness of childhood – Children’s health and welfare and the changes in family life.
16) Transmitting values – a major theme in early childhood education and history, helping children learn and accept basic values of the family and community has been one of the reasons for education for centuries.
REVIEW QUESTIONS
1.) Identify and describe five key people who influenced the field of early childhood education. With whom would you like to have studied or worked? Why? a. John Amos Comenius (1592-1670) was a Czech educator who wrote the first picture book called, “The World of Pictures,”1658. He fosters the belief that education should follow the nature order of thing and advocated approaching learning based on the principles of nature. He proposed that teaches should work with children’s own inclinations, for “What is natural takes place without compulsion.” Comenius emphasized a basic concept that is now taken for granted: “Learning by doing.” b. John Locke (1632-1714), was an English philosopher of the 1600’s educational philosophy. He based this theory of education on the scientific method and the study of the mind and learning. The theorized the concept of tabula rasa, the belief that the child is born natural, rather than evil, and is a “clean slate” on which the experiences of parents, society, education, and the world are written. This contribution is felt most in our acceptance of individual influences, in giving children reasons as the basis for helping children to learn, and his theory of a “clean slate” that points to the effect of the environment of learning. c. Jean Jacques Rousseau (1712 – 1778) was a writer and philosopher, who proposed that children were not inherently evil, but naturally good. He is best known for his book, “Emille” (1761), which he raised a hypothetical child to adulthood. He suggested that school atmosphere should be less restrained and more flexible to meet the needs of the children. He also insisted on using concrete teaching materials, leaving the abstract and symbolism for later years. His call to naturalism transformed education in such a way that led educators to eventually focus more on the early years. Rousseau’s ideas are still followed today in early childhood classes. Free play is based on Rousseau’s belief in children’s inherent goodness and ability to choose what they need to learn. Environments that stress autonomy and self-regulation have their roots in Rousseau’s philosophy. Using concrete rather than abstract materials for young children is still one of the cornerstones of developmentally appropriate curriculum in the early years. d. Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi (1746-1827), was a Swiss educator whose theories on educating and caring have formed the basis of mainly common teaching practices of early childhood education. His contributions are strongest around the integration of the curriculum and group teaching. He also initiated sensory education and blended both freedom and limits into working with children. e. Friedrich Wilhelm Froebel (1782-1852) was one of the major contributors to early childhood education, particularly in his organization of educational though and ideas about learning curriculum, and teacher training. He is also known as the “Father of the Kindergarten”, not only giving it a name, but for devoting his life to the development of a system of education for young children. Every day, teachers in centers and homes across the country practice the Froebelian belief that one’s first educational experiences should be a “child’s garden”; full of pleasant discoveries and delightful adventure, where the adults role is to plant ideas and materials for children to use as they grown at their own pace.
2.) Match the name with the appropriate phrase. Put them in the order that best matches your own theory of early childhood education. State your reasons.
Rousseau|“prepared environment”|
Montessori|“nurture” school|
Froebel|Children are naturally good|
Malaguzzi|Father of kindergarten|
Dewey|Common-sense approach|
Spock|First picture book for children|
McMillan sisters|Progressive Movement|
Comenius|Reggio Emilia|
3.) Define early childhood education in your own words. Include age ranges and what you believe to be its purpose. Contrast this to the text definition and defend your position.
4.) Name three institutions or living persons who are influencing the history of early childhood today. Describe your reactions to each and how they have influenced your educational philosophy.

5.) Read the list below of some nontraditional and mainstream perspectives as described in the chapter. After each, trace it original root and put at least one example of how this perspective could be practiced in an early childhood classroom today.
Perspective|Roots in Early Childhood Practice|
Harmony||
Kinship networks||
Close ties to nature||
Respect for elders||
Cooperative work||
Expressiveness||

6.) Maria Montessori made several contributions to education. What are some of her theories, and how did she adapt them for classroom use? How are Montessori materials or teaching methods used in your classroom?
7.) Name the four themes that have guided early childhood education throughout its history.
LEARNING ACTIVITIES
2.) Write your own pedagogic creed. List five of what you consider to be the most important beliefs you hold about educating young children. How do you see those beliefs expressed in school today?

CHAPTER 2:
KEY TERMS
1. Developmentally appropriate practice (DAP) – that is which suitable or fitting to the development of the child; refers to those teaching practices that are based on the observation and responsiveness to children as learners with developing abilities who differ from one another by rate of growth and individual differences, rather than of differing amounts of abilities. It also refers to respectful of the social and cultural aspects of the children and their families.
2. Sociocultural – Aspects of theory or development that refer to the social and cultural issues; key descriptor of Vygotsky’s theory of development.
3. Mixed-age grouping - The practice of placing children of several levels, generally on year apart, into the same classroom. Also referred to as family grouping, heterogeneous grouping, multiage grouping, vertical grouping, and ungraded classes.
4. Looping – The practice of keeping a leader and a group of children in a class together for two or more years.
5. Traditional nursery school – The core of early childhood educational theory and practice; program designed for children aged two-and-a-half to five years of age, which may be a part- or an all-day program.
6. Child care center – A place for care for children far a large portion of their waking day; includes basic care taking activities of eating, dressing, resting, toileting, as well as playing and learning time.
7. Family child care – Care for children in a small, homelike setting; usually six or fewer children in a family residence.
8. Laboratory schools – Educational settings whose purpose includes experimental study; Schools for testing and analysis of educational and / or psychological theory and practice, with an opportunity for experimentation, observation, and practice.
9. Parent cooperative schools – An educational setting organized by parents for their young children often wit parental control and for support in the operation of the program itself.
10. Employer-sponsored child care – Child care supported in some way by the parent’s employees. Support may be financial (as an employee benefit or subsidy) or physical (offering on-site care).
11. Faith-based programs – Those programs that teach the religious dogma of the sponsoring organization.
12. Educating – A concept of teaching as both educating and care giving; Coined by Magda Gerber in referring to people working with infants and toddlers.
13. Attachment (Attachment Behaviors) – The relational bond that connects a child to another important person; feeling and behaviors of devotion or positive connection.
14. Alignment – The act of matching the subject matter of the curriculum with the desired outcomes that the learning standards require.
15. Self-care – A current description for latchkey children (see latchkey children).
16. Evaluation – A study to determine or set significance or quality.
17. Accountability – The quality or state of being answerable to someone or being responsible for explaining exact conditions; school often must give specific account of their actions to a funding agency to assure the group that the funds and operation of the school a being handled properly.

REVIEW QUESTIONS
1. What are the three core considerations of developmentally appropriate practices? a) The three core considerations of developmentally appropriate practices includes the following: 1. What is known about child development and learning – knowledge of age related characteristics that permit general prediction about what experiences are likely to best promote children’s learning and development. This is the care around which data of developmentally appropriate is built. 2. What is known about each child as an individual.
7What predictions users learn about each child that has implication for how best to adapt and be responsive to individual variations. 3. What is known about the social and cultural contexts in which children live – the values, expectations and behavioral and linguistic contentions that shape children’s lives at home and in their communities that practitioners must strive to understood in order to ensure that learning experiences in the program or school or meaningful, relevant, and respectful for each child and family.
2. What factors determine how a program serves diverse needs? a) There are several factors that determine how a program serves diverse needs which include: 1. Ages of children being served 2. Philosophical, theoretical, or theological ideals 3. Goals of the program 4. Purpose for which the program was established 5. Requirements of sponsoring agency 6. Quality and training of teaching staff. 7. Shape, size, and location of physical environment 8. Cultural, ethnic, economic, and social make-up of the community, and 9. Financial stability
3. What are the core programs of early childhood education? a) There are four core programs of early childhood education which are the Traditional Nursery school, Child Care Centers, Family Child Care, and Head Start. 1. Traditional Nursery School, often called preschool, exemplifies a developmental approach to learning in which children actively explore materials and in which activity or learning centers are organized to meet the developing skills or interests of the child. Most of these programs serve children from 2 ½ to 5 years of age. 2. Child Care Center is a place for children who need care for a greater portion of the day than what the traditional nursery school offers. The school schedule is expanded to fit the hours of working parents, which means that ordinary routines such as meals and naps are woven into the program. Child Care Centers often serve infants and toddlers as well as 2 ½ to 5 year olds. Many offer Kindergarten, before- and after- school options, and summer programs. 3. Family Child Care providers take care of a small number of children in a family residence. The group size can range from two to 12, but most homes keep a low adult to child ratio, enrolling fewer than 6 children. The developmental ranges that family child care providers must meet may range from infancy to 12 years, which poses a challenge to develop experiences and activities for a mixed age group of children. 4. Head Start was created by the Federal Government in 1965, which was the largest publically funded education program for young children ever.
4. What are the variations of the core programs and who do they serve? a) Universal Preschools b) Laboratory Schools c) Parent Cooperatives d) Employer-Sponsored Child Care e) For-Profit Child Care f) Nanny Care g) Programs in Religious Facilities h) Other Programs: 1. Teen Parent Programs 2. Early Intervention and Special Education programs 3. Migrant Children’s Programs 4. Hospital Settings 5. Meeting the Needs of Children who are Homeless.
5. The age range of early childhood programs is extended in what ways?

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