Early childhood education programs vary from school to school. There are so many different educational programs for children, and these are taught in a variety of formats to kids of many ages. They begin with early learning opportunities such as those offered in preschool programs, or even earlier with early reading taped programs for infants and toddlers. Opportunities progress as children grow so that kids may explore a number of extracurricular interests or enhance skills needed in the school environment. When children are in formal school settings, such as the primary grades, educational programs for children don’t stop. In fact, with many schools now so dedicated on meeting state standards, they may be needed more than ever to create a well-rounded education. Certain promises of early primary school, such as experimentation with art and music, have often been dropped or reduced in favor of focus on reading and math.
Jean Piaget (1896-1980) view of how children's minds work and develop has been enormously influential, particularly in educational theory. His particular insight was the role of maturation (simply growing up) in children's increasing capacity to understand their world: they cannot undertake certain tasks until they are psychologically mature enough to do so. Many schools follow this way of thinking. Maria Montessori (1870-1952) established much of her theories on education based on the works of the scholar Froebel, and the physicians Jean Itard and Edouard Sequin which inspired her theories of sensory education for early childhood education. Modules necessary for a program to be considered Montessori include multiage groupings that foster peer learning, uninterrupted work time. Also, supplies and tools of the Montessori learning materials are needed for use in a visually pleasing environment. There are many different schools and programs that follow