Historical Foundations of Early Childhood Education
The Developmental-Interaction Approach
Many pre-schools, kindergartens, and elementary schools today employ the ideas of progressive education. One example is Bank Street School for Children in New York City. With its roots in progressive education, the Bank Street School also drew inspiration from child development theory including the work of Anna Freud, Erik Erikson, Barbara Biber, and Jean Piaget. The school is still in operation today, as well as the Bank Street College of Education. The founders of the Bank Street School emphasized, like others before them, the education of the 'whole' child, as well as the interactions between child and environment and the child with other people. The name of the approach changed from "The Bank Street Approach" to the "Direct-Interaction" Approach, sometime in the 1970's, to shift the focus on the basis of the approach rather than the location of its origin.
In 1916, Harriet Johnson, Caroline Pratt, and Lucy Sprague Mitchell formed the Bureau of Educational Experiments in New York City, which was the predecessor of the Bank Street College of Education, both institutes for research in child development. Mitchell, who was deeply dedicated to children's learning, directed the Bank Street School. Her book Young Geographers introduced the study of geography to young students through direct experiences within their own communities. She and her colleagues believed that children learned the best when "the classroom allows for the social experience of living within a democratic community" (Feeny, Moravcik, Nolte, Christensen 2010). They believed that children should be actively engaged in thinking and reasoning, relating to real life experiences in their communities and extend outwards. The DIA classroom is representative of general society, using social studies and field trips as the core experiences of the curriculum. Children learn through exploration of their own communities in places like bakeries, grocery stores, the harbor, and more. Children learn through direct experience with their subject of study, and then enrich that experience with follow-up activities in the classroom. The DIA classroom is set up with centers where children make independent choices about activities and learning. There are class meetings and facilitated group activities, but there is plenty of independent play. Play is considered an essential part of the curriculum, particularly dramatic play and block-building, as these activities allow children to express their understanding of the world around them. Those educators who support this method advocate the importance of the child as a member of society, of the group. Teachers facilitate a democratic community, as well as serve as sensitive interpreters and facilitators, responding to the needs of the individual child. Emphasis is not on the "how", but rather on the "why?"
The Developmental-Interaction Approach
Many pre-schools, kindergartens, and elementary schools today employ the ideas of progressive education. One example is Bank Street School for Children in New York City. With its roots in progressive education, the Bank Street School also drew inspiration from child development theory including the work of Anna Freud, Erik Erikson, Barbara Biber, and Jean Piaget. The school is still in operation today, as well as the Bank Street College of Education. The founders of the Bank Street School emphasized, like others before them, the education of the 'whole' child, as well as the interactions between child and environment and the child with other people. The name of the approach changed from "The Bank Street Approach" to the "Direct-Interaction" Approach, sometime in the 1970's, to shift the focus on the basis of the approach rather than the location of its origin.
In 1916, Harriet Johnson, Caroline Pratt, and Lucy Sprague Mitchell formed the Bureau of Educational Experiments in New York City, which was the predecessor of the Bank Street College of Education, both institutes for research in child development. Mitchell, who was deeply dedicated to children's learning, directed the Bank Street School. Her book Young Geographers introduced the study of geography to young students through direct experiences within their own communities. She and her colleagues believed that children learned the best when "the classroom allows for the social experience of living within a democratic community" (Feeny, Moravcik, Nolte, Christensen 2010). They believed that children should be actively engaged in thinking and reasoning, relating to real life experiences in their communities and extend outwards. The DIA classroom is representative of general society, using social studies and field trips as the core experiences of the curriculum. Children learn through exploration of their own communities in places like bakeries, grocery stores, the harbor, and more. Children learn through direct experience with their subject of study, and then enrich that experience with follow-up activities in the classroom. The DIA classroom is set up with centers where children make independent choices about activities and learning. There are class meetings and facilitated group activities, but there is plenty of independent play. Play is considered an essential part of the curriculum, particularly dramatic play and block-building, as these activities allow children to express their understanding of the world around them. Those educators who support this method advocate the importance of the child as a member of society, of the group. Teachers facilitate a democratic community, as well as serve as sensitive interpreters and facilitators, responding to the needs of the individual child. Emphasis is not on the "how", but rather on the "why?"
