Introduction To Early Childhood Education

EDU4017EF - U39A Introduction to Early Childhood Education CA1

Joanne Leung Chung Yan 11120273

Submission date: 9th December, 2014

Philosophy of education can refer to either the academic field of applied philosophy or to one of any educational philosophies that promote a specific type or vision of education, and which examine the definition, goals and meaning of education. It is important because it helps to understand and modify the educational process. And, it helps to identify conflicts and contradictions in any theory. Also, it develops the human capacity to raise questions about theory. Moreover, it clarifies concepts and assumptions that are underlying educational theories. The importance of studying the educational philosophy at

Also, I will let them explore the environment freely. My philosophy of education is that children learning through play by providing hands-on activities and basic on child-centered. Learning through play is the best way for children to learn. They can have freedom to explore and play, which develop social and cognitive skills, mature emotionally, and gain self-confidence to engage in new experiences and environment. Children can do activities with their hands in hands-on activities. They can use different senses, for example touch, to feel the texture of different materials. And, they can use their body to explore the environment and gain experiences. This also helps them to develop gross and fine motor skills. Child-centered is to follow children’s interest and what they want to learn, not just follow teacher’s instructions. It is focus on each child’s interests, abilities, and learning styles. Placing teacher as a facilitator of learning, and give them

The first giant is Friedrich Wilhelm Froebel. He proposed that play is a necessary element in educating the “whole” child allowing him to use all his imaginative powers and physical movements to explore his interests. Froebel stated, “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.” He was convinced that the primary focus for teaching young children should be through play. The second giant is Lev Vygotsky. Vygotsky believed in the sociocultural theory that children learn actively and through hands-on experiences, and that parents and caregivers and peers have a role in a child’s development. He said children learn best when new information is scaffolded for them. He called the area of cognitive development, from where a child starts out to where he could get to with scaffolding, the Zone of Proximal Development. The third giant is Maria Montessori. A very important phrase in the Montessori philosophy is: “Teach me how to do it myself”. For educators this means that students should not only learn to work independently, but more importantly they should help students learn to think independently as well. In her observations Montessori noticed that young children in their drive to become independent use their different senses to