Running head: EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION PHILOSOPHY

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Early Childhood Education Philosophy Statement
Jaime Beckman
Instructor: Evin Fox
EARC 109: Foundations of Early Childhood
Spring 2013










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Early Childhood Education Philosophy
Introduction
I firmly believe that while it is important to create an equal learning opportunity for all
children, it is equally important to acknowledge them as unique individuals that grow and learn
at their own pace. It is so important for teachers to recognize and expand on each personal
interest as to encourage their strengths and improve on their weaknesses or to encourage
improvement on things they seem to shy away from. It is important to acknowledge the children
first and foremost for who they are and not their gender, race, cultural background, age, or
development level. As a teacher this means I will always encourage that the differences are not
in any way negative, but rather coexisting strengths. These responsibilities and expectations are
crucial in the development of educational goals for a child. It is by the teachers ability to
individualize personal goals and to influence the different learning opportunities presented
during the school year that can create a progression for each student. I will acknowledge, honor,
and build on the different varied life histories and experiences of students backgrounds and
development levels.
Uniqueness
Early childhood education is unique in its sense of delivering thorough education to
children in its comparison to elementary and secondary education in that it provides standards
and levels of accountability in the educational system at the early childhood education level.
Early childhood education is an adverse field that covers the broad age range of birth through age
eight. According to Bredekamp (2012), in 2007 forty-nine states had published early learning
standards for preschool children in areas such as language, literacy, and mathematics (Scott-
Little, Lesko, Martella, & Milburn, 2007). The concept that schools and early education
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teachers, need to be held accountable for childrens achieving learning standards is instilled in all
early childhood education virtues and values.
Early childhood professionals are part of a cultural group that shares a unique vocabulary,
an identity, values, and beliefs. These include emphasis on the uniqueness of early childhood,
the value of play, the importance of relationships and a sense of community, valuing and
teaching each child as an individual, respecting linguistic and cultural diversity, and promoting
relationships with families (Bredekamp, 2012, p.31).
Philosophies
Philosophers and the progressive education movement greatly influenced the reform of strict,
harshly-disciplined schooling and the traditional ways of teaching. It is by the definition of
progressive education that the inspiration of a more responsive and socially functional education
system develops. There are many philosophers that moved and shaped the current form of early
childhood education in the US today. Mooney (2000) shares John Deweys notable idea of a
child-centered curriculum that encourages teachers to observe their students and build on their
interests. Deweys theories included a strong emphasis on being both active and interactive in
teaching and that education must involve the social world of the child and their community.
Bredekamp (2012), shares that Johann Pestalozzi believed that despite a childs living
condition they could benefit from education. He viewed their development as something that
should unfold naturally with a more nurturing approach than a directional approach. He
promoted the whole child (p.47) point of view that supported a childs physical, emotional,
social, moral, and intellectual development. Pestalozzis idea of constructivism derived from
Jean Piagets philosophy, that children should learn and discover things for themselves through
their own activity and experiences based on a stimulating environment. In Mooneys Theories of
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Childhood (2000), he shared Maria Montessoris views of believing in the natural development
of a child in their environment. Her idea of the absorbent mind (p.26) came from children
actively learning from sensory experiences. Her passion to increase the controlled environment
of poverty stricken families in the educational view point of the children has had a major impact
on the USs early childhood education. Other philosophers like Stanley Hall, Dewey, Froebel,
Comenius and Pestalozzi all shared an enthusiasm for individual learning. It is these remarkable
influences of creditable philosophers along with movements like progressive education that
propelled the early educational systems of today Mooney (2000).
These curriculums and theories are so beneficial to Early Childhood Education because of
their timely entrance into a more personal and individualized sense of learning. Each approach
has had a major impact on the progression of early childhood education and continues to be
valued at a high level for educators. First hand experiences, personal discovery, and expanding
on the basic traditional ideas of education are mandatory for the succession of Early Childhood
Education and its developments.
Developmentally Appropriate Practice
Developmentally appropriate practices are the way in which teachers engage their
students based on their interests and adapt to their age, abilities, experiences and understandings.
This approach allows children to be met at their level the help challenge them and achieve
personal goals. It is based on what is already recognized as their strengths on how they develop
and learn. The term developmentally appropriate practice itself is used to describe the
materials that are used to learn and the learning experiences they begin accumulate on their own.
The expectations of each child can adhere to and fuel the appropriate way to further their
education at their own individual level and pace.
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According to Bredekamp (2012), the theory developed by Lucy Sprague Mitchell served as
the connecting link between Deweys progressive education movement and NAEYCs current concept of
high-quality education. She drew from both a progressive philosophy and a research-based practice that
focused on child development rather than a specific learning curriculum. She followed the whole-child
approach as set by Pestalozzi and observed how childrens development is stimulated by their experiences
and activities. She focused on a scientific measurement of development and set stages and developing
norms. Her educational philosophy of the here and now (p.443) is recognized as a launching pad for
early education and her concepts of field trips, projects, and the general curriculum continue to broaden
the horizons for children in early learning.
Diversity
With my experience working with families and children from different ethnic
backgrounds my understanding of the importance on connecting learning to every aspect of the
students background has grown such an incredible amount. Families, Communities, and
Cultures have such an influential impact on an individual students ability to learn. It's so
incredibly important for the parents to understand that we as teacher value their religious
background, cultural differences, and that we can adjust and adapt our teaching techniques to
help all the students begin to recognize these differences as not only common but beneficial to
the classroom and their level of learning. Teachers have to delve into the depth of understanding
a childs cultural differences because the level of diversity of children and their families in Early
Childhood Education. Without this background understanding of their students and the families
they work with there would be no foundational development of how to better the education level
of each individual child and the early childhood education program. Even if outward differences
are not apparent teachers must recognize the influence that religion, heritage, language and
tradition has on their development in all aspects of education including their behaviors that are
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influenced by culture. As the US becomes more increasingly diverse with children from different
cultures and linguistic backgrounds, it becomes more important for teachers to understand and
embrace the realities of a culturally and linguistically diverse world. I feel that all aspects of
human life and culture affect the way of a childs thinking, behavior and problem solving. With
this being a huge foundation of Early Childhood Education it is so important that as teachers we
emphasize that these differences are a unique and beneficial part of being humans. Its also
important for us to implement this in our own lives with dealing with all the people surrounding
our lives.
Curriculum
There are different approaches to the curriculum of early childhood education. One of the
most beneficial approaches is fueled by differentiated instruction or creating multiple variations
of learning to each childs different abilities, interest, and learning needs. It offers equally
appropriate learning instruction and experiences so that each child can achieve their own
personal goals. This is extremely important to implement in early childhood education so that the
children can grow and learn at their own pace and not suffer the pressures or stresses of being
compared to their peers.
Another extremely important approach to teaching is playing. Children play an important
role in the development of learning by free play and using their own hands on experiences to
discover their own passions and interests in what fuels their desire in education. Teachers can
support this sense of development and learning by offering an atmosphere and curriculum that
allows them to expand on these individual interests. There support and involvement in the childs
interest teaches the child that their individual interest are important and matter.
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Some of the principles that can be derived from the theories of free play learning and
development as stated by the videographer Costa Join the Play Revolution (2012), would be
the importance of involvement from educators or adult influences in a childs life. They
understand their world by creative play, is a powerful statement that can be supported in many
aspects of fundamental early educational learning. Other principles that are derived can be the
importance of fueling the interests of the childs personal interactions with either a specific
subject or in a social aspect of relating to other children. These are effective practices in that they
allow the child to comfortably adapt to their surroundings and continue to grow and develop in
their own passions and desires at a young age.
Conclusion
My philosophy of teaching includes my passion and goals in educating children. I believe
that my strengths in teaching are my experience, my love for children and my genuine
compassion to teach. I teach with the mindset that the dominant significance lies in the in
importance to acknowledge the children first and foremost for who they are and not their gender,
race, cultural background, age, or development level. As a teacher this means I will always
encourage that their differences are not in any way negative, but rather coexisting strengths. The
continuation of early childhood education and the ever adapting improvements in the world of
education continue to progress towards a more informed and progressive generation of upcoming
young adults. Nothing can be more important than the future of our children, their education and
the upcoming generation.
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References:
Berns, R. M. (2010). Child, family, school, community, socialization and support. (9 ed.).
Belmont, California: Cebgage Learning.
Bredekamp, S. (2012). Effective practices in early childhood education: Building a foundation.
Upper Saddle River, New Jeresey: Prentice Hall.
Costa, T. (Videographer). (2012, May 6). Join the Play Revolution - We Must Listen [Print
Photo]. Retrieved from
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=85noJ8km7SI
Mooney, C. G. (2000). Theories of childhood, an introduction to dewey, montessori, erikson,
piaget and vygotsky. St. Paul, MN: Redleaf Press.

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