Running head: EARLY CHILDHOOD PHILOSOPHY

Early Childhood Education Philosophy

Garren Moreno
College of Southern Idaho
Evin Fox
Introduction to Early Childhood Education
Fall 2014

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Abstract

I have spent the last few years of my life trying to figure out what I would like to do with my
life. I have worked at the Boys and Girls Club of Magic Valley for almost 8 years and have loved
my job since the beginning. I never thought of teaching or of working with kids until Ellen came
to train us at the Boys and Girls Club. We did a couple trainings with her and the Early
Childhood staff at the time. She talked me into doing this and I have loved the idea. I believe that
it takes a special person and a special skill to work with children, especially young children.

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THE UNIQUENESS OF EARLY CHILDHOOD

I believe there is a huge difference between early childhood and elementary and secondary
education. I believe that the importance of early childhood is big. At this age children are
learning far more than what they are learning in elementary and secondary education. They are
learning far more because their brain is developing and their brain is taking in so many things.
Children are also learning their place in the world and what the world is at this time. This is huge
to know where we are in the world and what our place is. The children are learning all of these
and more. In secondary and elementary school children are not learning these things because
hopefully they learned them during early childhood.
PHILOSOPHIES OF KNOWN AND ACCEPTED ECE PHILOSOPHERS
It is crazy to me that there were people who knew the right way to approach and teach children a
long time ago. This was before the research and the modern technology to prove their theories.
The people who developed these theories are known as John Dewey, and Maria Montessori.
What I learned from John Dewey is that Children learn from being around other people. The
children use those mirror neurons to do what they see around them. I am always being told that
children watch us and learn from what we are doing. Montessori believed in child directed
activities. She believed in child centered environments. I wouldnt feel comfortable if I was
playing and was only in a child sized world. The children would have a harder time playing
and having fun if they was the only one in an adult sized world. Plus they are in an adult sized
world a lot of their life, it is good that they have a child sized place.
WHAT IS DEVELOPMENTALLY APPROPRIATE PRACTICE
Developmentally appropriate practice is ways of teaching that engage childrens interests and
adapt for their age, experience, and ability, to help them meet challenging and achievable

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learning goals (Bredekamp, 2014, p. 19). I believe this to be really important, because if the
children arent engaged or interested in what they are doing then they are not going to learn. I
think of it as taking generals in college and taking your major courses. I struggled in my generals
because I was not interested in the material that I was being taught. I am loving my major
courses though and am learning and absorbing a lot more information. It also helps that we have
a lab and it keeps me active and I am learning these things. There is also a role that the teacher
has to make it developmentally appropriate practice. These are creating a caring community of
learners, teach to enhance learning and development, plan curriculum to achieve important goals,
assess learning and development, and build relationships with families (Bredekamp, 2014, 86).
These are important because we have to know what we are doing to get the best out of the
children. We also need all of these things to happen to get the most out of the children. I also
think that intentional teaching is important. What that means to me is teaching with a purpose or
reason for what we are doing. Hit the needs of our students not just our own needs.
HOW DIVERSITY PLAYS A ROLE IN ECE
Culture is explicit and implicit values, beliefs, and patterns of behavior that are passed on from
generation to generation; customs, rituals, ways of interacting and communicating, and
expectations for behaviors, roles, and relationships that are shared by members of a group
(Bredekamp, 2014, 172). Culture to me is who you are and how you are defined. It is important
to know diversity and see diversity in your classroom. We need to understand that everyone is
different, not one child is alike. But Every child is like all other children in some ways
(Bredekamp, 2014, 173). We have to do our rules and our expectations so that every child is
being respected, and so that they are rules that all children need to follow.
THE ROLE OF CURRICULUM AND PLAY IN ECE

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Play is one of the most important things to children and early childhood. The children learn
through play and active learning. With the proper scaffolding from a teacher a child could learn
all types of things that they would have a harder time learning if they were sat in a desk and told
all of these things. Things are more meaningful to children when they are engaged and are doing
something that they are interested in doing. Play contributes to language development, selfregulation, attention, creativity, problem solving, and social and emotional skills (Bredekamp,
2014, 127). The reason I think play contributes to these things is because the children again are
engaged.
Conclusion
The uniqueness of ECE, philosophies of known and accepted ECE philosophers,
developmentally appropriate practice, diversity in ECE, and play are all important pieces to
becoming a successful and impactful teacher. But those are not the only things, it takes a special
person with a unique set of skills to work with children, especially young children. I look
forward every day to learning new things and new tools to use in my daily work. I look forward
to being able to impact a human life, there is nothing like it.

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Works Cited

Bredekamp, S. (2014). Effective practices in early childhood education: building a foundation

(2nd Edition ed.). Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson.
Mooney, C. G. (2013). Theories of childhood: an introduction to Dewey, Montessori, Erikson,
Piaget and Vygotsky (2nd Edition ed.). St. Paul, MN: Redleaf Press ;.