Philosophy of Early Childhood Essay

My philosophy of Early childhood education is based on research that indicates that a child’s growth is developmental. Every child is unique in terms of life experiences, developmental readiness, and cultural heritage. A high quality early childhood program that provides a safe and nurturing environment, which promotes physical, social, emotional, language and cognitive development will ensure a positive continuation of the child’s education process. The National Association for the Education of Young Children states that high quality, developmentally appropriate programs should be available for all children. Bredekamp, S. , and T. Rosegrant. 1992. Reaching Potentials: Introduction. In S. Bredekamp and R. Rosegrant (Eds. ). Reaching Potentials: Appropriate Curriculum and Assessment for Young Children,* vol. 1, pp. 2-8. Washington, D. C. : National Association for the Education of Young Children. This is a statement that I firmly believe in and hope to incorporate in my teaching career. Young children before the age of eight, have an enormous potential for growth and achievement. And it is my philosophy that they have to right to fulfill their possibilities. A young child who is nurtured to reach for his or her educational goals from an early age and has been instilled with self-confidence will continue to pursue educational goals as he or she matures . 2. I have learned that an early childhood teacher immensely impacts the learning experience of the young children entrusted in his or her learning environment. Early childhood teachers make decisions each day on how best to present concepts to be learned, what is appropriate for a specific child given that each child comes to the learning center from diverse backgrounds and needs and how to nurture and support growing development in each child. As an early childhood teacher I would strive to provide information in a creative manner, engage children in discovery and mastery of concepts and skills, nurture development of play, and foster positive social interaction between myself and the children. 3 conceptual models that influence my philosophy of teaching: 1. John Dewey. What I find of interest in Dewey’s theory is that â€Å" Childhood has ways of seeing, thinking, and feeling, peculiar to itself. http://www. marxists. org/archive/novack/works/1960/x03. htm Dewey advocated that the need to know comes from within the child. Each child has an innate curiosity that should be nurtured and developed. He believed that children learn by doing. This theory is beneficial in an early childhood setting as that it encourages children to explore areas of interest and to creatively expand the knowledge. 2. Jean Piaget: His research shows that children cognitively develop in stages. His theory is the foundation for constructivist learning. Piaget’s theory emphasizes discovery learning and supporting the developing interests of the child utilizing this theory in early childhood education I would I challenge the child’s abilities, but not present material or information that is too far beyond the child’s level. I would also use a wide variety of concrete experiences to help the child learn. 3. Maria Montessori: The Montessori method of teaching stresses that all children have similar needs regardless of social status or intellectual abilities. The Montessori Method is a way about thinking about who children are. It is a philosophy that respects the unique individuality of each child. By utilizing this method , the teaches does not compare a child to norms or standards that are measured by traditional educational systems. But instead this theory is founded on the belief that children should be free to succeed and learn without restriction or criticism. Next part of question I believe that each child should enter an early childhood classroom with the expectation that he or she will have a good day. It sounds simple but in reality it is complex. As an early education teacher I will be interacting with children who are coming with diverse backgrounds, learning abilities, social, emotional and physical development. It will be a challenge to meet the needs and be supportive of this diversity. In order to succeed in this goal, my classroom would be welcoming to the child. How is this accomplished? Child sized furniture placed in areas for the children to work on projects; rug areas so that the children can creatively and comfortably play or look at books; an area with ample supplies to intrigue developing imaginations; colorful posters to make the room visually pleasing to a young child. But environment is only part of the educational experience that I would strive to present to early learners. Given what I have learned about the different ways that children learn and develop, lessons presented would engage the diverse learning methods of the children so that each will be lead to understanding to the best of his or her ability. Young children develop best when they experience acceptance of who they are, no matter what their abilities are. As an early childhood educator I would strive to not only let my students know that they are part of the classroom community, but that they are an important and integral member of our class.