My Philosophy of Early Childhood Education

My Philosophy of Early Childhood Education

Pam Gillette

EARC-109-COWl

March 27, 2013

Evin Fox

My Philosophy of Early Childhood Education

Every child has a right to learn and receive an education. Access should never be denied to
any child in the arena of education. Every human being should have a chance to learn. I
believe those who teach have been given a gift, with that gift we are empowered to light the
candle of learning in all of our students. Part of our responsibility is to instill in children a
desire to learn throughout their life and as teachers we should set an example of lifelong
learning. I believe as educators learn new methods and strategies our thinking about education
will continue to grow and evolve. Because of new information and as I expand my
knowledge, my methods, and ways of thinking will change and I will adapt to meet the needs
of each of my students.
Uniqueness of Early Childhood Education
Early childhood education is the teaching and care of children in environments other than
their homes. One unique aspect of early childhood education is that it serves children from
birth to eight years. Another unique aspect of early childhood education is that this period of a
childs life is one of the most important is their development. The time between birth and
eight years is the most significant in the areas of development and growth; during this time
the brain develops quickly.
The childs life between birth and eight years is important to the evolution of their
intelligence and their social development. If for some reason the basic abilities do not develop
or form from birth the ability to learn is negatively affected. For this reason early childhood
education is extremely important for mental as well as social development. Unlike elementary

My Philosophy of Early Childhood Education

and secondary education, early childhood education is the basis for learning, it is unique in
that it focuses on each childs learning through interaction with people and through play. Early
childhood education is definitely unique in that it begins with children and not with content as
elementary and secondary education does.
Philosophies of Known and Accepted Early Childhood Education Philosophers
During the 18th and 19th centuries the view of children mirrored that of the 1300s to the
1800s. Children, it was believed were born in sin and in need of redemption (Bredekamp,
2012. P.39.) Children were taught to read from the Bible, they quoted verses, they memorized
and were often made fun of for mistakes or severely punished.
I believe as John Locke, an English philosopher did that childrens environment has a large
impact on their education. I believe children learn through their interaction with families,
peers, and their community at large, as well as their experiences. I believe as did Rousseau
that children go through stages of development, each stage has its own particular
characteristics (Bredekamp, 2012. P.40.) John Comenius believed teachers should engage
children with their environment and follow the childrens lead; he also believed children
should learn their home language. As Comenius, I believe children learn through their senses,
they have an innate desire to be active and their experiences and interests benefit their
learning and memory. To accomplish this goal I include hands-on learning in my classrooms.
I deeply believe in Johann Pestalozzi view of a whole child. Childrens are social,
intellectual, emotional, moral, and physical developments are interspersed. Teaching needs to

My Philosophy of Early Childhood Education

address the whole child rather than teach a few core subjects. Lucy Sprague Mitchell also
believed in a whole child approach to learning and development.
I believe and agree with John Deweys definition of education, Education is the process of
living and not preparation for future living (Bredekamp, 2012. P. 53.) I believe as Dewey that
science, history, geography, reading and writing are the main stays of curriculum and should
be taught in ways children can understand; these subjects should engage children in
interaction socially. Dewey believed teachers need to find ways to include areas children are
interested in in the curriculum. I include and expand on themes we talk about and add
activities to give them hands-on opportunities to learn. I believe as did Patty Smith Hill in the
value of play in childrens learning. Children can learn their letters, numbers, learn how to
solve-problems, and learn to interact through music, art, and centers. I believe as a teacher, I
must be able to adapt my curriculum and methods to accommodate each childthis is known
as intentional teaching.
Developmentally Appropriate Practice
Developmentally appropriate practice is teaching that understands childrens abilities,
interests, experiences, and ages, and assists children in achieving goals. Teachers in early
childhood education use developmentally appropriate practice in descriptions of expectations
for their students, materials, and students learning experiences. Teachers knowledge of
childrens development and how they learn is the beginning of developmentally appropriate
practice. I believe it is an important part of my job to know how my students learn and develop.
I believe the more I know, learn, and become aware of the way children learn and think, the

My Philosophy of Early Childhood Education

better my teaching and work with children will become. I believe I must meet children where
they are and help each child gain challenging and reachable goals that will support their
learning and development.
In order for each child in my class to learn, develop, and accomplish important outcomes, I
must be an intentional teacher. I believe I must have purpose in everything I do and the
decisions I make must be made for a reason. I believe I should plan ahead and have enough
knowledge that I can make many decisions in the course of my day, being open, and ready to
include unexpected teachable moments (Bredekamp, 2012. P. 73.) I believe in planning my
themes and curriculum, as an intentional teacher, I must think about what will spark a childs
interest and support them as they work toward goals in every area of their learning and
development. I will observe and assess students as a means of adapting my methods and
curriculum to meet their needs.
As stated in our text, Effective Practices in Early Childhood Education, teachers need to
consider as many viewpoints as possible, in other words, widening the lens, in the way they
view childrens families, children, and education. I believe it is my responsibility to widen
the lens through which I see my students, the curriculum I use, my teaching, practices,
assessments, and the childrens families.
Diversity
The United States of America has long been known as a melting pot, diversity in our
country is a symbol of our society. Maritza Macdonald has stated, The concept of diversity
includes the perspectives of multiculturalism, nonsexist and antibias education. Diversity

My Philosophy of Early Childhood Education

encompasses childrens individual interests and capabilities, racial, and cultural differences,
age, and gender difference and language differences (Pearson. Cheryl ,2000.)
As an early childhood education teacher, it is my responsibility to welcome cultural and
linguistic diversity in my class in order for each child to achieve their full potential. Including
diversity in my classroom helps my students become ready to take their place in their
community in which other people speak differently and have different customs and values.
When diversity is incorporated in early childhood education, children learn to cooperate with
others, value equal treatment, and communicate regardless of differences.
As an early childhood teacher I can do several things to help children of diversity become
more comfortable in my classroom. I believe a set routine for our activities helps children learn
and become part of the class. I also believe having areas in the classroom where children can
spend time on their own apart from those activities that are demanding. I believe different
techniques can be used to meet diverse students such as using gestures, nonverbal
communication, and repeating phrases or words. I also believe by using predictable books,
English Language Learners can begin to see patterns and correlations. Music and movement
can also be used in repetition in order for English Language Learners to begin to learn their
new language. Teachers also need to create avenues to communicate with parents. I also believe
children should see themselves and their families in the curriculum, in stories, in music, and in
environmental print in order for a sense of community to develop.

Curriculum and Play

My Philosophy of Early Childhood Education

Vygotsky stated that childrens make believe play is the major activity in childrens
development ages 2 to 5 (Bredekamp, 2012. p.114.) When children play in small groups such
as dramatic play or blocks, they learn to correct their behavior, they are corrected by others, and
they correct others. Vygotsky further adds that when children are engaged in sociodramatic play
their ability to understand another childs perspective is strengthened. Sociodramatic play
creates language and self-regulation skills in children. I believe as an early childhood teacher,
my job is to support childrens learning to set up areas of play where children can learn to solve
problems and think. I believe it is part of my responsibility to support sociodramatic play that
promotes childrens self-regulation. There are four types of play: functional play, constructive
play, symbolic play, and games with rules. Piaget matched the various types of play with the
stages of childrens development. According to Piaget, children in the sensimotor stage (birth to
2) use functional play in which children play with and control objects. Children ages 2 to 7
(preoperational stage) use symbolic and constructive play. Children 7 to 11 (concrete
operational stage) generally play games with rules (Bredekamp. 2012. p.120.)
Play in early childhood adds to language development, self-regulation, and problemsolving, the development of social and emotional skills, creativity, and attention. Play helps
children develop school readiness skills. Patty Smith Hill also believed in play in early
childhood education settings. It was her belief that the value of play is an avenue to learn. Hill
and Anna Bryan wrote curriculum to teach children in early childhood education. It was their
belief in the concept of the whole child that led to the multidisciplinary approach.
Curriculum is a written program that outlines the abilities and knowledge that teachers are to
teach in the school or center, as well as the experiences that occur through learning. As an early

My Philosophy of Early Childhood Education

childhood teacher, it is my job to become familiar with the curriculum as well as its main
learning and development outcomes. It is important to include play as a component in each day.
It is my belief curriculum should be current in order to be age and developmentally appropriate
as well as culturally inclusive.

My Philosophy of Early Childhood Education

References