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Early Childhood Education History Timeline

  • 1482

    Martin Luther 1483 - 1546

     Martin Luther 1483 - 1546
    Martin Luther was a promoter of the teaching of reading in schools. He pushed for universal education. Todays importance in reading education can be partially attributed to him.
  • John Locke 1632 - 1704

     John Locke 1632 - 1704
    John Locke was known as one of the most influential thinkers. He said that teacher make children because children do what they are taught. He believed that children are molded and shaped by their experiences in life. He pushed that morals were very important to teach a child and did not believe in traits inherited.
  • John Amos Comeniu 1658

     John Amos Comeniu 1658
    John Amos Comenius created the first picture book, "Orbis Pictus", for children. He was known as the "Father of Education", and believed that education in early childhood was very important. He was an advocate for sensory learning.
  • Jean-Jacques Rousseau 1762

    Jean-Jacques Rousseau 1762
    Jean-Jacques Rousseau makes it known that children are different than adults. He believed that children will be who they will be and approached their education naturally. He thought that hands-on learning was best.
  • Garden of Children 1837

    Garden of Children 1837
    The Garden of Children (Kindergarten) was created by Friedrich Frobel. He based his beliefs and education on the fact that children are unique with unique needs. He also created Froebel gifts, which were educational toys made especially for kids. He believed that leaning happens through play.
  • First public kindergarten started in St. Louis 1837

     First public kindergarten started in St. Louis 1837
    Susan Blow fought to bring a public school to her town. Once this happened, the public schools came up everywhere and there 400 by the time she died in 1916.
  • Maria Montessori 1870 - 1952

    Maria Montessori 1870 - 1952
    Maria Montessori is a name you have probably heard as the Montessori school system is being used in over 4,000 early childhood education programs. Montessori paved the way for the importance of children learning about things that they are interested in. She respected children and saw that they must be respected in order to be taught. She also believed that children learn by using their senses and being hands on in their learning techniques.
  • Erik Erikson 1902 1994

    Erik Erikson 1902 1994
    Erik Erikson’s Theory of Psychosocial Development emphasizes the sociocultural determinants of development and presents them as eight stages of psychosocial conflicts (often known as Erikson’s stages of psychosocial development) that all individuals must overcome or resolve successfully in order to adjust well to the environment.
  • Elementary and Secondary Education Act 1965

    Elementary and Secondary Education Act 1965
    The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) is created in 1965 to help low income families to get educations. It benefits schools in buying new and better materials and updating facilities. It also created school lunch programs to help kids get a meal for the day.
  • Abraham Maslow 1908 1970

    Abraham Maslow  1908 1970
    Maslow stated that people are motivated to achieve certain needs and that some needs take precedence over others. Our most basic need is for physical survival, and this will be the first thing that motivates our behavior. Once that level is fulfilled the next level up is what motivates us, and so on.
  • No Child Left Behind Act 2001

    No Child Left Behind Act 2001
    The No Child Left Behind Act was created to sustain the ESEA. It makes it so schools are accountable for their teaching efforts. To be funded, schools have to test and be adequate in their progress. Many oppose this act, saying that it focuses too much on standardized testing.
  • The Preschool for all Initiative 2013

    The Preschool for all Initiative 2013
    President Obama passed an act in 2013 called the Preschool for All Initiative. It created high quality preschool nationwide. It promotes access to education for children under the ages of 4.