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427 BCE
Plato
Plato believed that early childhood was the opportunity to shape a child's future. Plato acknowledged that there are different stages of childhood. The way to teach children should include games, music, stories, and drama. He also believed in the importance of free play and how important it is to have knowledge of geometry and geometric shapes. Some of Plato's beliefs are still part of todays teaching curriculum such as free play, music, and drama. -
John Amos Comenius
John Amos Comenius is often referred to as the father of modern education. He believed that schools around the world should be a preparation for a child’s future life. In 1658, he published the first ever child's picture book called Orbis Pictus. As time went on, he saw that learning happens randomly when a child is at play and because of this, he wanted classrooms to have learning toys like puzzles. The use of picture books and toys made a very big impact on early childhood education. -
John Locke
Locke developed the theory that a child comes into the world with a mind like a blank state(tabula rasa). Suggested that knowledge is received through senses which is converted to understanding by reasoning. His belief of "nurture" over "nature" led him to realize how important early training, education, and advocate changes in family care. He believed that young kids should be allowed in physical activities, not swaddled. He also realized that learning should never be a task forced on a kid -
The First Picture Book: "Orbis Pictus"
Orbis Sensualism Pictus was to be considered the first picture book to be made by John Amos Comenius, also known as the Father of Early Childhood Education. For its time, it was very advanced to have illustrated words and concepts in Latin and German. The book has 150 chapters and covers five major concepts: inanimate nature, Botanics, Zoology, religion, and human activities. It was used as the children's textbook for years and years later. -
Jean Jacques Rousseau
Died July 2, 1778. Rousseau’s theory of education believed in the importance of allowing the child to think freely and express themselves. He felt that children were born as innocence with a noble purpose. He believed that if children were allowed to develop at their own rate in a natural setting they will grow to their fullest potential. -
Robert Owen
Robert Owen was a textile manufacturer and social reformer who emphasized reform. He is most known for his efforts to fix factory worker conditions, especially within young children. He believed that people are naturally good but one's character is shaped by the effects of their environment. He also believed education was important and was needed for a child to develop. Owen involved himself in public affairs dealing with education and factory reform and his goal was to improve these things. -
Friedrich Froebel
Friedrich Froebel was the founder of the kindergarten system. He focused on play with the usage of its gifts (play materials) and occupations (activities). Friedrich strongly believed that humans are essentially more productive/creative through engaging with the world. His influences gravitated from the efforts of Bertha Von Marenholtz-Bulow and thinkers like Diesterweg. Friedrich believed that one learns from play and creativity, so one can become aware of their place in the world. -
Charles Darwin
Charles Darwin was an English naturalist who discovered evolution through natural selection. His discovery made a huge impact on the scientific world as it became the foundation of evolutionary studies. However, his idea of evolution wasn't accepted to be included in children’s education until years after his death, during the Scopes Trial in 1925. -
New York House of Refuge
The New York House of Refuge first opened in 1825 in Manhattan, New York City. It was the first juvenile reformatory that was established in the United States. It's purpose was to bring care and education to unfortunate children. It was mainly centered on kids that were convicted of petty crimes.As time passed by the refuge became very popular and other cities started copying the idea. Eventually the refuge ended up being over crowded and the conditions the had before drastically changed. -
Froebel's Gifts
Froebel developed 5 gifts, or learning materials, to be used in his kindergarten classroom. The gifts were designed to foster children's understanding of their environment, using common shapes and materials. He also envisioned that the gifts would enhance children's spirituality. The gifts are numbered and teachers are supposed to present the gifts in that order. After his death, there were 5 more gifts that were published. -
Dame Schools
Dame schools were an early form of private schools that provided education for working class children. Since it was a private school, fees were charged to attend this type pf schooling. Dame schools were often taught by women and the classrooms would be located in the home of the teachers usually. -
John Dewey
John Dewey had the philosophy that humans need to learn through a "hands on" approach. Famous in role of Progressive Education, and believed that life should be experienced, and people learn from experiences. Believed children should live their own lives freely and learn on their own. -
Caroline Pratt
Caroline Pratt born in 1867 was an American educator, social thinker, and progressive educational reformer whose ideas changed educational policy and practice. Pratt developed teaching methods that focused on play as an alternative to what she felt was the "repression of formal education" She also founded the Play School Movement which was based on the belief that children create and test their own knowledge of the world through play. -
Lewis Hine
Started out as a teacher & found interest in photography, through capturing student’s academic & social interactions. Later, captured images of immigrants, then worked for National Child Labor Committee (NCLC), documenting reality of children in the workplace. When the photos surfaced, people were outraged at conditions. The pics were not to be deceiving, instead taken as they genuinely appeared; exhausted & overworked. This persuaded the govt. to be stricter with enforcing child labor laws. -
Lucy Sprague Mitchell
She was the a the founder of and Street College of Education and an American educator. The college was a big impact on the American progressive education during the twentieth century. She taught the ideals of democratized progressive through teacher education and the development of children's writers. -
Horace Mann
Horace Mann was one of the most well known politicans and education reformers in the U.S. He was New Massachusetts' secretary for the Board of Education in 1837. Years later he then created a Progressive school in New York City named "Horace Mann School". -
McMillan Sisters (Margaret and Rachel)
The Mcmillan sisters' proposed the idea of the Open- Air Nursery in order to aid with the poverty and slums of poor children in the area. That child would achieve highest potential on first-hand experiences and active learning. Those children should flourish under the sun and fresh air in order to heal them, which came to the ideas of gardens and sandboxes in schools for the Open-Air system. To help aid parents in teaching and helping their children with hygiene to mainly help them survive. -
NAEYC ( The National Association for the Education of Young Children)
The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Is an organization that works to promote early learning for all young children to have the opportunity to have a very good quality education. They do this by connecting early childhood practice, research, and policy. -
Ruben Salazar
Ruben Salazar grew up in Texas and moved to California once he received his degree in journalism. He was the first Chicano Journalist who focused on the Mexican-American community and Chicano movement. Salazar was an amazing journalist who wrote for many California newspapers, including the Santa Rosa Press Democrat. In 1959, Salazar began writing for the LA Times. In 1970, Salazar was killed by a tear gas projectile in a bar, while he took a break from the NCMM, protesting the Vietnam War. -
US Federal Child Labor Law 1938
The federal child labor laws were enacted to ensure safety for young individuals who work, such as their work being safe and does not jeopardize their health, well-being, or educational opportunities. These child labor provisions fall under the Fail Labor Standards Act. This also restricts the hours that youth under 16 years old can work and lists hazardous occupations too dangerous for young workers to perform. -
Brown V. Board of Education
In the 1954 Supreme Court case of Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, the justices unanimously decided that segregation in public schools was unconstitutional. It was important in the civil rights movement and people realized that "separate but equal" really wasn't equal at all. They stated that the plaintiffs were deprived of the equal protection of the laws guaranteed by the 14th Amendment. -
Harriet Johnson
Johnson is an attorney and disability rights activists who is disabled herself. She works with helping clients who are unable to work receive social security benefits. She has written many books, argued in court, and lobbied to legislators about disability rights. She argues that “we take constraints that no one would choose and build rich and satisfying lives within them. We enjoy pleasures other people enjoy, and pleasures peculiarly our own.” She was named Person of the Year in 2003. -
Head Start
Head start launched in 1965 for just eight-weeks in order to be put into effect. It was ordered by the Federal Government to build a program that would help the disadvantaged preschool children. An eight-week summer program was later developed by The Office of Economic Opportunity which later moved to the Office of Child Development. This program is for low-income families in order to meet their needs just like those of non-low-income, Head start servers families each year in all 50 states. -
Individual with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
An American law stating that all children with disabilities receive free public education that can be molded to their specific needs. IDEA was formerly known as Education for All Handicapped Kids, (EHA), but was changed to IDEA in 1990. It was created so that with disabilities have the same opportunities as the kids who do not. -
Education for All Handicapped Children Act
A law that supports protecting the rights of individuals needs and improving the needs of infants, toddlers, and youth with disabilities as well as their families. It has given schools more opportunities to include special education services in order to meet the needs of every child. Since 1975, more than 6 million children have been able to be provided with a variety of services. -
U.S. Department of Education
The U.S. Department of Education is an agency (part of the federal government) that runs and oversees the federal assistance to education. They also assist the president in executing his education policies in addition to putting Congress' laws into effect. -
UN Convention: Rights of the Child
The UN convention rights of a child is a human rights treaty that states the civil, political, health, and social rights of children. It expresses that every child has the right to play and must have every opportunity to do so. Studies have shown that frequent play in young children enhances their brain development and social ability. -
Early Head Start
Early Head Start was created to serve low income pregnant women and families with children ranging between 0-3 years.It was primarily designed to enhance all areas of child development, increase school readiness, and provide parents with the knowledge to become better caregivers and teachers for their developing children. It is conducted in care centers and homes and provides services such as parent/child education, parenting support, and etc. However due to funding availability is low -
Common Core
Common Core was started in 2009 to provide a standardized idea of achievement for students in the US. It provided a common goal for teachers, parents, and students to help them graduate prepared for real world experiences like college and life long careers. It helped to make sure everyone involved in the education of the students knows and understands what is expected at each level. And is heavily based on getting the students to use critical thinking to understand why and how to get the answer. -
California's Kindergarten Readiness Act
California's Kindergarten Readiness Act was signed into law by Gov. Schwarzenegger, which enabled children at 5 years old to enter kindergarten between Dec.2-Sept.1. The new age requirement made the cutoff date move 1 month a year, for 3 years. To help make more children prepared, the Expanded TK approach was introduced. This was a system where children that did not meet age requirement would still be enrolled in a schooling that helped to prepare them for further education successes. -
California Proposition 10
California Proposition 10 was a proposition on the 2018 ballot to make a law about rent control in California. This law would have restricted landlords from increasing rent prices or over charging the tenant renting at their property. California has very high rent prices, which continue to increase. This proposition was put on the ballot by initiated state statute.They go out and collect enough signatures so that this proposition can make it on the ballot. Unfortunately, this prop did not pass.
