Chapter 1

Subject Introduction &
Briefing
ECH1017 INTRODUCTION OF EARLY CHILDHOOD
EDUCATION
Class Schedule
Week Date Time Activities Remarks
1 01.10.22 9.00am – 1.00pm • Class Briefing

• Topic 1 : The Origin of Early Childhood Education
• Assignment Briefing
2 08.10.22 9.00am – 1.00pm • Topic 2 : Development and Theories in Early Childhood
Education
• Worksheet Tutorial 1
• Assignment Discussion Students will be
3 15.10.22 9.00am – 1.00pm • Topic 3 : Pedagogy / Teaching Learning Strategies in Early given 10 minutes
Childhood break for every 1
• Topic 4: Types of Learning Environment hour.
• Class Activity 20 minutes
• Worksheet Tutorial 2
4 22.10.22 9.00am – 1.00pm • Topic 5 : Principles and Techniques in Planning and
Implementing Learning Activities
• Class Activity 20 minutes
• Group Assignment Submission
ASSESSMENT MODE DATE OF MARKS
SUBMISSION DISTRIBUTION
GROUP GROUP 18.06.2023 30%
ADDIGNMENT
TUTORIAL INDIVIDUAL 10.06.2023 10%
WORKSHEET 1
TUTORIAL INDIVIDUAL 17.06.2023 10%
ASSESSMENT
WORKSHEET 2 DISTRIBUTION
INDIVIDUAL INDIVIDUAL 18.06.2023 10%
ASSESSMENT
FINAL EXAM INDIVIDUAL IN SEPTEMBER 40%
2023
ECH1017 FOUNDATION OF EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

TOPIC 1: THE ORIGIN OF
EARLY CHILDHOOD
EDUCATION
ECH 1017 FOUNDATION OF EARLY
CHILDHOOD EDUCATION
Lecturer: Ms. Nik Zaiton binti Mat Noor

SUBTOPIC 1 : THE ROOTS OF MODERN IDEAS ON CHILDHOOD
• Early childhood education:

• Refers to group settings deliberately intended to effect
developmental changes in children from birth to 8 years of age 1 st
grade. (Gordon, A.M & Browne, K.W.
• Also refers to education to educational programs and strategies
geared toward children from birth to the age of eight. This time
period is widely considered the most vulnerable and crucial stage
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY
of a person’s life.
• Focuses on guiding children to learn through play.

John Amos Comenius (1592 – 1670)
 Comenius: John Amos Comenius (1592-1670) a Czech educator,

wrote the 1st picture book for children named: Orbis pictus (the world
of pictures, 1658).
 It was a guide for teacher that included training of the senses and
study of nature.
 Comenius fostered the belief that education should follow the natural
order of things.
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVKTnZCD7qo

John Locke (1632 – 1714)
John Locke (1632-1714) an English philosopher who is the founder

of modern educational philosophy.
He based his theory of education on the scientific method and the
study of the mind and learning.
Locke theorized the concept of Tabula Rasa: the belief that the child
is born neutral, rather than evil and is a “clean state” on which the
experiences of parents , society, education and the world are
written.
He discussed the idea of individual differences: observing one child
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA-NC rather simply teaching a group.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycS4AUIPtiQ

Jean Jacque Rousseau (1712 – 1778)
Jean Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778) brought the idea that

children were not inherently evil, but naturally good.
Free play is based on Rousseau’s belief in children’s inherent

goodness and ability to choose what they need to learn.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmZaGlaSiX0
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC

Friedrich Wilhelm Froebel (1782-1852)
Contributed to early childhood education particularly in his

organization of educational thought and ideas about learning,
curriculum and teacher training.
Known as: the “father of kindergarten”.
Kindergarten means: “the garden of children”.
He resolved that early childhood education should be

pleasant especially for children under 6 years old.
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lieFOzjLHM8

Maria Montessori (1870 – 1952)
o Maria Montessori worked with poor children and mentally retarded

children that average age of 2 – 5 years old.
o Sensing that they lacked was proper motivation and environment, thus, she
opened a preschool, and it was named as “Casa Di bambini” in 1907.
o Children pass through “sensitive period” in which their curiosity makes

them ready for acquiring certain skills and knowledge.
o She designed teaching materials and classrooms environment to meet the

children needs.
o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgpncuyLR8c

Education as a process of development
The Doctrine of Liberty or Freedom

Principles of
Montessori Principle of Growth of Individuality
System of The principle of Self Education

Education
Principle of Macular Training
Training of the Senses

Rudolf Steiner (1861 - 1925)
o Steiner introduced method of education which is know as

Waldorf school of education.
o According to Steiner, there are three periods in the

development which are: the “will” (0 – 7 years old), the “heart”
(7 -14 years old) and the “head” (14 years old and above)
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC o Early Childhood is the period of the “will: and the environment
must be carefully planned to protect and nurture the child

The Emergence of Early Childhood
Education in The 1970s
SUBTOPIC 2
ECH1017 FOUNDATION OF EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY
THE EMERGENCE OF EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION IN THE 1970s
 By 1970s, a trend was developing for the kindergarten to focus on the

intellectual development of the child.
 Thus, a programmatic shift placed more emphasis on academic goals for
the five-year-old.
 Rousseau believed in a natural approach to educate children that would
permit growth without any interference.
 Johann Pestalozzi, a Swiss educator, is the first early childhood teacher
who established several schools for poor and orphaned children.

THE EMERGENCE OF EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION IN THE 1970s
 In 1970s, many innovations in instruction were available for school to explore new
strategies in teaching.
 Among the instructional innovation used are like the open classroom, individually
guided education and competency-based instruction
 Open Classroom : Child centre, teacher serving in the role of instructional

facilitator at open learning areas where teachers and students learned together.
 Individually Guided Education: a term of teachers plan and implement

instruction based on individually paced instruction and work at open environment.
 Competency-based instruction: a form of individually paced education based on

specific learning objectives.

THE REFORM OF
KINDERGARTEN
SUBTOPIC 3

THE REFORM OF KINDERGARTEN
The first kindergarten was a German School started by

Froebel in 1837
Nearly 20 years later, Margaretha Schurz (a student of

Froebel), opened the first kindergarten in the united
states.
Schurz inspired Elizabeth Peabody (1804 – 1894) of

Boston, who opened the 1st English Speaking
kindergarten in 1860.
Kindergarten began to become an instrument from

social reform.
Since these included a “day-care” function, they were

claaed charity kindergartens.

THE REFORM OF KINDERGATEN
 A clash of ideals developed between followers of Froebel (conservatives)

and those John Dewey’s new educational view point (progressive)
 Frobel approach was criticized for the rigid approach, teacher-directed
learning.
 Dewey’s followers preferred a more child-center approach with teachers
serving as facilitator of children’s learning.
 The progressive succeeded in influencing the content of kindergarten
programs, retaining some of Froebel basic concepts.

THE REFORM OF KINDERGARTEN
 The progressive succeeded in influencing the content of kindergarten

programs, retaining some of Froebel basic concepts.
 The reform of kindergarten education continued through the 1920s and
1930s and led to the creation of the modern American Kindergarten.
 Patty Smith Hill (1868 – 1946) regenerated Froebel ideas to promote
Nursery School for children too young to attend kindergarten.

SUBTOPIC 4 : THE NURSERY SCHOOL
 The nursery school movement originated from England which later

adopted in United States.
 Nursery schools were established as part of the child study movement.
 It has been developed to improve health and nutrition for preschool
children from families living in poverty in England which is similar to
child care program in other countries.
 The early years of child care centre cannot be separated from other early
childhood programs because of the overlap in program.
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC

Twentieth century
Innovations
SUBTOPIC 5
Twentieth Century Innovations : Maria Montessori
The Montessori approach is a philosophy of education in which children are

given considerable freedom and spontaneity in choosing activities.
Teacher as facilitator not a director.
The most striking features of Montessori classroom is its material.
Many are made of wood and designed to stress the philosophy of learning
through senses.
In a Montessori classroom, children are free to choose the materials with which
they want to “work” (the word used to describe their activity).
Children must accomplish on task before starting another one including the
replacing of the materials on the shelf for someone else to use.
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ln80qFTjq3U

Scientific approach of education based on her observations at Casa dei Bambini. It is her observations
and philosophy which turned up into the “Montessori Method”.
Focuses on the self-construction of the child through which he would reveal himself.
Child is given freedom within the limits
The Montessori A practical approach that creates a high level of concentration
Method It helps to create an individual who would care for others, materials, environment, and most importantly
he learns to respect himself
Develops child’s senses, academic skills, practical life exercises and character
Montessori materials-designed to learn on their own (Isaacs, 2011)
Usage of materials-precise-let children select which one will use, expecting them to return the materials
to assigned places when they are finished.

Twentieth Century Innovations :
Constructive Theory
Constructivism is a theory of
knowledge that argues that humans
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA-NC
generated knowledge and meaning
from an interaction between their
experiences and their ideas.
It described how learning

Piaget theory of constructivist happens, regardless of whether
learning has had wide ranging learners are using their
impact on learning theories experiences to understand a
and teaching methods in lecture or following the
education. instructions for doing
something during teaching-
learning process.’

Twentieth Century Innovations
Constructive Theory
Jean Piaget, suggested that through processes of accommodation and

assimilation, individuals construct new knowledge from their
experiences.
When individuals assimilate, they incorporate the new experience into

an already existing framework without changing that framework.
Accommodation is the process of reframing one’s mental

representation of the external world to fit new experiences.
Learners construct knowledge out of their experiences.

Twentieth Project head start was conceived as education’s place to fight the
”war on poverty”. The basis of head start was helping the
Century disadvantaged preschool children. This was a revolution in
American education.
Innovations : The project was the first large scale effort by the government to
focused on children poverty.
Head Start This project began in 1965 as a demonstration program aimed at
Programme providing educational, social, medical, dental, nutritional and mental

health services to preschool children from a diver's population of
low-income families.

Twentieth Century Innovations : Head Start Programme
In 1972 it was transformed into a predominantly

Three major points in Head
part-day, full-year program. Start
Key features included offering health services, small

groups, parent-teacher collaboration and the thrill of
Compensatory education: Parental involvement:
communities getting involved with children in new program that compensate for inclusion of parents in Community control: local
inadequate early childhood planning, teaching and support and participation.
ways. experiences. decision making.
Over the years, head start has provided

comprehensive developmental services to more than
10 million children and their families.

Twentieth Century
Innovations : Reggio Emilia
Loris Magaluzzi (1920-1994) develop his theory early childhood from his
work with infants , toddlers and preschoolers.
Working as the founder and director of early education in the town of

Reggio Emilia, Italy.
His philosophy includes creating “an amiable school” (friendly) that

welcome families and community and parents to intensify and deepen to
strengthen a child’s sense of identity.
Reggio Emilia respect children’s work and creativity.

Reggio Emilia Principles
children must have some control over the direction of their learning
The Reggio Emilia Philosophy
Children must be able to learn through experiences of touching, moving, listening,

seeing and hearing.
Children gave a relationship with other children and materials items in the world that
children must be allowed to explore.
Children must have endless ways and opportunities to express themselves.

Twentieth Century Innovations : Reggio Emilia
The Reggio Emilia approach to teaching young children puts the natural development
of children as well as the close relationship that they share with their environment at
the center of its philosophy.
Parents are viewed as partners, collaborators and advocates for their children.
Teacher respect parents as each child’s first teacher and involve parents in every aspect
of the curriculum.

Summary
Early childhood education refers to the
combination of physical, cognitive, emotional,
and social learning of a child during the first
six to eight years of her life.
Parents and primary care givers play an

important role in the child’s acquisition of
such knowledge, in a more specialized sense, a
professional early childhood educator offers
early childhood education to the child.
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Subject Introduction &

1 01.10.22 9.00am – 1.00pm • Class Briefing

ECH1017 FOUNDATION OF EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

Lecturer: Ms. Nik Zaiton binti Mat Noor

• Early childhood education:

ECH1017 FOUNDATION OF EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

 Comenius: John Amos Comenius (1592-1670) a Czech educator,

ECH1017 FOUNDATION OF EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

John Locke (1632-1714) an English philosopher who is the founder

ECH1017 FOUNDATION OF EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

Jean Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778) brought the idea that

Free play is based on Rousseau’s belief in children’s inherent

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC

ECH1017 FOUNDATION OF EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

Contributed to early childhood education particularly in his

Kindergarten means: “the garden of children”.

He resolved that early childhood education should be

ECH1017 FOUNDATION OF EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

o Maria Montessori worked with poor children and mentally retarded

o Children pass through “sensitive period” in which their curiosity makes

o She designed teaching materials and classrooms environment to meet the

ECH1017 FOUNDATION OF EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

The Doctrine of Liberty or Freedom

System of The principle of Self Education

Training of the Senses

ECH1017 FOUNDATION OF EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

o Steiner introduced method of education which is know as

o According to Steiner, there are three periods in the

ECH1017 FOUNDATION OF EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

 By 1970s, a trend was developing for the kindergarten to focus on the

ECH1017 FOUNDATION OF EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

 Open Classroom : Child centre, teacher serving in the role of instructional

 Individually Guided Education: a term of teachers plan and implement

 Competency-based instruction: a form of individually paced education based on

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND

ECH1017 FOUNDATION OF EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND

ECH1017 FOUNDATION OF EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

The first kindergarten was a German School started by

Nearly 20 years later, Margaretha Schurz (a student of

Schurz inspired Elizabeth Peabody (1804 – 1894) of

Kindergarten began to become an instrument from

Since these included a “day-care” function, they were

ECH1017 FOUNDATION OF EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

 A clash of ideals developed between followers of Froebel (conservatives)

ECH1017 FOUNDATION OF EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

 The progressive succeeded in influencing the content of kindergarten

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA

ECH1017 FOUNDATION OF EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

 The nursery school movement originated from England which later

ECH1017 FOUNDATION OF EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

The Montessori approach is a philosophy of education in which children are

ECH1017 FOUNDATION OF EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

Child is given freedom within the limits

The Montessori A practical approach that creates a high level of concentration

Montessori materials-designed to learn on their own (Isaacs, 2011)

ECH1017 FOUNDATION OF EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

It described how learning

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND

ECH1017 FOUNDATION OF EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

Jean Piaget, suggested that through processes of accommodation and

When individuals assimilate, they incorporate the new experience into

Accommodation is the process of reframing one’s mental