Selected History of Early Childhood Care and Education
- LAST MODIFIED: 28 July 2021
- DOI: 10.1093/obo/9780199791231-0236
- LAST MODIFIED: 28 July 2021
- DOI: 10.1093/obo/9780199791231-0236
Introduction
A glimpse into a chronological journey of the lives and ideas of educationalists that have globally influenced the field of early childhood care and education (ECCE) is a necessary step for all educators. To better understand today’s practices as well as today’s errors, misunderstandings, and reinventions, this necessary time travel will offer the reader an international perspective on the sources of multiple concepts in the field of ECCE. By being exposed to the sometimes contentious and messy field of early childhood education, educators and early childhood scholars can consider the ideas and practices that best fit their current time, context, culture, and place. Once introduced to historical ideas and principles of practice in the field of early childhood education, readers can identify the roots of core concepts that are applied today in the education of the very young. Early childhood scholars and practitioners are advocating and fighting to be more valued by policy, governments, and the society as whole, and this ages-long struggle can be supported by the strong voices of the past. The biographical writings in this article will offer the reader only a glimpse into those efforts, a peek at the extreme activism of some and fight until death of others. In the last section, Comparative Studies, the reader will discover a network of connections between ideas, philosophies, practice, and experiences of thinkers from different times and different parts of the world. This network of ideas, if studied and qualitatively summarized, will support beginner educators to crystalize their own views and form their own teaching philosophy. This article contains a General Overviews chapter and one with Academic Articles that will warm up the reader by presenting overarching images of the tumultuous history of ECCE. Next is a chapter on the International History of Early Childhood Care and Education. The article continues with a chronological succession of thinkers who have built and strengthened the foundation of education in general, and of early childhood care and education in particular. They are introduced through their own voices and then analyzed by followers and critics. The selection of thinkers is far from being comprehensive and is based on their globally arching influence. Most of the thinkers proposed change, and some implemented reforms that are still viable today. They have all lived, to a degree, a Sisyphean effort to convince a world of adults that children matter more than previously thought. These past and present practitioners and theorists had tried to convince the world that children are not unfinished human beings, but competent and complex at every age. A surprising element of the historical insight will be the contemporary feel of some ideas that date back hundreds of years.
General Overviews
Overviews of the images of childhood can be found in Hinitz 2013 and May 2013, and discussion about policy through a historical lens is presented in Morgan 2011 and Isenberg and Renck Jalongo 2003. Theories about early childhood education are presented in Morgan 1999 and Nutbrown and Clough 2014. A more practical view on early childhood education is offered by Follari 2015 and Morgan 2011. A timeline perspective is found in Lascarides and Hinitz 2000, Pound 2019, and Prochner 2009.
Follari, Lissanna. Foundations and Best Practices in Early Childhood Education: History, Theories, and Approaches to Learning. Melbourne: Pearson Higher Education AU, 2015.
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The book helps early childhood practitioners to connect ideas from theory and philosophy to professional practice in the field of early learning.
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Hinitz, Blythe Simone Farb, ed. The Hidden History of Early Childhood Education. New York: Routledge, 2013.
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The book engages with a multitude of ideas that should have been part of everyday practice of early education, and reveals new ideas that could improve the field in the United States.
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Isenberg, Joan P., and Mary Renck Jalongo, eds. Major Trends and Issues in Early Childhood Education: Challenges, Controversies, and Insights. New York: Teachers College Press, 2003.
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Essays that discuss social, political, and psychological roots of today’s state of early childhood education.
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Lascarides, V. Celia, and Blythe F. Hinitz. History of Early Childhood Education. Garland Reference Library of Social Science 982. London and New York: Routledge, 2000.
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A journey into the history of early childhood education that starts in antiquity. It emphasizes the deep and long-lasting traditions in this field of education.
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May, Helen. The Discovery of Early Childhood. Wellington, New Zealand: NZCER Press, 2013.
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A book that introduces the reader to important thinkers and theorists in early childhood education from the Enlightenment to current times. It revisits personalities in both Europe and New Zealand.
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Morgan, Harry. The Imagination of Early Childhood Education. Westport, CT: Bergin & Garvey, 1999.
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A book meant to introduce readers to the role of the imagination of great thinkers, theorists, and practitioners in the field of education, each placed chronologically into the context of their times.
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Morgan, Harry. Early Childhood Education: History, Theory, and Practice. New York: Rowman & Littlefield, 2011.
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A historical journey into the philosophies and theories behind today’s practice in the field of early childhood education. This journey tries to demonstrate the evolution of this field toward becoming a salient part of the educational society.
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Nutbrown, Cathy, and Peter Clough. Early Childhood Education: History, Philosophy and Experience. Los Angeles: SAGE, 2014.
DOI: 10.4135/9781446288863Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »
A review of the ideas behind policies that are the base of the state of early childhood education today.
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Pound, Linda. How Children Learn. New ed. Vol. 1. Invercargill, New Zealand: Andrews UK Limited, 2019.
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An accessible timeline of the main theorists and practitioners in the field of early childhood education. Each chapter portrays a thinker and their main contributions to the field.
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Prochner, Larry. A History of Early Childhood Education in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Vancouver: UBC Press, 2009.
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The book follows the footsteps of ideas and ideals about childhood education that originated in Europe, and shows how they morphed in the hands of colonizers.
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Academic Articles
This section offers academic articles written on the following themes: American education, in Vinovskis 1993; past and present views, in Lazerson 1972; theories and the concept of time, in Platz and Arellano 2011; global historical views, in Kamerman 2007, Prochner and May 2018, and Palmer 2015; and a more specific focus—on play, in Bloch and Choi 1990.
Bloch, Marianne N., and Sukyeong Choi. “Conceptions of Play in the History of Early Childhood Education.” Child and Youth Care Quarterly 19.1 (1990): 31–48.
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A paper on the historical steps that brought play into the world of learning. It visits the times of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
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Kamerman, Sheila B. “A Global History of Early Childhood Education and Care.” Background paper prepared for the Education for All Global Monitoring Report. Paris: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, 2007.
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A global view on the emphasis put on early education through policy, funds, and social acceptance.
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Lazerson, Marvin. “Early Childhood Education: The Historical Antecedents of Early Childhood Education.” Yearbook of the National Society for the Study of Education 71.2 (1972): 33–53.
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A paper that focuses on three particular themes in the history of early childhood education in the United States: the ethics of social reforms, the reform of educational practices, and the importance of childhood.
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Palmer, Amy. “The Hidden History of Early Childhood Education.” History of Education 44.1 (2015): 124–126.
DOI: 10.1080/0046760X.2014.945968Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »
A journey back to the 1800 with the idea of discovering and rediscovering the historical, philosophical, and sociological roots of today’s early childhood education in the United States.
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Platz, Donald, and Jennifer Arellano. “Time Tested Early Childhood Theories and Practices.” Education 132.1 (2011): 5463.
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An article that explains some of today’s practices in early childhood education through the lens of history. Specific focus is placed on the following themes: the nature of the child, ways of learning, curriculum, and didactic materials.
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Prochner, Larry, and Helen May. “Lessons and Legacies of Early Childhood History.” Early Years 38.2 (2018): 122–124.
DOI: 10.1080/09575146.2018.1452765Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »
Introduction to a special issue of the Early Years journal that opens up the past to better understand the future of early childhood education.
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Vinovskis, Maris A. “Early Childhood Education: Then and Now.” Daedalus 122.1 (1993): 151–176.
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An article that questions some of the current trends in the American early education system and being “new,” by taking readers back to the 1820s and 1830s to demonstrate their more advanced age.
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International History of Early Childhood Care and Education
This section presents a selection of writings about international historical views in early childhood care and education. A glimpse into New Zealand is offered in McLachlan 2011, Prochner 2004, Terreni 2010, and Ritchie and Skerrett 2013; into Chinese educational history in Qi and Melhuish 2016 and Lee 2014; into Scotland’s history in Eddy 2016; into India and its educational history in Pattnaik 1996; into Canada in Prochner 2000; into Ghana in Morrison 2001, and into the United States in Bloch 1987.
Bloch, Marianne N. “Becoming Scientific and Professional: An Historical Perspective on the Aims and Effects of Early Education 1.” In The Formation of School Subjects. Edited by Thomas S. Popkewitz, 25–62. New York and London: Falmer, 1987.
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A chapter that demonstrates the close relation between sociohistorical contexts and pedagogical ideas in American culture.
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Eddy, Matthew Daniel. “The Child Writer: Graphic Literacy and the Scottish Educational System, 1700–1820.” History of Education 45.6 (2016): 695–718.
DOI: 10.1080/0046760X.2016.1197971Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »
A Scottish historical view on the ways children started to learn how to write. The paper brings to light handwritten manuscripts from the 1700s and 1800s.
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Lee, Pauline C. “Two Confucian Theories on Children and Childhood: Commentaries on the Analects and the Mengzi.” Dao 13.4 (2014): 525–540.
DOI: 10.1007/s11712-014-9401-2Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »
The historical analysis of two Confucian theories, one that considers children clusters of role-specific duties, and the other that considers childhood as a pivotal stage in life.
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McLachlan, Claire. “An Analysis of New Zealand’s Changing History, Policies and Approaches to Early Childhood Education.” Australasian Journal of Early Childhood 36.3 (September 2011): 36–44.
DOI: 10.1177/183693911103600306Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »
A historical view on the emergence of the globally admired bicultural heart of New Zealand’s early childhood curriculum and practice.
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Morrison, Johnetta Wade. “Early Care and Education in Ghana.” Childhood Education 77.4 (2001): 214–218.
DOI: 10.1080/00094056.2001.10522167Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »
Ghana’s early childhood education system is analyzed through a historical lens, due to the fact that Ghana was the first African country to gain independence from colonizers.
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Pattnaik, Jyotsna. “Early Childhood Education in India: History, Trends, Issues, and Achievements.” Early Childhood Education Journal 24.1 (1996): 11–16.
DOI: 10.1007/BF02430544Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »
A concise overview of the traditions and practices in child rearing and education in India.
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Prochner, Larry. “A History of Early Education and Child Care in Canada, 1820–1966.” In Early Childhood Care and Education in Canada: Past, Present, and Future. Edited by Larry Prochner and Nina Howe, 11–65. Vancouver, BC: UBC Press, 2000.
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A paper that compares past developments in the field of early childhood education to those of today in Canada.
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Prochner, Larry. “Early Childhood Education Programs for Indigenous Children in Canada, Australia and New Zealand: An Historical Review.” Australasian Journal of Early Childhood 29.4 (2004): 7–16.
DOI: 10.1177/183693910402900403Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »
A historical-comparative study of three different systems, with the goal of identifying commonalities and differences among education and care of indigenous children.
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Qi, Xiaofei, and Edward C. Melhuish. “Early Childhood Education and Care in China: History, Current Trends and Challenges.” Early Years 37.3 (2016): 268–284.
DOI: 10.1080/09575146.2016.1236780Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »
A paper that takes the reader into the 1900s and then back again to describe the shaping of the philosophies and practices that are now defining early childhood education and care in China.
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Ritchie, Jenny, and Mere Skerrett. Early Childhood Education in Aotearoa New Zealand: History, Pedagogy, and Liberation. Basingstoke, UK: Palgrave Pivot, 2013.
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An investigation into the present and past realities of the New Zealand education system.
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Terreni, Lisa. “A History of Visual Art Education in Early Childhood in New Zealand: Looking Backwards to Go Forwards.” International Art in Early Childhood Research Journal 2.1 (2010): 1–11.
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A historical view on the influences that visual art education received during the years of development of the early childhood education system in New Zealand.
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Writings by Plato (429?–347 BCE)
Plato’s philosophical works are still studied, critiqued, unpacked, and rediscovered all over the globe. He mentioned children in most of his works, but the two books that dedicate the most space are Plato 2012 and Plato 2015. The reader can get an overall view on Plato’s works in Cooper and Hutchinson 1997. Other works that describe his complex philosophy and views on life, truth, education, and politics are Plato 2011 and Gifford 2013.
Cooper, John M., and Douglas S. Hutchinson, eds. Plato: Complete Works. Cambridge: Hackett Publishing, 1997.
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A complete collection of Plato’s works translated by contemporary scholars.
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Gifford, Edwin Hamilton, ed. The Euthydemus of Plato: With Revised Text, Introduction, Notes and Indices. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2013.
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A book that was neglected for many years; reveals dialogues about power and language and about the capacity of speech to relate to truth.
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Plato. Phaedrus. Edited by Harvey Yunis. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2011.
DOI: 10.1017/CBO9780511977237Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »
Plato engages here with establishing of the principles of rhetoric through a dialogue between Socrates and Phaedrus.
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Plato. Laws. Translated by Benjamin Jowett. Luton, UK: Andrews UK Limited, 2012.
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The longest dialogue by Plato about the ethics of government and law, presented in the form of twelve books.
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Plato. The Republic. Translated and Introduction by Benjamin Jowett. Minneapolis: First Avenue Editions, 2015.
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A book of conversations of Socrates with two other members of his circle during the awaiting of his execution.
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Writings about Plato
There is an extensive pool of writings about Plato’s philosophy. A short introduction to his philosophy can be found in Annas 2003; a collection of chapters by different authors can be found in Fine 2019. All Plato’s work in one volume with prefatory notes appears in Hamilton and Cairns 1961. Kraut 2017 is an article in the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, a continuously updated website. Plato and his role as writer and activist is discussed in Allen 2010.Writings with a specific focus on young children and education include D’Angour 2013, Domanski 2007, Matthews and Mullin 2018, Jenkins 2015, and Kohan 2005.
Allen, Danielle S. Why Plato Wrote. Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell, 2010.
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A book that paints Plato as not only the first systematic philosopher in politics, but also a first activist that wrote with the intention of changing his society and political contexts.
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Annas, Julia. Plato: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2003.
DOI: 10.1093/actrade/9780192802163.001.0001Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »
A book the eases the reader into the depths of Platonian philosophy. The language is accessible; however, the ideas do not lose their value and intensity.
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D’Angour, Armand. “Plato and Play: Taking Education Seriously in Ancient Greece.” American Journal of Play 5.3 (2013): 293–307.
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An article that summarizes Plato’s notions of play, having in mind the Hellenic culture’s appreciation of the value of play—it being ritual, word play, or music.
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Domanski, Andrew. “Principles of Early Education in Plato’s Laws.” Acta Classica 50 (2007): 65–80.
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An article that depicts Plato’s principles of early education. These principles seem current in the view of the author.
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Fine, Gail. The Oxford Handbook of Plato. 2d ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 2019.
DOI: 10.1093/oxfordhb/9780190639730.001.0001Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »
A handbook with twenty-one specially commissioned articles with original contributions of leading contemporary philosophers.
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Hamilton, Edith, and Huntington Cairns, eds. The Collected Dialogues of Plato: Including the Letters. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1961.
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The only one-volume edition of all Plato’s works, with prefatory notes and helpful terminology index.
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Jenkins, Michelle. “Early Education in Plato’s Republic.” British Journal for the History of Philosophy 23.5 (2015): 843–863.
DOI: 10.1080/09608788.2015.1013914Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »
The article unpacks a commonly held assumption about Plato’s view on children as “arational.” The author argues the opposite.
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Kohan, Walter Omar. “Plato on Children and Childhood.” Childhood & Philosophy 1.1 (2005): 11–32.
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A compendium of Plato’s references to childhood and early education. The analysis of the excerpts offers answers for the reader pondering questions regarding Plato’s views.
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Kraut, Richard. “Plato.” In The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Edited by Edward N. Zalta. Stanford, CA: Stanford University, 2017.
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An entry in an encyclopedic website with updated entries made by experts in the field of philosophy. Each entry is reviewed by the editorial board to make sure that information, even if continuously expanding, maintains academic standards.
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Matthews, Gareth, and Amy Mullin. “The Philosophy of Childhood.” In The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Edited by Edward N. Zalta. Stanford, CA: Stanford University, 2018.
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An article that engages with the topic of children having a philosophical mind early in life. The author goes as far as advocating for the philosophy of childhood being a legitimate field of inquiry.
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Writings by John Amos Comenius (1592–1670)
This section introduces the reader to the tone and contributions of one of the educational pioneers in European history, Comenius. He is less known in North America even if he was the first to ever publish a picture dictionary, Comenius 1659. The seminal work that shares his educational philosophy is Watson 1896.
Comenius, Johann Amos. Orbis sensualium pictus. London: J. Kirton, 1659.
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The first illustrated dictionary in the world, with 150 entries. Translated by Charles Hoole in 1728 as Visible World. In that edition, the text presents in one column the original Latin words of the author, and a second column gives the translation into English.
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Watson, Foster. “The Great Didactic of John Amos Comenius.” London: Academy Publishing Co., 1896.
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A treatise on education that presents Comenius’ pedagogical principles and wish for a universal education system. Originally published in1633.
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Writings about John Amos Comenius
Summaries of Comenius’s work and philosophy can be found in Peprnik 2001; Maviglia 2016 Palmer, et al. 2001 and Norlin 2020. A call for returning to the importance of senses and vocation is made in Kultaieva 2017, and a discussion on music is in Szórádová 2015. The travels and influences of Comenius in Sweden are documented and discussed in Husén 2003.
Husén, Tosten. “Comenius and Sweden, and Bengt Skytte’s Sophopolis.” Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research 47.4 (2003): 387–398.
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An article about the six-year stay of Comenius in Sweden, where he was invited to help improve the educational system.
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Kultaieva, Maria. “Philosophical and Pedagogical Explorations of John Amos Komensky and Gregory Skovoroda: Sense and Vocation Recalling of the Education.” Philosophy of Education 21.2 (2017).
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A fictional dialogue between the two thinkers discussing the role of vocation in education.
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Maviglia, Domenica. “The Main Principles of Modern Pedagogy in ‘Didactica Magna’ of John Amos Comenius.” Creative Approaches to Research 9.1 (2016): 57.
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An analysis of Comenius’s pedagogical thought in the context of his times in Europe. The modernity of the thinking is noticed, as is the will to bring education closer to the real problems of mankind.
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Norlin, Björn. “Comenius, Moral and Pious Education, and the Why, When and How of School Discipline.” History of Education 49.3 (2020): 287–312.
DOI: 10.1080/0046760X.2020.1739759Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »
An analysis of Comenius’s ideas on moral education in the context of his pedagogical view that education is a societal phenomenon.
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Palmer, Joy, Liora Bresler, and David Cooper, eds. Fifty Major Thinkers on Education: From Confucius to Dewey. London and New York: Routledge, 2001.
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Includes a chapter about Comenius’s philosophy in writings that were not published during his lifetime. The ideas of human nature as grounded in a perpetually improving creative force and that instruction and education should be the tools for the human ideal are discussed.
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Peprnik, Jaroslav. “Jan Amos Comenius 1592–1670.” In Fifty Major Thinkers on Education: From Confucius to Dewey. Edited by Joy Palmer, Liora Bresler, and David Cooper 41–45. London and New York: Routledge, 2001.
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A collection of short but clear summaries of educational thinkers from 500 BCE to the early years of the 20th century.
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Szórádová, Eva. “Contexts and Functions of Music in the Orbis sensualium pictus textbook by John Amos Comenius.” Paedagogica Historica 51.5 (2015): 535–559.
DOI: 10.1080/00309230.2015.1051551Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »
The paper depicts and analyzes the use of musical motifs and meanings in Comenius’s dictionary.
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Writings by John Locke (1632–1704)
John Locke’s legacy in education is clearly visible today. His ideas, described in detail in Locke 1847 and Locke 1996, form a strong philosophy of education. A glimpse into his personal style and informal communication can be found in both Locke 1990 and de Beer 1976–1989. A collection of his educational work can be found in one volume, Axtelli 2012.
Axtelli, James L., ed. The Educational Writings of John Locke: A Critical Edition with Introduction and Notes. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2012.
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Two of Locke’s works are present in this volume: Some Thoughts Concerning Education and Of the Conduct of the Understanding. Available online through subscription.
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de Beer, E. S., ed. The Correspondence of John Locke. 8 vols. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1976–1989.
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A collection of correspondence that covers diverse subjects: education, medicine, law, economics, politics, and many more.
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Locke, John. An Essay Concerning Human Understanding. Philadelphia: Kay & Troutman, 1847.
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A detailed theory of knowledge, organized in four books, first published in 1689. The author starts by criticizing the Cartesian view of knowledge and continues with building his own theory about ideas.
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Locke, John. Drafts for the Essay Concerning Human Understanding, and Other Philosophical Writings. Edited by Peter H. Nidditch and G. A. J. Rogers. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1990.
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A book that contains two of the earliest drafts of the Essay Concerning Human Understanding written in 1671, along with his comments and original changes.
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Locke, John. Some Thoughts Concerning Education and Of the Conduct of the Understanding. Cambridge, MA: Hackett Publishing, 1996.
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A book, first published in 1734, that shares musing about education, with a particular focus on the importance of moral education. The author proposes three main methods of education: developing a healthy body, forming a virtuous mind, and following an academic curriculum.
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Writings about John Locke
Locke’s educational ideas and concepts are still a topic of discourse today. His views on early childhood education can be found in Ezell 1983–1984, Mendelson 2010, and Gianoutsos 2006 (cited under Comparative Studies). A more general view on education is discussed in Gibson 1917. Locke’s attention to the importance of children’s health is presented in Williams 2006 and Williams 2007.
Ezell, Margaret J. M. “John Locke’s Images of Childhood: Early Eighteenth Century Response to Some Thoughts Concerning Education.” Eighteenth Century Studies 17.2 (1983–1984): 139–155.
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A paper that contextualizes Locke’s views on education, children, and their development.
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Gibson, James. Locke’s Theory of Knowledge and Its Historical Relations. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 1917.
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A detailed collation of Locke’s seminal ideas about education, theories of knowledge, formation of ideas, causality, and the self.
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Mendelson, Sara H. “Child Rearing in Theory and Practice: The Letters of John Locke and Mary Clarke.” Women’s History Review 19.2 (2010): 231–243.
DOI: 10.1080/09612021003633994Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »
The author connects Locke’s Some Thoughts Concerning Education (1693) back to their original context: the letters between Locke and his friend Edward Clarke. Available online through subscription.
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Williams, Andrew N. “Physician, Philosopher, and Paediatrician: John Locke’s Practice of Child Health Care.” Archives of Disease in Childhood 91.1 (2006): 85–89.
DOI: 10.1136/adc.2005.078162Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »
An article that reminds the world that Locke has a focus and an influence on society’s view on children’s rights and their health. Available online through subscription.
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Williams, Andrew N. “‘To observe well . . . and thence to make himself rules’: John Locke’s Principles and Practice of Child Healthcare.” Medical Humanities 33.1 (2007): 22–34.
DOI: 10.1136/jmh.2006.000240Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »
This medical paper engages with Locke’s lifelong interest in the health and well-being of young children. The author takes on the responsibility to reawaken ideas that have been ignored for too long.
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Writings by Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712–1778)
The educational philosophy of Rousseau is the foundation of many early childhood theories and practices today. His view on children, nature, and education is found in Rousseau 1899 and Rousseau 2010. Rousseau 2012 (first published 1782) is an autobiographical piece in which he explains the roots of some of his educational principles.
Rousseau, Jean-Jacques. Émile, or Treatise on Education. International Education Series 20. New York: Appleton, 1899.
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The author himself called this work his “greatest and best book.” It is a treatise on the nature of man and the nature of education. It tackles, in the context of all the political and historical happening of his time, the relationship between man and society.
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Rousseau, Jean-Jacques. Emile, or, On Education: Includes Emile and Sophie, or, the Solitaries.Collected Writings of Rousseau 13. Translated and edited by Christopher Kelly and Allan Bloom. Hanover, NH: University Press of New England, 2010.
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An incomplete sequel to Émile, this book is a heavy read about assumed betrayal and emotional pain. Originally published in 1762.
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Rousseau, Jean-Jacques. The Confessions of Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Translated by W. Conyngham Mallory. Auckland, New Zealand: The Floating Press, 2012.
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An autobiography, first published in 1782, that discusses some of the personal experiences of the author that inspired his philosophy on education.
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Writings about Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Due to Rousseau’s extensive and diverse focus on human nature, politics, education, music, and other topics, his work has been continuously studied and unpacked. His views on education, sometimes radical, are discussed in Schaeffer 2014 and Oelkers 2002. His focus on a compassionate and fair education is presented in White 2008, Lines 2009, Masters and Holifield 1996, and Laverty 2011. Topics that combine his education and political views are addressed in Ferguson 1984, Gilead 2012, Wain 2011. Doyle and Smith 2007–2013 offers a living website that has been updated until 2013 with new information about Rousseau.
Doyle, Michele Erina, and Mark K. Smith. “Jean-Jacques Rousseau on Nature, Wholeness, and Education.” In The Encyclopedia of Pedagogy and Informal Education. Edited by Mark K. Smith, 2007–2013.
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A detailed look at Rousseau’s life and pedagogy. The authors created this living article that is updated until 2013.
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Ferguson, Frances. “Reading Morals: Locke and Rousseau on Education and Inequality.” Representations 6 (1984): 66–84.
DOI: 10.1525/rep.1984.6.1.99p0047vSave Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »
An article on the topic of education, social justice, and democratizing education.
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Gilead, Tal. “Rousseau, Happiness, and the Economic Approach to Education.” Educational Theory 62.3 (2012): 267–285.
DOI: 10.1111/j.1741-5446.2012.00446.xSave Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »
A critical inquiry into concepts such as an economical approach to education and happiness and education.
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Laverty, Megan J. “Can You Hear Me Now? Jean‐Jacques Rousseau on Listening Education.” Educational Theory 61.2 (2011): 155–169.
DOI: 10.1111/j.1741-5446.2011.00397.xSave Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »
The author shares a unique view on Rousseau’s educational philosophy by emphasizing and selecting ideas from his Emile, or, On Education that engage with the aspect of listening.
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Lines, Patricia M. “Shackling the Imagination: Education for Virtue in Plato and Rousseau.” Humanitas 22.1–2 (2009): 40–68.
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The author tackles the ideal of the importance of parental education compared to institutionalized education of young children.
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Masters, Mitchell M., and Mitch Holifield. “Rousseau Revisited: Compassion as an Essential Element in Democratic Education.” Education 116.4 (1996): 559–566.
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A loud call to revisit Rousseau’s work and thought about education needing compassion as its foundation.
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Oelkers, Jürgen. “Rousseau and the Image of ‘Modern Education.’” Journal of Curriculum Studies 34.6 (2002): 679–698.
DOI: 10.1080/00220270210141936Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »
A critical historical view on Rousseau’s image as the initiator of modern education.
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Schaeffer, Denise. Rousseau on Education, Freedom, and Judgment. University Park: Pennsylvania State University Press, 2014.
DOI: 10.5325/j.ctt32bb1tSave Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »
The author contradicts previous assumptions about Rousseau’s primary focus being the conditioning of citizens’ passions for political reasons, by stating that Rousseau’s central concern was the individual and the political problem of judgment and how a person can be taught to reach human freedom.
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Wain, Kenneth. On Rousseau: An Introduction to His Radical Thinking on Education and Politics. Key Critical Thinkers in Education 3. Rotterdam: Sense, 2011.
DOI: 10.1007/978-94-6091-385-3Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »
A comprehensive volume of most of Rousseau’s ideas about education and politics.
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White, Richard. “Rousseau and the Education of Compassion.” Journal of Philosophy of Education 42.1 (2008): 35–48.
DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-9752.2008.00613.xSave Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »
The author focuses on Rousseau’s writing about the concept of compassion in education in Emile’s fourth book.
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Writings by Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi (1746–1827)
The Swiss pedagogue and educational reformer Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi, seem to be forgotten in North America. His educational philosophy and advocacy for children is clearly seen in Pestalozzi 1801 and Pestalozzi 1898, where he attempts to inspire mothers by being inspired by mothers on how to better raise children.
Pestalozzi, Johann Heinrich. Leonard and Gertrude: A Popular Story, Written Originally in German, Translated into French, and Now Attempted in English, with the Hope of Its Being Useful to All Classes of Society. Philadelphia: J. Groff, 1801.
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An ideal situation is described in this book, where the mother’s great parenting strategies are adopted by a teacher, a clergyman, and a politician.
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Pestalozzi, Johann Heinrich. How Gertrude Teaches Her Children: An Attempt to Help Mothers to Teach Their Own Children and an Account of the Method. Syracuse, NY: CW Bardeen, 1898.
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A book written in a form of fourteen letters that were sent to his friend Heidrich Gessner. The letters contain Pestalozzi’s pedagogical philosophy and educational theory.
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Writings about Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi
Pestalozzi’s ideas are mostly inspired by his tumultuous life experiences, his advocacy for the underprivileged, and his cry for an education full of heart. His life is revisited in Roger de Baron Guimps 1897, Silber 1973, and Gutek 2002. His pedagogical views are contextualized in Barlow 1977, which discusses their influences on American education, and in Tröhler 2013, Horlacher 2011, and Horlacher 2013. Pestalozzi’s influences on the use of drawing in education can be found in Ashwin 1981. Influences on women’s education in the 19th century are unpacked in Laubach and Smith 2012. Pestalozzi’s letters are revisited in Brickman 1952.
Ashwin, Clive. “Pestalozzi and the Origins of Pedagogical Drawings.” British Journal of Educational Studies 19.2 (1981): 138–151.
DOI: 10.1080/00071005.1981.9973592Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »
An article about the first pedagogical perspectives on the value of drawing in education.
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Barlow, Thomas A. Pestalozzi and American Education. Boulder, CO: Este Es Press, 1977.
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A book that traces the history and influences of Pestalozzi’s pedagogical ideas in the American educational system.
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Brickman, William W. “The Critical Edition of Pestalozzi’s Letters.” History of Education Journal (1952): 49–51.
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A paper that brings into qualitative focus Pestalozzi’s letters, which, in the opinion of the author, have been ignored for too long.
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Gutek, Gerald L. Pestalozzi, Johann (1746–1827). In Encyclopedia of Education. Vol. 5. 1874–1876. Waveland Pr Inc., 2002.
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A biography and detailed analysis of Pestalozzi’s education philosophy and practice.
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Horlacher, Rebekka. “Schooling as a Means of Popular Education: Pestalozzi’s Method as a Popular Education Experiment.” Paedagogica Historica 47.1–2 (2011): 65–75.
DOI: 10.1080/00309230.2010.530286Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »
A critique of Pestalozzi’s educational promises and the students’ families’ reaction to the results of his pedagogical methods.
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Horlacher, Rebekka. “Do Educational Models Impose Standardization? Reading Pestalozzi Historically.” In Rethinking the History of Education. Edited by Thomas S. Popkewitz, 135–156. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2013.
DOI: 10.1057/9781137000705_7Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »
The author names Pestalozzi “the star” of Europe’s educational market in the 1900s in this chapter that critiques the historical reality of educational institutions that were following Pestalozzi’s methods in an unharmonized way.
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Horlacher, Rebekka. “Vocational and Liberal Education in Pestalozzi’s Educational Theory.” Pedagogía Y Saberes 50 (2018): 109–120.
DOI: 10.17227/pys.num50-9504Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »
An article that closely analyzes Pestalozzi’s famous description of the core of education as being in the heart, hand, and head, by contextualizing the concepts.
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Laubach, Maria A., and Joan K. Smith. “Transatlantic Dialogue: Pestalozzian Influences on Women’s Education in the Early Nineteenth Century America.” American Educational History Journal 39.1–2 (2012): 365.
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A research paper that focuses on the influence of Pestalozzi’s female disciples. This study is relevant mainly because the practical and theoretical ideas of Pestalozzi were inspired by mothers.
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Roger de Baron Guimps, Roger. Pestalozzi: His Life and Work. New York: D. Appleton and company, 1897.
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A detailed introduction to Pestalozzi’s life and educational thinking.
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Silber, Kate. Pestalozzi: The Man and His Work. 3d ed. New York: Schocken Books, 1973.
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A clearly written detailed account of Pestalozzi’s life, work, and thinking.
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Tröhler, Daniel. Pestalozzi and the Educationalization of the World. New York: Springer, 2013.
DOI: 10.1057/9781137346858Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »
The author of this book makes connections between Pestalozzi’s work and the European context of the early 19th century.
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Writings by Friedrich Froebel (1782–1852)
Friedrich Froebel (or Fröbel) is known as the inventor of kindergarten. His legacy is alive and well today. His writings show how his educational philosophy formed in the context of the times in which he lived. He talks about education and its pivotal role in society in Froebel 1886. He offers an autobiography in Froebel 2018 (originally published in 1915) and his views on the concept of kindergarten in Froebel 1891, Froebel 1885, Froebel 1898, and Froebel 1899.
Froebel, Friedrich. Mothers’ Songs, Games and Stories. Translated by Frances and Emily Lord. Students’ edition. London: William Rice, 1885.
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A collection of Froebel’s educational ideas, game, stories, and songs.
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Froebel, Friedrich. The Education of Man. International Education Series 5. New York: Lovell & Company, 1886.
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In this book, Froebel shares the core principles of his pedagogical view. He introduces here the importance of play in the development of children’s thinking.
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Froebel, Friedrich. Froebel’s Letters on the Kindergarten. Syracuse, NY: CW Bardeen, 1891.
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A collection of Froebel’s letters that engage with a collection of didactic and parenting strategies for the best development of the young child.
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Froebel, Friedrich. The Mottoes and Commentaries of Friedrich Froebel’s Mother Play. New York: D. Appleton, 1898.
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A new edition of Froebel’s collection of games, songs, and poems, dedicated to mothers for the education of their children.
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Froebel, Friedrich. Pedagogics of the Kindergarten. New York: Appleton Press, 1899.
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This book contains fifteen essays written by Froebel and collected by Friedrich Wichard Lange. Here the reader can find an in-depth description of the five gifts of Froebel, and his arguments on the importance of play.
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Froebel, Friedrich. Revival: Autobiography of Friedrich Froebel (1915). Abingdon, UK: Routledge, 2018.
DOI: 10.4324/9781315122489Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »
This book was originally published in 1915 and it contains a very detailed account of Froebel’s life and his pivotal contributions to education and parenting. The book contains a chapter written by his wife, Madame Louise Froebel.
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Writings about Friedrich Froebel
Froebel’s educational philosophy and pedagogical practices have been applied in early childhood education since their inception. Experiences and experiments with their application can be found in Reinhold, et al. 2017 and Bruce 2019. A more conceptual stance is taken in Brehony 2009; Bruce, et al. 2019; and Louis 2018. Specific focus on the concept of kindergarten can be found in Brosterman 1997 and May, et al. 2017.
Brehony, Kevin J. “Transforming Theories of Childhood and Early Childhood Education: Child Study and the Empirical Assault on Froebelian Rationalism.” Paedagogica Historica 45.4–5 (2009): 585–604.
DOI: 10.1080/00309230903100965Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »
An article that discusses the rupture between rationalistic forms of knowledge and positivism and empiricism, focusing on Froebelian theory. The author is glad that this rupture was not violent and allowed synthesis.
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Brosterman, Norman. Inventing Kindergarten. New York: Henry N. Abrams, 1997.
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A book about Froebel’s thinking when inventing the concept that took over the world: kindergarten education.
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Bruce, Tina. Educating Young Children: A Lifetime Journey into a Froebelian Approach: The Selected Works of Tina Bruce. London and New York: Routledge, 2019.
DOI: 10.4324/9781315658186Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »
A selection of works from the author’s four-decade-long career. The book approaches a multitude of key Froebelian topics and themes.
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Bruce, Tina, Peter Elfer, Sacha Powell, and Louie Werth. The Routledge International Handbook of Froebel and Early Childhood Practice. London and New York: Routledge, 2019.
DOI: 10.4324/9781315562421Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »
A handbook that collects an extensive number or studies, literature, case studies that focus on Froebelian pedagogy.
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Louis, Stella. “The Far-Reaching Value of Froebel Short Courses.” Early Years Educator 19.11 (2018): 22–24.
DOI: 10.12968/eyed.2018.20.2.22Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »
An analysis of the impact of Froebel’s thinking on education, learning, and development of young children.
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May, Helen, Kristen Nawrotzki, and Laurence Wayne Prochner, eds. Kindergarten Narratives on Froebelian Education: Transnational Investigations. London: Bloomsbury Press, 2017.
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A book that showcases the newest scholarship on Froebel’s ideas, taking a global approach.
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Reinhold, Simone, Ann Downton, and Sharyn Livy. “Revisiting Friedrich Froebel and His Gifts for Kindergarten: What Are the Benefits for Primary Mathematics Education?” Paper presented at the 40th Annual Meeting of the Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia (MERGA), Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 2017.
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An empirical study with fifty-four children that examines the effectiveness of Froebel’s gifts in today’s mathematics teaching.
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Writings by John Dewey (1859–1952)
The philosopher, psychologist, and educational reformer John Dewey contributed enormously to the educational system in North America, and affected many other areas on the globe. His views on education start with a deep belief in the need for democracy. His views on education and its moral principles are found in Hinchey and Dewey 2019 and Dewey 1959. His views on experience, body and mind connection, and learning can be found in Dewey 1886 and Dewey 1998. He proposes a need for reflective practice in Dewey 1933. A more elaborate description of his views can be found in Dewey 1981 and Dewey 1990.
Dewey, John. “Soul and Body.” Bibliotheca Sacra 43.169 (1886): 239–263.
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An article where the author tries to defend a new perspective of psychology against religious fears of any mechanical perspectives on life. He believes that the spirit is part of the body and not separate, as believed be Cartesians.
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Dewey, John. How We Think: A Restatement of the Relation of Reflective Thinking to the Educative Process. Boston: Heath, 1933.
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A book about reflective inquiry as an invaluable tool for teaching and learning.
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Dewey, John. Moral Principles in Education. New York: Philosophical Library, 1959.
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A book that approaches in great detail the author’s view on moral education and its principles.
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Dewey, John. The Later Works, 1925–1953. Edited by Jo Ann Boydston. Carbondale: Southern Illinois University Press, 1981.
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A collection of Dewey’s works written at a stage in his life when he was not changing his mind anymore. His ideas are informed and researched by the time of their publication.
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Dewey, John. The School and Society; And, The Child and the Curriculum. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1990.
DOI: 10.7208/chicago/9780226112114.001.0001Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »
A book that clearly describes Dewey’s theory of education in two of his seminal works. The introduction to the works, written by Philip W. Jackson adds to its value to the serious explanation as to why Dewey’s ideas are not turned into practice today.
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Dewey, John. Issuing Body: Experience and Education. Kappa Delta Pi Lecture Series. 60th Anniversary ed. West Lafayette, IN: Kappa Delta Pi, 1998.
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A concise collection of Dewey’ core principles, organized under chapters that name a salient aspect of his views.
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Hinchey, Patricia H., and John Dewey. Moral Principles in Education and My Pedagogic Creed by John Dewey: With a Critical Introduction by Patricia H. Hinchey. Timely Classics in Education. Gorham, ME: Myers Education Press, 2019.
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A book that shows the efforts of Dewey to counter in his views and projects the corrupted system of education of the United States of his time. Unfortunately, readers have noticed that a lot of what he believed in and tried to implement is still missing from today’s education.
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Writings about John Dewey
Dewey’s ideas have been extensively discussed by other thinkers. His ideas of reform are still applied today in the American education system. His views on early childhood education can be found in Gregory and Granger 2012 and Lindsay 2015. Policy adaptations of his ideas are approached in Nordin and Wahlström 2017 and in D’Agnese 2019. Thought about his views on the images of teachers, educators, and children are unpacked in English 2016.
D’Agnese, Vasco. “Dewey and Possibility: Challenging Neoliberalism in Education.” Educational Theory 69.6 (2019): 693–717.
DOI: 10.1111/edth.12400Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »
A philosophical article about the ambiguity of critiques of neoliberalism in education. The author uses Dewey’s commitments to the “unattained” and “wonderful possibilities” of the educational experience.
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English, Andrea R. “John Dewey and the Role of the Teacher in a Globalized World: Imagination, Empathy, and ‘Third Voice.’” In Special Issue: Dewey’s Democracy and Education in an Era of Globalization. Edited by Mordechai Gordon and Andrea R. English. Educational Philosophy and Theory 48.10 (2016): 1046–1064.
DOI: 10.1080/00131857.2016.1202806Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »
The author turns to the concept of imagination to demonstrate that without it learning cannot take place. She is using Dewey’s framework to propose a systemic change of higher education classrooms into more inclusive environments in light of today’s diversity.
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Gregory, Maughn, and David Granger. “Introduction: John Dewey on Philosophy and Childhood.” Education and Culture 28.2 (2012): 1–25.
DOI: 10.1353/eac.2012.0014Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »
An article that examines two ideas that derive from Dewey but were not articulated by him directly: “the Child Philosopher” and “the Philosopher as Child.”
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Lindsay, Gai. “Reflections in the Mirror of Reggio Emilia’s Soul: John Dewey’s Foundational Influence on Pedagogy in the Italian Educational Project.” Early Childhood Education Journal 43.6 (2015): 447–457.
DOI: 10.1007/s10643-015-0692-7Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »
The article points out the influences of the theory and philosophy of education of Dewey on the development and globalization of the Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood education.
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Nordin, Andreas, and Ninni Wahlström. “Exploring European Education Policy through the Lens of Dewey’s Democracy and Education.” European Journal of Pragmatism and American Philosophy 8.1 (2017).
DOI: 10.4000/ejpap.439Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »
An article that engages with Dewey’s core educational and democratic principles as possible ways to reform policy in contemporary risk discourse.
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Writings by Rudolf Joseph Lorenz Steiner (1861–1925)
The Austrian philosopher, architect, and social reformer Rudolf Steiner has a long-lasting legacy that has embraced the whole world. A short elaboration of his ideas can be found in Steiner 2008 and Steiner 1927, where he explains early learning through the lens of Steiner’s system, known as anthroposophy. A specific focus on young children is offered in Steiner and Trostli 1998 and Steiner 1996. A more philosophical stance is taken in Steiner 2006 and Steiner 2012.
Steiner, Rudolf. The Education of the Child in the Light of Anthroposophy. London: Anthrophroposophical Publishing, 1927.
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An essay where the author explains his stance on anthroposophy and education.
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Steiner, Rudolf. The Education of the Child and Early Lectures on Education. Foundations of Waldorf Education 25. Hudson, NY: Anthroposophic Press, 1996.
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A collection of Steiner’s early essays and lectures ranging from 1906 to 1911.
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Steiner, Rudolf. The Evolution of Consciousness: As Revealed through Initiation-Knowledge: Thirteen Lectures, Two Addresses, Two Sessions of Answering Questions Held in Penmaenmawr, North Wales, from 18 to 31 August 1923, Supplemented by Drawings. New ed. London: Rudolf Steiner Press, 2006.
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In this collection of lectures, the reader will find Steiner’s viewpoints on humanity’s loss of spiritual consciousness and the need to reconnect with it. He proposes to re-engage in deeper ways with imagination, inspiration, and intuition.
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Steiner, Rudolf. Educating Children Today. Forest Row, UK: Sophia Books, 2008.
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A concise elaboration of Steiner’s thoughts on education that contains his reasoning regarding certain curriculum experiences being offered at certain times. Originally published in English in 1981 and in German in 1901.
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Steiner, Rudolf. The Essential Rudolf Steiner. Lanham, MD: Start Publishing LLC, 2012.
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A collection with Steiner’s five seminal works: Theosophy, an Introduction, An Esoteric Cosmology, Intuitive Thinking as a Spiritual Path, An Introduction to Waldorf Education, and How to Know Higher Worlds.
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Steiner, Rudolf, and Roberto Trostli. Rhythms of Learning: What Waldorf Education Offers Children, Parents and Teachers. Vista Series 4. Hudson, NY: Anthroposophic Press, 1998.
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A collection of Steiner’s key lectures on child development and early childhood education.
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Writings about Rudolf Joseph Lorenz Steiner
The globalized web of Waldorf schools ignited many new perspectives and current adaptations of Steiner’s philosophy of education. A call for reconceptualizing time in education is expressed in O’Connor and Angus 2014. Accounts and summaries of Steiner’s pivotal ideas about early learning are found in Nicol 2016, Nicol and Taplin 2018, Aeppli 1986, Childs 1991, and Suggate and Suggate 2020. A biographical perspective is offered by Dahlin 2017, and a focus on child development is provided in Pavlovic, et al. 2017 and Selg 2008. The globalization of the Waldorf philosophy is discussed in Boland 2015.
Aeppli, Willi. Rudolf Steiner Education and the Developing Child. Hudson, NY: Anthroposophic Press, 1986.
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The author invites readers into his classroom and, through his experiences and children’s voices, offers insight into his understanding and practice of Steiner’s ideas.
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Boland, Neil. “The Globalisation of Steiner Education: Some Considerations.” Research on Steiner Education 6 (2015): 192–202.
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A historical and geographical view on Steiner education and its spread around the globe. The author analyzes the different adaptations of the theory to different cultures.
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Childs, Gilbert. Steiner Education in Theory and Practice. Edinburgh: Floris Books, 1991.
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A detailed account of Steiner’s ideas on child development and the seminal role of education in a successful life.
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Dahlin, Bo. Rudolf Steiner: The Relevance of Waldorf Education. Cham, Switzerland: Springer International, 2017.
DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-58907-7Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »
A biography of Rudolf Steiner from a pedagogical perspective. The author presents Steiner’s intentions of viewing the human being from a spiritual point of view.
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Nicol, Janni. Bringing the Steiner Waldorf Approach to Your Early Years Practice. Abingdon, UK: Routledge, 2016.
DOI: 10.4324/9781315732831Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »
A short book that introduces Steiner’s philosophy to educators. It includes a historical view on Steiner’s life and thinking, a discourse on the role of play in education, and the practical advantages of rhythm, reverence, and repetition.
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Nicol, Janni, and Jill Tina Taplin. Understanding the Steiner Waldorf Approach. 2d ed. London: Routledge, 2018.
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An introduction to the practical understanding of Steiner’s ideas in early learning. The book describes the main principles of the Waldorf philosophy and how they can be applied by educators.
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O’Connor, Doireann, and Jonathan Angus. “Give Them Time—An Analysis of School Readiness in Ireland’s Early Education System: A Steiner Waldorf Perspective.” Education 3-13 42.5 (2014): 488–497.
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A paper that analyzes Steiner’s view on readiness with the intention of applying it to international educational practice through curricular policies.
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Pavlovic, Dragana, Petrovic Zorica Stanisavljevic, and Miljkovic Milan. “Humanistic Approach to Early Childhood Education in the Educational Philosophy of Rudolf Steiner.” Future Human Image 8 (2017): 103–113.
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The article presents and discusses the first cycle of development in the Waldorf philosophy—the education of children in their early years—and proposes a reform of education.
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Selg, Peter. The Therapeutic Eye: How Rudolf Steiner Observed Children. Great Barrington, MA: Steiner Books, 2008.
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A book about Steiner’s views on child development and his strategies of observation. The author proposes that these strategies be used with all children, especially children with learning and behavioral challenges.
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Suggate, Tamara, and Sebastian Suggate. Reclaim Early Childhood: The Philosophy, Psychology and Practice of Steiner Waldorf Early Years Education. Chicago: Hawthorn Press, 2020.
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A clear account of Steiner’s philosophy and practice, with special focus on his view on children as unique.
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Writings by Maria Montessori (1870–1952)
Maria Montessori, a key figure in the history of early childhood education, was a physician, educator, and educational innovator whose ideas, materials, and techniques are globally utilized in the field. Her pivotal principles and strategies are described in Montessori 1917, Montessori 2011, Montessori 2013, and Montessori 2016. Reflections about the nature of childhood can be found in Montessori and Carter 1936, about the transition into adolescence in Montessori 1973, and about human potential in general in Montessori 2015. Her worries about the future are disclosed in Montessori 1932, and solutions for the future are offered in Montessori 1946.
Montessori, Maria. The Advanced Montessori Method. New York: Frederick A. Stokes, 1917.
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A book with subject specific methodologies for teachers. Some chapters engage with grammar, arithmetic, music, and drawing.
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Montessori, Maria. Peace and Education. Geneva, Switzerland: International Bureau of Education, 1932.
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A collection of lectures in which Montessori talks about her worries about the future. The lectures took place between the two world wars.
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Montessori, Maria. Education for a New World. Madras Publication Series 1. Madras, India: Kalakshetra, 1946.
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The new way of education needs to be dictated by the child and not the teacher, says Montessori in this short book about her methods and research.
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Montessori, Maria. The Formation of Man. Madras, India: Theosophical Publishing House, 1955.
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The author explains why her method is so popular, and reflects upon its critiques.
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Montessori, Maria. From Childhood to Adolescence: Including Erdkinder and the Function of the University. New York: Schocken Books, 1973.
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A book dedicated to the education of older children—adolescents to university students. She proposes pedagogical strategies for each level of schooling.
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Montessori, Maria. Dr. Montessori’s Own Handbook. New York: Schocken Books, 2011.
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A book written by Montessori in response to requests coming from teachers and parents. She offers illustrations and examples for how to apply her method.
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Montessori, Maria. The Montessori Method. Piscataway, NJ: Transaction, 2013.
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A book about Montessori’s method and the process of creating her method. Originally published in 1964.
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Montessori, Maria. To Educate the Human Potential. Cambridge, UK: Ravenio Books, 2015.
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A book dedicated to the education of children older than six. Montessori inspires teachers to see the potential and not the deficits in their students.
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Montessori, Maria. “Lecture 11: Some More Suggestions and Remarks.” NAMTA Journal 41.3 (1 January 2016): 399–410.
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A lecture of Montessori about the need for a thoughtful setting and an intentional preparation of teaching materials in early childhood education.
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Montessori, Maria, and Barbara Carter. The Secret of Childhood. Calcutta: Orient Longmans, 1936.
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A book about the nature of the child, inspired by Montessori’s own experiences.
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Writings about Maria Montessori
Maria Montessori was a pioneer from a multitude of points of view. She was an eminent student who at the age of thirteen joined a technical institute for boys, but later changed her mind and decided to become a doctor, which she did in 1896, making her one of the first female physicians in Italy. A glimpse into her life can be found in Hainstock 1997 and Standing 1962. While practicing psychiatry she became interested in education and found herself studying educational philosophy and theory. In 1907 she opened her first childcare facility and started to develop her method. Her pivotal ideas and the life events that inspired them are discussed in Feez 2010 and Standing 2020. A research project about the success of her methods is relayed in Lillard 2012, and her relationship with the United States is described in Gutek and Gutek 2016. Davies and Imai 2019 is a book for parents interested in raising their children in the Montessori method.
Davies, Simone, and Hiyoko Imai. The Montessori Toddler. New York: Workman, 2019.
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A collection of hundreds of ideas for parents about how to raise children following Montessori’s principles.
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Feez, Susan. Montessori: The Australian Story. Sydney: New South Publishing, 2013.
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An historical book about the Montessori method and its applications in Australia.
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Feez, Susan. Montessori and Early Childhood: A Guide for Students. Los Angeles: SAGE, 2010.
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A complete overview of the Montessori method and its applications. The book presents elements of the method that can be used by any childcare provider.
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Gutek, Gerald Lee, and Patricia Gutek. Bringing Montessori to America: S.S. McClure, Maria Montessori, and the Campaign to Publicize Montessori Education. Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press, 2016.
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A book that presents in great detail the history of the tumultuous partnership between America and Montessori.
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Hainstock, Elizabeth G. The Essential Montessori: An Introduction to the Woman, the Writings, the Method, and the Movement. New York: Plume, 1997.
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A book dedicated both to beginners and experienced teachers who are using the Montessori method.
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Lillard, Angeline S. “Preschool Children’s Development in Classic Montessori, Supplemented Montessori, and Conventional Programs.” Journal of School Psychology 50.3 (2012): 379–401.
DOI: 10.1016/j.jsp.2012.01.001Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »
A research study about the success of the Montessori method on children’s academic skills. The researchers tested three groups of children in preschools: children in a classic Montessori preschool, children in a Montessori “inspired” preschool, and children in conventional preschools.
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Standing, E. Mortimer. Maria Montessori: Her Life and Work. New York: New American Library, 1962.
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A background reading dedicated to parents who are considering the Montessori method, and to future teachers.
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Standing, E. M. The Montessori Method: A Revolution in Education. E-book. Chicago: Barakaldo Books, 2020.
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A complete account of the Montessori method, including its history, philosophy, and application. First published in 1962.
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Writings by Jean William Fritz Piaget (1896–1980)
Jean Piaget is a name that most educationalists, theorists, and practitioners in early childhood education know, and most can identify his influences on today’s educational systems globally. He was a Swiss psychologist who created the most widely known theory of cognitive development. His views were formed by the experiments and observations that he performed, mostly on his own three children. His experiments are shared in Piaget 2015. His pioneering work in language development can be found in Piaget 2002b, and his ideas about children’s reasoning is discussed in in Piaget 2002a. Studies about children’s conception of the world around them can be found in Piaget 1929, Piaget 1962, Piaget 1965, Piaget 1972, Piaget 2013a, and Piaget 2013b. A specific focus on children’s intelligence can be found in Piaget and Cook 1952, and on their power to imagine and play in Piaget 1962.
Piaget, Jean. Selected Works: The Child’s Conception of the World. Abingdon, UK: Routledge, 1929.
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A book that tries to identify the differences between ways children perceive the world and ways adults do. The author also identifies certain milestones in children’s lives when their understandings of the world change.
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Piaget, Jean. Play, Dreams and Imitation in Childhood. Translated by C. Gattegno and F. M. Hodgson. New York: Norton, 1962.
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An analysis of child development through the lens of playfulness and imitation.
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Piaget, Jean. The Moral Judgment of the Child. Translated by Marjorie Gabain. Abingdon, UK: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1965.
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A classic study about children’s distinction between right and wrong while in experimental situations.
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Piaget, Jean. The Child’s Conception of Physical Causality. Littlefield Adams Quality Paperback 212. Totowa, NJ: Littlefield Adams, 1972.
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A book filled with creative experimental ideas that help researchers look into children’s sophisticated ways of thinking. Originally printed in 1927.
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Piaget, Jean. Judgement and Reasoning in the Child. London: Routledge, 2002a.
DOI: 10.4324/9780203207260Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »
A book that describes Piaget’s views on children’s abilities for judgment and reasoning in five chapters, inspired by his research. Originally published in 1928.
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Piaget, Jean. The Language and Thought of the Child. 3d ed. London: Routledge, 2002b.
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A book about Piaget’s view on children developing language, thought, and knowledge. Originally published in 1923.
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Piaget, Jean. The Child’s Conception of Number. Selected Works 2. Abingdon, UK: Routledge, 2013a.
DOI: 10.4324/9781315006222Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »
A book about children’s understanding of numerical concepts and their application to real situations. Originally published in 1952.
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Piaget, Jean. The Construction of Reality in the Child. Abingdon, UK: Routledge, 2013b.
DOI: 10.4324/9781315009650Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »
A book that shares Piaget’s thinking and research about children’s grasp and understanding of reality. Originally published in 1954.
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Piaget, Jean. The Grasp of Consciousness: Action and Concept in the Young Child. Psychology Revivals. London: Psychology Press, 2015.
DOI: 10.4324/9781315722382Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »
A book on Piaget’s experiments with children. His experiments included those that tested the understanding and performance of simple tasks. Originally published in 1976.
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Piaget, Jean, and Margaret Cook. The Origins of Intelligence in Children. New York: International Universities Press, 1952.
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A book about Piaget’s efforts to sustain his new philosophical and theoretical frameworks with evidence. His research begins with the pivotal questions of where intelligence comes from.
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Writings about Jean William Fritz Piaget
Piaget is one of the most known personalities in the history of developmental psychology and education. His legacy remains active and current. His ideas are still embraced but also heavily criticized. Some of his followers have replicated his studies, as seen in Elkind 1964, Almy 1966, and Kamii and Housman 2000. Introductions and summaries of Piaget’s theory of cognition can be found in Isaacs and Lawrence 2015 and Ginsburg and Opper 1988. Critiques of his ideas are made by Egan 1982, Egan 1983, and Aslanian 2018. A focus on specific aspects of Piaget’s writings is visible in Palfrey 1972 and Oesterdiekhoff 2016.
Almy, Millie. Young Children’s Thinking: Studies of Some Aspects of Piaget’s Theory. New York: Teachers College Press, 1966.
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A book about Piaget’s main ideas concerning the development of young children.
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Aslanian, Teresa K. “Recycling Piaget: Posthumanism and Making Children’s Knowledge Matter.” Educational Philosophy and Theory 50.4 (2018): 417–427.
DOI: 10.1080/00131857.2017.1377068Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »
An article that presents Piaget’s philosophy of child development through a posthuman lens. Aslanian uses Karen Barad’s posthuman theory to propose a new way of research with children, a way that incorporates what matters to children and not only to the researchers.
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Egan, Kieran. “What Does Piaget’s Theory Describe?” Teachers College Record 84.2 (1982): 453–476.
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An article that starts with two questions: What if Piaget was right? What if Piaget was wrong? The author then shares his own analysis and conclusions.
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Egan, Kieran. “Piaget’s Developmental Theory.” In Education and Psychology: Plato, Piaget, and Scientific Psychology. By Kieran Egan, 67–117. New York: Teachers College Press, 1983.
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The author looks at Piaget’s work with a critical eye and argues that there are dangers to using strict scientific methods in the study of education.
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Elkind, David. “Discrimination, Seriation, and Numeration of Size and Dimensional Differences in Young Children: Piaget Replication Study VI.” Journal of Genetic Psychology 104.2 (1964): 275–296.
DOI: 10.1080/00221325.1964.10532564Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »
This is the sixth replication study of Piaget’s work in The Child’s Conception of Number. The author focuses on the following: seriation, discrimination, and numeration.
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Ginsburg, Herbert P., and Sylvia Opper. Piaget’s Theory of Intellectual Development. Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1988.
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A concise volume of Piaget’s main concepts and their application into educational practice.
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Isaacs, Nathan, and Evelyn Lawrence. A Brief Introduction to Piaget: The Growth of Understanding in the Young Child and New Light on Children’s Ideas of Number. E-book. New York: Agathon Press, 2015.
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A summary of Piaget’s entire developmental psychology through the lens of practicing educators. First published 1972.
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Kamii, Constance, and Leslie Baker Housman. Young Children Reinvent Arithmetic: Implications of Piaget’s Theory. 2d ed. Early Childhood Education Series. New York: Teachers College Press, 2000.
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A book written in collaboration with teachers in the classroom that offers a multitude of tested strategies inspired by Piaget’s concepts of development.
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Oesterdiekhoff, Georg W. “Is a Forgotten Subject Central to the Future Development of Sciences? Jean Piaget on the Interrelationship between Ontogeny and History.” Personality and Individual Differences 98 (2016): 118–126.
DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2016.03.098Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »
An article that combs through Piaget’s publications extracting the remarks that refer to children’s development interweaved with the historical development of humankind.
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Palfrey, C. F. “Piaget’s Questions to Young Children: An Analysis of Their Structure and Content.” Educational Review 24.2 (1972): 122–131.
DOI: 10.1080/0013191720240205Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »
An article that analyzes the structure and context of the questions Piaget asked of the children in his research. The author argues that because of the nature of the questions, children may have answered according to what they thought was expected of them to answer.
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Writings by Célestin Freinet (1896–1966)
Célestin Freinet was a notable French pedagogue and educational reformer who, after teaching for a while, started to develop his own didactic methodology. He also started a teacher movement that was meant to change the public educational system through collaborations among teachers and policymakers along with advocating for children’s rights. His philosophy of education comes through in Freinet 1990a and Freinet 1993, and his practical techniques can be found in Freinet 1990b.
Freinet, Célestin. Cooperative Learning and Social Change: Selected Writings of Celestín Freinet. Edited and translated by David Clandfield and John Sivell. Toronto: Our Schools/Our Selves Education Foundation, 1990a.
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An anthology of Freinet’s works, with an introduction that narrates the life of Freinet, with his challenges and successes.
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Freinet, Célestin. The Wisdom of Matthew: An Essay in Contemporary French Educational Theory. Mellen Studies in Education 13. Lewiston, NY: E. Mellen, 1990b.
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An introduction to Freinet’s techniques along with materials and activities that the author used with young children.
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Freinet, Celestin. Education through Work: A Model for Child-Centered Learning. Lewiston, NY: Edwin Mellen Press, 1993.
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An educational philosophical essay on the topic of psychology of learning, with practical examples for teachers.
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Writings about Célestin Freinet
Freinet is not well known in the Anglophone world, even though he was a prolific writer (he wrote 18 books and about 3,000 articles) and reformed the entire French educational system. Acker 2000 tried to bring the name of Freinet back into the spotlight. A historical view of Freinet’s influence can be found in Beattie 2002, Legrand 1993, and Schlemminger 1996. A view that brings Freinet’s ideas into the present can be found in Acker 2007. An international perspective can be found in Beattie 1998, and a view on teachers and their strategies is offered in Nowak-Fabrykowski 1992.
Acker, Victor. “Celestin Freinet (1896–1966): A Most Unappreciated Educator in the Anglophone World.” Paper presented at the Annual Conference of the Comparative and International Education Society (San Antonio, TX, 8–12 March 2000). Semantic Scholar, 2000.
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A paper that advocates for Freinet’s ideas and educational method.
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Acker, Victor. The French Educator Célestin Freinet (1896–1966): An Inquiry into How His Ideas Shaped Education. Lanham, MD: Lexington Books, 2007.
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An exploration of Freinet’s ideas through the lens of contemporaneity.
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Beattie, Nicholas. “Freinet and the Anglo‐Saxons.” Compare: A Journal of Comparative and International Education 28.1 (1998): 33–45.
DOI: 10.1080/0305792980280103Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »
The author talks about reform in France and the Anglo-Saxons. He also talks about the failures of the Freinet movement and the political reasons for them.
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Beattie, Nicholas. The Freinet Movements of France, Italy, and Germany, 1920–2000 Versions of Educational Progressivism. Lewiston, NY: Edwin Mellen Press, 2002.
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A complete overview of Freinet as an introduction to the American-Anglophone world.
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Legrand, L. “Célestin Freinet (1896–1966).” Prospects: The Quarterly Review of Comparative Education. 23.1–2 (1993): 403–418.
DOI: 10.1007/BF02195047Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »
A detailed article that introduces Freinet by first telling the story of his life and continuing with the emergence of his ideas in the context of need.
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Nowak-Fabrykowski, Krystyna. “Freinet’s Concept of Teachers and Theory of Teaching.” McGill Journal of Education/Revue des sciences de l’éducation de McGill 27.1 (1992).
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A paper that presents Freinet’s view on the image of a teacher. The author, by wishing to understand Freinet better, analyzes the psychological context of the thinker’s educational ideas.
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Schlemminger, Gerald. “History of Freinet Pedagogy.” Des écoles différentes, 1996.
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An article that introduces Freinet, the teacher, and his main principles of teaching and learning. The article presents the working schedule of Freinet’s school, his essential concept, critiques of his theory, his influence on modern education, and more.
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Writings by Lev Semyonovich Vygotsky (1896–1934)
Vygotsky, who was born in the same year as Piaget but lived a much shorter life in a much different political area, became one of the biggest names in education in the last few decades. His contributions to child development are very valuable and can be applied to current times. A collection of his works can be found in Vygotsky 1997, and his core principles and theory can be found in Vygotsky 2004, Vygotsky 1967, Vygotsky 1979b, and Vygotsky 1994. His thoughts on higher mental functions in child development are discussed in Vygotsky 1977, Vygotsky 1979b, and El’konin and Vygotsky 2001. The theme of consciousness is approached in Vygotsky 1979a. In Luria and Vygotsky 1992, behavior is presented as having historical, ontogenetical, and evolutionary roots.
El’konin, D. B., and L. S. Vygotsky. “Symbolic Mediation and Joint Action.” Journal of Russian and East European Psychology 39.4 (2001): 9–19.
DOI: 10.2753/RPO1061-040539049Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »
A collection of thoughts from both authors about children’s capacity to imagine an action and do the action in a cultural context.
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Luria, Aleksandr Romanovič, and Lev S. Vygotsky. Ape, Primitive Man, and Child Essays in the History of Behavior. Translated by Evelyn Rossiter. New York: Harvester Wheatsheaf, 1992.
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A first translation of this work, the book discusses views on behavior as having evolutionary, historical, and ontogenetic sources.
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Vygotsky, Lev S. “Play and Its Role in the Mental Development of the Child.” Soviet Psychology 5.3 (1967): 6–18.
DOI: 10.2753/RPO1061-040505036Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »
This seminal text of Vygotsky was first a lecture he gave in 1933. The translator shares the joy at the stenographical trace of this lecture and the possibility to publish and share it with the world. His ideas about play and the pedagogical value he cherished are very current.
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Vygotsky, Lev S. “The Development of Higher Psychological Functions.” Soviet Psychology 15.3 (1977): 60–73.
DOI: 10.2753/RPO1061-0405150360Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »
A work written in the late 1920, this essay shows Vygotsky’s commitment to historical and materialistic neuroscience and the study of the uniqueness of human psychological processes.
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Vygotsky, Lev S. “Consciousness as a Problem in the Psychology of Behavior.” Soviet Psychology 17.4 (1979a): 3–35.
DOI: 10.2753/RPO1061-040517043Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »
This paper, initially a speech given by Vygotsky in 1924, is his first major contribution to psychology in the Soviet Union.
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Vygotsky, Lev S. “The Development of Higher Forms of Attention in Childhood.” Soviet Psychology 18.1 (1979b): 67–115.
DOI: 10.2753/RPO1061-0405180167Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »
The author offers a new point of view on young children’s attention competencies and new reasons to value these competencies.
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Vygotsky, Lev S. “Concrete Human Psychology.” Soviet Psychology 27.2 (1989): 53–77.
DOI: 10.2753/RPO1061-0405270253Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »
A previously unpublished work of Vygotsky (found in his family archives) that bares the traces of his style of work: immediate ideas shared immediately without rough drafts.
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Vygotsky, Lev S. “Tool and Symbol in Child Development.” In The Vygotsky Reader. Edited by Jaan Valsiner and René van der Veer, 99–175. Oxford: Blackwell, 1994.
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This article is another previously unpublished work of Vygotsky that engages with ideas and experiments about topics such as the practical intelligence of children, the function of speech in practical and verbal intelligence, speech and action of children, development of higher forms of practical activity, egocentric speech, perception, and many others.
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Vygotsky, Lev S. The Collected Works of L. S. Vygotsky. Vol. 3, Problems of the Theory and History of Psychology. New York: Plenum Press, 1997.
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A book of theory that was believed to be lost for many years. Vygotsky reacts to the presence of different discourses in his field and their possible unification through Marxism.
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Vygotsky, Lev S. “*Imagination and Creativity in Childhood.” Journal of Russian and East European Psychology 42.1 (2004): 7–97.
DOI: 10.1080/10610405.2004.11059210Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »
A translation of Vygotsky’s extensive thoughts on imagination and creativity. He discusses in detail the presence of creativity in innovation of any caliber, the relationships between imagination and reality, the mechanisms of creative imagination, imagination in children, literary and theatrical creativity in school children, and the importance of drawing in early childhood.
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Writings about Lev Semyonovich Vygotsky
Vygotsky, rediscovered in the Western world only a few decades ago, became one of the most influential psychologists of our times, and his sociocultural theory of child development is studied and applied all over the world. A biographical journey into his life and an introduction to his thinking is offered in Yasnitsky 2018; Smidt 2009; Daniels 2005; and Wertsch, et al. 2007. Current interpretations and applications of Vygotsky’s ideas can be found in Roth and Lee 2016, Loftus and Higgs 2005, and Dolya 2010. A discussion on play can be found in Bodrova and Leong 2015.
Bodrova, Elena, and Deborah J. Leong. “Vygotskian and Post-Vygotskian Views on Children’s Play.” American Journal of Play 7.3 (2015): 371–388.
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An article that starts from the premise that Vygotsky’s ideas about childhood were the basis of his cultural-historical theory of human culture and biosocial development. The authors analyze the influences that Vygotsky had on other thinkers, such as Daniel Elkonin and Alexander Luria, and advocate for the use of free play in early childhood education.
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Daniels, Harry. An Introduction to Vygotsky. 2d ed. London and New York: Routledge, 2005.
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An accessible read about Vygotsky’s ideas, dedicated to students and teachers. The book contains articles and other writings by Vygotsky, along with analysis by the author.
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Dolya, Galina. Vygotsky in Action in the Early Years: The “Key to Learning” Curriculum. London and New York: Routledge, 2010.
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A practical book that brings Vygotsky’s key concepts about development, learning, and curriculum into the present.
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Loftus, Stephen, and Joy Higgs. “Reconceptualising Problem-Based Learning in a Vygotskian Framework.” Focus on Health Professional Education 7.1 (2005): 1–14.
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An article that proposes the use of Vygotskyan ideas, such as the artifact-mediated nature of human consciousness, to solve the problematic state of problem-based learning (PBL).
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Roth, Wolff-Michael, and Yew-Jin Lee. “‘Vygotsky’s Neglected Legacy’: Cultural-Historical Activity Theory.” Review of Educational Research 77.2 (2016): 186–232.
DOI: 10.3102/0034654306298273Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »
The authors of this article see hope in overcoming the most acute problems of educational theory and practice by utilizing Vygotsky’s and his followers’ activity theory and its tools.
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Smidt, Sandra. Introducing Vygotsky: A Guide for Practitioners and Students in Early Years Education. London and New York: Routledge, 2009.
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The author takes the reader on a historical and theoretical journey through the core concepts introduced by Vygotsky, with special attention to their application in early childhood education settings.
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Wertsch, James V., Harry Daniels, and Michael Cole. The Cambridge Companion to Vygotsky. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2007.
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A comprehensive book dedicated to students, academics, and teachers. It presents a critical perspective of Vygotsky’s theories.
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Yasnitsky, Anton. Vygotsky: An Intellectual Biography. London: Routledge, 2018.
DOI: 10.4324/9781315751504Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »
An intellectual biography of Vygotsky that, instead of simplifying his ideas for the sake of the reader, does the opposite: engages with details that try to untangle the different interpretations of who Vygotsky was.
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Writings by Erik Homburger Erikson (1902–1994)
Erikson is a well-known psychoanalyst of the 20th century who became famous for his developmental theory which considers that every stage of development has a psychological struggle. He also has contributed to the fields of social psychology, history, education, politics, and culture. His main ideas can be found in Erikson 1950, Erikson 1975, Erikson 1995, and Erikson 1997. His thinking on the role of play and imagination is presented in Erikson 1977.
Erikson, Erik H. Childhood and Society. New York: Norton, 1950.
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A book with Erikson’s influential ideas about the interdependence of the human’s growth with historical change, and about his concepts of identity, growth, and the life cycle.
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Erikson, Erik H. Life History and the Historical Moment. New York: Norton, 1975.
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A volume that describes Erikson’s core ideas in a personal and humoristic way. It is a good opportunity for readers to have a glimpse into who the person and thinker was.
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Erikson, Erik H. Toys and Reasons: Stages in the Ritualization of Experience. New York: W. W. Norton, 1977.
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The author inquires into the connections between the imagination and playing of young children and their adult attitude toward life, and also between the imagination of artists and the reason of scientists. He continues by linking the ontogeny to the phylogeny of worldviews and arguing that ritualization of everyday life is necessary but also dangerous.
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Erikson, Erik H. A Way of Looking at Things: Selected Papers, 1930–1980. New York: W. W. Norton, 1995.
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A collection of writings that presents the chronology of the emergence of Erikson’s ideas over the course of fifty years.
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Erikson, Erik H. The Life Cycle Completed: Extended Version with New Chapters on the Ninth Stage of Development by Joan M. Erikson. New York: W. W. Norton, 1997.
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The last work of Erikson, where he writes about his stages of human development and his other theories.
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Writings about Erik Homburger Erikson
There are a multitude of interpretations and adaptations of the work of Erikson. His ideas are still current and valued by early childhood educators. His view on identity formation is discussed in Shamdasani 2001, Syed and Fish 2018, and Kerpelman and Pittman 2018. Introductions to his theory can be found in Young 2018 and Syed and McLean 2017. In Krebs-Carter 2019 the reader can discover the experiences of a teacher who tried out the theory, and Scheidunger 1994 provides a beautiful farewell to Erikson.
Kerpelman, Jennifer L., and Joe F. Pittman. “Erikson and the Relational Context of Identity: Strengthening Connections with Attachment Theory.” Identity 18.4 (2018): 306–314.
DOI: 10.1080/15283488.2018.1523726Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »
The authors of this article propose a dynamic integration of the attachment theory with Erikson’s conceptualization of identity formation.
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Krebs-Carter, Margaret. “Ages in Stages: An Exploration of the Life Cycle Based on Erik Erikson’s Eight Stages of Human Development.” New Haven, CT: Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute, 2019.
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A personal story written by a teacher who discovered and applied Erikson’s theory. The article begins with an interesting peek at Erikson’s younger years.
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Scheidunger, Saul. “Erik H. Erikson (1902–1994).” American Journal of Psychotherapy 48.4 (Fall 1994): 653–654.
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A beautiful farewell that reminds the world that Erikson was one of the most influential clinicians and scientist of his time, a personality that has never perpetuated divisiveness.
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Shamdasani, Sonu. “Identity’s Architect: A Biography of Erik H. Erikson.” Medical History 45.3 (2001): 435–437.
DOI: 10.1017/S0025727300068307Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »
This first comprehensive biography of Erikson contains valuable written materials, some private and some extracted from interviews with the psychological thinker. The author paints correlations between Erikson’s life and the emergence of his ideas around life cycle and life crisis.
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Syed, Moin, and Jillian Fish. “Revisiting Erik Erikson’s Legacy on Culture, Race, and Ethnicity.” Identity 18.4 (2018): 274–283.
DOI: 10.1080/15283488.2018.1523729Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »
The authors of this article take on the responsibility to reanalyze the work of Erikson with the purpose of selecting his thoughts on identity as being shaped by culture, race, and ethnicity. Available online from PsyArXiv.
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Syed, Moin, and Kate C. McLean. “Erikson’s Theory of Psychosocial Development.” In The SAGE Encyclopedia of Intellectual and Developmental Disorders. Edited by Ellen B. Braaten. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE, 2017.
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An article that tackles the basic elements of Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development. Available online from PsyArXiv.
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Young, Brian M. “Erikson’s Stages of Life: Can We Bridge the Gap?” In Consumer Psychology. By Brian M. Young, 157–197. Cham, Switzerland: Palgrave Macmillan, 2018.
DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-90911-0_7Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »
An up-to-date analysis of Erikson’s stages of development following his main writings on the subject.
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Writings by Loris Malaguzzi (1920–1994)
One of the most renowned voices in current early learning discourse is that of Loris Malaguzzi. His ideas took over the world at an unprecedented speed. His interests were eclectic in the beginning: art, cinema, theater, politics, sports, and education. His story is told in Malaguzzi 1998. His philosophy is introduced in Malaguzzi 1993, and his ideas about education and socialization of young children are shared in Rankin 2004. Relationships at the core of education are discussed in Malaguzzi 1993 and Ceppi and Zini 1998. The concept of the image of the child appears in Malaguzzi 1994.
Ceppi, Giulio, and Michele Zini, eds. Children, Spaces, Relations: Metaproject for an Environment for Young Children. Translated by Leslie Morrow. Reggio Emilia, Italy: Reggio Children, 1998.
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A book that approaches classroom design by combining the ideas of the philosophy of Reggio Emilia with principles of design and architecture.
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Malaguzzi, Loris. “For an Education Based on Relationships.” Young Children 49.1 (1993): 9–12.
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The article outlines Malaguzzi’s educational philosophy along with the twelve principles for organizing small groups of children.
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Malaguzzi, Loris. “Your Image of the Child: Where Teaching Begins.” Child Care Information Exchange 3 (1994): 52–61.
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A translated seminar of Malaguzzi’s where he presents the main ingredients of a genuine pedagogical relationship. He considers the following aspects: asking questions, getting to know each child’s reality, growing comfortable with the unknown, learning to wait, becoming involved fully, discovering new ways of observing, and building strong relationships not only with the children but their families as well.
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Malaguzzi, Loris. “History, Ideas, and Basic Philosophy.” In The Hundred Languages of Children: The Reggio Emilia Approach—Advanced Reflections. 2d ed. Edited by Carolyn Edwards, Lella Gandini, and George Forman, 49–97. Greenwich, CT: Ablex, 1998.
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The story of Malaguzzi told by himself. The chapter begins with his statement about the time when his philosophy began: six days after the end of the Second World War. He considered this beginning as destiny when he joined a group of parents who collectively wanted to open a school.
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Rankin, Baji. “The Importance of Intentional Socialization among Children in Small Groups: A Conversation with Loris Malaguzzi.” Early Childhood Education Journal 32.2 (2004): 81–85.
DOI: 10.1007/s10643-004-1073-9Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »
An interview with Malaguzzi where he directly addresses educators in the United States. He explains his educational philosophy using theory and practice.
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Writings about Loris Malaguzzi
Malaguzzi had a group of educators and scholars that collaborated with him and shared his ideology. These collaborators have loudly shared his ideas and methods and brought them to even more fame and acceptance than before. Hundreds of works engage with his philosophy and the applications of the Reggio Emilia approach (name inspired by the place in Italy where he opened and supported his childcare centers). In Smidt 2013 and Rinaldi 2005 the reader is introduced in an accessible and practical way to the philosophy of Malaguzzi and the pivotal themes of his approach to early learning: relationships, questioning, equity and fairness, transparency, and creativity. Cagliari, et al. 2016 brings into the vision of the English speaker some of Malaguzzi’s speeches from 1945 to 1993. A proposal that suggests reform filled with hope can be found in Moss 2016, and a reflective piece written about the possible thoughts of Malaguzzi today is found in Moss 2018. An experimental paper about children’s meaning-making through soundscape composition is offered in Yanko 2019.
Cagliari, Paola, Marina Castagnetti, Claudia Giudici, Carlina Rinaldi, Vea Vecchi, and Peter Moss. Loris Malaguzzi and the Schools of Reggio Emilia. London: Routledge, 2016.
DOI: 10.4324/9781315778631Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »
A book that introduces to English speakers Malaguzzi’s speeches from the years between 1945 and 1993, selected by a group of his colleagues. The book is organized in five chapters that walk the reader through Malaguzzi’s contributions in a chronological order.
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Moss, Peter. “Loris Malaguzzi and the Schools of Reggio Emilia: Provocation and Hope for a Renewed Public Education.” Improving Schools 19.2 (2016): 167–176.
DOI: 10.1177/1365480216651521Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »
An article that introduces Malaguzzi and his work that started in his home city of Reggio Emilia, and continues with describing the values, understandings, and practices that contributed to his pedagogical thinking.
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Moss, Peter. “What Might Loris Malaguzzi Have to Say?” European Journal of Education 53.1 (2018): 82–85.
DOI: 10.1111/ejed.12256Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »
A reflective and speculative paper about Malaguzzi’s possible thoughts about professional development of educators.
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Rinaldi, Carlina. In Dialogue with Reggio Emilia: Listening, Researching, and Learning. London: Routledge, 2005.
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A book written by Malaguzzi’s successor that offers a selection of interviews, documentation, and lectures. Some of the material in this book has never been published before. The author answers many questions about the practices of the Reggio Emilia program.
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Smidt, Sandra. Introducing Malaguzzi: Exploring the Life and Work of Reggio Emilia’s Founding Father. London: Routledge, 2013.
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An accessibly written book about Malaguzzi’s philosophy, complimented by practical examples. Some of the themes in the book: relationships, questioning, equity and fairness, transparency, and creativity.
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Yanko, Matthew. “Learners’ Identity through Soundscape Composition: Extending the Pedagogies of Loris Malaguzzi with Music Pedagogy.” Learning Landscapes 12.1 (2019): 271–284.
DOI: 10.36510/learnland.v12i1.994Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »
An article about children’s meaning-making through soundscape compositions of particular landmarks. The author focuses the study on children’s negotiation of identity.
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Writings by Howard Gardner (1943–)
Howard Gardner, an American developmental psychologist whose theory of multiple intelligences revolutionized early education in the early 1980s, graduated from Harvard in 1965 under the mentorship of Eric Erikson. His work about young children and their capacities is described in Gardner and Wolf 1983; Gardner 1974; Gardner, et al. 1975; Gardner 2017; and Morison and Gardner 1978. His seminal work where the theory of Multiple intelligences is introduced is Gardner 1983, which is continued in Gardner and Hatch 1989. Writings about the mind are offered in Gardner 2006, Gardner 2020, and Gardner 2011.
Gardner, Howard. “Metaphors and Modalities: How Children Project Polar Adjectives onto Diverse Domains.” Child Development 45.1 (1974): 84–91.
DOI: 10.2307/1127753Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »
The author discusses an apparent contradiction between the belief that metaphorical language is first utilized at the age of adolescence and the evidence of very young children using it. The results of the author’s study on 101 children between the ages of 3.5 and 19 show a clear ability in young children to utilize symbols and thus start developing metaphoric thought very early in life.
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Gardner, Howard. Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences. New York: Basic Books, 1983.
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A book about a revolutionizing new idea that contests the presumption that intelligence is a single capacity, and that some have more and some have less of this capacity. Gardner has set out to prove that humans have much more than one kind of intelligence.
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Gardner, Howard. The Development and Education of the Mind: The Selected Works of Howard Gardner. New York: Routledge, 2006.
DOI: 10.4324/9780203019689Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »
A selection of Garner’s main writings about his theory of multiple intelligences. Topics of the book include the nature of understanding, learning assessment, and education of the arts.
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Gardner, Howard. The Unschooled Mind: How Children Think and How Schools Should Teach. New York: Basic Books, 2011.
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A proposal to reform the educational system by considering the actual needs and competencies of the students.
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Gardner, Howard. “Reflections on Artful Scribbles: The Significance of Children’s Drawings.” Studies in Art Education 58.2 (2017): 155–158.
DOI: 10.1080/00393541.2017.1292388Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »
An article in which the author reflects upon the way he documented his children’s development until 1981. He wonders about all the changes that have happened since then, and how parent documentation would look like in today’s world.
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Gardner, Howard. A Synthesizing Mind: A Memoir from the Creator of Multiple Intelligences Theory. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2020.
DOI: 10.7551/mitpress/12405.001.0001Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »
A reflective book written by Gardner to revisit and reimagine the birth of his ideas. He remembers his inspirations, and his motivators, and offers them space in a thankful tone.
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Gardner, Howard, and Thomas Hatch. “Educational Implications of the Theory of Multiple Intelligences.” Educational Researcher 18.8 (1989): 4–10.
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An article that shares the results of three research projects based on Gardner’s theory. These results show that children are more competent than the standard intelligence tests attest.
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Gardner, Howard, Ellen Winner, and Mary Kircher. “Children’s Conceptions of the Arts.” Journal of Aesthetic Education 9.3 (1975): 60–77.
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A study that concludes some of the following: the importance of determining how children think about art in order to prevent misinterpretations by educators; the importance of detecting misconceptions and trying to correct them early on; and the value of humanizing the artistic experience of children.
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Gardner, Howard, and Dennie Wolf. “Waves and Streams of Symbolization: Notes on the Development of Symbolic Capacities in Young Children.” In The Acquisition of Symbolic Skills. Edited by Don Rogers and John A. Sloboda, 19–42. New York: Plenum Press, 1983.
DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4613-3724-9_2Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »
An paper that discusses our human ability to communicate through symbols. The author focuses on symbols that have not yet been considered as pivotal: drawing, painting, bodily gestures, music, etc.
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Morison, Patricia, and Howard Gardner. “Dragons and Dinosaurs: The Child’s Capacity to Differentiate Fantasy from Reality.” Child Development 49.3 (1978): 642–648.
DOI: 10.2307/1128231Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »
A research study on twenty children that tries to identify the competency of differentiating between reality and fantasy and to explain the differentiation.
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Writings about Howard Gardner
Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences has been acclaimed and critiqued for many years. These reactions made him renew, reinvent, and supplement his theory. Many scholars and practitioners have tested the theory and applied it in several countries around the world. Critiques of the theory can be found in Klein 1997 and Kincheloe 2004, along with analysis of the sixty years since Gardner’s first publication about language development. An interesting “skill predictor” is discussed in Agana and Wario 2018.
Agana, Moses Adah, and Ruth Wario. “A Fuzzy Skill Predictor for Early Childhood Educators.” International Journal of Engineering & Technology 7.3.19 (2018): 49–58.
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A study that presents a model of a two-input single output Fuzzy Skill Predictor inspired by Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences. This tool was created to support educators to discover latent skills in young children.
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Al-Hoorie, Ali H., and Peter MacIntyre, eds. Contemporary Language Motivation Theory: 60 Years since Gardner and Lambert 1959. Bristol, UK: Multilingual Matters, 2019.
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A book that brings together experts in the field of language learning motivation and their views. The conclusion of the author is that even after sixty years since Gardner’s ideas about language were published for the first time, his theory is still current.
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Kincheloe, Joe L., ed. Multiple Intelligences Reconsidered. Counterpoints 278. Bern, Germany: Peter Lang, 2004.
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A collection of chapters written by different authors who share their experiences and disillusionment with the evolution Gardner’s theory’s over the previous twenty years.
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Klein, Perry D. “Multiplying the Problems of Intelligence by Eight: A Critique of Gardner’s Theory.” Canadian Journal of Education/Revue Canadienne de l’education 22.4 (1997): 377–394.
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An article that analyzes and critiques Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences through the identification of some conceptual, empirical, and pedagogical problems.
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Writings by Kieran Egan (1942–)
Egan’s theory of imaginative education is well regarded, and schools around the globe apply his views on the five kinds of understanding and the cognitive tools that come with each. His theory was inspired by Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory, and Egan was one of the scholars that helped put the focus on Vygotsky and critique Piaget. Egan 1997is the seminal work in which his theory is presented in great detail. A focus on younger children and their education is approached in Egan 1982; Egan 1988; Egan 1989; Egan 1991; Egan 1994; and Egan, et al. 2014. A more practical stance is taken in Egan and Judson 2013 and Egan 2005, and a more philosophical one in Egan 1999.
Egan, Kieran. “Teaching History to Young Children.” Phi Delta Kappan 63.7 (1982): 439–441.
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Egan contests in this article the simplistic images of children created by the developmental psychologists before him. He considers that children have admirable mental competencies to decode the world around them and that schools should give them close consideration.
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Egan, Kieran. Primary Understanding: Education in Early Childhood. Critical Social Thought. New York: Routledge, 1988.
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A book that introduces the author’s first version of the imaginative education theory. He looks closely at the “cognitive tools” that children use in making meaning of the world.
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Egan, Kieran. Teaching as Story Telling: An Alternative Approach to Teaching and Curriculum in the Elementary School. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1989.
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A book written as a practical guide for teachers that supports them at integrating imagination in their teaching and in their students’ learning. The book also takes a critical stance against the traditional interpretation of learning objectives.
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Egan, Kieran. “Education and the Mental Life of Young Children.” Australian Journal of Education 35.1 (1991): 60–74.
DOI: 10.1177/000494419103500107Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »
Egan offers a glimpse into children’s’ amazing mental life and proposes techniques for educators to use and pedagogically benefit from the tools already present in the oral culture of childhood.
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Egan, Kieran. “Young Children’s Imagination and Learning: Engaging Children’s Emotional Response.” Young Children 49.6 (1994): 27–32.
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An article that examines traditional fairy tales and the lack of attention given to children’s imaginations in education. Egan discusses features of the structure of stories that can be transferred into curricular strategies for young children.
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Egan, Kieran. The Educated Mind: How Cognitive Tools Shape Our Understanding. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1997.
DOI: 10.7208/chicago/9780226190402.001.0001Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »
The seminal work of Egan, this book offers an innovative vision about how to reform education. The author shares in detail the sources of his education theory, the imaginative education theory.
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Egan, Kieran. “Education’s Three Old Ideas, and a Better Idea.” Journal of Curriculum Studies 31.3 (1999): 257–267.
DOI: 10.1080/002202799183115Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »
Egan identifies three historical ideas that the schooling system tried to apply concomitantly. He considers that the main failures of the schooling system are provoked by the fact that these three ideas do not fit with each other. He continues the article by proposing a hopeful new idea with the potential of saving education.
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Egan, Kieran. An Imaginative Approach to Teaching. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2005.
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A book that offers educators a new way of interpreting and utilizing children’s imagination in the educational setting. It also offers a set of techniques that will provide educators with tools for activating children’s emotional connection with the taught material.
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Egan, Kieran, Annabella I. Cant, and Gillian Judson, eds. Wonder-Full Education. London: Routledge, 2014.
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A collection of essays written by experts in the field of imaginative education that engages with the concept of “wonder” at all levels of education. Each chapter invites readers into a new perspective on wonder that can improve the educational system.
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Egan, Kieran, and Gillian Judson. “Engaging Students’ Imaginations in Second Language Learning.” Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching 3.3 (2013): 343–356.
DOI: 10.14746/ssllt.2013.3.3.2Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »
An article that outlines a new way of looking at the process of language education without ignoring children’s competency for imagination.
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Writings about Kieran Egan
Egan’s theory and practice of the imaginative theory has been analyzed, critiqued, and applied by a multitude of scholars, educators, and philosophers. His provocative ideas are viewed with a practical eye in Fettes and Judson 2010, Latham and Ewing 2018, and McKenzie and Fettes 2002. Focus on very young children is found in Cant 2017. In Waddington and Johnson 2010 the Australian context and its readiness for Egan’s theory is discussed.
Cant, Annabella. Unswaddling Pedagogy. Seattle: Kindle Direct Publishing, 2017.
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A contribution to Egan’s imaginative education theory that emphasizes an age group that is scarcely present in the original theory: the very young at the prelingual phase of development.
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Fettes, Mark, and Gillian Judson. “Imagination and the Cognitive Tools of Place-Making.” Journal of Environmental Education 42.2 (2010): 123–135.
DOI: 10.1080/00958964.2010.505967Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »
An article about Egan’s theory of imaginative education and the cognitive tools of meaning-making from an ecological education perspective.
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Judson, Gillian. A New Approach to Ecological Education: Engaging Students’ Imaginations in Their World. New York: Peter Lang, 2010.
DOI: 10.3726/978-1-4539-0016-1Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »
A book that offers an alternative to educators and teachers who wish to reconceptualize current ecological education practices. This alternative is inspired by Egan’s imaginative education theory.
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Latham, Gloria, and Robyn Ewing. “Children’s Images of Imagination: The Language of Drawings.” Australian Journal of Language and Literacy 41.2 (2018): 71–81.
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A small research study that focuses on two kinds of understandings from Egan’s theory of imaginative education: somatic understanding and mythic understanding. The results demonstrate how drawings can help teachers access their children’s conceptual thinking.
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McKenzie, Marcia, and Mark Fettes. “A Case Study of Educational Change: Egan’s Framework and the Praxis of Teaching.” Burnaby, Canada: Simon Fraser University, 2002.
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A case study with eleven educators who took on the task of applying the framework of imaginative education of Egan into practice.
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Waddington, Tim, and James Johnson. “Imaginative Education and the National Framework for Values Education in Australian Schools: Practical Implementations for Promoting Ethical Understanding.” In International Research Handbook on Values Education and Student Wellbeing. Edited by Terence Lovat, Ron Toomey, and Neville Clement, 559–577. Dordrecht, The Netherlands: Springer, 2010.
DOI: 10.1007/978-90-481-8675-4_32Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »
A chapter that outlines the way that imaginative education (the theory created by Egan) can support the teaching of ethical character.
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Writings by Jerome Bruner (1915–2016)
Bruner was an American psychologist who vastly contributed to the fields of cognitive psychology, cognitive learning theory, and developmental psychology, and was part of the stopping of the rein of behaviorism. His views put the focus on children’s mental representation and strategies for concept formation. A collection of his works can be found in Bruner 2006, and an introduction to his theories is presented in Bruner 1979 and Bruner 2008. Specific attention to theories of the mind are found in Bruner 1990 and Bruner 1986. Essays on language acquisition are found in Bruner 1978 and Bruner 1985. The themes of process and culture of education appear in Bruner 1996 and Bruner 2003. The importance of the cultural context in learning is discussed in Bruner 1990.
Bruner, Jerome. “The Role of Dialogue in Language Acquisition.” In The Child’s Conception of Language. Edited by Anne Sinclair, R. J. Jarvella, and Willem J. M. Levelt, 241–256. Berlin: Springer, 1978.
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After spending a decade on studying the acquisition of language of young children, Bruner discusses two different conclusions of his own research: first, that language does not derive from any other form of knowledge; and second, that the quality of language acquisition in young children is extremely influenced by the interactions with the adults around them. This article tries to mediate the two conclusions.
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Bruner, Jerome Seymour. On Knowing: Essays for the Left Hand. Expanded ed. Cambridge, MA: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 1979.
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A collection of essays that the author revisited and edited with a new perspective and a much freer mind. He metaphorically shifted the content with his “dreamer” left hand, eclipsing for a moment his “doer” right hand. First published in 1962.
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Bruner, Jerome. “Child’s Talk: Learning to Use Language.” Child Language Teaching and Therapy 1.1 (1985): 111–114.
DOI: 10.1177/026565908500100113Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »
An article that describes Bruner’s research and thoughts on language acquisition. He postulates here a so-called Language Acquisition Support System that helps children learn language in a cultural context.
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Bruner, Jerome. Actual Minds, Possible Worlds. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1986.
DOI: 10.4159/9780674029019Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »
A book in which the author posits a new way to study the mind. He shares his indignation about how narrow the study of the mind had been until then, and that it focused only on the easily measurable aspects of it. He advocates for a study of the mind that has the courage to engage with the aspects that are less measurable, such as imagination, experiences, emotions, etc.
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Bruner, Jerome Seymour. Acts of Meaning. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1990.
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A book has a major theme, one very important for the author: the pivotal presence and role of the cultural context while meaning-making and acting as humans.
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Bruner, Jerome. The Culture of Education. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1996.
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A book in which Bruner approaches the errors and failures of the educational system and proposes the new lens of cultural psychology that can transform education. He reminds readers that education cannot be reduced to information transmission and that it needs to be ingrained in culture through feeling, thinking, and perceiving.
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Bruner, Jerome S. The Process of Education. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2003.
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A book, first published in 1960, in which Bruner proposes and demonstrates that concepts of science and humanities can be grasped by very young children through intuition. He proposes a curriculum that takes this intuition into account.
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Bruner, Jerome. In Search of Pedagogy . 2 vols. London: Routledge, 2006.
DOI: 10.4324/9780203088609Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »
Two volumes, selected by Bruner himself, that contain his most valuable contributions to the field of psychology and education. Each volume starts with an original introduction that offers the readers an overview of his life and thinking in the specific times of publication. Volume 1 covers 1957–1978; Volume 2 covers 1979–2006.
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Bruner, Jerome. “Jerome Bruner: Reflections of a Developmental Psychologist.” Human Development 51.1 (2008): 101–103.
DOI: 10.1159/000113159Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »
An article that transcribes an interview with Bruner by Dr. Chiara Levorato in Reggio Emilia, Italy.
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Bruner, Jerome Seymour. Making Stories: Law, Literature, Life. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2003.
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A book in which Bruner talks about stories as tools of meaning-making. He analyzes a few stories and shared experiences from the fields of law and literature.
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Writings about Jerome Bruner
Bruner’s ideas have influenced both American and international educational systems. Children and their competencies were now being valued and considered in curriculum. The theme of language acquisition can be found in Bakhurst and Shanker 2001, and Bruner’s proposal regarding the use of narrative is discussed in Monteagudo 2011. An introduction to Bruner’s theories is offered in Smidt 2013 and McLeod 2019. A more global view on his work is found in Takaya 2008 and Olson, et al. 2017. A discussion about Bruner’s “spiral curriculum” is offered by Gibbs 2014. A more specific look at Bruner’s theory and the application of mnemonic triggers can be found in Metsämuuronen and Räsänen 2018.
Bakhurst, David, and Stuart G. Shanker, eds. Jerome Bruner: Language, Culture and Self. Newbury Park, CA: SAGE, 2001.
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A volume that explores Bruner’s main ideas about language, culture, and self.
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Gibbs, Brian C. “Reconfiguring Bruner: Compressing the Spiral Curriculum: At Base, the ‘Spiral Curriculum’ Is the Best Way to Design Learning, but We’ve Gone Wrong in Its Implementation.” Phi Delta Kappan 95.7 (2014): 41–44.
DOI: 10.1177/003172171409500710Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »
An article written as a personal narrative that discusses Bruner’s idea and application of a spiral curriculum. The critique of the author is that sometimes that spiral needs to be compressed and adapted to the specific realities of a specific group of children in a specific place.
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McLeod, Saul. “Bruner—Learning Theory in Education.” Simply Psychology, 11 July 2019.
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A synthesis of Bruner’s theory of mind and his view on the purpose of education.
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Metsämuuronen, Jari, and Pekka Räsänen. “Cognitive-Linguistic and Constructivist Mnemonic Triggers in Teaching Based on Jerome Bruner’s Thinking.” Frontiers in Psychology 9 (2018).
DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02543Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »
An article that discusses mnemonic triggers from the theoretical framework of Bruner’s thinking. The authors identify fifty small linguistic mnemonic triggers that can support retention of experiences and knowledge.
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Monteagudo, José González. “Jerome Bruner and the Challenges of the Narrative Turn: Then and Now.” Narrative Inquiry 21.2 (2011): 295–302.
DOI: 10.1075/ni.21.2.07gonSave Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »
A paper about Bruner’s contributions to the field of narrative. The author starts with an overview of Bruner’s ideas.
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Olson, David R., Patricia M. Greenfield, Howard E. Gardner, and Michael Cole. “In Memoriam: Jerome Bruner (1915–2016): Polymath and Pioneer in Cognitive Development and Education/In Memoriam: Jerome Bruner (1915–2016): Erudito Y Pionero Del Desarrollo Cognitivo Y La Educación.” Infancia Y Aprendizaje 40.4 (2017): 744–753.
DOI: 10.1080/02103702.2017.1364059Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »
A beautiful dedication to the 100-year-long life of Bruner and his amazing contributions to the fields of psychology and education. The authors remember him as being always optimistic and considering every problem solvable or at least manageable.
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Smidt, Sandra. Introducing Bruner: A Guide for Practitioners and Students in Early Years Education. London: Routledge, 2013.
DOI: 10.4324/9780203829639Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »
A book that is dedicated to educators and is a comprehensive introduction to Bruner’s ideas about young children’s thinking, being, and learning. Smidt brings into attentions themes such as language acquisition, play and learning, the importance of culture and context, the role of memory, the spiral curriculum, and others.
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Takaya, Keiichi. “Jerome Bruner’s Theory of Education: From Early Bruner to Later Bruner.” Interchange 39.1 (2008): 1–19.
DOI: 10.1007/s10780-008-9039-2Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »
An article that analyzes the significance of the changes in Bruner’s thinking and writing and their effect on curriculum theory.
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Comparative Studies
Many of the prolific contributors to the field of education have either inspired each other or contradicted each other’s views. These tensions and connections in the field have the power to provoke reforms and continuous proposals for improvement. Early child education is a field that is organically connected to all the other fields of education. Most of the theorists and practitioners in all levels of education have started by looking more or less in depth to the beginnings of life and the competence of the very young child. The synergy between Freud and Erikson can be found in Burston 2018, between Dewey and Gardner in Leshkovska and Spaseva 2016, between Comenius and Montessori in Lang 1965, between Dewy and Egan in Polito 2013, between Locke and Rousseau in Gianoutsos 2006, and between Pestalozzi and Froebel in Gianoutsos 2006. The aesthetic education of young children is discussed in Lim 2004, a study that extracts aspects related to this topic from Dewey, Steiner, and Vygotsky. Piagetian and Vygotskyan ideas at the base of an educational system are discussed in Agbenyaga 2009.
Adelman, Clem. “Over Two Years, What Did Froebel Say to Pestalozzi?” History of Education 29.2 (2000): 103–114.
DOI: 10.1080/004676000284391Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »
A historical view on Froebel’s emergence in Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States. His views were influenced by Pestalozzi and his fame was influenced by the political and economical contexts of his kindergartens.
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Agbenyaga, Joseph. “The Australian Early Development Index, Who Does It Measure: Piaget or Vygotsky’s Children.” Australasian Journal of Early Childhood 34.2 (2009): 31–38.
DOI: 10.1177/183693910903400206Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »
A paper that critiques the Australian Early Development Index as constructing an image of the child that is inspired by the Piagetian and Gesellian universal stages of development. The author proposes an alternative consideration of the image of the child, inspired by the cultural theory of education of Vygotsky.
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Burston, Daniel. “Wooden Ships: Cultural Cohesion and Continuity in Freud and Erikson.” Free Associations 71 (2018): 18–26.
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An article about Freud’s “cultural super-ego” and Erikson’s views on the intergenerational identification.
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Gianoutsos, Jamie. “Locke and Rousseau: Early Childhood Education.” The Pulse 4.1 (2006): 1–23.
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A paper that compares the two theorists’ views on education, extracting points on which they agreed and others on which they disagreed. They clearly had different views on naturalism and socially constructed habits in the case of young children.
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Lang, Irene. “A Comparative Study of the Philosophies of John Amos Comenius and Maria Montessori on the Education of Children.” PhD diss., Loyola University, 1965.
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A comparative study between the two pioneers in early childhood education.
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Leshkovska, Elena Achkovska, and Suzana Miovska Spaseva. “John Dewey’s Educational Theory and Educational Implications of Howard Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences Theory.” International Journal of Cognitive Research in Science, Engineering and Education 4.2 (2016): 57.
DOI: 10.5937/IJCRSEE1602057ASave Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »
An article that tried to demonstrate that Gardner’s theory of education can be considered a continuation of Dewey’s progressive views about the educational system.
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Lim, Booyeun. “Aesthetic Discourses in Early Childhood Settings: Dewey, Steiner, and Vygotsky.” Early Child Development and Care 174.5 (2004): 473–486.
DOI: 10.1080/0300443032000153633Save Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »
The author advocates for the creation of a theoretical framework for young children’s aesthetic education by bringing as evidence the theories of Dewey, Steiner, and Vygotsky, which each had theoretical and practical dimensions regarding the importance of aesthetic education for young children.
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Moseley, Alexander. John Locke. London: Bloomsbury, 2014.
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A paper that takes John Locke’s and Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s thoughts on early childhood education, analyzes them separately, and then compares and contrasts them from the perspective of early childhood education.
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Polito, Theodora. “Educational Theory as Theory of Culture: A Vichian Perspective on the Educational Theories of John Dewey and Kieran Egan.” Educational Philosophy and Theory 37.4 (2013): 475–494.
DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-5812.2005.00136.xSave Citation »Export Citation » Share Citation »
Using a Vichian lens (the humanizing of knowledge), the author analyzes the philosophical and anthropological accounts found in the theories of education created by two major educational theorists: Dewey and Egan.
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Article
- Abduction of Children
- Aboriginal Childhoods
- Addams, Jane
- ADHD, Sociological Perspectives on
- Adolescence and Youth
- Adolescent Consent to Medical Treatment
- Adoption and Fostering
- Adoption and Fostering, History of Cross-Country
- Advertising and Marketing, Psychological Approaches to
- Advertising and Marketing, Sociocultural Approaches to
- Africa, Children and Young People in
- African American Children and Childhood
- After-school Hours and Activities
- Ancient Near and Middle East, Child Sacrifice in the
- Animals, Children and
- Animations, Comic Books, and Manga
- Anthropology of Childhood
- Archaeology of Childhood
- Ariès, Philippe
- Attachment in Children and Adolescents
- Australia, History of Adoption and Fostering in
- Australian Indigenous Contexts and Childhood Experiences
- Autism, Females and
- Autism, Medical Model Perspectives on
- Autobiography and Childhood
- Benjamin, Walter
- Bereavement
- Best Interest of the Child
- Bioarchaeology of Childhood
- Body, Children and the
- Body Image
- Bourdieu, Pierre
- Boy Scouts/Girl Guides
- Boys and Fatherhood
- Breastfeeding
- Bronfenbrenner, Urie
- Bruner, Jerome
- Buddhist Views of Childhood
- Byzantine Childhoods
- Child and Adolescent Anger
- Child Beauty Pageants
- Child Homelessness
- Child Protection
- Child Public Health
- Child Trafficking and Slavery
- Childcare Manuals
- Childhood and Borders
- Childhood and Empire
- Childhood as Discourse
- Childhood Studies and Leisure Studies
- Childhood Studies in France
- Childhood Studies, Interdisciplinarity in
- Childhood Studies, Posthumanism and
- Childism
- Children and Dance
- Children and Film-Making
- Children and Money
- Children and Social Media
- Children and Sport
- Children and Sustainable Cities
- Children as Language Brokers
- Children as Perpetrators of Crime
- Children, Code-switching and
- Children in the Industrial Revolution
- Children with Autism in a Brazilian Context
- Children, Young People, and Architecture
- Children's Humor
- Children’s Museums
- Children’s Parliaments
- Children’s Reading Development and Instruction
- Children's Views of Childhood
- China, Japan, and Korea
- China’s One Child Policy
- Citizenship
- Civil Rights Movement and Desegregation
- Class
- Classical World, Children in the
- Clothes and Costume, Children’s
- Colonial America, Child Witches in
- Colonization and Nationalism
- Color Symbolism and Child Development
- Common World Childhoods
- Competitiveness, Children and
- Conceptual Development in Early Childhood
- Congenital Disabilities
- Constructivist Approaches to Childhood
- Consumer Culture, Children and
- Consumption, Child and Teen
- Conversation Analysis and Research with Children
- Critical Approaches to Children’s Work and the Concept of ...
- Critical Perspectives on Boys’ Circumcision
- Crying
- Cultural psychology and human development
- Debt and Financialization of Childhood
- Disability
- Discipline and Punishment
- Discrimination
- Disney, Walt
- Divorce And Custody
- Dolls
- Domestic Violence
- Drawings, Children’s
- Early Childhood
- Early Childhood Care and Education, Selected History of
- Eating disorders and obesity
- Education: Learning and Schooling Worldwide
- Environment, Children and the
- Environmental Education and Children
- Ethics in Research with Children
- Eugenics
- Evolutionary Studies of Childhood
- Fairy Tales and Folktales
- Family Meals
- Fandom (Fan Studies)
- Fathers
- Female Genital Cutting
- Feral and "Wild" Children
- Fetuses and Embryos
- Filicide
- Films about Children
- Films for Children
- Folklore
- Food
- Foundlings and Abandoned Children
- Freud, Anna
- Freud, Sigmund
- Friends and Peers: Psychological Perspectives
- Froebel, Friedrich
- Gangs
- Gay and Lesbian Parents
- Gender and Childhood
- Generations, The Concept of
- Geographies, Children's
- Gifted and Talented Children
- Globalization
- Growing Up in the Digital Era
- Hall, G. Stanley
- Happiness in Children
- Hindu Views of Childhood and Child Rearing
- Hispanic Childhoods (U.S.)
- Historical Approaches to Child Witches
- History of Adoption and Fostering in Canada
- History of Childhood in America
- History of Childhood in Canada
- HIV/AIDS, Growing Up with
- Homeschooling
- Humor and Laughter
- Images of Childhood, Adulthood, and Old Age in Children’s ...
- Infancy and Ethnography
- Infant Mortality in a Global Context
- Innocence and Childhood
- Institutional Care
- Intercultural Learning and Teaching with Children
- Islamic Views of Childhood
- Japan, Childhood in
- Juvenile Detention in the US
- Key, Ellen
- Klein, Melanie
- Labor, Child
- Latin America
- Learning, Language
- Learning to Write
- Legends, Contemporary
- Literary Representations of Childhood
- Literature, Children's
- Love and Care in the Early Years
- Magazines for Teenagers
- Maltreatment, Child
- Maria Montessori
- Marxism and Childhood
- Masculinities/Boyhood
- Material Cultures of Western Childhoods
- Mead, Margaret
- Media, Children in the
- Media Culture, Children's
- Medieval and Anglo-Saxon Childhoods
- Menstruation
- Middle Childhood
- Middle East
- Migration
- Miscarriage
- Missionaries/Evangelism
- Moral Development
- Moral Panics
- Mothers
- Multi-culturalism and Education
- Music and Babies
- Native American and Aboriginal Canadian Childhood
- New Reproductive Technologies and Assisted Conception
- Nursery Rhymes
- Organizations, Nongovernmental
- Orphans
- Parental Gender Preferences, The Social Construction of
- Parenting
- Pediatrics, History of
- Peer Culture
- Peter Pan
- Philosophy and Childhood
- Piaget, Jean
- Play
- Politics, Children and
- Postcolonial Childhoods
- Post-Modernism
- Poverty, Rights, and Well-being, Child
- Pre-Colombian Mesoamerica Childhoods
- Prostitution and Pornography, Child
- Psychoanalysis
- Queer Theory and Childhood
- Race and Ethnicity
- Racism, Children and
- Radio, Children, and Young People
- Readers, Children as
- Refugee and Displaced Children
- Relational Ontologies
- Relational Pedagogies
- Rights, Children’s
- Risk and Resilience
- Russia
- School Shootings
- Sex Education in the United States
- Sexuality
- Siblings
- Social and Cultural Capital of Childhood
- Social Habitus in Childhood
- Social Movements, Children's
- Social Policy, Children and
- Socialization and Child Rearing
- Socio-cultural Perspectives on Children's Spirituality
- Sociology of Childhood
- South African Birth to Twenty Project
- South Asia
- Special Education
- Spiritual Development in Childhood and Adolescence
- Spock, Benjamin
- Sports and Organized Games
- Street Children
- Street Children And Brazil
- Subcultures
- Sure Start
- Teenage Fathers
- Teenage Pregnancy
- Television
- The Bible and Children
- The Harms and Prevention of Drugs and Alcohol on Children
- The Spaces of Childhood
- Theater for Children and Young People
- Theories, Pedagogic
- Tourism
- Toys
- Transgender Children
- Tweens
- Twins and Multiple Births
- Unaccompanied Migrant Children
- United Kingdom, History of Adoption and Fostering in the
- United States, Schooling in the
- Value of Children
- Views of Childhood, Jewish and Christian
- Violence, Children and
- Visual Representations of Childhood
- Voice, Participation, and Agency
- Vygotsky, Lev and His Cultural-historical Approach to Deve...
- War
- Welfare Law in the United States, Child
- Well-Being, Child
- Western Europe and Scandinavia
- Witchcraft in the Contemporary World, Children and
- Work and Apprenticeship, Children's
- Young Carers
- Young Children and Inclusion
- Young Children’s Imagination
- Young Lives
- Young People, Alcohol, and Urban Life
- Young People and Climate Activism
- Young People and Disadvantaged Environments in Affluent Co...
