For centuries people have been coming up with new theories on how children in the early years setting should be educated, however only a few have actually been influential in current early years practice. This essay aims to explore and critique these theories, with a main focus on the pedagogy of Maria Montessori and how her approach is used in the EYFS today. Other theorists such as John Dewey, Freiderich Froebel and Jean-Jacques Rousseau will also be looked at, to allow for a more in depth understanding of early years theory which can be used to help me develop my own pedagogy.
Before a person can begin to understand an early years theory, they must first learn how a young child develops so that the theory can be understood in context. As stated in the framework provided (Great Britain. DfE, 2014) for the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), there are 7 stages of development split up into prime and specific areas. Prime areas …show more content…
The specific areas however are more focussed on formal learning; covering the development of the child’s literacy and numeracy skills, as well as helping the child to express their creativity and understand the world through communities. Development in each of these areas occurs simultaneously (Neaum 2013) with all aspects of a child’s learning and development being interrelated, inseparable and interdependent. For any teaching strategy to be successful all of these areas must be considered.
The emphasis of the importance of the learning environment is one the key features of Montessori’s theory, as she believed that children the majority of their like skills through the
Before a person can begin to understand an early years theory, they must first learn how a young child develops so that the theory can be understood in context. As stated in the framework provided (Great Britain. DfE, 2014) for the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), there are 7 stages of development split up into prime and specific areas. Prime areas …show more content…
The specific areas however are more focussed on formal learning; covering the development of the child’s literacy and numeracy skills, as well as helping the child to express their creativity and understand the world through communities. Development in each of these areas occurs simultaneously (Neaum 2013) with all aspects of a child’s learning and development being interrelated, inseparable and interdependent. For any teaching strategy to be successful all of these areas must be considered.
The emphasis of the importance of the learning environment is one the key features of Montessori’s theory, as she believed that children the majority of their like skills through the