Learn about how educators like Froebel, and methods like Reggio, helped shape education as we know it today.
Friedrich Froebel: His life and influence on educationWhat was life like before kindergarten, before ‘childhood’ existed? Children worked in mines and factories; nobody celebrated birthdays, and by the age of seven, children were considered adults. Then along came Friedrich Froebel.
Maria Montessori: The life and works of a great educatorAn acrid cloud of smoke diffused over the city square while triumphant Nazi soldiers looked on. An effigy of Maria Montessori lay burning, the books she had authored charring nearby.
Johann Heinrich PestalozziImagine a school where children attend 10-hour-long classes, six days a week. Where students teach each other and there are no marks or exams. Children work with saws, hammers, and planes. They operate lathes, a printing press and a bookbindery.
Reggio Emilia: An innovative approach to educationReggio Emilia is a prosperous town in the hills of northern Italy, rich in culture and famous for its vintage basil vinegars, Parmigiano cheese, and Lambrusco wine. But it is also home to a programme of early childhood education that has gained international repute in the last quarter century.
High/Scope: Educating children for lifeIn 1962 David Weikart of Ypsilanti, Michigan, became distressed at the inability of the local school system to produce literate, functional adults. An experienced teacher, Weikart took a hard look at best practice and current educational theories. He wanted to discover a curriculum that would generate better academic outcomes in later years and equip children to deal successfully with life as adults. But how to unify all the ideas?