Learning in the Early Years

Learning in the Early Years

This assignment identifies they key ideas and work of Margaret

McMillan, Maria Montession, Rudolph Steiner and Fredrich Froebel. To

discuss how those early educators have influenced current early years

practice and to identify to ways in which current provision and

practice is influenced by the work of the early educators.

Margaret McMillan (1860 - 1931)

Margaret McMillan believed in active learning through first-hand

experiences and emphasised feelings and relationships aswel as

physical aspects of movement and learning. She believed that children

become whole people through play. She thought play helps them to apply

what they know and understand. Margaret McMillan emphasised the

importance of a close partnership with parents: she encouraged parents

to develop alongside their children. Her most important achievement is

to have been described as the 'godmother' of school meals and the

school medical services. She believed that children are unable to

learn if they are undernourished, poorly clothed, sick etc. To be

described as the 'godmother' Margaret McMillan began a campaign to

improve the health of children by arguing that local authorities

should install bathrooms, improve ventilation and supply free school

meals, eventually the House of Commons became convinced that hungry

children cannot learn and passed the 1906 Provision of School Meals

Act. Margaret McMillan pioneered nursery schools, which she saw as an

extension of, not a substitute for home and as communities in

themselves. She emphasised the value of open air and introduced

gardens for families to play and explore.

Margaret McMill...

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...ctice is Friedrich Froebel. Most mainstream early

year's provision in the UK is based on Froebelian principles.

Children's development is encouraged through provision of a wide range

of materials and activities tailored to the needs of the individual

child.

The current best practice emphasises Friedrich Froebel's beliefs that

creativity, science and the humanities are important, these are now

integrated across curriculum areas. Friedrich Froebel allowed children

to use the 'Gifts' and 'Occupations' as they wished, with out having

to do set tasks of the kind that adults usually asked of them. In the

current practice this is known as free-flow play, this occurs for an

average of 80% of a child's day at nursery.

Bibliography

· Class Worksheets.

· Nolan.Y (2002) BTEC National Early Years, Oxford, Heinemann.