Early Childhood Education

Section 1: How History has Shaped my Beliefs

1) Describe 1 belief you feel is important for young children in ECE programs.

I believe that young children in ECE programs learn through doing. I believe that the hand on approach for children to learn is the most gratifying. I think that children need to see for themselves the outcome of things by doing it hands on, and on their own.

In order for children to know how to do something, they have to do it for themselves.

By children actually working through a problem or a specific task, they will retain that experience and use it to help them in other areas and to acquire skills needed for life.

As children are playing, they are learning through doing. When children are doing something, they are using their three domains. They are using their physical skills, their cognitive skills and their psychosocial skills.

When children are playing through doing, they are also using different areas in the room to develop their skills such as dramatic play and sensory.

2) Describe the fundamental importance of this belief.

I think that when children learn through doing it is important in many different ways. I think it is important because the children are doing the activity or skill themselves and getting their own experience and seeing the outcome of that situation. They can then carry that skill to different areas of development.

I also believe that children learn through doing because if they make a mistake while doing it, then they see that they made a mistake and they will know what not to do next time.

I believe that the more hands-on experiences children have the more curious and capable they become. I also think that by doing things, children are gathering skills and experiences that they will later need to apply to their lives.

I believe that children learn through doing because it helps them in so many different areas of development including their three domains.

By children doing a specific task, they will retain that experience and it will help them in other areas. For example, if some children are playing in the dramatic play centre, they are not only being imaginative, but are also developing social skills, which they use all the time. They do things such as pretending to be moms and dads and they also pretend to cook and clean.

When children are doing sensory activities, they are learning not only how things feel, but develop language skills and like to discuss different feelings.

When children are doing things, they are also using their three domains.

They are use their physical skills such as gross motor skills and fine motor skills. When children are riding bikes, they are learning to use their large body movements and when children are colouring pictures, they are using their small body movements.

When children are doing, they are also using their cognitive skills to take in information, and organize it to solve problems and understand their environment.

Children also use their psychosocial skills while doing things. They express their emotions, and use their social skills.

In one of my placements some children were playing in the dramatic play centre. One of the children took charge and instructed that one child would be the mom, one the dad and the other two would be their children. One of the children decided he did not want to be a child so together they decided that there could be two moms. The children dressed themselves up in play clothes and began their role playing.

In this example of children playing through doing the in dramatic play centre, they used physical, cognitive and psychosocial skills. The children also pretended to take on adult roles, which could be practice for later on life experiences.

I think that this example is a perfect way to show that children learn through doing because they were role playing and having fun, but were also learning necessary life skills such as family roles and social skills. The children were also developing in their three domains while doing this activity.

3) Indicate which one of the historical figures studied in this course supports your belief and the fundamental importance of this belief.

John Dewey supports my belief because he believed that children learn through doing. Dewey believed that during a child's day, children should learn skills of life and skills that are needed for living.

Dewey also had the idea that children should have physical activities, social interactions, rational pursuits and to be able to apply everyday activities to life during a child's day. He believed that these things would help children to develop skills and other interests that