Inquiry

Early childhood education has long been synonymous with approaches that are integrative of children’s backgrounds, home lives, and existing knowledge—the process by which the field mixes together a set of related learning concepts (such as science, math, and literacy) into one congruent arrangement of lessons. However, it has also been tradition that many early educators approach the classroom with didactic arrangements of topics, such as colors one week and shapes the next. In some ways this traditional approach to learning is “easier.” The teacher plans the lessons and sets up the environment based on his or her understanding of child development and the developmental needs of his or her classrooms. While the teacher perspective is needed, it is also important to listen to the curiosities ...