Summary
This essay sharpens and elaborates Spodek’s (1977) theme of knowing as an aim of education for young children. To make the meaning of the theme clearer, the writings of three scholars are reviewed: R.F. Dearden, Jean Piaget, and Harriet Johnson. Each scholar has been selected because he or she, either explicitly or implicitly, discusses the need for young children to generate and validate knowledge, as well as the fact that different forms of knowledge are generated and validated differently. By way of conclusion, some problems and implications arising from the discussion are identified and briefly considered.
Resumen
En este artículo se agudiza y elabora el tema de Spodek (1977) que el objetivo de la educación para los niños pequenňos es conocer. Para aclarar lo que significa el tema, se revisa la obra de tres eruditos: R.F. Rearden, Jean Piaget y Harriet Johnson. Se escogió cada uno porque, de manara explicita o implicita, discute tanto la necesidad para los niños de generar y validar el conocimiento como el hecho de que las formas distintas de conocer se generan y se validan de modos distintos. A título de conclusión son identificados y considerados en breve unos problemas e implicaciones surgiendo de la discusión.
Résumé
Dans cet essai on raffine et élabore le thème de Spodek (1977) que le but de l’éducation pour les petits enfants est de connaître. Pour éclaircir le thème on fait le compte rendu de l’oeuvre de trois lettrés: R.F. Rearden, Jean Piaget y Harriet Johnson. Chacun a été sélectinonné parce qu’il, ou elle, discute ou catégoriquement ou tacitement, le besoin du petit enfant de générer et de valider le connu, ainsi que le fait que des formes differentes de connaître sont generées et validées différemment. Pour conclure, on identifie et examine brièvement certains problèmes et implications s’élevant de la discussion.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Dearden, R.F. (1968).The Philosophy of Primary Education. Routledge and Kegan Paul, London.
Forman, G. & Kuschner, D. (1977).The Child’s Construction of Knowledge: Piaget for Teaching Children. Brooks/Cole Monterey, Calif.
Furth, H. & Wachs, H. (1974).Thinking Goes to School: Piagent’s Theory in Practice. Oxford University Press, New York.
Johnson, H. (1928).Children in the Nursery School. The John Day Company. New York.
Johnson, H. (1933).The Art of Block Building. Bank Street Publications, New York.
Johnson, H. (1936).School Begins at Two. New Republic, Inc., New York.
Kamii, C. (1971). Evaluation of Learning in preschool education: socioemotional, perceptual-motor, cognitive development. In B.S. Bloom, J. T. Hastings & G.F. Madaus (Eds.)Handbook of Formative and Summative Evaluation of Student Learning. McGraw-Hill, New York.
Kamii, C. & De Vries, R. (1977). Piaget for early education. In M.C. Day & R.K. Parker (Eds.)The Preschool in Action: Exploring Early Childhood Programs. Allyn and Bacon, Boston.
Kamii, C. & De Vries, R. (1978).Physical Knowledge in Preschool Education: Implications of Piaget’s Theory. Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, N.J.
Kuhn, D. (1979). The application of Piaget’s theory of cognitive development to education.Harvard Educational Review 49(3): 340–60.
Piaget, J. (1964). Development and learning. in R.E. Ripple & V.N. Rockcastle (Eds.)Piaget Rediscovered. Conference on Cognitive Studies and Curriculum Development. Cornell University and the University of California, Ithaca, N.Y..
Piaget, J. (1973).To Undrestand is to Invent. Grossman Publishers, New York.
Piaget, J. (1976).The Psychology of Intelligence. Littlefield, Adams and Co., Totowa, N.J.
Spodek, B. (1977). What constitutes worthwhile educational experiences for young children? In B. Spodek (Ed.)Teaching Practices: Re-examining Assumptions. National Association for the Education of Young Children, Washington, D.C.
Spodek, B. (1978).Teaching in the Early Years. Prentice-Hall, Inc., Englewood Cliffs, N.Y.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Chafel, J.A. Knowing as an aim of education for young children. IJEC 15, 57 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03174892
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03174892