The early development of a child is critical to the future of society. It is in the formative stages that a child is able to develop their appreciation for their environment and form reference points for future learning. The home based intervention has been used in schools and enables children who are not able to attend school temporarily to continue with education. Children are able to continue with the learning process uninterrupted with temporary inconveniences. The paper also looks at the ideas of Rudolf Steiner that form the basis for the Waldorf system of learning that is based on the idea that education must be facilitated through artistic expression. The final perspective for education is the Montessori system that engenders learning through play to ensure that the child learns through the performance of different fun activities (Laski et al 2015. Pp. 255). A comprehensive analysis will be undertaken to connect the theories with the value systems upheld by the author.
Several perspectives have been developed by scholars to explain the process of early development of the child. Whereas early theories developed by such scholars as Jean Piaget and Sigmund Freud focused on the understanding of the development processes of the child, modern approaches look at how society can influence the child towards desirable conduct (Alfonso et al. 2017. Pp. 61). The three perspectives considered in this paper include home-based intervention, the Waldorf education theory and the Montessori ideas.
The home based intervention program is based on the premise that the home is the first place where a child begins to develop values in life. In this regard, the child is influenced by caregivers who are mainly family. Advocates of this approach believe that the family is responsible for the development of lasting change in children (Ray (2) 2015. Pp. 80) The intervention is founded on the philosophy that facilitators must demonstrate respect for the wishes, culture and values upheld by the various families and that change develops out of the trust relationship established between the family and the professional (Ray 2015. Pp. 255). The facilitators of this approach seek to establish a healthy interaction with parents so as to influence their relationship with their children in a positive manner. In order to create a responsive environment, it is required of professionals to ensure that they ensure that relationships with families are also extended into intra-family relationships.
Practitioners of this approach seek to maximize every moment of interaction with the child to influence him positively. Consequently, a variety of contact points are explored including phone interaction, physical meeting in a trusted environment or even by use of a letter (Yin, Zakaria and Baharun 2016. Pp. 65).This intervention is based on the thinking that every parent wishes to give the best opportunities for success in life. However, several circumstances faced by parents inhibit their capacity to examine the emotional needs of the child and as a result; the capacity of the child to learn is diminished.
The Waldorf education philosophy draws from the ideas of Rudolf Steiner who proposed a learning model which draws out academic excellence in a child through a pedagogy based on artistry. The program targets learners from nursery to grade twelve and seeks to develop the child emotionally, physically, emotionally as well as intellectually (Nicol 2016. Pp. 17).The program appreciates the interaction between the mind, body and spirit and in this regard, facilitators encourage the child to explore his spiritual liberty for growth. In appreciation of diversity, the Rudolf model adopts an open policy where families, faculty and staff are incorporate without discrimination based on gender, race or sexual orientation. In addition, the system practices tolerance of all faiths.
Rudolf Steiner developed this educational model based on his life philosophy of the development of a human being through the body, soul and spirit. In this regard, he developed the concept of anthroposophy which was the spiritual arm of his philosophy that incorporated medicine and pharmacology, agricultural activities and political and social activism.
Through this model, students are trained to gain appreciation for the various cultures in the world and to celebrate diversity. His educational approach is based on the premise that humanity is bound by commonalities as opposed to the separateness (Rose and Jolley 2016. Pp 447) The facilitation process provokes learners to become active thinkers.
The teacher, under the Waldorf model is a mentor and guide who walks with the learners from grade 1-8. Through this journey, children learn how to achieve balance between cognitive and emotional intelligence with other activities included in the educational curriculum. Blaise (2016) postulates that the learning process should integrate fine art and other creative forms. Learners in higher levels are exposed to experiences where they develop independent thinking and problem solving. By laying emphasis on practical knowledge, the Woldorf education model builds confidence among learners and prepares them for challenges in real life.
The Montessori education is widely practiced in contemporary education systems and focuses on experiential learning models. Although this method is secular in nature, it can effectively be integrated into a faith-based program. Developed by Dr Maria Montessori, this system of education focuses on self-directed learning practical activities and collaboration of play into the learning process (Cossentino 2017. Pp. 45).The teachers offer learning experiences through age-appropriate engagements with the children. The system has a well developed toddler, elementary and adolescent training program.
The toddler program is designed to cater for children from birth to three years. At this stage, the child is provided with an environment that is both engaging and caring. The child learns to interact with others and develops trust and confidence (Ellis 2017. Pp. 200). In addition, the child develops motor and language skills and is exposed to situations that spur independence through daily tasks.
The elementary section deals with children of age six to nine and undertakes an intellectual exploration of the child. Teachers under this system support children to develop self-confidence, intellectual excellence and creativity in imagination. The system is also designed to enable the child appreciate the community and the rest of the natural world. The adolescent program takes education to the farm where learners are engaged in a variety of practical experiences on a farm. This initiative is designed to guide adolescents into a journey of self-awareness in a wider sense. The student get an opportunity to practically apply the knowledge obtained in academics into real life situations (Randolph et al. 2014. Pp. 304) ultimately, the learner is expected to develop self reliance which enables him to interact well with members of the society and build meaningful relationships. The adolescent program is not well developed because Montessori died before she designed a teacher training program for the farm experience for teenagers.
There is increasing sensitization among parents to get involved in the education if their children. Parents are expected to be the first teachers for the children and instill in them the required values. Modern schooling that significantly involve [parents in the education of their children is divided into homebound and home-based derivatives.
The Home-bound education seeks to maintain continuity of learning between the school and the home. This system is also applicable to students with medical needs whereby they can continue to learn even while they are in the healthcare facilities. Students with health complications can use this system to supplement the classroom experience. Learners in these circumstances often fail to attend class due to the need to attend to medical procedures like dialysis. Normally, homebound education is a temporary measure to attend to students with special needs and has been practiced in the state of Virginia (Oh 2016. Pp. 55). Although this system is designed to provide instructional materials for a student as he waits to rejoin school, it does not guarantee that the student will continue with the learning process at school. Parents must provide consent for their children to be enrolled in this system of learning. When a student is not able to attend school for an elongated period of time, he can be enrolled in a home based education program where the teacher consistently holds classes at the residence of the child. Home based education is ideal for children with disabilities.
Most commonwealth countries have now adopted the concept of homeschooling that enables parents to control the kind of instructions that their children receive. Under this system, the facilitator is the parent, a tutor or an online instructor (Brennan 2017. Pp. 110) Research shows an increasing acceptance of the concept of home schooling. In a study done on the status of education in the U.S. in 2016 for instance, a total of 1.7 million children had enrolled for homeschooling. Some parents prefer this method of instruction because it has been proven that beneficiaries of this system score better in standard exams. In addition, several homeschooled children have gained admission into Ivy League universities. The competitiveness of children who have gone through homeschooling in standardized exams and their integration into institutions of higher learning has contributed to their authentication as credible alternatives to the public school.
Homeschooling is convenient for parents who keep moving from one location to the other and desire to travel with their children. When this system involves an online instructor, homeschooling can be done anywhere in the world. In this regard, parents who travel often for work and other activities do not have to worry about the discontinuity of their children from school. Parents who wish to instill desirable values into their children find this method convenient as it gives them control over the mode of instruction.
The growing popularity of homeschooling has attracted its share of criticism. Some scholars have expressed skepticism about the ability of this system of education to adequately integrate the child into society. In their propositions, they argue that the child learns in a secluded environment and is therefore incapable of building his social skills. In this regard they propose that the child should learn in a classroom setup where he is interacts with other children so as to build their personality (Davis and Elliott eds., 2014. Pp. 321). However, parents in a homeschooling environment can deliberately create opportunities where children can interact with others through play groups (Friedrich 2017. Pp. 24) consequently, the parent can ensure that while he is influencing the child and instilling desirable qualities, he does not do so at the expense of his social development.
Learning is considered as a natural process and when society doesn’t take measures to regularize it; children learn and pick out undesirable qualities. Ancient communities took responsibility to educate their children through their daily activities (Newman and Newman 2017. Pp. 35). It was common for communities to initiate their children into adulthood once they were satisfied that they had fulfilled the learning expectations of the community. Parents took the leading role to impact their children with the desired knowledge. In this regard, parents are in a better place to impart knowledge to their children because they remain their greatest inspiration. Parents can therefore adapt the educational curricula to the learning expectations of their children.
Home based learning boosts the self-confidence of the child through the individualized attention he receives. In addition, parents who choose to facilitate the learning process can adapt the schedules to their availability. Although this system is ideal when at least one parent is not working, the flexibility it allows both the teacher and the child makes the learning process fun. The quality of the learning experience is also enhanced because the teacher can attain the learning objectives in a shorter time and allow the child to engage in other activities.
The parenting role of the child is enhanced. According to the Waldorf method, parents can continue to impact their children as they go on with their daily activities including attending to household chores. At the end of the day, the parents that use the Waldorf model take about one hour reading or telling stories to the children. In this regard, parents develop closer bonds with their children and develop their sense of confidence.
Parental responsibility for the child is great way of integrating parenting and education. However, parents must be careful to develop discipline among the children so as not to allow too much flexibility. Children must be prepared for the realities of life which include time management. Home schooling is involving and the parent must be prepared to handle both the educational and social needs of the child. He must create a balance between the teaching and the parenting role.
The Montessori system is founded on the values of human dignity in the faith that every child is unique and must not be subjected to the competitive forces of society. Children in conventional schools are often set up in completion against their classmates and when they don’t perform based on the educational curriculum, they lose their self-esteem. According to Stern (2018) children have different learning capabilities that are often ignored in the conventional schooling. Studies have shown that some children feel pressured while learning with others in a class environment where the system presumes that their intelligence levels are dependent upon the speed with which they grasp the concept in class. However, cases of learning disabilities among students with high intelligence quotient (IQ) have been identified (Barrouillet 2015. Pp. 83) The Montessori system accommodates such learners and enables them to bring out their superior qualities.
Traditionally, society rewards learners who successfully go through the learning process through access to higher educational opportunities and employment opportunities. In this regard, children who are poor in academics and those who perform poorly in exams are denied opportunities in life. Kochanska (2017) observes that the Montessori system appreciates that children are endowed with different gifts and abilities and enables that can give them significance in life. Children who learn through this system do not feel that education is a burden but eagerly participate in order to discover their innate abilities and talents.
The Montessori system is based on the respect for the child. Children are the hope for the future and teachers under this system provide them with opportunities to exercise free thought. Children who feel respected become confident learners and develop an orientation of creativity in problem-solving (Karmiloff-Smith 2018. Pp.70). Children from such situations not only respect others but value the environment. The system is also sensitive to the various childhood stages when the child is most eager to learn. However, there are other periods when children are less inclined to learning and this can be exhibited through repetitive activities. In this regard, teachers allow children to engage in classroom activities without interference.
The building of self-respect and environmental consciousness among children has a long-term effect of their contribution to society. Society is in need of creative minds that will help solve the many problems that confront humanity. Learners in the Montessori system are more inclined to independent thought and are an asset to society. An education system that does not promote creativity and innovation leads to more demand for employment opportunities rather than enabling learners to create opportunities for others. By exploring other capabilities like sports, fine art and music among others, the Montessori system enables learners to diversify their career options and leads to dynamism in society.
The Montessori system capitalizes on the formative stages of child development in the faith that the first six years of development are significant in value formation in the child. Sigmund Freud proposes that childhood experiences have a significant influence on the development of a human being. In this regard, Freud opines that the personality of an individual is set by the time they attain the age if five (Fenichel 2014. Pp. 544). Parents must therefore take extra caution regarding the educational experiences of the children during these formative stages. The Montessori system acknowledges this reality and ensures that the independence of the child if developed at an early age.
Erik Erikson proposes a model of human development through stages that begin from childhood to late adulthood. The first three stages take place in the childhood and contribute to the formation of trust or mistrust, autonomy versus shame and initiative or guilt (Knight 2017. Pp. 1040). The infancy stage is the prerogative of the parent and he is expected to express selfless regard for the child. In early childhood the child learns independence and is able to exercise choices like selection of toys and clothing and preference for certain foods. A successful progression from this stage leads to confidence among children before they join pre-school. Children develop their capacity for initiative and manage feelings of guilt through their initiatives to assert their power on the environment around them.
The three stages are critical in the formation of human values and parents must ensure that they give maximum attention to children at these stages. The Montessori system acknowledges this reality and initiates educational programs for children from baby class. However Jean Piaget proposes two stages in the early development of a child; the sensory motor stage and the preoperational stage (Crain 2015. Pp.123). While Piaget suggests that an infant between birth and the age of two years only responds to the sensory and motor triggers, he observes that children learn the use of language between the ages of 2-6 years (Shute and Slee 2015. Pp. 322). However, he proposes that up to the age of 6 years, a child is unable to manipulate information. However, when children develop the mastery of speech, their capacity to learn is enhanced even further. The Montessori system is therefore ideal as it concentrates on the learning capabilities of children in their tender years.
Children are innocent and it is the role of society to form the desirable values in them. The family must be the first to influence children according to the societal value system. Every individual deserves the right of both social and cultural identity. It is the duty of parents to give the child the benefit of identity by instilling the desirable qualities. The education of the child by parents must be deliberate because people in society are often overtaken by the need to provide physical amenities for their children and forget to be available for social and psychological development. However, the learning process must be done in an environment that fosters the participation of the child so as to develop self confidence. When parents fail to get involved in the education of the child, the child is able to learn from what he observes. According to C. Cooley, people learn by imitation and it is through this process that individuals gain a sense of identity (Bowman, N., Banks, J. and Westerman, D., 2016. Pp. 335) Parents must therefore show a good example to their children through a participative learning experience.
Learning should not only be limited to impartation of knowledge and must be designed to enable an individual live in harmony with society and the environment. The conventional school system adopts a pedagogy that pits children against others in the class context. The competitive learning experience is not sufficient as it takes the responsibility of learning away from the child to the teacher. The teacher must be a facilitator in the process of self awareness for the child. Self directed learners adapt well to the society around them and are able to take up challenging tasks. Learning at the early stages is best carried out by parents and guardians with whom the child can be free to explore his ideas.
Children are unique and bear different learning styles. Parents must therefore exercise keenness when handling the children to ensure that they understand their learning needs. Children learn through observation and this process continues into adulthood. However, the parent can help the child to develop a frame of mind that will enable them to process successive forms of education (Kagitcibasi 2017. Pp. 78). It is the role of the parent to determine the cultural and spiritual context in which the child processes information in the future. Learners are generally categorized as visual, Kinesthetic and auditory. The visual learning style is considered most effective in learning. However, children depict different variations in which they process information and the parent must ensure that they adequately enable the child to learn. With this information, parents can have significant conversations with the teachers regarding the learning needs of the children.
Conclusion
Children are not passive learners and have inherent desire to discover the environment around them. Modern theories of child development have suggested that learning has to be participatory. The role of the parent and the teacher is critical in enabling the child adapts to his environment in the formative years. Most scholars agree that learning begins before the child joins school and in this regard, parents must facilitate the learning process at home and form a solid base for the future learning of the child. Facilitators of early childhood education must ensure that they attend to the unique needs of the children in their development journey. Early childhood education is critical the healthy treatment of children in the formative years determine the health of society in the future.
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