Until relatively recently, children were taught the three Rs in a fairly straight forward fashion.

The teacher explained the lesson and then the children practiced it. No other way of accomplishing the job ever occurred to anyone, until the 18th century Roman philosopher Jean Jacques Rosseau began to advocate that educators follow nature slow down their students intellectual growth and wait for them to demonstrate interest in a subject. Rosseaus ideas did not gain common currency, however, until they were adopted by the American social scientist John Dewey around the turn of this century. Deweys recommendations such as his emphasis on learning by doing and his belief that the process is more important than the product, were immediately hailed with enthusiasms by many American educators who began to implement them in American schools in the 1920s.

A great Roman philosopher who advocates in promoting the idea of child-centered education during the 18th century.

An American social scientist who adopted Rousseaus ideas and conducted researches about child-centered curriculum early in the 20th century.

Education shall be based upon the nature of the child

by: Jean Jacques Rousseau

The nature of the child as the first principle for all education. The child original nature or what he inherits is the principal with which the education must work
by: Edward Lee Thorndike

Education should center on the individual child, but he takes the view that the child must be considered as member of the group. This is what generally known as
CHILD C ENTERED SCHOOL

by: John Frederick Dewey

Emphasized the importance of the nature of the child and the child must be thought of in relation to the subject-matter

by: Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi

The child is the center of the educational process and curriculum should be constructed upon his needs, interests, purposes and abilities. As child is the center of education, development of mind, body and spirit of the child should be reflected in the programme and planning of education.

1. FREEDOM

The child should be allowed to learn from nature in his natural way without any interference from the adult.

2. SELF-ACTIVITIES That his natural interests like play and curiosity should form the basis of his education. 3. PROCESS OF SPONTANEOUS DEVELOPMENT That nothing should be taught to him until he is capable of understanding it.

4. DEVELOPMENT OF INTEREST AND

NEEDS That books should be avoided particularly at the early stage and more emphasis should be given to the child sensory and natural development. 5. EDUCATION-BASED ON EXPERIENCE Enable the child to learn through experience.

The educational concepts based on the nature of the child are the following:
The

learner is an active organism who must be stimulated, directed and guided toward the realization of all inherent potentialities, thereby becoming a worthy member of a democratic society.

Each

learner is the product of his own peculiar heredity and environment.

The learner must be the center of educative process.

 The

innate tendencies or power of the learner can be used as drives for individual work and as stimulus to learning. The innate tendencies of the learner can be used by the teacher to direct the learner in such a way that they will produce activities that will lead to further activities.

The nature of the child must be made the basis of the formulation of the immediate and ultimate aims of educations. The nature of the child rather than the nature of the subject-matter should determine the nature of teaching.
Each pupil differs greatly within himself in his potentiality to learn. This psychological concept is based on the principle of individual differences or the principle of trait differences.

Each individual is created with the power of create. In other words, all pupils possess creative ability, but in different degrees.

The Role of the Teacher

The teachers role is that of an interested observer and at best that of a guide who encourages, advises and stimulates the child,

To understand the child the teacher must:

To make teaching effective and learning productive, the teacher must know the nature of the child to be stimulated
Know him as a biological organism with needs, abilities, and goods.

Know the social and psychological environment of the child

Know the cultural forces of which

he is a part.

The Child-centered curriculum was the result of the research conducted by John Dewey. According to this curriculum design, the child is the center of the educational processes and the curriculum should be constructed upon his needs, interests, purpose and abilities.

1.

2.
3.

4.
5. 6. 7. 8. 9.

Children, rather than miniature adults, became the focus of educational effort. Experience, rather than miniature adults, became the focus of educational effort. Research assumed significance in planning for the developmental needs of children. Childrens motivation in learning was recognized. The creative energies of teachers and children were released. Educational expectations and standards were custom made in terms of each childs abilities and potentials. Rigid grade organization was abandoned along with traditional promotion policies. Reporting of childrens progress became descriptive. For the first time, teacher education on a broad scale became professional education.

1. The misinterpretation of the philosophy of the child-centered

curriculum was a natural consequence of radical change. Teachers were sometimes ill prepared to adapt to changing consents of child development, which fostered license rather than freedom. 2. Often basic skills were neglected in the fierce towards selfexpression and creativity. 3. The cult of permissiveness confused teachers, children and their parents. While nothing inherent in the philosophy of child-centered curriculum supported many of the practices purported to reflect this philosophy, numerous misinterpretations created eventually a tidal wave of severe criticisms which underlies many of the reactionary trends in elementary education today.

Child is the center of the whole education process. The great philosophers at different times emphasized on it. The role of the teacher is like a guide and observer to provide complete freedom to the child to grow naturally. Child-centered Education is the ideal system to manifest the latent talent of the child. In this process education is not an extra venous imposition but natural stimulation for development of the child.

Presented by: Josie M.Padillo Jessica O. Dinglasan MaEd-I Presented to: Dr. Genoveva A. Verdaguer Professor