Review of Curriculum Models

Which of the following statements about Montessori's philosophy is correct?

• Montessori believed that the absorbent mind, sensitive periods, and normalization only occur in the second plane of development (6-12 years).

• Montessori identified five distinct periods, or "planes", in human development.

• Montessori believed that the third plane of development is characterized by the drive for an externally derived evaluation of self-worth, termed as "valorization".

• Montessori suggested that the study of culture and the sciences should be limited to university-level study.

Answer explanation

A) is incorrect. According to Montessori, the absorbent mind, sensitive periods, and normalization occur in the first plane of development (0-6 years), not the second.

B) is incorrect because Montessori identified four, not five, distinct periods or "planes" in human development.

C) This is the correct answer.

D) is incorrect as Montessori believed that the study of culture and the sciences should not be arbitrarily limited to university-level study, but could continue throughout a person's life.

Which of the following statements about the history of Montessori education is accurate?

• Maria Montessori began developing her educational philosophy and methods in 1907, attending courses in pedagogy at the University of Rome and learning educational theory.

• Maria Montessori's first classroom, the Casa dei Bambini, was opened in Città di Castello.

• The spread of Montessori's ideas in the United States gained popularity continuously since their introduction in 1912.

• Montessori's work was based on her observations of children and experimentation with the environment, materials, and lessons available to them.

Answer explanation

A) This statement is incorrect because Maria Montessori began developing her educational philosophy and methods in 1897, not 1907.

B) This statement is incorrect because Maria Montessori opened her first classroom, the Casa dei Bambini, in a tenement building in Rome, not in a villa in Città di Castello.

C) This statement is incorrect because there was indeed a conflict between Montessori and the American educational establishment. This conflict, and the 1914 critical booklet "The Montessori System Examined" by William Heard Kilpatrick, limited the spread of Montessori's ideas, and they languished after 1914.

D) This is the correct answer.

Which of the following statements about the philosophy of High Scope education is accurate?

• The High Scope educational approach primarily views adults as managers or supervisors of children's learning.

• The original High Scope study intended to boost the cognitive skills of disadvantaged African American children with high IQs.

• The High Scope approach is rooted in child development theory and research, drawing from the work of prominent theorists such as Jean Piaget, John Dewey, Lev Vygotsky, and Jerome Bruner.

• The intervention from the original High Scope study did not include home visits by teachers to improve parent-child interactions.

Answer explanation

A) This statement is incorrect because the High Scope approach views adults working with the children as facilitators or partners, rather than as managers or supervisors.

B) This statement is incorrect because the original High Scope study was designed to boost the cognitive skills of disadvantaged African American children with low IQs, not high IQs.

C) This is the correct answer.

D) This statement is incorrect because the intervention from the original High Scope study did indeed include weekly home visits by teachers to improve parent-child interactions.

Which of the following statements about the history of High Scope education is accurate?

• The HighScope Educational Research Foundation was established in 1962 alongside the Perry Preschool study.

• The original High Scope study was conducted in Ypsilanti, Michigan from 1962-1967, focusing on boosting the cognitive skills of 123 disadvantaged African American children with low IQs.

• In the original High Scope study, the intervention did not include weekly home visits by teachers.

• By the age of 10, children in the intervention group of the original High Scope study showed significantly higher performance on tests of cognitive ability compared to the control group.

Answer explanation

A) This statement is incorrect. The HighScope Educational Research Foundation was established in 1970, not 1962.

B) This is the correct answer.

C) This statement is incorrect. The intervention in the original High Scope study included weekly home visits by teachers to improve parent-child interactions.

D) This statement is incorrect. By the time the children were 10, there wasn't much of a difference in how children in the two groups performed on tests of cognitive ability.

Which of the following statements is true about the history of the Reggio Emilia approach to early education?

• The Reggio Emilia approach was first introduced during World War II.

• The touring exhibition titled, "A Child has 100 Languages. On Creative Pedagogy at Public Kindergartens in Reggio Emilia, Italy", was opened in 1991 at the Modern Museet in Stockholm, Sweden.

• The North American Reggio Emilia Alliance was formally established during the annual conference of the National Association for the Education of Young Children in Chicago, in November 2002.

• The Loris Malaguzzi International Centre was established in Reggio Emilia, Italy, in 1994.

Answer explanation

A) This statement is incorrect. The Reggio Emilia approach was introduced after World War II, not during it.

B) This statement is incorrect. The touring exhibition titled, "A Child has 100 Languages. On Creative Pedagogy at Public Kindergartens in Reggio Emilia, Italy", opened in 1981, not in 1991.

D) This statement is incorrect. The Loris Malaguzzi International Centre was established in 2006, not in 1994.

Which of the following statements is in line with the philosophy of the Reggio Emilia approach?

• Children are the target of instruction in the learning process.

• The Reggio Emilia approach discourages children from making mistakes.

• The Reggio Emilia approach advocates for children's learning through experiences such as touching, moving, listening, and observing.

• The Reggio Emilia approach views children as solitary beings, focusing on each child in isolation.

Answer explanation

A) is incorrect because in the Reggio Emilia approach, children are not seen as the target of instruction, but as active constructors of knowledge.

B) is incorrect because the Reggio Emilia approach encourages the occurrence of mistakes as part of the learning process.

D) is incorrect because in the Reggio Emilia approach, children are viewed as social beings and the focus is made on the child in relation to others such as their peers, family, teachers, and the community, rather than on each child in isolation.

Which of the following statements about the history of kindergarten is correct?

• Friedrich Fröbel founded the concept of kindergarten in 1837 in the village of Bad Blankenburg.

• The first kindergarten in the US was conducted in English by Margaretha Meyer-Schurz in 1856.

• Johann Friedrich Oberlin and Louise Scheppler established the first kindergarten in 1779.

• The first publicly financed kindergarten in the US was established in Canada in 1873 by Susan Blow.

Answer explanation

A) Friedrich Fröbel opened a "play and activity" institute in 1837, but he didn't rename it to "kindergarten" until 1840. C) Johann Friedrich Oberlin and Louise Scheppler established an early establishment for caring for and educating preschool children in 1779, but it was not called a kindergarten. D) The first publicly financed kindergarten in the US was established in St. Louis, not Canada, in 1873 by Susan Blow.

In the context of Kindergarten education systems worldwide, which of the following statements is accurate?

• In Afghanistan, kindergartens are considered part of the official school system and are run by private entities.

• In Australia, all states refer to the first year of primary school as "Kindergarten."

• In Brazil, kindergarten education is compulsory for all children above the age of 4.

• In the United States, all fifty states require school districts to offer a kindergarten year.

Answer explanation

A) This statement is incorrect. While kindergartens in Afghanistan are often run by the government, they are not considered part of the official school system.

B) This statement is incorrect. The term "Kindergarten" varies across states in Australia. For example, in Tasmania, New South Wales, and the Australian Capital Territory, "Kindergarten" is the first year of primary school, but in Victoria and Queensland, the first year of primary school is referred to as "Prep."

C) This statement is incorrect. In Brazil, kindergarten (Jardim de Infância) is non-compulsory, for children up to 4 years old.

Which of the following statements about the history of Waldorf Education is correct?

• The first Waldorf school was founded in Stuttgart, Germany in 1899 by Emil Molt.

• Rudolf Steiner's lectures at Oxford University in 1922 had little impact on the spread of Waldorf education.

• From 1933 to 1945, all Waldorf schools in Europe were closed due to the Nazi regime, without any exceptions.

• The first Waldorf school in the United States was established in New York City in 1928.

Answer explanation

A) The first Waldorf school was founded in Stuttgart, Germany, by Emil Molt in 1919, not 1899.

B) Rudolf Steiner's lectures at Oxford University in 1922 significantly contributed to the spread of Waldorf education, contrary to the claim in option B.

C) While the Nazi regime did limit and ultimately close most Waldorf schools in Europe from 1933 to 1945, there were some exceptions. Some schools in the UK, Switzerland, and the Netherlands remained open, and some schools in other parts of Europe went underground to survive. Therefore, it's incorrect to say all Waldorf schools in Europe were closed without exceptions.

Which of the following statements about the materials used in Waldorf education is accurate?

• Waldorf education strongly advocates for the use of electronic devices such as computers and televisions for all age groups.

• In Waldorf schools, materials are predominantly sourced from artificial, manufactured items to prepare children for the industrialized world.

• Waldorf education typically employs simple, natural materials for tools and toys in classrooms to foster imagination and connect children to nature.

• Waldorf pedagogy promotes the exclusive use of standardized textbooks for instruction.

Answer explanation

A) is incorrect because Waldorf schools generally discourage pupils' use of electronic media such as television and computers, especially for young children, as they believe these conflict with developmental needs and can hamper the imagination.

B) is incorrect as Waldorf's pedagogy emphasizes the use of simple, natural materials for tools and toys to foster imaginative play and reinforce connections to nature, not artificial or manufactured items.

D) is incorrect because there is little reliance on standardized textbooks in Waldorf education. Academic instruction is often presented through artistic work and storytelling, and different academic subjects are introduced through thematic lesson blocks.