Child Development And The Curriculum

Text extracted from opening pages of book: CHILD DEVELOPMENT AND THE CURRICULUM By Arthur T. Jersild IN COLLABORATION WITH Mary E. Chayer Charlotte Fehlman Gertrude Hildreth Marian Young BUREAU OF PUBLICATIONS TEACHERS COLLEGE COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY Copyright, 1946, by TEACHERS COLLEGE, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY SECOND PRINTING, FEBRUARY 1 947 PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA FOREWORD IN 1943 a major research project on the curriculum of child hood and youth education was planned by the staff of the Horace Mann-Lincoln Institute of School Experimentation. One of the first steps, preliminary to undertaking actual school experimentation, was the decision to make a critical appraisal of child development materials from the standpoint of their contribution to the curriculum. Not only was it believed that an understanding of child growth and development is basic to sound curriculum planning, but also it was known that much research in the area is not in such form as to be easily available to teachers and other curriculum workers. Further, major deficiencies in the child development research infor mation needed for curriculum improvement have not been clearly outlined. A committee of Institute staff members, under the chairmanship of Arthur T. Jersild, was accordingly asked to undertake the task of analyzing and interpreting the child development field as it relates to the curriculum. The work of this committee was paralleled by that of another group, under the chairmanship of George S. Counts, on the social bases of the curriculum, which has focused on the relation of education to the nature and fortunes of our society. This latter committee has made a considered analysis of the traditionalAmerican beliefs and values, has described our heritage and char ter ic s a nation, l tudied the Foreword frontiers of our Industrial civilization Including the tensions and conflicts which we face, and has sketched in broad outline the kind of education needed for America in an industrial age. When published, the report on the social bases of education will stand as a companion volume to this one on child de velopment and the curriculum. Within a year of its appointment, the committee on impli cations of child development for the curriculum reported in preliminary form to the Associated Schools of the Institute in order that they might have the guidance of these materials in developing areas for experimentation and might give sug gestions for the revision of the report which would increase its general usefulness. The Associated Schools presented many helpful suggestions which have been incorporated in the volume. These materials on child development will be of great value to teachers, principals, supervisors, and curriculum directors in programs of in-service education and curriculum improve ment. Pre-service and in-service college and university courses in child development and in curriculum improvement will find this volume a highly useful and interpretive summary. Gordon JV. Mackenzie EXECUTIVE OFFICER HORACE MANN-LINCOLN INSTITUTE OF SCHOOL EXPERIMENTATION VI PREFACE THIS volume deals with implications of the child development point of view and of research findings in the field of child de velopment. The first chapter discusses the meaning of the child development approach. The second sets forth a number of principles of development that have implications for educa tion. Fourchapters follow that deal, respectively, with the in fant, the preschool child, the elementary school child, and the adolescent. These chapters sketch some of the major characteristics of children at various maturity levels. The purpose is to show growth trends, goals, or objectives toward which the organism is striving, developmental tendencies and forms of behavior that are prominent at various levels as the child moves from early infancy to adulthood. These chapters also indicate factors that must be taken into account if the educational program is to be adapted