Engaging Children's Minds By Lillian Katz
Abstract:
Lillian Katz has provided research and documentation about Early Childhood Education for teachers, administrators, and parents. Dr. Katz has written multiple articles and books and has taught about Early Childhood Education around the world. Some books that she has authored and co-authored are The Case for Mixed-Age Grouping in Early Education, Engaging Children's Minds: The Project Approach, Young Investigators: The Project Approach in the Early Years, and Fostering Children’s Social Competence. Through these works Dr. Katz discusses her thoughts on education and the importance of early childhood education for children.
Lillian Katz is a leader in the field of Early Childhood Education. Dr. Katz has worked and advocated …show more content…
for children through service, writing books, and speaking around the world. Lillian Katz encourages parents, teachers, and administrators. She has accomplished many goals that have outlined how to teach and guide children to be life long learners. “As you consider whether to move a child into formal academic training, remember that we want our children to do more than just learn how to read and write; we want them to learn in such a way that they become lifelong readers and writers” (Katz, n.d.). Through scholarly articles, books, and speaking presentations, Lillian Katz has taught people across the world about Early Childhood Education and the importance of educating young children.
Lillian Katz was born in England.
She was raised in England and became a citizen of the United States in 1953. She was introduced to the field through her three children. When her children started nursery school, the school was part of a parent cooperative nursery school program. To attend the nursery program, it was required for mothers to be an assistant to the nursery school teacher. Through that program she was required to attend classes on child development. After this experience, she became interested in continuing her education in Early Childhood Education. Dr. Katz took a class at the local community college in child development. Her instructor for the course, Dr. Mary Lane, encouraged her to finish her bachelor degree. Dr. Katz only needed one more class and finished her bachelor degree at San Francisco State University in 1964. Dr. Lane introduced her to Dr. Pauline Sears. Dr. Sears invited Dr. Katz to the Ph.D. program in Developmental Studies and Education. Since there was not a masters program for early childhood, Dr. Katz got her Ph.D. in Phycology. In 1964 Dr. Katz began her graduate work at Stanford. Dr. Katz began working in a new program, called Head Start, assisting a teacher in San Francisco. Dr. Katz continued and finished her degree in Psychology in 1968. Upon finishing her dissertation she was offered a faculty position at the University of Illinois. Dr. Katz’ husband returned to school and they raised their three children in this Midwest …show more content…
location.
In 1968 Dr. Katz became an assistant professor of Early Childhood Education at the University of Illinois. She continued as an associate professor in 1970 to 1973. In 1973 she became a professor of Early Childhood Education. In 1979 until 1981, Dr. Katz became the chairman of Elementary and Early Childhood Education at the University of Illinois. In 1999 she became a professor Emerita of Elementary and Early Childhood Education at the University of Illinois. For over 30 years she was the director of ERIC, Clearinghouse for Elementary and Early Childhood Education. In 2000 she became the co-director of ERIC, Clearinghouse on Elementary and Early Childhood Education at the University of Illinois. She has written many publications concerning early childhood education, teacher development, and child development. Dr. Katz was the founder of Early Childhood Quarterly and Early Childhood Research and Practice.
Dr. Katz strengths are in the field of early childhood education. She has researched and presented information to educational leaders and teachers in multiple forms. Through this research she has based her theories around practices of early childhood education. She has focused on the project approach through researching the Reggio Emilio schools. This approach gives students the ability to learn through hands-on inquiry. She has identified positive learning outcomes for students and teachers through mixed-age groups. Dr. Katz has advocated and supported teacher education and development. She has looked at the child and given scholarly practices to support children in these programs. Dr.
Katz directed the ERIC Clearinghouse for over thirty years. During this time she wrote articles about early childhood education, teaching in preschools, staffing preschools, teacher-student relationships, support for teachers in early childhood education and student relations. In a forward of the Early Childhood Education, An ERIC Bibliography, Dr. Katz (1973) details that we can use parameters for future guidelines and research in early childhood education. Characteristics of clients, characteristics of teachers and other assisting adults, program organization, philosophical orientation and historical factors, parent power, administrative factors and sponsorship, length of program, and physical plant and climate are parameters for additional research in developing good early childhood programs. Dr. Katz (1973) says that “early childhood education is a complex domain, which deserves extensive analysis, which takes the complexities into full account” (Katz, 1973)”. In the Foreword of Learning from Young Children in the Classroom, Dr. Katz (2007) emphasizes the importance of research and discusses teachers researching practices in the educational field. She says that teacher’s need to research assignments and processes of teaching to make claims of evidence based research and practices. Through research and teaching with evidence based research and practices learning will be improved for
students. Dr. Katz founded and has written multiple articles for ECRP (Early Childhood Research and Practice). One-article, International Perspectives on Early Childhood Education: Lessons from My Travels identifies her work in countries around the world and her experiences in early childhood programs in these countries. “I find that the experience of traveling and working with colleagues in other lands is enlightening, instructive, and enriching—not so much because of what we see, but because what we see makes us think about things that we have not thought about before” (Katz). Dr. Katz explained that the environment for early childhood students is different and the students seems engaged and attentive. This could be due to the fact that children are motivated to learn through their belief of a better future. Another point is the similarity of the foreign countries to the United States. Early childhood teachers are under trained, it is viewed that females are nurturing instinctively. This belief focuses on women having the natural ability to work with young children. She also found that it is difficult to compare studies of students in the United States to student living in other countries. Comparing is not accurate because children in other areas learn through different methods. This article like many others gives early childhood educators another view on early education and how to apply other practices to our early childhood programs (Katz).
In 1990 Dr. Katz co-authored The Case for Mixed-Age Grouping in Early Education. This book focuses on the positive effects on mixing age groups for young children. Mixed age grouping is grouping children within a setting whose age is at least one year apart. It is recommended that from a young age children of different age be mixed within an early childhood setting. This provides students with a sibling like atmosphere and provides students with the ability to learn from older peers or be a role model for younger peers. “In mixed-age groups, older children are perceived as contributing, and younger children as needing their contributions” (Katz and Evangelou, 1990, pg. 10). This method of age grouping provides a range for social, academic, and intellectual differences. Children at different ranges of development foster social competence through modeling and guidance. “Prosocial behaviors are often treated as indexes of social competence. These behaviors, such as help giving, sharing and turn taking, facilitate interaction in the group setting and promote socialization” (Katz and Evangelou, 1990, pg. 13). When children are given the rule of enforcer to younger peers, self-regulation is naturally improved and maintained. Through these multi-aged groupings, opportunities arise to lead, demonstrate, and nurture. It is a cognitively supporting environment for all ages of students. The authors (1990) suggest, that mixed age grouping is especially beneficial for young students that remain in a child care setting for most of their younger years. Students can be grouped with younger or older siblings. Family and strong relationships can be fostered within the mixed age environment. Through these relation’s strong relationships foster closeness, affection, and comfort. “Efforts to maximize family grouping seem to be especially appropriate in child care centers in which many young children spend the majority of their waking hours” (Katz and Evangelou, 1990, pg.45). The authors emphasize that research supports mixed-age groups being beneficial for the students and teachers. “The mixture of ages may increase teachers’ awareness of developmental discrepancies within a particular child” (Katz and Evangelou, 1990, pg. 7). Teachers have a better ability to see the differences in developmental abilities when they are not assessing students at the same level. Having mixed-age grouping gives the teacher the ability to look at each student differently and at his or her own developmental level. Katz and Evangelou say that the pressure on teachers may be eliminated within mixed age groups. Students will be able to support one another. The range of maturity will guide students to be less dependent on the teacher and work within the mixed age group settings. Strategies for teachers and administration when working with mixed age groups are detailed in the book. The authors suggest staffing patterns, and the need for appropriate amount of staff per age groupings. Enhancing social and emotional development and encouraging intellectual development are important strategies to support students in mixed-age groupings. Through these strategies curriculum can be developed to support students at many developmental levels. More research needs to be done with mixed age groupings. Overall, through expanded research and curriculum development, students will benefit from mixed age groupings. Teachers will benefit through mixed age groupings, as they will be able to have more instructional time due to these mixed classrooms.
Dr. Katz also co-authored, Engaging Children’s Minds, The Project Approach and Project Approach Through the Early Years and Young Investigators The Project Approach In the Early Years. These two texts describe the author’s vision for teaching children through project-based learning. Katz and Chard (1989) describe a project as a learning experience by one or more children. The project should extend over days or weeks. The length of the project depends on the student’s ages and topic. The project can be incorporated into curriculum in multiple ways. Depending on the school, teacher, and students, project approach may be implemented to be the main curriculum or it can be explored just two days a week. “The key feature of a project is that it is a research effort deliberately focused on finding answers to questions about a topic posed either by the children, the teacher, or the teacher working with the children (Katz and Chard, 1989)”. Project work is important for early childhood students and a way for students to explore and learn. “Project work as an approach to early childhood education refers to a way of teaching and learning (Katz and Chard, 1989, pg. 3). What are the goals explored through project approach? Katz and Chard describe that project approach cultivates all areas of a child’s learning. It supports students knowledge, skills, emotional, moral and aesthetic learning. Project approach encourages children to work through ways of knowledge. Children will ask questions, put pieces together, and solve problems through this approach. Project approach can support curriculum through focusing on intellectual goals and the life of the mind, balance of activities, school as life, community ethos in the class, and teaching as a challenge. Project approach is not a new concept. Project based learning was supported through Dewy and Kilpatrick. Learning through project approach was part of the Progressive Educational movement used in the British Infant Schools in the 1960’s and 1970’s. Project approach learning was patterned after group projects seen in Reggio Emilia schools in Italy. Through research and investigating these practices, the authors developed a project based learning known as project approach. What are the components of Project Approach? Project approach is suggested to have three phases. Within the first phase, planning and beginning the project occurs. Students can show interest in a topic or the teacher can introduce a topic to the students. “The main thrust of the first phase of project work is to establish common ground among the participants by pooling the information, ideas, and experiences the children already have about the topic’ (Katz and Chard, 1989, pg. 82). Students discuss the topic and their knowledge of the topic. Plans are made for speakers, visitations, and related field trips. Questions to be explored are created during phase I and construction materials that will be used for the project are established. Phase II of the project is focused on introducing new information. Visitations or speakers are a way to provide students with new information about a topic. Props or items to support the project may be introduced during this time. Research or in-depth study is done in phase II of the project. Teachers are to support and encourage student’s skills. “In this phase the teacher also attends to strengthening the children’s dispositions to find out about or pursue a topic that interests them” (Katz and Chard, 1989, pg. 85). Phase III of the project focuses on reflecting and drawling conclusions. The main goal of this phase is to bring the project to an end. Students work on summarizing what they have learned and identifying individual work or goals of the project. Older children rehearse and reflect on what was learned through the project and how they may present it. Younger students may use role-play or constructions to reflect on learning. The author’s strategy of teaching is evident through project approach learning and are supporters of hands-on learning. Project approach supports students contrasting their own learning with support from the teacher. “Projects provide the backbone of the children’s and teacher’s learning experiences” (Helm and Katz, 2001, pg. 2).
Dr. Katz’ works have described her theories and her views on Early Childhood Education. When comparing contributions Dr. Katz has given the field, it is event that she has some similar beliefs to Maria Montessori. Although Dr. Katz says she is not a Montessori practitioner, she does identify with some of Montessori’s methods for young children. “There are many Montessori ideas and practices that to me seem to continue to be highly appropriate in the light of experience and research on how young children grow, learn, and develop” (Katz, n.d.). Through mixed-age groups and project based learning similarities in the two practitioners arise. Dr. Katz details the importance of intrinsic motivation, gentle guidance, clear expectations for students, and being direct and authentic with children, as practiced through the Montessori method. However, unlike Montessori’s teaching, Dr. Katz puts a strong emphasis on the importance of social interactions in the early childhood years. Dr. Katz co-authored Fostering Children’s Social Competence: The Teachers Role. Katz discusses that socially competent students can learn better in the classroom. “Social interaction around substantive content is one of the most critical factors in optimum cognitive development” (Katz and McClellan, 1997, pg. 91). Through strong relationships of parents, teachers, and peers, children can have a strong foundation of social relationships that will support their learning.
Through research, writing, and speaking, Dr. Katz has strengthened the Early Childhood Education field. She has provided teachers with resources to meet needs for students. She has provided administrators with the ability to focus on what students need through staffing and teacher development. Dr. Katz has provided families with support and knowledge for their children. Dr. Katz contributions have raised awareness and support for educators, administrators, parents, and young children.
Lillian Katz has provided research and documentation about Early Childhood Education for teachers, administrators, and parents. Dr. Katz has written multiple articles and books and has taught about Early Childhood Education around the world. Some books that she has authored and co-authored are The Case for Mixed-Age Grouping in Early Education, Engaging Children's Minds: The Project Approach, Young Investigators: The Project Approach in the Early Years, and Fostering Children’s Social Competence. Through these works Dr. Katz discusses her thoughts on education and the importance of early childhood education for children.
Lillian Katz is a leader in the field of Early Childhood Education. Dr. Katz has worked and advocated …show more content…
for children through service, writing books, and speaking around the world. Lillian Katz encourages parents, teachers, and administrators. She has accomplished many goals that have outlined how to teach and guide children to be life long learners. “As you consider whether to move a child into formal academic training, remember that we want our children to do more than just learn how to read and write; we want them to learn in such a way that they become lifelong readers and writers” (Katz, n.d.). Through scholarly articles, books, and speaking presentations, Lillian Katz has taught people across the world about Early Childhood Education and the importance of educating young children.
Lillian Katz was born in England.
She was raised in England and became a citizen of the United States in 1953. She was introduced to the field through her three children. When her children started nursery school, the school was part of a parent cooperative nursery school program. To attend the nursery program, it was required for mothers to be an assistant to the nursery school teacher. Through that program she was required to attend classes on child development. After this experience, she became interested in continuing her education in Early Childhood Education. Dr. Katz took a class at the local community college in child development. Her instructor for the course, Dr. Mary Lane, encouraged her to finish her bachelor degree. Dr. Katz only needed one more class and finished her bachelor degree at San Francisco State University in 1964. Dr. Lane introduced her to Dr. Pauline Sears. Dr. Sears invited Dr. Katz to the Ph.D. program in Developmental Studies and Education. Since there was not a masters program for early childhood, Dr. Katz got her Ph.D. in Phycology. In 1964 Dr. Katz began her graduate work at Stanford. Dr. Katz began working in a new program, called Head Start, assisting a teacher in San Francisco. Dr. Katz continued and finished her degree in Psychology in 1968. Upon finishing her dissertation she was offered a faculty position at the University of Illinois. Dr. Katz’ husband returned to school and they raised their three children in this Midwest …show more content…
location.
In 1968 Dr. Katz became an assistant professor of Early Childhood Education at the University of Illinois. She continued as an associate professor in 1970 to 1973. In 1973 she became a professor of Early Childhood Education. In 1979 until 1981, Dr. Katz became the chairman of Elementary and Early Childhood Education at the University of Illinois. In 1999 she became a professor Emerita of Elementary and Early Childhood Education at the University of Illinois. For over 30 years she was the director of ERIC, Clearinghouse for Elementary and Early Childhood Education. In 2000 she became the co-director of ERIC, Clearinghouse on Elementary and Early Childhood Education at the University of Illinois. She has written many publications concerning early childhood education, teacher development, and child development. Dr. Katz was the founder of Early Childhood Quarterly and Early Childhood Research and Practice.
Dr. Katz strengths are in the field of early childhood education. She has researched and presented information to educational leaders and teachers in multiple forms. Through this research she has based her theories around practices of early childhood education. She has focused on the project approach through researching the Reggio Emilio schools. This approach gives students the ability to learn through hands-on inquiry. She has identified positive learning outcomes for students and teachers through mixed-age groups. Dr. Katz has advocated and supported teacher education and development. She has looked at the child and given scholarly practices to support children in these programs. Dr.
Katz directed the ERIC Clearinghouse for over thirty years. During this time she wrote articles about early childhood education, teaching in preschools, staffing preschools, teacher-student relationships, support for teachers in early childhood education and student relations. In a forward of the Early Childhood Education, An ERIC Bibliography, Dr. Katz (1973) details that we can use parameters for future guidelines and research in early childhood education. Characteristics of clients, characteristics of teachers and other assisting adults, program organization, philosophical orientation and historical factors, parent power, administrative factors and sponsorship, length of program, and physical plant and climate are parameters for additional research in developing good early childhood programs. Dr. Katz (1973) says that “early childhood education is a complex domain, which deserves extensive analysis, which takes the complexities into full account” (Katz, 1973)”. In the Foreword of Learning from Young Children in the Classroom, Dr. Katz (2007) emphasizes the importance of research and discusses teachers researching practices in the educational field. She says that teacher’s need to research assignments and processes of teaching to make claims of evidence based research and practices. Through research and teaching with evidence based research and practices learning will be improved for
students. Dr. Katz founded and has written multiple articles for ECRP (Early Childhood Research and Practice). One-article, International Perspectives on Early Childhood Education: Lessons from My Travels identifies her work in countries around the world and her experiences in early childhood programs in these countries. “I find that the experience of traveling and working with colleagues in other lands is enlightening, instructive, and enriching—not so much because of what we see, but because what we see makes us think about things that we have not thought about before” (Katz). Dr. Katz explained that the environment for early childhood students is different and the students seems engaged and attentive. This could be due to the fact that children are motivated to learn through their belief of a better future. Another point is the similarity of the foreign countries to the United States. Early childhood teachers are under trained, it is viewed that females are nurturing instinctively. This belief focuses on women having the natural ability to work with young children. She also found that it is difficult to compare studies of students in the United States to student living in other countries. Comparing is not accurate because children in other areas learn through different methods. This article like many others gives early childhood educators another view on early education and how to apply other practices to our early childhood programs (Katz).
In 1990 Dr. Katz co-authored The Case for Mixed-Age Grouping in Early Education. This book focuses on the positive effects on mixing age groups for young children. Mixed age grouping is grouping children within a setting whose age is at least one year apart. It is recommended that from a young age children of different age be mixed within an early childhood setting. This provides students with a sibling like atmosphere and provides students with the ability to learn from older peers or be a role model for younger peers. “In mixed-age groups, older children are perceived as contributing, and younger children as needing their contributions” (Katz and Evangelou, 1990, pg. 10). This method of age grouping provides a range for social, academic, and intellectual differences. Children at different ranges of development foster social competence through modeling and guidance. “Prosocial behaviors are often treated as indexes of social competence. These behaviors, such as help giving, sharing and turn taking, facilitate interaction in the group setting and promote socialization” (Katz and Evangelou, 1990, pg. 13). When children are given the rule of enforcer to younger peers, self-regulation is naturally improved and maintained. Through these multi-aged groupings, opportunities arise to lead, demonstrate, and nurture. It is a cognitively supporting environment for all ages of students. The authors (1990) suggest, that mixed age grouping is especially beneficial for young students that remain in a child care setting for most of their younger years. Students can be grouped with younger or older siblings. Family and strong relationships can be fostered within the mixed age environment. Through these relation’s strong relationships foster closeness, affection, and comfort. “Efforts to maximize family grouping seem to be especially appropriate in child care centers in which many young children spend the majority of their waking hours” (Katz and Evangelou, 1990, pg.45). The authors emphasize that research supports mixed-age groups being beneficial for the students and teachers. “The mixture of ages may increase teachers’ awareness of developmental discrepancies within a particular child” (Katz and Evangelou, 1990, pg. 7). Teachers have a better ability to see the differences in developmental abilities when they are not assessing students at the same level. Having mixed-age grouping gives the teacher the ability to look at each student differently and at his or her own developmental level. Katz and Evangelou say that the pressure on teachers may be eliminated within mixed age groups. Students will be able to support one another. The range of maturity will guide students to be less dependent on the teacher and work within the mixed age group settings. Strategies for teachers and administration when working with mixed age groups are detailed in the book. The authors suggest staffing patterns, and the need for appropriate amount of staff per age groupings. Enhancing social and emotional development and encouraging intellectual development are important strategies to support students in mixed-age groupings. Through these strategies curriculum can be developed to support students at many developmental levels. More research needs to be done with mixed age groupings. Overall, through expanded research and curriculum development, students will benefit from mixed age groupings. Teachers will benefit through mixed age groupings, as they will be able to have more instructional time due to these mixed classrooms.
Dr. Katz also co-authored, Engaging Children’s Minds, The Project Approach and Project Approach Through the Early Years and Young Investigators The Project Approach In the Early Years. These two texts describe the author’s vision for teaching children through project-based learning. Katz and Chard (1989) describe a project as a learning experience by one or more children. The project should extend over days or weeks. The length of the project depends on the student’s ages and topic. The project can be incorporated into curriculum in multiple ways. Depending on the school, teacher, and students, project approach may be implemented to be the main curriculum or it can be explored just two days a week. “The key feature of a project is that it is a research effort deliberately focused on finding answers to questions about a topic posed either by the children, the teacher, or the teacher working with the children (Katz and Chard, 1989)”. Project work is important for early childhood students and a way for students to explore and learn. “Project work as an approach to early childhood education refers to a way of teaching and learning (Katz and Chard, 1989, pg. 3). What are the goals explored through project approach? Katz and Chard describe that project approach cultivates all areas of a child’s learning. It supports students knowledge, skills, emotional, moral and aesthetic learning. Project approach encourages children to work through ways of knowledge. Children will ask questions, put pieces together, and solve problems through this approach. Project approach can support curriculum through focusing on intellectual goals and the life of the mind, balance of activities, school as life, community ethos in the class, and teaching as a challenge. Project approach is not a new concept. Project based learning was supported through Dewy and Kilpatrick. Learning through project approach was part of the Progressive Educational movement used in the British Infant Schools in the 1960’s and 1970’s. Project approach learning was patterned after group projects seen in Reggio Emilia schools in Italy. Through research and investigating these practices, the authors developed a project based learning known as project approach. What are the components of Project Approach? Project approach is suggested to have three phases. Within the first phase, planning and beginning the project occurs. Students can show interest in a topic or the teacher can introduce a topic to the students. “The main thrust of the first phase of project work is to establish common ground among the participants by pooling the information, ideas, and experiences the children already have about the topic’ (Katz and Chard, 1989, pg. 82). Students discuss the topic and their knowledge of the topic. Plans are made for speakers, visitations, and related field trips. Questions to be explored are created during phase I and construction materials that will be used for the project are established. Phase II of the project is focused on introducing new information. Visitations or speakers are a way to provide students with new information about a topic. Props or items to support the project may be introduced during this time. Research or in-depth study is done in phase II of the project. Teachers are to support and encourage student’s skills. “In this phase the teacher also attends to strengthening the children’s dispositions to find out about or pursue a topic that interests them” (Katz and Chard, 1989, pg. 85). Phase III of the project focuses on reflecting and drawling conclusions. The main goal of this phase is to bring the project to an end. Students work on summarizing what they have learned and identifying individual work or goals of the project. Older children rehearse and reflect on what was learned through the project and how they may present it. Younger students may use role-play or constructions to reflect on learning. The author’s strategy of teaching is evident through project approach learning and are supporters of hands-on learning. Project approach supports students contrasting their own learning with support from the teacher. “Projects provide the backbone of the children’s and teacher’s learning experiences” (Helm and Katz, 2001, pg. 2).
Dr. Katz’ works have described her theories and her views on Early Childhood Education. When comparing contributions Dr. Katz has given the field, it is event that she has some similar beliefs to Maria Montessori. Although Dr. Katz says she is not a Montessori practitioner, she does identify with some of Montessori’s methods for young children. “There are many Montessori ideas and practices that to me seem to continue to be highly appropriate in the light of experience and research on how young children grow, learn, and develop” (Katz, n.d.). Through mixed-age groups and project based learning similarities in the two practitioners arise. Dr. Katz details the importance of intrinsic motivation, gentle guidance, clear expectations for students, and being direct and authentic with children, as practiced through the Montessori method. However, unlike Montessori’s teaching, Dr. Katz puts a strong emphasis on the importance of social interactions in the early childhood years. Dr. Katz co-authored Fostering Children’s Social Competence: The Teachers Role. Katz discusses that socially competent students can learn better in the classroom. “Social interaction around substantive content is one of the most critical factors in optimum cognitive development” (Katz and McClellan, 1997, pg. 91). Through strong relationships of parents, teachers, and peers, children can have a strong foundation of social relationships that will support their learning.
Through research, writing, and speaking, Dr. Katz has strengthened the Early Childhood Education field. She has provided teachers with resources to meet needs for students. She has provided administrators with the ability to focus on what students need through staffing and teacher development. Dr. Katz has provided families with support and knowledge for their children. Dr. Katz contributions have raised awareness and support for educators, administrators, parents, and young children.