Design Thinking

A radical, child-driven approach to play that invites children to explore, create, and take risks in open-ended environments, often filled with loose parts and minimal adult direction.

A passionate early childhood educator who championed play, mess, music, and relationships as the heart of real learning.

An approach to education rooted in social justice, empowerment, and the questioning of power and oppression.

A reflective practice where educators make children's learning visible—not as assessment, but as a conversation.

The study of how people learn and how education can be structured, guided, and improved through philosophy and research.

Engineering in early childhood invites children to design, build, test, and revise—using materials and ideas to solve real and imagined problems through playful invention.

Executive function refers to the mental skills that help children plan, focus attention, remember instructions, and manage impulses—skills that develop through experience, not instruction.

Moments when children are deeply absorbed in an activity, with focused attention and joyful engagement.

An outdoor, child-led educational approach that emphasizes exploration, risk-taking, and connection with the natural world.

A philosophy that nurtures the whole child—mind, body, heart, and spirit—not just academic achievement.

A theory that expands the idea of intelligence beyond IQ to include linguistic, bodily, spatial, interpersonal, and more.

A philosopher and educator who emphasized freedom from conditioning, inner awareness, and learning through observation—not authority.

Jon Young is a tracker, storyteller, and mentor whose work has helped shape the modern field of nature connection education.

An educational theorist and advocate for holistic, democratic, and place-based education that supports freedom, creativity, and critical inquiry.

A developmental psychologist who emphasized social interaction, language, and culture as key to learning.

An approach to play and learning that values open-ended materials—objects that children can move, combine, redesign, and use in endless ways according to their imagination.

Magda Gerber’s approach invites adults to slow down, observe, and respect infants as whole people—worthy of trust, autonomy, and unhurried relationship.

A creative, hands-on learning environment where children can build, tinker, invent, and explore with real tools and materials.

Marshall Rosenberg developed Nonviolent Communication (NVC), a relational approach to speaking and listening grounded in empathy, needs-awareness, and mutual understanding.

A relational approach to communication that emphasizes empathy, honesty, and connection—helping people speak and listen in ways that honor everyone’s needs.

A Brazilian educator and philosopher known for his work on critical pedagogy, dialogue, and liberatory education.

Parker Palmer is an educator, writer, and Quaker elder who invites teachers to lead from within—placing integrity, presence, and soul at the heart of education.

An approach to education grounded in deep, respectful listening to children’s ideas, emotions, and intentions.

A psychologist and advocate for self-directed learning, Peter Gray studies how children learn through play, curiosity, and freedom from coercion.

The natural way humans explore, learn, and make sense of the world—through movement, imagination, and joyful experimentation.

Play is not a break from learning—it is the learning. Through play, children explore ideas, test theories, solve problems, and make meaning

Different philosophies and models that shape how early childhood programs structure learning, play, relationships, and environments.

An approach to art-making that focuses on exploration and expression rather than finished products.

A child-centered approach to learning that values experience, inquiry, creativity, and social responsibility over rote memorization and control.

Intentional invitations that spark curiosity, exploration, and dialogue in play-based and inquiry-driven environments.

An early STEM approach where children explore force, motion, gravity, and design using ramps, balls, and loose parts.

A child-centered philosophy that sees children as competent, creative thinkers with a hundred ways of expressing their ideas.

An educational approach that values slowness, presence, and depth over speed, outcomes, and coverage.

A theory of learning that emphasizes the social and cultural roots of knowledge—children learn through interaction and shared meaning-making.

A Reggio Emilia term for children with disabilities or different needs—emphasizing respect, participation, and inclusion.

The ability to use one thing to stand for another

An approach that helps children and adults see connections, relationships, and patterns rather than isolated parts.

A preschool teacher and writer who advocates for play-based, democratic, and trust-rich learning environments for young children.

A Reggio Emilia concept that sees the physical environment as an active participant in the learning process—not just a backdrop.

A poetic metaphor from Reggio Emilia that honors the many ways children express, explore, and communicate their thinking.

A Reggio Emilia principle that views children as capable, curious, and full of potential—not empty vessels to be filled.

A method of in-depth, child-led inquiry that turns curiosity into collaborative, interdisciplinary learning.

An early childhood educator known for his practical tools and deep respect for children's thinking, autonomy, and social negotiation.

A child-centered approach to learning through wooden unit blocks, rooted in observation, invention, and the unfolding logic of children's play.

An arts-integrated educational approach that nurtures imagination, rhythm, and the whole child—head, heart, and hands.

A practice from Buddhist ethics that encourages speaking truthfully, kindly, and with awareness of impact and intention.