A few connections...

There are plenty of connections with these five theorists. To name just a few quick observations after reading more about them I noticed that...

Dewey, Montessori, Vygotsky all believed that it was important to observe students to decide what type of curriculum would be appropriate for them. By watching students and asking them questions, teachers can take what the students already know and set up experiences for them to discover new things.

Erikson and Piaget had both developed their own stages for a person’s life. It was Piaget’s stages of cognitive development and Erikson’s 8 stages of man. This helped explain their understanding of traits and development at each age (except that Erikson’s goes past adolescence).

Both Montessori and Piaget believed that learning developed through actions with the environment. Through play and exploration, kids can maximize their learning.