Addressing Classism in Early Childhood Education: How Social-Class Sensitive Pedagogy and the Montessori Method Can Work Together

Abstract

Classist perspectives embedded in our meritocratic society permeate early childhood education. Curricula, instructional practices, and classroom interactions have the potential to send messages to children about who and what is valued by society; frequently influenced by the characteristics and abilities of a middle-class child. In order to best serve the needs and abilities of children from any social class, early childhood educators should be well versed in social-class sensitive pedagogy, a pedagogy that helps teachers to be inclusive of social class diversity in their classrooms. This chapter argues that aspects of Montessori theory, such as the four planes of development and the prepared adult, complement social-class sensitive pedagogy in ways that all early childhood educators may apply to their own teaching.

Citation

Christensen, O. and Gast, K. (2015), "Addressing Classism in Early Childhood Education: How Social-Class Sensitive Pedagogy and the Montessori Method Can Work Together", Discussions on Sensitive Issues (Advances in Early Education and Day Care, Vol. 19), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 113-135. https://doi.org/10.1108/S0270-402120150000019008