Constructivism and Jewish Early Childhood Education

Abstract

Having an educational theory as a school's foundation is a key component in successful educational endeavors. However, many Jewish early childhood programs do not commonly use educational theory to support methods of instruction. In this study 14 children from a constructivist-based Jewish kindergarten class are interviewed to determine how they construct an understanding of historical time. The analysis of the interviews indicates that students use higher order thinking skills multiple times, especially when the topic of study is connected to their lives. These findings support that constructivist theory is well-suited as a theoretical foundation for Jewish early childhood programs.