Caroline Pratt: Progressive Pedagogy In Statu Nascendi

Authors

Jeroen Staring, Bank Street College of EducationFollow

Abstract

This article explores two themes in the life of Caroline Pratt, founder of the Play School, later the City and Country School. These themes, central to Harriet Cuffaro’s values as a teacher and scholar, are Pratt’s early progressive pedagogy, developed during experimental shopwork between 1901 and 1908; and her theories on play and toys, developed while observing children play with her Do-With Toys and Unit Blocks between 1908 and 1914. Focusing on her early and previously unexplored writings, this article illustrates how Caroline Pratt developed a coherent theory of innovative progressive pedagogy.

Author Biography

Jeroen Staring has a BA in mathematics, an MSc in anthropology, a master’s in special educational needs, and a master’s in pedagogy. He teaches mathematics and science at secondary schools in The Netherlands. His 2005 medical sciences dissertation describes the life, work, and technique of F. Matthias Alexander. In 2013 he successfully defended a second dissertation on the early history of the NYC Bureau of Educational Experiments.

Recommended Citation

Staring, J. (2014). Caroline Pratt: Progressive Pedagogy In Statu Nascendi. Occasional Paper Series, (32). DOI: https://doi.org/10.58295/2375-3668.1045