Encouraging Child's Autonomy in Early and Preschool age

By birth, children become full members not only of the society they are growing up in but also of the global society – they are the ones who create new visions of future, progress, and society. For a child to strengthen its... [ view full abstract ]

By birth, children become full members not only of the society they are growing up in but also of the global society – they are the ones who create new visions of future, progress, and society. For a child to strengthen its belief in its own competencies and potentials adults should provide support and feeling of relatedness by supporting its individuality, creating opportunities for constructing child's own value judgments within a prepared environment, and guiding them to be proactive. Timely development of an autonomous child is achieved through meaningful and significant interactions in their immediate environment. By simultaneously encouraging autonomy, participation in the research activities, and creative expression early childhood practitioners create an environment for a child that promotes values of cooperation, understanding, and team work. This paper discusses theoretical overview in defining the notion of autonomy within the context of early childhood and preschool education, and actualizes the self-determination theory emphasizing the implications of pedagogical approaches in the early childhood and preschool institutions with the purpose of support and building a child's holistic personality, both within the everyday practice and in the process of creating a curriculum.

Keywords: autonomy, child, proactivity, early childhood relationships, self-determination theory