The Bank Street Approach to education was founded in 1916 by Lucy and Harriet Mitchell and is based on the progressive educational philosophy of John Dewey. It focuses on the whole child, with an emphasis on a child's mental, social, emotional, and physical growth. Students are active learners who gain knowledge through hands-on experiences and exploration, rather than direct instruction. The teacher serves as a guide who allows students to learn at their own pace through activities like building, art, and field trips.

2. BACKGROUND
Founders Lucy Sprague Mitchell
and Harriet Johnson Mitchell
followed beliefs on John Dewey
Founded Bureau of Education
Experiments in 1916

3. • help to understand what they really know in
more depth.
• children's own experiences are the bases of
this approach
• curriculum must be remain open and flexible

4. This developmental is based on the educational
philosophy of John Dewy. The focus of Bank
Street preschools is on a child's mental, social,
emotional, and physical growth. In these
programs, the child is an active learner and gains
knowledge about the world through experience.
Students set the learning pace, and the teacher
serves as a guide. Comparable to play-based
learning, the Bank Street approach teaches
lessons through hands-on activities, such as
building blocks, puzzles, clay and dramatic play.

5. Free expression in clay, paint and drawing
was encouraged.
Field trips to interesting places around the
city, such as the zoo or a bridge.
Children were encouraged to inquire about
their world.
Teacher were constantly self reflecting to
improve their self.

6. The whole child
-Address the entire emotional, social,
physical and intellectual being of a
child.
Teaching and Learning
- Trips
- Activities
- Books

7. Is developmentally meaningful
Provides a balance between child
and adult initiated activities.
Requires on going staff training and
parent involement. Focuses on
making connection between home
and school

8. Focus on: Age 3-8 years old Participants will
strengthen their knowledge around a number of
early childhood concepts that are integral to the
Bank Street Approach, including play as the
young child's way of making sense of the world
around them. Participants will examine
progressive and special education practices,
family and child-centered curricula, and diverse
cultural and linguistic pedagogies.

9. Mrs. Mitchell studied children’s language for
many years. She published her first book
“Here and Now” in 1921 and it became an all-
time best seller. This led her to develop the
Bank Street Writer’s Laboratory in 1937 to do
the work of writing for and about children.
This was the first step in the Bureau’s effort to
improve the quality of children’s literature –
and that effort continues today! For
example…

10. Little Golden Books, affordable/ marketed to
mass market/children feel ownership.
Bank Street Readers- multi ethnic urban basal
readers first published in 1965 and 1966. It was
the first of its kind and entered the schools
dominated by “Dick and Jane”.
Preprimer readers- In the City and People Read.
Bank Street Writers Laboratory-developing
writers such as Margaret Wise Brown
(Goodnight Moon) and Maurice Sendak (Where
the Wild Things Are)