DOUBLE TAP TO ZOOM WITH PHONE OR TABLET Introduction | 5 aim to provide a much-needed coherent and compelling narrative of the progres- sive formulation, application, and theoretical or research support for the founda- tional principles of DAP. Second, another longstanding problem in early childhood education is that there are a number of competing child-centered camps linked to the work of Froebel, Steiner, Montessori, Freud, Piaget, Vygotsky, and Erikson. The proponents of these methods seldom communicate or interact with one another. Many educa- tors working under these rubrics are unfamiliar with the other methods’ histories and shapers. This book addresses this problem by bringing together a brief biog- raphy and work summary of the Giants of each of these programs. This integrative approach will afford both students and workers in any early childhood specialty an opportunity to learn about the Giants of other approaches. This is particularly true for the contributions of little-known and exceedingly original Comenius. Likewise, there is little recognition of Pestalozzi’s introduction of manipulatives and field trips as methods of experiential learning. Finally, outside of Waldorf-trained edu- cators, few early childhood professionals know much about Rudolf Steiner and his holistic educational contributions. A third aim of this book is to provide early childhood educators three powerful arguments in defense of DAP: 1. DAP is more solidly grounded in philosophy, theory, research, and prac- tice than any other approach to education or any other early education program. 2. DAP provides the most integrated curricula of socialization, individualiza- tion, work, and play than does any other approach to education. 3. DAP offers students the greatest possible combination of learning experi- ences (social, natural, personal, and unconscious) than any other approach to education. I believe these three considerations taken together enable early childhood educa- tors to make a powerful case for the superiority of DAP over any other educational programs for young children. I fully appreciate that there are many approaches to the education of young children other than DAP. But in my fifty years of engaging in child-development research, teaching child development, and supervising students, I have become convinced that the science of child psychology is the science of education. COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL