How a 1916 laboratory school redefined the science of childhood development
In short: Education is often viewed as a simple pipeline for information, but for some, it is a laboratory for human growth. Founded in 1916, Bank Street College of Education began as an experimental bureau to decode how children actually learn, moving beyond mere babysitting to a systematic study of development.
The institution originated in 1916 as the Bureau of Educational Experiments, established by Lucy Sprague Mitchell, Wesley Clair Mitchell, and Harriet Merrill Johnson. Influenced by the progressive philosophies of John Dewey and Edward Thorndike, the bureau was designed to foster research into experimental education. It eventually transitioned into the Bank Street College of Education in the 1950s, maintaining its roots as a privately supported coeducational college that offers graduate courses, conducts basic research, and operates a laboratory elementary school.
Bank Street's work is rooted in the broader history of early childhood pedagogy. While the modern era often associates early education with the kindergarten, the movement dates back to 1767 with Johann Friedrich Oberlin’s 'salle d’asile' in Germany. These were 'halls of refuge' designed to instruct small children while parents worked. Later, reformers like Robert Owen and James Buchanan introduced structured methods in the early 1800s, incorporating gymnastic movements, singing, and 'object lessons' where children learned to observe and describe their surroundings.
A major shift occurred with Friedrich Froebel, the founder of the kindergarten. He rejected the idea of early schooling as social philanthropy, arguing instead that children express themselves through play. He viewed play as a process of discovery regarding the unity of nature, even creating geometric 'gifts' to make symbolic forms real for children. Bank Street evolved these concepts into its own 'developmental-interaction approach,' a hallmark of progressive education that treats the child's growth as a dynamic interplay between their internal development and their external environment.
Today, the college serves as a hub for equitable education research. It operates the Bank Street School for Children, which serves approximately 451 students, including about 43% students of color. The school maintains a unique pedagogical cycle where more than half of the instructors are alumni of the college's graduate school. This ensures that the research-driven methods developed in the 20th century continue to inform the daily practice of teaching nursery through eighth-grade students.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Bank Street College of Education | Teacher Training, Education Reform & NYC | Britannica
- Also: Bank Street College of Education
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