Institute of Child Study
Encyclopedia
The Dr. Eric Jackman Institute of Child Study (ICS) is a laboratory school
and research institute of the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education
at the University of Toronto
. The institute comprises an elementary school for children from nursery to 6th grade, a graduate education centre with a 2-year master of arts program, and a multidisciplinary research centre in child development
.
, the philanthropic activities of the Rockefeller Foundation
, and the evolution of the Child Study movement in North America http://www.oise.utoronto.ca/ICS/resources/Hist%20of%20ICS.pdf.
In 1924, with project grants awarded by the Laura Spelman Rockefeller Memorial Foundation and the Canadian National Mental Hygiene Committee, Bott set up an interdisciplinary project administration board. He hired Dr. William Blatz, who was then responsible for directing projects for the board, which included setting up a major longitudinal study
of some 1400 elementary school children to study specific areas of their social adjustment, designing and implementing a laboratory nursery school, and developing a parental education program. While the large scale study was carried out at the Regal Road Public School, the nursery school and the parent education program were to become the two major divisions of the St. George’s School.
By 1937 the funding of the Rockefeller Foundation
covered only about half of the school’s expenses, and a special committee was appointed by the university governors to consider the future of St. George’s. The decision was to make child study a faculty unto itself, which would keep it under the wing of the University of Toronto, but invite outside financing. In 1937, St. George's School for Child Study, including the research and graduate education activities, was renamed the Institute of Child Study.
gIn 2010, the institute was named in honour of Dr. Eric Jackman, a clinical psychologist and alumnus of the laboratory school whose financial gift was the largest donation to early childhood aeducation in Canadian history.
. Some areas of interest are concerned with elementary education, including literacy
, numeracy
, and science, with supports for understanding how new technologies may contribute to children’s learning and how knowledge building
communities are formed. Another focal point of research is concerned with early childhood development and community-school relationships that support children and families. Research at the centre benefits from collaboration among faculty, graduate students, and the ICS Laboratory School teacher-researchers, and by links to partner schools.
Laboratory school
A laboratory school or demonstration school is an elementary or secondary school operated in association with a university, college, or other teacher education institution and used for the training of future teachers, educational experimentation, educational research, and professional...
and research institute of the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education
Ontario Institute for Studies in Education
The Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto is a teachers' college in Toronto, Ontario.-History:OISE/UT traces its origins to the founding of the Provincial Normal School in 1847...
at the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
. The institute comprises an elementary school for children from nursery to 6th grade, a graduate education centre with a 2-year master of arts program, and a multidisciplinary research centre in child development
Child development
Child development stages describe theoretical milestones of child development. Many stage models of development have been proposed, used as working concepts and in some cases asserted as nativist theories....
.
History
In 1925 Professor Edward Bott established the St. George’s School for Child Study at the University of Toronto, which would eventually come to be known as The Institute for Child Study. A number of factors contributed to the schools beginnings: the efforts of the Canadian National Committee for Mental Hygiene of which Bott was a prominent member, the emergence of psychology as a discipline distinct from philosophy at the University of TorontoUniversity of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
, the philanthropic activities of the Rockefeller Foundation
Rockefeller Foundation
The Rockefeller Foundation is a prominent philanthropic organization and private foundation based at 420 Fifth Avenue, New York City. The preeminent institution established by the six-generation Rockefeller family, it was founded by John D. Rockefeller , along with his son John D. Rockefeller, Jr...
, and the evolution of the Child Study movement in North America http://www.oise.utoronto.ca/ICS/resources/Hist%20of%20ICS.pdf.
In 1924, with project grants awarded by the Laura Spelman Rockefeller Memorial Foundation and the Canadian National Mental Hygiene Committee, Bott set up an interdisciplinary project administration board. He hired Dr. William Blatz, who was then responsible for directing projects for the board, which included setting up a major longitudinal study
Longitudinal study
A longitudinal study is a correlational research study that involves repeated observations of the same variables over long periods of time — often many decades. It is a type of observational study. Longitudinal studies are often used in psychology to study developmental trends across the...
of some 1400 elementary school children to study specific areas of their social adjustment, designing and implementing a laboratory nursery school, and developing a parental education program. While the large scale study was carried out at the Regal Road Public School, the nursery school and the parent education program were to become the two major divisions of the St. George’s School.
By 1937 the funding of the Rockefeller Foundation
Rockefeller Foundation
The Rockefeller Foundation is a prominent philanthropic organization and private foundation based at 420 Fifth Avenue, New York City. The preeminent institution established by the six-generation Rockefeller family, it was founded by John D. Rockefeller , along with his son John D. Rockefeller, Jr...
covered only about half of the school’s expenses, and a special committee was appointed by the university governors to consider the future of St. George’s. The decision was to make child study a faculty unto itself, which would keep it under the wing of the University of Toronto, but invite outside financing. In 1937, St. George's School for Child Study, including the research and graduate education activities, was renamed the Institute of Child Study.
gIn 2010, the institute was named in honour of Dr. Eric Jackman, a clinical psychologist and alumnus of the laboratory school whose financial gift was the largest donation to early childhood aeducation in Canadian history.
Master of arts program
The 2-year MA in Child Study and Education, first offered in 1997, is offered to students holding a four-year bachelor’s degree in any discipline. It combines elementary teacher education with graduate studies. Students in the MA program carryout practicum teaching assignments at the ICS Laboratory School, as well as in public school settings. The program offers students a thesis option—Qualifying Research Paper—generally undertaken by students who plan to pursue doctoral work.Research centre
Endowed in 1992, the Dr. R.G.N. Laidlaw Research Centre is aimed at understanding children and innovative programs to support their education and development. An over-arching theme for investigation is how to promote the movement of research into practice, or in some cases, how research emerges from practice through action researchAction research
Action research or participatory action research – is a reflective process of progressive problem solving led by individuals working with others in teams or as part of a "community of practice" to improve the way they address issues and solve problems. Action research is done simply by action,...
. Some areas of interest are concerned with elementary education, including literacy
Literacy
Literacy has traditionally been described as the ability to read for knowledge, write coherently and think critically about printed material.Literacy represents the lifelong, intellectual process of gaining meaning from print...
, numeracy
Numeracy
Numeracy is the ability to reason with numbers and other mathematical concepts. A numerically literate person can manage and respond to the mathematical demands of life...
, and science, with supports for understanding how new technologies may contribute to children’s learning and how knowledge building
Knowledge building
The Knowledge Building theory was created and developed by Carl Bereiter and Marlene Scardamalia for describing what a community of learners needs to accomplish in order to create knowledge...
communities are formed. Another focal point of research is concerned with early childhood development and community-school relationships that support children and families. Research at the centre benefits from collaboration among faculty, graduate students, and the ICS Laboratory School teacher-researchers, and by links to partner schools.
Further reading
- Raymond, Jocelyn M. (1991). The Nursery World of Dr. Blatz. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. ISBN 0-8020-2793-8
- Volpe, Richard. "The History of Child Study and Education At The University of Toronto", 2006. Accessed March 1, 2008.
- Ask the experts: Richard Messina. Ask the Experts Video Series. Toronto: OISE/UT/Education Commons, 2003.