The general principle of constructivism is that children create a coherent system of knowledge based on their interactions with the world. They structure this knowledge within a logico-mathematical framework that includes ideas about objects and their relations with one another. Piaget's research showed that young children have many ideas they could not have been taught directly. Thus, children are viewed as constructing their own system of knowledge, intelligence, morality, and personality. The emphasis is on learning through action. While "action" refers to mental action, young children are most active mentally when they are physically engaged in figuring out how to do something. What distinguishes the constructivist approach from other models that stress active learning is that children learn by inferring from what they do and creating a system of knowledge from this activity.

Resources:

Books:

Title: Moral Classrooms, Moral Children, Creating a constructivist Atmosphere in Early Education
Author: Devries, R., & Zan, B.
Publisher: Teachers College Press
Date:1994

Title: Constructivist Early Education: Overview and Comparison with Other Programs
Author: Devries, R., & Kohlberg, L.
Publisher: National Association for the Education of Young Children
Date:1990