What is Constructivism As we watch a little girl grow from infancy into a toddler, we marvel at the amount of learning that has allowed her to understand her expanding environment. Those early years provide the foundation for the language, physical dexterity, social understanding, and emotional development that he will use for the rest of his life. All this knowledge is acquired before he even sets foot in school! This little girl taught herself by gathering information and experiencing the world around her. This is an example of constructivism. Constructivism emphasizes the importance of the knowledge, beliefs, and skills that an individual brings to the learning experience. It recognizes the construction of new understanding as a combination of prior learning, new information, and a willingness to learn. Individuals choose which new ideas to accept and how to fit them into their established worldviews (Brooks & Brooks, 1995). If you are a parent or plan to become one, do you want your child to sit in a desk position all day while the teacher lectures them on information they need to know throughout their life or would you prefer your child to learn in a constructive way ? Constructivism has been labeled as the philosophy of learning that proposes that students need to construct their own understanding of new ideas (Constructivism and the Five Es, 2001). Learning something new or trying to understand something familiar in more depth is not a linear process. The purpose of this research paper is to explain the theoretical foundations of the constructivist approach to teaching and learning and to provide concrete examples to show the effectiveness of the constructivist approach towards student learning. document ......Received September 13, 2002 from the Internet. http://www.artsined.com/teachingarts/Pedag/Constructivist.html.Jerome Bruner. (2002). Received September 13, 2002 from the Internet. http://oaks.nvg.org/wm1ra2.html.Brooks, J. G. &Brooks, M. G. (1995). Building knowledge in the classroom. Retrieved September 13, 2002 from the Internet. http://www.sedl.org/scimath/compass/v01n03/1.html.Chen, Irene. Constructivist cognitive theories. Received September 13, 2002 from the Internet http://pdts.uh.edu/~ichen/ebook/ET-IT/cognitiv.htm.Chen, Irene. Social constructivist theories. Received September 13, 2002 from the Internet. http://pdts.uh.edu/~ichen/ebook/ET-IT/social.htm.Martin, K. (2000). Alternative ways of teaching and learning. Received September 13, 2002 from the Internet. http://www.csd.uwa.edu.au/atmodes/to_delivery/discovery_learing.html.