The progressive movement refers to an educational innovation movement that took place in the United States at the end of 19 and the beginning of the 20th century. Its basic purpose is to fundamentally reform the education system of American schools under the conditions of a modern city and civilization, and to liberate children to the maximum extent so that they can truly develop freely. For example, the relationship between tradition and change, efficiency and humanity, social progress and personal development put forward by the movement profoundly reveals the universal contradictions in the development of modern education and makes a preliminary attempt to solve these problems that often plague us. Its successful experience and failure lessons have considerable demonstration significance and reference value for the quality education currently being carried out in China. The enlightenment to China's education is: on the one hand, education should adapt to the times and connect with reality; On the other hand, we should absorb tradition and face the future; Thirdly, teachers should actively participate in educational activities and contact students in two ways; Finally, education must be open-minded, discard the false and retain the true.