1. Cognitive Development In Early Childhood
Children 9
Cognitive Development
In Early Childhood 1

2. Piaget’s Preoperational Stage
Three Views of Cognitive Changes in Early Childhood
Piaget’s Preoperational Stage
Operations: internalized set of actions
Preoperational stage
Ages 2 to 7
Stable concepts formed
Mental reasoning, magical beliefs emerge
Cannot reverse mental actions
Contains 2 substages: symbolic function and intuitive 2

3. Piaget’s Preoperational Stage
Three Views of Cognitive Changes in Early Childhood
Piaget’s Preoperational Stage
Symbolic Function Stage
First substage of preoperational thought
Occurs in ages 2 to 4, imaginative drawings
Ability to mentally represent object not present
Thoughts limited by beliefs:
Egocentrism: inability to distinguish own perspectives from those of others
Animism: inanimate objects are life-like 3

4. The Three Mountains Task
View 1
Child seated here
(a)
(b)
(d)
(c)
View 2 4

5. The Symbolic Drawings of Young Children
(b) 11-year-old’s drawing, which is more realistic and less inventive
(a) 3½-year-old’s “a pelican kissing a seal” 5

6. Piaget’s Preoperational Stage
Three Views of Cognitive Changes in Early Childhood
Piaget’s Preoperational Stage
Intuitive Thought Substage
Uses primitive reasoning, seeks answers to all
Occurs about 4 to 7 years of age
Limits in preoperational thought:
Centration: focusing attention on one characteristic to the exclusion of all others
Conservation: realizes altering object’s substance does not change it quantitatively 6

7. Piaget’s Conservation Task
(b)
(a)
A B C 7

8. Vygotsky’s Theory Social constructionist approach
Three Views of Cognitive Changes in Early Childhood
Vygotsky’s Theory
Social constructionist approach
Focuses on cognitive development
Children: active construction of knowledge and understanding by actions and interactions
Depends on tools used by society
Shaped by cultural context 8

9. Vygotsky’s Theory The Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)
Three Views of Cognitive Changes in Early Childhood
Vygotsky’s Theory
The Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)
Lower limit: what child achieves independently
Upper limit: what can be achieved with assistance of able instructor
Cognitive skills in process of maturing
Scaffolding: changing level of support over course of teaching session to fit child’s current performance level 9

10. Vygotsky’s Theory Language and Thought
Three Views of Cognitive Changes in Early Childhood
Vygotsky’s Theory
Language and Thought
Children’s language uses solving tasks and social communication
Plans, monitors, guides behavior
Private speech: self-regulation
All mental functions have external, social origins
Ages 3-7: external to internal speech transition
Internalized egocentric speech is thoughts 10

11. Vygotsky’s Theory Teaching Strategies Tools of the Mind
Three Views of Cognitive Changes in Early Childhood
Vygotsky’s Theory
Teaching Strategies
Assess and use child’s ZPD in teaching
Use more-skilled peers as teachers
Monitor and encourage private speech use
Place instruction in meaningful context
Transform classroom with Vygotsky’s ideas
Tools of the Mind
Visitor presentations, field trips, ‘theme’ activities, journal and story writing, reading 11

12. Vygotsky’s Theory Evaluating the theory:
Three Views of Cognitive Changes in Early Childhood
Vygotsky’s Theory
Evaluating the theory:
Inner speech important to development
Social interaction affects learning/knowledge
Extends ‘endpoint’ of cognitive development
Teachers serve as facilitators, Piaget agrees
Criticisms:
Age-related changes not specific enough
Over-emphasized role of language
Socioemotional-cognitive link needs more 12

13. Information Processing
Three Views of Cognitive Changes in Early Childhood
Information Processing
Explores how child processes information
Limitations and advances on:
Ability to focus attention
Develop strategies and store memories
Understand mental processes of self, others 13

14. Information Processing
Three Views of Cognitive Changes in Early Childhood
Information Processing
Attention
Focusing of cognitive resources
Visual attention dramatically increases during preschool years; still has deficits
Executive attention:
Action planning, focus on goals, detects errors, deals with novel or difficult circumstances
Sustained attention:
Focused, extended engagement with object, task, event, etc. 14

15. The Planfulness of AttentionJ
(b)
(a)
In 3 pairs of houses, all windows were identical
In 3 pairs of houses, the windows were different
By filming the reflection in children’s eyes, one could determine what they looked at, how long they looked, and the sequence of their eye movements. 15

16. Information Processing
Three Views of Cognitive Changes in Early Childhood
Information Processing
Memory
Retention of information over time
Implicit memory
Explicit memory comes in many forms
Short-term: retained up to 30 seconds
Greatest increase during early childhood
Long term: unlimited
Varies among individuals, affected by age and experiences 16

17. Developmental Changes in Memory Span
Adults 8 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 10 12
Age (years)
Digit Span
In one study: memory span increased from 3 digits at age 2 to 5 digits at age 7 17

18. Information Processing
Three Views of Cognitive Changes in Early Childhood
Information Processing
Accuracy of children’s long-term memories
Usually increases with age
Memory improves with cues and prompts
Age differences in suggestion susceptibility
Individual differences in susceptibility
Interviewing techniques can distort reports even when absence of motivation to falsify (false memories)
Many factors affect reliability of eyewitness testimony 18

19. Information Processing
Three Views of Cognitive Changes in Early Childhood
Information Processing
Strategies and Problem Solving
Strategies: deliberate mental activities to improve processing information
Toddlers can learn a strategy
Early childhood: stimulus-driven changes to goal-directed problem solving
Some cognitive inflexibility in ages 3 to 4 due to lack of understanding 19

20. Young Children’s Literacy
How Young Children Develop Language
Young Children’s Literacy
Re-examining early education in U.S.
Concerns about abilities to read and write
Supportive environment needed earlier
Precursors to literacy and academic success:
Language skills
Phonological and syntactic knowledge
Letter identification
Conceptual knowledge about print
Conventions and functions of print 20

21. Variations in Early Childhood Education
Important Features of Young Children’s Education
Variations in Early Childhood Education
38 states publicly fund preschool programs
Child-centered Kindergarten
Educate the whole child
Instruction: interests, needs, learning style
Stress how learned; not what is learned
Play is important, various activities used 21

22. Variations in Early Childhood Education
Important Features of Young Children’s Education
Variations in Early Childhood Education
Preschool programs
Montessori approach
Considerable freedom and spontaneity
Encourage decisions, teacher as facilitator
Self-regulated, independent problem solving
Effective time management, responsibility
Criticisms:
Deemphasizes verbal interaction, neglects social development, restricts imagination 22

23. Variations in Early Childhood Education
Important Features of Young Children’s Education
Variations in Early Childhood Education
Developmentally appropriate education
Children
Learn best from active, hands-on teaching
Need individual differences considered
Need socioemotional development
Developmentally inappropriate education
Rely on abstract paper-and-pencil activities
Extensive use of rote drills, seatwork, tests 23

24. Literacy and Early Childhood Education
Important Features of Young Children’s Education
Literacy and Early Childhood Education
Reading and Writing
Children should experience feelings of success and pride in early reading and writing exercises
Early efforts should be encouraged
Children need models to emulate
Math
Early childhood educators need to introduce mathematical concepts, methods, and language
Special concerns for low-SES children 24

25. Educating Young Children Who Are Disadvantaged
Important Features of Young Children’s Education
Educating Young Children Who Are Disadvantaged
1965: U.S. tries to break cycle of poverty
Project Head Start
To provide opportunity for children from low-income families to acquire experiences, skills important for school success
Not all programs are created equal
Most provide quality childhood education 25

26. Controversies in Early Childhood Education
Important Features of Young Children’s Education
Controversies in Early Childhood Education
Curriculum controversies
What to teach, how to teach it, who needs it
Is preschool education necessary for all?
Should there be ‘universal’ preschool quality?
Does preschool matter?
Home environments and parents vary
What is required for school readiness?
Reforms continue, inadequacies recognized 26

27. Controversies in Early Childhood Education
Important Features of Young Children’s Education
Controversies in Early Childhood Education
Caregiver activities necessary in earliest years to ensure ‘readiness’ for school
Encourage exploration, mentor in basic skills
Celebrate developmental advances
Research and extend new skills
Protect from inappropriate disapproval, testing, and punishment, guide and limit behavior
Some parents ‘hold children back’ from entering school for an additional year 27