The Developing Person Through the Life Early Childhood: Cognitive Development

Piaget and Vygotsky Piaget: Preoperational Thought Preoperational means “before (pre) logical operations (reasoning processes).” The child’s verbal ability permits symbolic thinking. Language frees the child from the limits of sensorimotor experience. The preoperational stage is the second stage in Piaget's theory of cognitive development. This stage begins around age 2 as children start to talk and last until approximately age 7. During this stage, children begin to engage in symbolic play and learn to manipulate symbols. However, Piaget noted that they do not yet understand concrete logic.

Piaget and Vygotsky Four Limitations of Preoperational Thought Centration- a young child focuses (centers) on one idea, excluding all others. Egocentrism- “self-centeredness” Focus on appearance- a thing is whatever it appears to be Static reasoning- belief that the world is unchanging Irreversibility- what is done cannot be undone Egocentrism is the inability to differentiate between self and other. More specifically, it is the inability to untangle subjective schemas from objective reality; an inability to understand or assume any perspective other than their own. Egocentrism is thinking only of oneself, without regard for the feelings or desires of others; self-centered. During this stage, which occurs from 4-7, the child begins to go beyond recognizing and is able to use words and images to refer to objects.

Piaget and Vygotsky Conservation- The principle that the amount of a substance remains the same (is conserved) when its appearance changes.

Piaget and Vygotsky Animism- Belief that natural objects and phenomena are alive. Children simultaneously hold rational and magical ideas. As an integral part of Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development, this type of thinking is most often seen in children who are in the preoperational stage. It is characterized by the child's belief that inanimate objects, for example, dolls, possess desires, beliefs, and feelings in a similar way that the child does.

Piaget and Vygotsky Vygotsky: Social Learning Every aspect of children’s cognitive development is embedded in the social context. Guided participation- process by which people learn from others who guide their experiences and explorations (mentor). Social interaction plays a fundamental role in the process of cognitive development. In contrast to Jean Piaget’s understanding of child development (in which development necessarily precedes learning), Vygotsky felt social learning precedes development.

Piaget and Vygotsky Zone of proximal development (ZPD)-Vygotsky’s term for the skills—cognitive as well as physical—that a person can exercise only with assistance, not yet independently. Scaffolding- Temporary support that is tailored to a learner’s needs and abilities and aimed at helping the learner master the next task in a given learning process.

Language as a Tool Private speech- The internal dialogue that occurs when people talk to themselves (either silently or out loud). Social mediation- Human interaction that expands and advances understanding, often through words that one person uses to explain something to another.

Children’s Theories Theory-theory - The idea that children attempt to explain everything they see and hear using theories Theory of mind - A person’s theory of what other people might be thinking. In order to have a theory of mind, children must realize that other people are not necessarily thinking the same thoughts that they themselves are. That realization is seldom achieved before age 4. Add Brain and Context?

Language Language is pivotal to every kind of cognition in early childhood. Early childhood is a sensitive period, the best time to master vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation. The average child knows about 500 words at age 2 and more than 10,000 at age 6.

Language Fast-mapping The speedy and sometimes imprecise way in which children learn new words by tentatively placing them in mental categories according to their perceived meaning. Fast Mapping. The process of rapidly learning a new word by contrasting it with a familiar word. This is an important tool that children use during language acquisition. An example would be presenting a young child with two toy animals - one a familiar creature (a dog) and one unfamiliar (a platypus).

Language

Language Basic Grammar The grammar of a language includes the structures, techniques, and rules that communicate meaning. Word order and word repetition, prefixes and suffixes, intonation and emphasis—all are part of grammar. Overregularization- The application of rules of grammar even when exceptions occur, making the language seem more “regular" than it actually is.

Learning Two Languages Young bilinguals site both languages in the same areas of the brain but keep them separate when speaking, not so in adults Pronunciation is hard to master after childhood Balanced Bilingual: fluent in two languages, not favoring one over the other Physiological studies have found that speaking two or more languages is a great asset to the cognitive process. You become smarter You build multitasking skills You stave off Alzheimer’s and dementia Your memory improves You become more perceptive Your decision-making skills improve You improve your English You become smarter Speaking a foreign language improves the functionality of your brain by challenging it to recognize, negotiate meaning, and communicate in different language systems. This skill boosts your ability to negotiate meaning in other problem-solving tasks as well. Students who study foreign languages tend to score better on standardised tests than their monolingual peers, particularly in the categories of math, reading, and vocabulary. You build multitasking skills Multilingual people, especially children, are skilled at switching between two systems of speech, writing, and structure. According to a study from the Pennsylvania State University, this “juggling” skill makes them good multitaskers, because they can easily switch between different structures. In one study, participants used a driving simulator while doing separate, distracting tasks at the same time. The research found that people who spoke more than one language made fewer errors in their driving. You stave off Alzheimer’s and dementia Several studies have been conducted on this topic, and the results are consistent. For monolingual adults, the mean age for the first signs of dementia is 71.4. For adults who speak two or more languages, the mean age for those first signs is 75.5. Studies considered factors such as education level, income level, gender, and physical health, but the results were consistent. Your memory improves Educators often liken the brain to a muscle, because it functions better with exercise. Learning a language involves memorizing rules and vocabulary, which helps strengthen that mental “muscle.” This exercise improves overall memory, which means that multiple language speakers are better at remembering lists or sequences. Studies show that bilinguals are better at retaining shopping lists, names, and directions. You become more perceptive A study from Spain’s University of Pompeu Fabra revealed that multilingual people are better at observing their surroundings. They are more adept at focusing on relevant information and editing out the irrelevant. They’re also better at spotting misleading information. Is it any surprise that Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot are skilled polyglots? Your decision-making skills improve According to a study from the University of Chicago, bilinguals tend to make more rational decisions. Any language contains nuance and subtle implications in its vocabulary, and these biases can subconsciously influence your judgment. Bilinguals are more confident with their choices after thinking it over in the second language and seeing whether their initial conclusions still stand up. You improve your English Learning a foreign language draws your focus to the mechanics of language: grammar, conjugations, and sentence structure. This makes you more aware of language, and the ways it can be structured and manipulated. These skills can make you a more effective communicator and a sharper editor and writer. Language speakers also develop a better ear for listening, since they’re skilled at distinguishing meaning from discreet sounds.

Early Childhood Education Child-Centered Programs Stress children’s natural inclination to learn through play rather than by following adult directions. Show the influence of Vygotsky, who thought that children learn from other children and through cultural practices that structure life. Montessori schools emphasize individual pride and accomplishment, presenting literacy-related tasks. Reggio Emilia approach- A famous program of early-childhood education that originated in the town of Reggio Emilia, Italy; it encourages each child’s creativity in a carefully designed setting.

Early Childhood Education Teacher-Directed Programs Stress academic subjects taught by a teacher to an entire class. Children learn letters, numbers, shapes, and colors, as well as how to listen to the teacher and sit quietly. Make a clear distinction between work and play. Are much less expensive, since the child/adult ratio can be higher.

Early Childhood Education Intervention Program Project Head Start- The most widespread early-childhood education program in the United States, begun in 1965 and funded by the federal government. At first, the program was thought to be highly successful at raising children’s intelligence; ten years later, early gains were said to fade. Previous research suggests that Head Start improves early test scores but that these improvements tend to "fade out" by third grade. It is possible however, that Head Start could improve long-term outcomes even if it did not increase test scores, since success in life generally reflects more than cognitive ability. Little evidence has been available on this important question, however, because previous studies have not followed Head Start children long enough to assess long-term effects

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