Copyright 2006 Thomson Delmar Learning. All Rights Reserved. Caring for School-Age Children Chapter 5 Development in Middle Childhood: Cognitive
Copyright 2006 Thomson Delmar Learning. All Rights Reserved. Cognitive Theories Explanations of the mental processes children use to think and acquire knowledge Explanations of how these processes affect a child’s understanding of his experiences
Copyright 2006 Thomson Delmar Learning. All Rights Reserved. Characteristics of Middle Childhood Children can selectively focus on tasks Children can reason in logical steps to solve problems Children can learn strategies for increasing memory
Copyright 2006 Thomson Delmar Learning. All Rights Reserved. Language develops rapidly and is used to communicate ideas, interact with others, develop competencies
Copyright 2006 Thomson Delmar Learning. All Rights Reserved. Piaget Cognitive development follows predictable stages Each person proceeds through the stages at his or her own rate
Copyright 2006 Thomson Delmar Learning. All Rights Reserved. There are four stages from birth to 15 years –Sensorimotor (birth to 2 years) –Preoperational (2 to 7 years) –Concrete operations (7 to 11 years) –Formal operations (11 to 15 years)
Copyright 2006 Thomson Delmar Learning. All Rights Reserved. Principles from Piaget’s Theory Children construct their own knowledge Development of intelligence is the result of progressing through the stages Children progress through stages at different rates
Copyright 2006 Thomson Delmar Learning. All Rights Reserved. Evaluation of Piaget’s Theory Some skills are clearly present in earlier stages than indicated by Piaget Children’s abilities are not homogeneous at a particular stage
Copyright 2006 Thomson Delmar Learning. All Rights Reserved. Implications for Child Care Staff Members Provide many different materials for children to explore Allow plenty of time for free exploration Provide experiences that allow children to solve their own problems and make decisions
Copyright 2006 Thomson Delmar Learning. All Rights Reserved. Behaviorist Learning Theory John B. Watson: behavior is shaped by environment and use of rewards B. F. Skinner: rewards for behavior will likely cause children to repeat the behavior Albert Bandura: some behaviors are learned less directly, such as through modeling
Copyright 2006 Thomson Delmar Learning. All Rights Reserved. Evaluation of Behaviorism Learning theory has contributed to a more scientific study of human development Emphasis on behavior does not take into account the inner life of the child
Copyright 2006 Thomson Delmar Learning. All Rights Reserved. Implications for Child Care Staff Members Carefully arrange the learning environment Use appropriate reinforcers to bring about desired behavior Model behavior that is expected of children Help children find alternative behaviors to those that are generating negative responses from others
Copyright 2006 Thomson Delmar Learning. All Rights Reserved. Sociocultural Theory: Lev Vygotsky Children’s participation in authentic cultural activities is important Adults instruct children in acquiring the knowledge and skills that are valued in a particular culture
Copyright 2006 Thomson Delmar Learning. All Rights Reserved. The social environment is the necessary scaffold or support that moves children to next intellectual level Scaffolding comes from a skilled peer or adult
Copyright 2006 Thomson Delmar Learning. All Rights Reserved. Language plays a crucial role in the development of cognitive abilities The zone of proximal development is the difference between what one can do with help and what one can do independently
Copyright 2006 Thomson Delmar Learning. All Rights Reserved. Evaluation of Sociocultural Theory Has increased knowledge of cognitive development Emphasizes the importance of understanding cultural values Does not take into account developmental processes that are not social
Copyright 2006 Thomson Delmar Learning. All Rights Reserved. Implications for Child Care Staff Members Learn more about different cultures and cultural values Include families Encourage children to appreciate cultures other than their own
Copyright 2006 Thomson Delmar Learning. All Rights Reserved. Scaffold children’s development of competencies that are important to their culture as well as the broader society Choose and plan activities that gradually move children from assisted to independent performance
Copyright 2006 Thomson Delmar Learning. All Rights Reserved. Cultivate each child’s communication skills Establish a meaningful relationship with every child
Copyright 2006 Thomson Delmar Learning. All Rights Reserved. Intelligence and Learning Theorists attempt to understand and measure intelligence Stanford-Binet: standardized test of intelligence Robert Sternberg: 3 intelligences (academic, creative, and practical) Howard Gardner: 8 multiple intelligences
Copyright 2006 Thomson Delmar Learning. All Rights Reserved. Implications for Child Care Staff Members Understand that each child is unique Let children choose their own methods of learning Use cooperative learning that includes feedback from others Provide a variety of experiences allowing use of senses in different ways
Copyright 2006 Thomson Delmar Learning. All Rights Reserved. Encourage children to use language Foster ability to visualize by giving opportunities to work puzzles and draw maps Provide games that require problem solving and strategies
Copyright 2006 Thomson Delmar Learning. All Rights Reserved. Give children a variety of musical opportunities Use the outdoors as another classroom
Copyright 2006 Thomson Delmar Learning. All Rights Reserved. Language Rapid development of language Language enhances cognitive skills and social situations Different forms of language Play language vs. academic language
Copyright 2006 Thomson Delmar Learning. All Rights Reserved. Second Language Development Normal to switch between languages Different cultural patterns in language Learned through meaningful activities
Copyright 2006 Thomson Delmar Learning. All Rights Reserved. Implications for Child Care Staff Members Provide a variety of reading materials Read to children and encourage them to read Plan activities that expand vocabularies Model correct English Provide opportunities to use primary language Include language in culturally based activities
Copyright 2006 Thomson Delmar Learning. All Rights Reserved. Personal Reflection Review the different theorists. Which one do you most closely align yourself with? Why?