Educational Psychology Ch. 2 Cognitive Development and Language Ashleigh Dunn 03/19/2011

Introduction Chapter 2: ► Development ► Cognitive Development ► Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development ► 4 stages ► Implications ► Limitations ► Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Perspective ► Language and Private Speech ► Implications ► Development of Language

Development ► Definition of Development  Orderly, adaptive changes we go through from conception to death.  Physical, personal, social, and cognitive ► Principles of Development  People develop at different rates  Development is relatively orderly  Development takes place gradually ► Brain and Cognitive Development  Brain is plastic, lateralized and specialized for certain functions but works together

Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development ► “Strive to make sense of the world” ► Influences ► Biological maturation – genetically programmed, cognition not involved ► Activity – act on environment and learn from it ► Social experience – interact with people ► Equilibration – search for balance ► Basic Tendencies in Thinking ► Organization – Arrange information and experiences into schemes ► Adaptation  Assimilation - Fitting in new information into existing schemes  Accomodation – Altering existing schemes or creating new ones

Piaget’s Four Stages 1. Sensoriomotor ► 0-2 yrs, imitation, memory and thought ► Object permanence ► Goal-directed activity 2. Preoperational ► 2-7 yrs, use of language and symbolic thought ► Operation thought in one direction ► Difficult seeing others view 3. Concrete Operational ► 7-11 yrs, solve concrete problems ► Laws of conservation, able to classify and seriate ► Understands reversibility 4. Formal Operational ► 11-adult, solve abstract problems ► More scientific thinking ► Concerns about social issues ► Might not reach this stage

Implications of Piaget’s Theory for Teachers ► Understanding thinking ► Cognitive development will vary greatly in the classroom, must observe students’ thinking ► Matching strategies to abilities ► “problem of the match”, not too easy or difficult ► Constructing knowledge ► Learning is constructive, students need to be actively engaged

Limitations to Piaget’s Theory ► Trouble with Stages ► Children inconsistent with thinking ► Underestimating Children’s Abilities ► Problems and instructions to young children may have been too difficult ► Information Processing ► As children grow: attention, memory, capacity and learning strategies improve ► Overlooked Culture influence ► Example Vygotsky

Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Perspective ► Sociocultural Theory ► Children learn the culture of their community through interactions with more knowledgeable members ► Role of Language and Private Speech ► Most important symbol system in learning, private speech guides development ► Piaget thought it was egocentric and negative ► Cognitive self-instruction = students “talk themselves through” tasks

Implications of Vygotsky ► Believed in instructional learning, teaching directly ► Assisted learning  Guided participation in classroom, use of scaffolding ► Zone of proximal development  Phase where a child can master a task if given appropriate help and support ► Assessment – learning potential assessment, not just standard tests ► Teaching – reach to understand but have support, sometimes best teacher is another student, teachers are responsible for the environment, “cooperative learning”

Development of Language ► How do we learn language?  Behavioral ► Repeating behaviors that led to positive response but research shows not just imitation but original creations.  Biological and experiential ► Stages in Language Acquisition  First words  Holophrases = single words  Overextension = one word for range of concepts  Underextension = too specific  First sentences  Telegraphic speech = use only essential words (2 word sentences)  Learning grammar  Overregularize = apply a learned grammar rule to all situtation, including incorrect ones  Learning vocabulary  From to 2,000 words

Language Development in School Years ► Pronunication ► Certain sounds take longer to develop ► Syntax ► Passive voice takes longer to master ► Vocab and meaning ► Average 6 year old vocab of 8,000 to 14,000 words ► Pragmatics ► Use language correctly to communicate, contexts on meaning ► Metalinguistic awareness ► Age 5, understanding about one’s own use of language. ► Process continues throughout life!

Teachers Role in Language ► Focus on effective communication, meaning, comprehension and respect for language ► Parents can play a key role ► Form partnerships

Summary ► Development  Different rates, orderly process, and gradual ► Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development  Sensoriomotor, preoperational, concrete operational and formal operational  Implications – understand students’ thinking and match teaching style ► Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Perspective  Based on social interactions and development of language  Implications – challenge students in appropriate environment ► Development of language  Linked to cognitive development