Piaget and Vygotsky shared some common thoughts in the role of language in development however their differences were vast. Both agreed that infants are born with the basic materials/abilities for intellectual development however that is where the similarities end. Vygotsky placed more emphasis on social contributions to the process of development, whereas Piaget emphasized self-initiated discovery. Piaget theory is focused around four stages; Sensorimotor, Preoperational, Concrete Operational and finally Formal Operational. The Sensorimotor stage ranges from birth to two years.
Jean Piaget was a Swiss psychologist who dedicated 50 years of his life to exploring the thought processes and cognitive development of children. Throughout his research he developed a step-wise sequence of mental development of children with the first stage beginning at birth and the final stage beginning between 11 and 12 years of age. His theory revolutionised thinking toward cognitive development, however over the years some new evidence has emerged that argues against some of Piaget’s theory (Passer & Smith, 2013). This essay will provide an overview of the principles that are fundamental to Piaget’s theory which he defined as schemas, assimilation and accommodation. It will then briefly describe Piaget’s theory by providing an overview of the four stages of cognitive development which include sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational and formal operational, before presenting two of the most common criticisms of his theory.
Toddler Paper "In the first two years, rapid growth is obvious in all three domains - body, mind, and social relationships." (Berger, pg.131) The purpose of this paper is to show how the everyday experiences of a child can prove theories and concepts of child development. The observation took place on March 6, 2012 from 6:30pm to 7:30pm. The children that were observed were 18 month old Gianna, 16 month old Dylan, and 20 month old Jason. "Biosocial development includes all the growth and change that occur in a person's body and the genetic, nutritional, and health factors that affect that growth and change.
For example in a child that’s aged between 2-3yrs will (in their social development): • Continue to enjoy the company of others • Wants to please and seek approval from adults • Is still very egocentric and very protective of own possessions; unable to share with other children unless requested by an adult and it wants to please the adult. • May find group experiences difficult due to egocentric behaviour • Uses language more effectively to communicate with others. All children will follow this sequence of development, however they may not all go through the sequence over the same timescale as another. This is where we look at the rate of development. Rate is defined as... “The speed with which something moves or happens.” So as already stated development happens in the same order amongst all children but it may not happen at the same rate.
The ability to be undoubtedly sure of something is a golden quality; however, it can also be a destructive quality if taken advantage of. Certainty and doubt go hand in hand: too much certainty can make a person close-minded and ignorant—on the other hand, too much doubt makes a person unreliable in decision making, which is an important life-skill. Certainty and doubt should be equal in one’s life; they help to solidify opinion and personality and are key tools in learning experience. As children, humans spend the first few years of their lives learning from their surroundings. They gain opinion and personality on what they hear and see.
I also don’t agree with him saying cochlear implants wont work well for young children and there better off for “healthy adults.” I believe that is would probably be easier for children to learn how to use this cochlear implant as a tool because at those young ages they soak up all information they can receive, rather then adults who are sometimes stuck in their ways. I don’t know this for a fact but this is what I believe can also be a circumstance. I do agree with him saying there are a lot of risks for children but those risks can also be just as big as a risk for adults. Like in Kathryn’s article she says you need to look at the big picture and what great potential the cochlear implant can have for children or adults. I also don’t agree with what they both say about the deaf
Infants are thought to first learn in terms of lines and angles and subsequently they put together these stimuli to form objects. Later on, children learn to infer object properties and how to interact with such objects. Another perspective suggests that perceptual understanding is innate, and that evolution enables infants to be born with these perceptual abilities to ensure survival of our species. In terms of pattern vision in newborn infants, empiricists suggest that infants have little to no pattern vision or attention to complex patterns during their first few weeks of birth because the need for visual learning. Along the same lines, the optimal complexity theory suggests that preferred complexity level starts with simple patterns in early weeks and later shifts to more complex patterns as information-processing capacity increases.
Carefully introduce new information within a familiar structure in order for the child to learn and progress. Downplay the importance of handwriting skills in autistic children, since some motor skills can be compromised by autism. Instead, allow the autistic child to type answers on a keyboard. Place the monitor close to the keyboard, as many autistic children may have difficulty in establishing the connection between the two objects. Eliminate loud sounds, such as bells, PA systems and buzzers, from the learning environment.
First myth is introduced as receptive and expressive language which means understanding in a child with Down syndrome is measured by what he/she can say. A large body of research have shown that children with Down syndrome understand more than what they can say. (Martin, Klusek, Estingarriba & Roberts, 2009, cited in Cologon, 2013). Benefits of silent reading are mentioned in this part. It is argued that silent reading helps comprehension due to focus is on pronunciation rather than meaning in oral reading.
Assessment for learning should focus on how students learn The process of learning has to be in the minds of both learner and teacher when assessment is planned and when the evidence is interpreted. Learners should become as aware of the 'how' of their learning as they are of the 'what'. Assessment for learning should be recognised as central to classroom practice Much of what teachers and learners do in classrooms can be described as assessment. That is, tasks and questions prompt learners to demonstrate their knowledge, understanding and skills. What learners say and do is then observed and interpreted, and judgements are made about how learning can be improved.