In her essay “Kiddy Thinks,” Alison Gopnik discusses the importance of the cognitive development of children in the first few years of their life. She also attempts to break the traditional view that children, in their early stages, think quite differently than adults. Gopnik uses a logical standard of evaluation to provide information on the different stages children go through when developing important cognitive skills. She supports her information with a variety of experiments as a researcher, and personal experiences as a parent. Unfortunately, she concludes her essay with political and social issues, which weakens her argument as it drifts away from her purpose.
Considering the work of key pioneers and current experts with links to child development theory. There are many theories about how children learn and develop. This area of study is called developmental psychology which covers subjects such as cognitive, language and emotional development. The research methods are based heavily on the on going assessments carried out by observing children over a period of time. Assessment is part of the process of understanding what children know, understand and can do so that future teaching steps can be appropriately planned.
Explain the potential effects on development, of pre-conceptual, pre-birth and birth experiences. 1.4. Explain the impact of current research into the development and learning of babies and young children. 2. Be able to promote the development and learning of babies and young children.
Piaget also suggested that, as children develop so does their thinking. Piaget work has meant that early years settings and schools have attempted to provide more
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.
Children initially rely on reflexes, eventually modifying them to adapt to their world. Behaviors become goal directed, progressing from concrete to abstract goals. Objects and events can be mentally represented by the child. | Preoperational Stage(2-7 years) | This stage of development allows a child to increase his/her mental representation of objects, generally through make-believe play. Piaget states that language is the most flexible means of mental representation, but that children do not yet have the capability to solely use language as a means of representation.
When we work with infants at nursery to help them with basics vocabulary and numeracy we need to choose media that will help them understand. Small children will remember songs, words and rhymes. Infants learn by looking, hearing and touching. They pay attention to voices, music and rattles. Patience is the most important skill.
Theorists Robert Sternberg and Howard Gardner argue that children who can make new connections and draw something new from them is a type of intelligence. It is important to offer children lots of first-hand experiences so that they can develop knowledge and draw from their own experiences. Social Models – These theories look at the environment in which the children are learning and the adults they are supported by. Social models link to cultural approaches and role modelling. Children learn by observing and imitating and so watching and being supported by adults who encourage and work creatively by being flexible in approach, solving problems and painting and drawing with them can help develop their creativity.
2. Cite examples of how language awareness fosters school-age children’s language progress Verbal communication and language awareness is important and it plays a major role in developing their brains, connections and is crucial to development in young children. Daily reading, writing as well as language based plays improve their listening, speaking and language skills and also to help cope with issues such as social or emotional problems. 3. List some teaching practices that foster children’s achievement and some that undermine it.
Children in this stage can understand things such as counting, categorizing (according to similarity such as color, size, shape, ect), and the past, present, and the future (but are more focused on the present). They also have a more concrete way of thinking…not as abstract as in later stages. | Concrete OperationalStage | | 7-11 years | This is the stage where children start to realize that there is a world around them, and they have started to see things from other’s point of view. This stage is where they start to have some logical and organized thoughts. At this stage they are able to:: * Order things by size, gradient, ect.