Life Span Growth & Development Ch. 9 The Play Years: Cognitive Development

Front 1

Focus on Appearance

Back 1

A characteristic of preoperational thought in which a young child ignores all attributes that are not apparent.

Front 2

Static Reasoning

Back 2

Thinking that nothing changes: whatever is now has always been and always will be.

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Irreversibility

Back 3

The idea tha nothing can be undone; that inability to recognize that something can sometimes be restored to the way it was before a change occurred.

Front 4

Conservation

Back 4

The idea that the amount of a substance remains the same (i.e. is conserved) when its appearance changes.

Front 5

Apprentice in Thinking

Back 5

Vygotsky's term for a person whose cognition is stimulated and directed by older and more skilled members of society.

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Guided Participation

Back 6

In sociocultural theory, a technique in which skilled mentors help novices learn not only by providing instruction but also by allowing direct, shared involvement in the activity. Also called apprentice in thinking.

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Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)

Back 7

In sociocultural theory, a metaphorical area, or "zone", surrounding a learner that includes all the skills, knowledge, and concepts that the person is close ("proximal") to acquiring but cannot yet master without help.

Front 8

Preoperational Intelligence

Back 8

Piaget's term for cognitive development between the ages of about 2 and 6; it includes language and imagination (in addition to the senses and motor skills of infancy), but logical operational thinking is not yet possible.

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Centration

Back 9

A characteristic of preoperational thought in which a young child focuses (centers) on one idea, excluding all others.

Front 10

Egocentrism

Back 10

Piaget's term for children's tendency to think about the world entirely from their own personal perspective.

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Scaffolding

Back 11

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.

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Private Speech

Back 12

The internal dialogue that occurs when people talk to themselves (either silently or out loud).

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Social Mediation

Back 13

A function of speech by which a person's cognitive skills are refined and extended through both formal instruction and casual conversation.

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Theory-theory

Back 14

The idea that children attempt to explain everything they see and hear by constructing theories.

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Theory of Mind

Back 15

A person's theory of what other people might be thinking. Children must realize that other people are not necessarily thinking the same thoughts that they themselves are in order to have this. The realization is seldom possible before age 4.

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Critical Period

Back 16

In prenatal development, the time when a particuluar organ or other body part of the embryo or fetus is most susceptible to damage by teratogens. Also, a time when a certain development must happen if it is ever to happen. For example, the embryonic period is critical for the developme of arms and legs.

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Sensitive Period

Back 17

A time when a certain type of development is most likely to happen and happens most easily. For example, early childhood is considered a sensitive period for language learning.

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Fast-mapping

Back 18

The speedy and sometimes imprecise way in which children learn new words by mentally charting them into categories according to their meaning.

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Overregularization

Back 19

The application of rules of grammar even when exceptions occur, so that the language is made to seem more "regular" than it actually is.

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Balanced Bilingual

Back 20

A person who is fluent in two languages, not favoring one of the other.

Front 21

According to Piaget, how do children during the play years think?

Back 21

Cognitive development at this stage is preoperational intelligence, which moves beyond senses and motor skills to include language and imagination, but does not include logical reasoning. Four characteristics are centration, focus on appearance, static reasoning, and irreversibility.

Front 22

According to Vygotsky, how do children during the play years think?

Back 22

Cognitive development at this stage involved children being properly guided as apprentices, within their zones of proximal development. Language is a tool that mediates between the child's curiosity and the mentor's knowledge.

Front 23

Explain the typical preschool child's theory of mind, noting how it is affected by context and culture.

Back 23

Theory of the mind typically develops at age 4. Maturation of the brain is a key factor in development of theory of the mind, but language development and siblings also influence it's develompent. Culture contributes to it's development through language and social context.

Front 24

Describe the development of vocabulary in preschool age children.

Back 24

The average child knows 500 words at age 2 and 10,000 words at age 6. Fast mapping allows a type of grid or mental map of interconnected sets of categories for words to develop which allows speedy vocabulary acquisition, though not precise.

Front 25

Describe the development of grammar during the play years and the young child's limited language abilities.

Back 25

Grammar is strongly influenced by experience, so children that are spoken directly too more often likely have more advanced grammar skills. Overregularization, a tendancy to apply rules when they should not, creates trouble when a language has many exceptions.

Front 26

Describe the variations in early-childhood education.

Back 26

Three clusters of early-childhood education are Child-centered programs (Montessori Schools, the Reggio Emilia Approach); Teacher-Directed Programs, and Intervention Programs (Head Start).

Front 27

Describe Child-Centered early-childhood education.

Back 27

These programs are developmental, stressing children's development and growth through the children's need to play and explore rather than follow adult directions. Artistic expression and children learning from other children with adult guidance are components of these programs.

Front 28

Describe Teacher-Directed early-childhood education.

Back 28

These programs prepare the child to learn, stressing academics taught by the teacher to the entire class. Praise and other reinforcements are given for good behavior. Step-by-step learning and repetition are the norm

Front 29

What are the characteristics of a quality early-childhood education program?

Back 29

Teachers who know how to respond to the needs of young children, safety, adequate space and equipment, low adult/child ratio, positive social interactions among children and adults, and trained staff who stay in the program and offer consistency. Curriculum with an emphasis on learning and includes extensive practice in laguage, fine and gross motor skills, and basic number skills are also important.

Front 30

Explain 4 tests of various types of conservation

Back 30

1) Volume - two equal glasses of liquid, pour into a taller, narrower glass, which glass contains more?, the taller one
2) Number - two equal lines of checkers, increase spacing of checkers in one line, which line has more checkers?, the longer one
3) Matter - two equal balls of clay, squeeze one ball into a long, thin shape, which piece has more clay?, the long one
4) Length, two sticks of equal length, move one stick, which stick is longer?, the one that is farther to the right

Front 31

At what age do children understand the concept of conservation?

Back 31

6 or 7