Cognitive Development vs Sociocultural Theory
Crystal Bower
Concorde Career College Abstract
Piaget and Vygotsky both provided a useful framework of cognitive and sociocultural development in children. Although both theories are very helpful in understanding our children’s growth, both have weaknesses and strengths that support their work and make some of it questionable. They do share the fact that they both believed that language develops as a child and that they build a symbol system which is how they understand the world.
Cognitive Development vs Sociocultural Theory
According to Piaget, cognitive development is how children build knowledge and how it changes over time. Kids are naturally curious and try to make sense out …show more content…
He believed that everything is learned on two levels. One being through the interaction of others and the second being the zone of proximal. This is the area of exploration where the child is being cognitively prepared with the help and guidance of social interaction to fully develop (Kail & Cavanaugh, 2013). One strength of Vygotsky’s theory is that he does consider cultural differences in his studies. Another is his description of the boundaries between self and society which links cognitive development and learning are extremely important in education (McLeod, S. 2007). This is what I think is the strongest element of his theory. This will help teachers and learners be consistent and provide personalized learning which then in turn assess how children learn, if needs are met and how they learn. It’s a nice framework to use in a school …show more content…
2007). Both Piaget and Vygotsky believed that when a child develops language, they are also building a symbol system which is how they understand the world (Kail & Cavanaugh, 2013). However, I disagree with Piaget on his thoughts about language not being primitive to children’s development. I feel that if a child isn’t talking by a certain age then it will definitely affect their cognitive development. It’s not normal for a kid to not for their first four years of life. But of course if a child has a disability that is clearly different. A child’s interaction with others, culture and their environment greatly influence their development of language. Caregivers should observe a 1-3 year old child’s vocabulary of approximately 5-20 words, vocabulary mostly made up of nouns, repeating of a word or phrase over and over again and is able to follow simple commands to confirm that a child is progressing in their language acquisition (Bhallla, S.
Crystal Bower
Concorde Career College Abstract
Piaget and Vygotsky both provided a useful framework of cognitive and sociocultural development in children. Although both theories are very helpful in understanding our children’s growth, both have weaknesses and strengths that support their work and make some of it questionable. They do share the fact that they both believed that language develops as a child and that they build a symbol system which is how they understand the world.
Cognitive Development vs Sociocultural Theory
According to Piaget, cognitive development is how children build knowledge and how it changes over time. Kids are naturally curious and try to make sense out …show more content…
He believed that everything is learned on two levels. One being through the interaction of others and the second being the zone of proximal. This is the area of exploration where the child is being cognitively prepared with the help and guidance of social interaction to fully develop (Kail & Cavanaugh, 2013). One strength of Vygotsky’s theory is that he does consider cultural differences in his studies. Another is his description of the boundaries between self and society which links cognitive development and learning are extremely important in education (McLeod, S. 2007). This is what I think is the strongest element of his theory. This will help teachers and learners be consistent and provide personalized learning which then in turn assess how children learn, if needs are met and how they learn. It’s a nice framework to use in a school …show more content…
2007). Both Piaget and Vygotsky believed that when a child develops language, they are also building a symbol system which is how they understand the world (Kail & Cavanaugh, 2013). However, I disagree with Piaget on his thoughts about language not being primitive to children’s development. I feel that if a child isn’t talking by a certain age then it will definitely affect their cognitive development. It’s not normal for a kid to not for their first four years of life. But of course if a child has a disability that is clearly different. A child’s interaction with others, culture and their environment greatly influence their development of language. Caregivers should observe a 1-3 year old child’s vocabulary of approximately 5-20 words, vocabulary mostly made up of nouns, repeating of a word or phrase over and over again and is able to follow simple commands to confirm that a child is progressing in their language acquisition (Bhallla, S.