Cognitive Development In Cognitive Development In Early ChildhoodEarly Childhood

Chapter 10Chapter 10

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Piagetian Approach: Piagetian Approach: The Preoperational Child The Preoperational Child

Early childhood: Early childhood: preoperational preoperational stagestage

Advances of preoperational thoughtAdvances of preoperational thought– Symbolic functionSymbolic function: ages 2 to 7 yrs. : ages 2 to 7 yrs.

shows great expansion in use of shows great expansion in use of symbolic thoughtsymbolic thought

– Deferred imitation is proof of symbolic Deferred imitation is proof of symbolic function function –– becomes more robust after becomes more robust after 18 months18 months

Piagetian Approach: Piagetian Approach: The Preoperational Child The Preoperational Child

Advances of Preoperational Advances of Preoperational ThoughtThought– In early childhood, 5 principles of In early childhood, 5 principles of

counting are recognizedcounting are recognized– By age 5, most can count to 20By age 5, most can count to 20– U.S. and Chinese children progress U.S. and Chinese children progress

at same rate until ages 4 to 5, then at same rate until ages 4 to 5, then Chinese learn their number system Chinese learn their number system fasterfaster

Piagetian Approach: Piagetian Approach: The Preoperational Child The Preoperational Child

Immature Aspects of Immature Aspects of

Preoperational ThoughtPreoperational Thought– Failure to understand Failure to understand conservationconservation

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– EgocentrismEgocentrism - a form of centration - a form of centration Egocentrism shown primarily in Egocentrism shown primarily in

situations beyond childsituations beyond child’’s immediate s immediate experienceexperience

A preoperational child is unable to describe the “mountains” from the doll’s point of view - an indication

of egocentrism, according to Piaget

Piagetian Approach: Piagetian Approach: The Preoperational The Preoperational

ChildChild Do Young Children Have Do Young Children Have

Theories of Mind?Theories of Mind?– Theory of mind: emerging Theory of mind: emerging

awareness of their own and othersawareness of their own and others’’ mental processesmental processes

– Theory of mind knowledge Theory of mind knowledge dramatically increases between 2 dramatically increases between 2 and 5, peaking around age 4 and 5, peaking around age 4

Language DevelopmentLanguage Development

Grammar and SyntaxGrammar and Syntax– At 3, children typically begin to use At 3, children typically begin to use

plurals, possessives, and past tense plurals, possessives, and past tense – They still make errors of They still make errors of

overregularizationoverregularization– By ages 5 to 7, childrenBy ages 5 to 7, children’’s speech is s speech is

quite adultlike, but they still have not quite adultlike, but they still have not mastered the fine points of languagemastered the fine points of language

Language Language DevelopmentDevelopment

Private SpeechPrivate Speech– Talking aloud to oneself with no Talking aloud to oneself with no

intent to communicate with othersintent to communicate with others– Normal and common in childhood, Normal and common in childhood,

accounting for 20% to 50% of what is accounting for 20% to 50% of what is said by 4- to 10-year-olds said by 4- to 10-year-olds

– Piaget viewed it as cognitive Piaget viewed it as cognitive immaturityimmaturity

– Vygotsky saw it as very important for Vygotsky saw it as very important for development and social experiencesdevelopment and social experiences

Language DevelopmentLanguage Development Social Interaction and Preparation Social Interaction and Preparation

for Literacyfor Literacy – Emergent Emergent literacy: development of literacy: development of

these skills, knowledge, and these skills, knowledge, and attitudes that underlie reading and attitudes that underlie reading and writingwriting

– Social interaction can promote Social interaction can promote emergent literacyemergent literacy

– Reading to children is one of the Reading to children is one of the most effective paths to literacymost effective paths to literacy

Early Childhood Early Childhood EducationEducation The Transition to KindergartenThe Transition to Kindergarten

– Emotional and social adjustment: Emotional and social adjustment: important factors in readiness for important factors in readiness for kindergarten and strongly predict school kindergarten and strongly predict school successsuccess

– Kindergarten adjustment may depend Kindergarten adjustment may depend on a childon a child’’s age, gender, temperament, s age, gender, temperament, coping skills, cognitive and social coping skills, cognitive and social competencies, andcompetencies, and environment of environment of school and homeschool and home