Ch 7 & 8 Early Childhood Flashcards
Dominant Cerebral Hemisphere
Handedness reflects the greater capacity of one side of the brain to carry out a skilled motor action.
Cerebellum
The rear and base of the brain - a structure that aids in balance and control of body movement.
Reticular Formation
A structure in the brain stem that maintains alertness and consciousness
Amygdala
Plays a central role in the processing of novelty and emotional information. Throughout childhood and adolescence, connections between the amygdala and the prefrontal cortex, which govern the regulation of emotion, form, and myelinate.
hippocampus
Located in the inner brain, adjacent to the amygdala, plays a vital role in memory and in images of space that help us find our way.
The Corpus Callosum
A large bundle of fibers connecting the two cerebral hemispheres.
Pituitary Gland
Located at the base of the brain, which plays a crucial role by releasing two hormones that induce growth.
Growth Hormone
Necessary for the development of almost all body tissues.
Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone
A second pituitary gland in the neck to release thyroxine, which is necessary for brain development and for GH to have a full impact on body size.
Preoperational Stage
Spans years 2 to 7, the most obvious change is an extraordinary increase in representational or symbolic activity. Mental representations and capabilities blossom.
Sociodramatic Play
Children combine schemes with those of peers; make-believe play is underway by the end of the second year and increases rapidly in complexity during early childhood.
Dual Representation
Viewing a symbolic object as both an object in its own right and a symbol.
Egocentrism
Failure to distinguish others’ symbolic viewpoints from one’s own.
Conservation
Refers to the idea that certain physical characteristics of objects remain the same, even when their outward appearance changes.
Centration
Children focus on one aspect of a situation, neglecting other important features.
Irreversibility
An inability to mentally go through a series of steps in a problem and then reverse direction, returning to the starting point.
Hierarchical Classification
Organization of objects into classes and subclasses on the basis of similarities and differences.
Scaffolding
Adjusting the support offered during teaching session to fit the child’s current level of performance.
Private Speech
Children’s self-directed speech is used more when tasks are appropriately challenging, after making errors, or when confused about how to proceed (whispers or silent lip movements). Children who use it are more attentive and involved and show better task performance than their less talkative agemates.
Guided Participation
A broader concept from scaffolding. It refers to shared endeavors between more expert and less expert participants, without specifying the precise features of communication.
Memory Strategies
Deliberate mental activities that improve our chances of remembering
