Chapter 9 Flashcards
executive function
a combination of memory, inhibition, and cognitive flexibility that allows better thinking, so people can anticipate, strategize, and plan behavior
preoperational intelligence
piaget’s term for cognitive development between the ages of about 2 and 6; it includes language and imagination (which involve symbolic thought), but logical. operational thinking is not yet possible
symbolic thought
a major accomplishment of preoperational intelligence that allows a child to think symbolically, including understanding that words can refer to things not seen and that an item, such as a flag, can symbolize something else (country)
animism
the belief that natural objects and phenomena are alive, moving around, and have sensations and abilities that are human like
centration
characteristic of preoperational thought in which a young child focuses (centers) on one idea, excluding all others
egocentrism
piaget’s term for children’s tendency to think about the world entirely from their own personal perspective
focus on appearance
a characteristic of preoperational thought in which a young child ignores all attributes that are not apparent
static reasoning
a characteristic of preoperational thought in which a young child thinks that nothing changes. whatever is now has been and always will be
irreversibility
a characteristic of preoperational thought in which a young child thinks that nothing can be undone. a think can’t be restored to the way it was before a change
conservation
the principle that the amount of a substance remains the same even when it’s appearance changes
scaffolding
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
overimitation
when a person imitates an action that is not a relevant part of the behavior to be learned. common among 2-6 year olds when they imitate adult actions that are irrelevant and inefficient
private speech
the internal dialogue that occurs when people talk to themselves (silently or out loud)
social mediation
human interaction that expands and advances understanding, often through words that one person uses to explain something to another
theory-theory
the idea that children attempt to explain everything they see and hear by constructing theories
theory of mind
a person’s theory of what other people might be thinking. in order to have a theory of mind, children must realize that other people are not necessarily thinking the same thoughts that they themselves are. that realization seldom occurs before age 4
fast-mapping
the speedy and sometimes imprecise way in which children learn new words by tentatively placing them in mental categories according to their perceived meaning
overregularization
the application of rules of grammar even when exceptions occur, making the language seem more “regular” than it actually is
pragmatics
the practical use of language that includes the ability to adjust language communication according to audience and context
montessori schools
schools that offer early-childhood education based on the philosophy of maria montessori, which emphasizes careful work and tasks that each young child can do
reggio emilia
a program of early childhood education that originated in the town of reggio emilia, italy, and that encourages each child’s creativity in a carefully designed setting
waldorf school
an early-childhood education program that emphasizes creativity, social understanding, and emotional growth. originated in germany from rudolf steiner, and now is used in thousands of schools everywhere
head start
a federally funded early-childhood intervention program for low income preschoolers
