Chpt 5 (Body and Mind) [Early Childhood] Flashcards
(1) Growth of the Body, (2) Thinking During Early Childhood, (3) Language Learning, (4) Early Childhood Schooling
Myelin
The fatty substance coating axons that speeds the transmission of nerve impulses from neuron to neuron.
Corpus Callosum
A long, thick band of nerve fibers that connects the brain’s hemispheres (left & right), allowing communication between them.
Lateralization
Literally, “sidedness,” referring to the specialization in certain functions by each side of the brain, with one side dominant for each activity. The left side of the brain controls the right side of the body, and vice versa.
Preoperational Intelligence
Piaget’s term for cognitive development between 2-6; includes language and imagination (which involve symbolic thought), but logical, operational thinking is not yet possible at this stage.
Piaget’s emphasized the individual and thought, whereas Vygotsky emphasized sociocultural context and learning.
Piaget: Preoperational Thought
Magical, illogical, and self-centered aspects of cognition for early-childhood thought.
Symbolic Though
An 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 (such as a country in this case)
Animism
The belief that natural objects and phenomena are alive, moving around, and having sensations and abilities that are humanlike.
Obstacles to Logic
Centration(1) & Egocentrism(2)- (1)A characteristic of preoperational thought in which a young child focuses (centers) on one idea, excluding all others. (2)Piaget’s term for children’s tendency to think about the world entirely from their own 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 always been and always will be.
Irreversibility- A characteristic of preoperational thought in which a young child thinks that nothing can be undone. A thing cannot be restored to the way it was before a change occurred.
Conservation
The principle that the amount of a substance remains the same (i.e., is conserved) even when its appearance changes.
Vygotsky: Social Learning
Emphasized that each person’s thinking is shaped by other people; his focus on the sociocultural context contrasts with Piaget’s emphasis on the individual.
Mentors
Someone who teaches a person by examples, encouragement, and directly. Anyone can become a mentor; peers, relatives, neighbors, etc.
Zone of Proximal Development
Vygotsky’s term for the skills – cognitive and physical – that a person can exercise only with assistance, not yet independently.
Scaffolding
Temporary support that’s tailored to the learner’s individual needs & abilities, aimed to help the learner master the next task. Not by making it easier, but by guidance.
Private Speech
One part of how Vygotsky viewed language as pivotal: The internal dialogue that occurs when people talk to themselves (silently our out loud)
Social Mediation
Second part of how Vygotsky viewed language as pivotal: Human interaction that expands and advances understanding. (Often through words that one person uses to explain something to another).
Combining Piaget & Vygotsky
Piaget + Vygotsky= __
Both (Piaget & Vygotsky) appreciated the active curiosity of young children, and both valued the language development of young children. This is evident through: Theory of Mind & STEM Learning
Theory of Mind
A person’s theory of what other people might be thinking. To have theory of mind, children must realize that others are not always thinking the same thoughts they themselves are; this realization seldomly occurs before age 4.
Executive Functioning
The cognitive ability to organize and prioritize the many thoughts that arise from the various parts of the brain, allowing the person to anticipate, strategize, and plan behavior.
The Three Aspects of Executive Functioning
Memory- Updating/Working Memory
Inhibition- Emotional & Response Control
Flexibility- Shifting/Seeing from other perspective than staying stuck on one idea.
Cognitive, Social, and Psychological.
Fast Mapping
Part of the vocabulary explosion; The speedy and sometimes imprecise way that children learn new words by placing them in mental categories according to their perceived meaning.
Overregularization
An obstacle for a child acquiring grammar; the application of rules of grammar even when exceptions occur, making the language seem more “regular” than it actually is.
Mouses, foots, tooths, etc
Pragmatics
In grammar is the practical use of language that includes the ability to adjust language communication according to audience ands context.
Bilingualism
Learning/knowing two languages (bi)
Children who are bi(or tri)lingual are deficient in both (or all) languages; making exposure to both languages important without lowering exposure to the opposite one.
Child-Centered vs Teacher-Directed vs Intervention Programs
Child-Centered: Encourages each child’s creative individuality.
Teacher-Directed: Prepares the child for formal education.
Intervention- Preparing low-SES children for education.
What are the three child-centered programs discussed in the textbook?
Montessori- Tasks and careful work.
Reggio Emilia- Child’s creativity/skills in carefully designed setting.
Waldorf- Creativity, social understanding, and emotional growth; most used in schools worldwide.
Head Start
An intervention program that is federally funded for education for low-income children of preschool age.
