Developmental Knowledge

Question 1

What are the factors that can influence a child’s well-being and development?

Answer 1

-biological (i.e., “nature,” heredity, genetics, prenatal issues)
-environmental (i.e., “nurture”)
-behavioral

Question 2

What are the 3 developmental stages?

Answer 2

-physical
-social-emotional
-cognitive (includes language, literacy, thinking, and creativity)

Question 3

What is atypical development?

Answer 3

children who reach developmental milestones earlier or later than most children their age

Question 4

What happens during the first 3 years of child development?

Answer 4

-connections increase in complexity
-external influences can have long-term effects on development

Question 5

What is the most common form of maltreatment?

Answer 5

neglect

Question 6

What are the 4 types of neglect?

Answer 6

-physical
-medical
-educational
-emotional

Question 7

What can adults do to foster and enhance a child’s learning and development?

Answer 7

-ensure basic health and safety needs are met
-engage in conversations with them often
-provide intentional and appropriate experiences

Question 8

What is Whole Child Education?

Answer 8

-includes infancy through adolescence
-considers developmental stages of children rather than focusing only on cognitive domain or academic learning/achievement

Question 9

What were Arnold Gesell’s contributions?

Answer 9

-developed concept of “readiness”
-advanced Maturationist theory (genetic differences determine the rate children develop and proceed through stages)
-critics say: 1) studies were too small and not diverse enough to be used in broad settings; 2) environmental factors are still essential for child development and progress

Question 10

What were Jean Piaget’s contributions?

Answer 10

-developed Constructivism
-identified 3 types of knowledge: physical (actively interacting with external world);
social (learned by observation, told about it, and reading);
logico-mathematical (developed as children construct their understanding
of relationships through observation, comparison, and reasoning)
-research revealed cognitive stages may occur earlier and may be less discrete and more gradual

Question 11

What is the difference between assimilation and accommodation in regard to schematas?

Answer 11

-assimilation: include new info into existing schemata
-accommodation: adjust or create a new schema

Question 12

What are Piaget’s Stages of Cognitive Development?

Answer 12

1. sensorimotor (birth-2): object permanence
2. preoperational (2-7): increased understanding of world from sensorimotor stage
   -preconceptual phase (2-4): identify images mentally and identify them as belonging to the same class (but not always right) (e.g., sees a cat and identify it as a dog due to 4 legs, fur, and a tail)
   -intuitive phase (4-7): more complete understanding of concepts, thinking is more logical (more about perception than logic)
3. concrete operational (7-11): understand concept of transitive inference (ability to mentally arrange objects in a series)
4. formal operational (11-15): develop hypothetico-deductive reasoning (ability to systematically analyze and deduce outcomes based on a general theory)

Question 13

What were Lawrence Kohlberg’s contributions?

Answer 13

-theorized 3 stages of moral development: 1) preconventional morality (2-7): make decisions based on self-interest and emotion. at 4, understand concept of reciprocity;
2) conventional morality (7-12): choose to conform to and follow rules because concerned with group approval and consensus. maintain social order for the general good;
3) post-conventional morality (adolescents and older): accept rules and laws but make decisions based on conscience or belief in a universal morality (some don’t reach this stage)
-critics: research done on primarily males, hypothetical scenarios, and western values

Question 14

What were Maria Montessori’s contributions?

Answer 14

-believed children develop in 6-year increments
-observed children learned best when moved from active, hands-on activities to more abstract ideas
-1) first 6 years, children need opportunities to play and explore; 2) 6-12, develop rational thinking, problem-solving abilities, and interest in the world; 3) develop sense of social justice and begin to work on real-world problems
-critics: less suited to a team-oriented, collaborative approach to learning, less structured routine, and lack of imaginary play

Question 15

What were Rudolf Steiner’s contributions?

Answer 15

-believed children should move from exploration and creative play through a rich, multisensory approach

-developed idea that individuals progress through developmental stages at 7-year intervals
1 (birth-7): develop physically and interact with others socially
2 (7-14): construct own view of the world, develop “will” or persistence, curiosity, and fine+gross motor skills; 9 = ask questions and notice the world around them more
3 (14-21): think abstractly and begin judging and thinking critically. development is focused on “head” (cognitive and abstract thinking)
4 (21-28): develops completely (ideally) and can integrate previous stages seamlessly

Question 16

What were Lev Vygotsky’s contributions?

Answer 16

-sociocultural theory focused on how children develop thought and language through social and cognitive interaction
-developed Zone of Proximal Development

-believed: 1) children should be active participants in their learning;
2) children’s learning was shaped by their social experiences with their peers, older children and adults;
3) language was the means for creating understanding
4) children raised in settings where talk was primary way of communication would understand and organize experiences and info differently from a child raised in a home with sign language/nonverbal communication
5) evaluating and assessing should be both qualitative and quantitative

Question 17

What were Erik Erikson’s contributions?

Answer 17

-developed psychosocial theory of development that describes 8 stages of social and emotional development in the first 8 years of life
1) trust vs. mistrust (infant)
2) autonomy vs. shame and doubt (toddler)
3) initiative vs. guilt (preschool years)
4) industry vs. inferiority (school-age years)

Question 18

What were Abraham Maslow’s contributions?

Answer 18

-developed Self-Actualization Theory (idea that there is a hierarchy of basic needs that impact motivation and potential)
-hierarchy of needs (from bottom to top): physiological, safety, love, esteem, self-actualization

Question 19

What were B.F. Skinner’s contributions?

Answer 19

-developed Behaviorism Learning theory (founded on belief that behavior is changed because of consequences experienced immediately following a behavior)
-operant conditioning: positive consequences/rewards result in repeated behavior; negative consequences/punishments decrease behavior

Question 20

What were Urie Bronfenbrenner’s contributions?

Answer 20

-one of the founders of the Head Start program
-developed Ecological Systems Theory (children’s development could be understood through contexts of social, political, legal, and economic systems in which a child was situated):
-microsystem: family, school, peers (child has most interactions)
-mesosystem: family’s relationship to school or children’s peers
-exosystem: social settings that can affect the child while not actually involving them (e.g., parent’s job)
-macrosystem: cultural setting (encompasses behavior patterns, beliefs, values, traditions, and customs)
-chronosystem: timing of events and how they impact a child’s development

Question 21

What were Howard Gardners’s contributions?

Answer 21

-developed learning theory of multiple intelligences
-defines intelligence as what is needed and valued within a society
-9 intelligences: musical, bodily-kinesthetic, logical-mathematical, linguistic, spatial, interpersonal (work with others), intrapersonal, naturalist, existential (identified as half-intelligence)

Question 22

What are Infant Schools?

Answer 22

-established in England by Robert Owen
-originally for 3-10 year olds
-today for 4-7 year olds
-kindergarten model developed in Germany by Friedrich Froebel for 4-6 year olds; based on idea that children love learning and need time for play

Question 23

What is the Developmental and Child-Centered Curricula?

Answer 23

-derived from theorists including Froebel, Montessori, Steiner, Piaget, and Vygotsky
-developmental stages, needs, and interests of young children are the focus of learning
-related to Whole-Child Approach (social, emotional, physical, and cognitive development are all considered essential)

Question 24

What is the Developmental-Interaction Approach?

Answer 24

-sometimes called Bank Street (developed at Bank Street College in NY)
-progressive framework based on children venturing into the world and having direct experiences
-derived ideas from Piaget and Vygotsky

Question 25

What is the Montessori Method?

Answer 25

-includes instructional materials didactic in nature (with specific rules for use)
-materials designed to hone children’s senses and learn big ideas at the conceptual level and carefully designed and sequenced
-many materials connected to daily life (children preferred imitating real world during play)

Question 26

What is High/Scope?

Answer 26

-education approach developed in 1960s as a model for improving poverty
-based on Piaget’s developmental tasks

Question 27

What is the Reggio Emilia Approach?

Answer 27

-developed in Italy from the work of Loris Malaguzzi
-focus on family involvement
-emphasizes creativity
-strengths-based approach

Question 28

What is the Creative Curriculum?

Answer 28

-created by Diane Trister Dodge in 1978
-based on developmentally appropriate practices

Question 29

What is temporal environment?

Answer 29

timing, sequence, and length of routines and activities that take place throughout the school day (e.g., arrival, play time, meal time, small-group)

Question 30

What is social environment?

Answer 30

the way a classroom environment influences or supports interactions that occur among young children, teachers, and family

Question 31

What is the difference between goals and instructional objectives?

Answer 31

-goals: broad, realistic, achievable learning outcomes expected to be attained at the end of specific times
-instructional objectives: specific, measurable, connect to long-term goals

Question 32

What 3 components are instructional activities organized around?

Answer 32

curriculum, instruction, assessment

Question 33

Why is play essential to development?

Answer 33

it develops the cognitive, physical, social, and emotional well-being of children and youth

Question 34

How can teachers foster children’s development of literal, interpretive, and critical listening and thinking skills?

Answer 34

-provide intentional and well-planned opportunities to play, explore, and act on environment
-storytelling
-reading high-quality books
-modelling
-scaffolding

Question 35

How can teachers support development of fine and gross motor skills?

Answer 35

-provide ample opportunities for active learning (limiting worksheets and passive activities)
-experience a variety of textures

Question 36

What are some factors that play into determining children at risk for school failure?

Answer 36

-academic or learning difficulties
-exceptional needs
-socioeconomic factors
-families with a pattern of substance abuse
-parental lack of education
-child abuse or neglect
-domestic violence
-high mobility
-homelessness

Question 37

What is child guidance?

Answer 37

-clinical study and treatment of the behavioral and emotional problems of children by specialists
-may include psychiatric social worker, physician or psychiatrist, or clinical psychologist

Question 38

What is conscious discipline?

Answer 38

-classroom management focused on social emotional learning (teaches to name their emotions, regulate them, and then solve problems)
-strengths-based approach