Developmental Knowledge Flashcards
What are the factors that can influence a child’s well-being and development?
-biological (i.e., “nature,” heredity, genetics, prenatal issues)
-environmental (i.e., “nurture”)
-behavioral
What are the 3 developmental stages?
-physical
-social-emotional
-cognitive (includes language, literacy, thinking, and creativity)
What is atypical development?
children who reach developmental milestones earlier or later than most children their age
What happens during the first 3 years of child development?
-connections increase in complexity
-external influences can have long-term effects on development
What is the most common form of maltreatment?
neglect
What are the 4 types of neglect?
-physical
-medical
-educational
-emotional
What can adults do to foster and enhance a child’s learning and development?
-ensure basic health and safety needs are met
-engage in conversations with them often
-provide intentional and appropriate experiences
What is Whole Child Education?
-includes infancy through adolescence
-considers developmental stages of children rather than focusing only on cognitive domain or academic learning/achievement
What were Arnold Gesell’s contributions?
-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
What were Jean Piaget’s contributions?
-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
What is the difference between assimilation and accommodation in regard to schematas?
-assimilation: include new info into existing schemata
-accommodation: adjust or create a new schema
What are Piaget’s Stages of Cognitive Development?
- sensorimotor (birth-2): object permanence
- 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) - concrete operational (7-11): understand concept of transitive inference (ability to mentally arrange objects in a series)
- formal operational (11-15): develop hypothetico-deductive reasoning (ability to systematically analyze and deduce outcomes based on a general theory)
What were Lawrence Kohlberg’s contributions?
-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
What were Maria Montessori’s contributions?
-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
What were Rudolf Steiner’s contributions?
-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
What were Lev Vygotsky’s contributions?
-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
What were Erik Erikson’s contributions?
-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)
What were Abraham Maslow’s contributions?
-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
What were B.F. Skinner’s contributions?
-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
What were Urie Bronfenbrenner’s contributions?
-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
What were Howard Gardners’s contributions?
-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)
What are Infant Schools?
-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
What is the Developmental and Child-Centered Curricula?
-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)
What is the Developmental-Interaction Approach?
-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
