Early Childhood Flashcards
Enhanced development in
the prefrontal cortex which
supports functions like
thinking, planning, and
regulating attention and
emotions.
Brain Maturation
a thick bundle of fibers linking the 2 hemispheres of the brain,
containing around 200
million nerve fibers.
Corpus Callosum
movement
(running, jumping,
skipping)
Motor Skills Development: Locomotion
the ability to handle an object
with control (throwing,
catching, and kicking)
Motor Skills Development: : Object Control Skills
skills requiring whole-body movement are improved as
children run and jump.
Motor Skills Development: Gross Motor Skills
movement with the use of
hands and upper extremities are also improved (pouring water in a container, drawing, coloring, buttoning coats, and using scissors).
Motor Skills Development: Fine Motor Skills
These changes are a
function of improvement in
motor skills, perceptual
development, and cognitive
understanding of the world
Child’s Art
Takes place within the initial two years of early childhood (24 to 36 months. The child’s level of physical and emotional preparedness is important to consider during training.
Toilet Training
In early childhood, there’s a
recommended “range” for sleeping hours.
Sleep
boys and girls may discover self-stimulation (masturbation) - which requires proper parental intervention.
Sexual Development in Early Childhood
the tendency for children to become very particular in their routines (playing, dressing, and most importantly - eating).
“Just Right” Phenomenon
concern for developing
nations and the establishment of a balanced diet.
Childhood Nutrition
Where children utilize symbols to represent words, images, and ideas.
Piaget’s Preoperational Stage
(2-4 years of age)
Use of perception in
problem-solving.
Symbolic Function Substage
(4-7 years of age)
More dependence
on intuitive
thinking.
Intuitive Thought Substage
Assisted in reinforcing the
newly developing cognitive
schemata.
Pretend Play
Children exhibit these struggles to understand and consider the
viewpoints of others, tending to
project their own perspective onto situations.
Egocentrism
The ability to
understand that altering the
position or arrangement of matter does not alter its quantity.
Conservation Errors
focused on only one characteristic
Centration
Children in
the preoperational stage struggle with the concept that an object can belong to multiple categories.
Classification Errors
Drawing incorrect conclusions from a single specific example to another.
Transductive
Assigning human-like
characteristics to inanimate
objects.
Animism
Children can
almost perform a task but
only with assistance from
others.
Zone of Proximal
Development and
Scaffolding
Children talk to themselves.
Private Speech
not a unified function; it
comprises sub-processes
Attention
also called multitasking; the ability to switch our focus between tasks or
external stimuli.
Divided attention
our ability to
focus on a single task or stimulus while ignoring distracting information.
Selective attention
the ability to
stay on task for long periods of
time
Sustained attention
also called the sensory
register; stores sensory input in its raw form for a very brief duration, essentially long enough for the brain to register and start processing the information.
Sensory memory
also called short-term;
current conscious mental activity occurs. It requires conscious effort and
adequate use of attention to
function effectively
Working memory
refers to self-regulatory processes that enable adaptive responses to new situations or to reach a specific goal
Executive function
the person rehearses previous material while adding additional information
Clustering Rehearsal
also called
permanent memory
Long-term memory
memories for facts or events that we can consciously recollect
Declarative or explicit memories
memories for facts and knowledge that are not tied to a timeline
Semantic memories
tied to specific events in time; a
component of this is autobiographical memory, which is our personal narrative
Episodic memories
automated skills that
do not require conscious
recollection
Non-declarative or implicit
memories
theorists who provide
“new” interpretations of Piaget’s theory. They propose that working memory capacity is affected by biological maturation, and therefore restricts young children’s
ability to acquire complex thinking and reasoning skills
Neo-Piagetians
These theorist believed in constructivism, the idea that children actively build their understanding of the world
Piaget and Vygotsky
focusing on
independent learning
Piaget’s approach is cognitive
constructivism
emphasizing social
interactions
Vygotsky’s is social
constructivism
expand on these ideas by studying how children organize information and develop their own theories
Contemporary developmentalists
is the tendency of
children to generate theories to
explain everything they encounter. This concept implies that humans are naturally inclined to find reasons
and generate explanations for why things occur.
Theory-Theory
refers to the ability
to think about other people’s
thoughts. This mental mind reading helps humans to understand and predict the reactions of others, thus
playing a crucial role in social
development.
Theory of mind
is a common
measure to assess a child’s Theory of Mind.
- It tests whether a child can
understand that someone can hold a false belief about a situation.
The False Belief Task
In Piagetian terms, children
need to overcome egocentrism, where they primarily see the world from their perspective.
Egocentrism and Understanding
Beliefs
Solving tasks related to false beliefs is challenging for children before the age of four.
Challenges Before Age Four
In collectivistic cultures, children may acquire knowledge access earlier due to cultural emphasis on conformity, while individualistic
cultures may foster earlier
understanding of diverse beliefs
Cultural and Sibling Influences
It includes understanding diverse beliefs, knowledge access, emotional recognition, and more
Components of Theory of Mind
Understanding that two people may have different desires regarding the same object.
Diverse - Desires
Understanding that two people may hold different beliefs about an object.
Diverse - Beliefs
Understanding that people may or may not have access to information.
Knowledge Access (knowledge/ignorance)
Understanding that someone might hold a belief based on false information.
False Beliefs
Sibling interactions often involve conflicts of beliefs and feelings, which can accelerate the Theory of Mind.
Role of Siblings
When children is in a
remarkable process that occurs
between the ages of two to six expanding from about 200 words to over 10,000 words during this period.
Vocabulary growth
The “vocabulary spurt” typically
involves children learning 10-20 new words per week.
Vocabulary Spurt
where children
quickly connect new words with
concepts they already know.
Fast-Mapping
The parts of speech that children learn can vary based on their native language.
Language and Parts of Speech
Children can repeat words and phrases they’ve heard even if they don’t fully grasp their meanings.
Literal Meanings
Children learn
grammatical rules but may initially apply them incorrectly.
- For instance, they might add “ed” to words to indicate past tense, leading to sentences like “I goed there” instead of “I went there.”
Overregularization
Adults can assist children by
listening attentively, modeling
correct pronunciation, and
encouraging elaboration.
Impact of Training
is a process in which a
guide (adult or peer) provides
support and assistance to a child as they learn a new skill or
concept.
- It helps children bridge the gap between what they can do
independently and what they can achieve with guidance.
Scaffolding
refers to the ability of
individuals to understand and use two languages fluently
Bilingualism
Many children around the world are bilingual, even if monolingual speakers may not realize it.
Prevalence of Bilingualism
These children often exhibit
diverse language and literacy skills, with some experiencing delays in one or both languages.
Challenges in Dual Language
Learning
Language competency in bilingual children depends on the quantity, quality, and opportunities to use each language.
- Bilingual children may be exposed to fewer words in each language but excel in the one they hear the most.
Quantity, Quality, and
Opportunity in Bilingualism
Bilingual children often exhibit cognitive advantages, including better inhibitory control, verbal working memory, and non-verbal working memory
Cognitive Advantages of
Bilingualism
Bilingual individuals show greater efficiency in the word learning process compared to
monolinguals.
- Monolingual children may struggle with tasks involving learning new names for familiar objects, while bilinguals adapt easily.
Efficiency in Word Learning
is a concept that advocates for providing high-quality preschool education
to all children, regardless of their background or economic status.
Universal preschool
Was initiated in 1965 as part of
President Lyndon Johnson’s war on poverty, providing preschool
education to children living in
poverty.
Head Start Program
Research on Head Start’s impact has yielded mixed results, with debates over lasting gains and educational benefits.
Effectiveness and Research
is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by deficits in social interaction, communication, and repetitive patterns of behavior.
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
The term
“spectrum” indicates that ASD
symptoms can vary in severity.
ASD as a Spectrum
ASD is influenced
by genetics, with higher
concordance rates in identical
twins. Environmental factors, such as prenatal infections and pollutants, may contribute to ASD risk. Environmental factors, such as prenatal infections and pollutants, may contribute to ASD risk.
Causes of ASD
A study examining vaccination
histories of children with ASD
found no association between the quantity of vaccine immunogens
and ASD development
Vaccination and ASD
It typically occurs during early
childhood, around ages 3 to 6. In this stage, children develop a
desire to take initiative and explore their environment.
Erikson’s Initiative vs. Guilt
Children in this stage often engage in creative and imaginative play. They may build forts, set up pretend lemonade stands, or create imaginary worlds with their
toys.
Initiative and Creative Play
Caregivers play a
crucial role in fostering initiative.They should provide
encouragement, praise effort, and support children’s creative
endeavors.
Caregiver’s Role
Reinforcing initiative involves positive reinforcement of a child’s independent actions and ideas.
Reinforcing Initiative
The goal of this stage is to find a balance between taking initiative and avoiding excessive guilt. Children may experience guilt if their efforts are met with harsh criticism or if they believe their actions have caused harm.
Balancing Initiative and Guilt
It explores how young children begin to form their self-concept and self-esteem. It discusses the development of self-awareness and how children perceive themselves in various domains.
Self-Concept and Self-Esteem
are how they describe themselves or these are
the traits that they can see and use to describe what a character looks like
External Qualities
are how they describe their hobbies/interests or these are the traits that describe the way they act.
Internal Qualities
This section delves into how children learn to regulate
their impulses, emotions, and behaviors as they grow.
Self-Control
The ability to
not initiate a behavior before you have evaluated all of the
information.
Response Initiation
The ability to
cease an act that has already
begun.
Response Inhibition
Avoiding the urge to accept an instant prize in the hopes of securing a future reward that is more valuable.
Delayed Gratification
the cultural, social, and
psychological meanings associated with
masculinity and femininity
Gender
a person’s sense of self
as a member of a particular gender.
Gender Identity
the expectations
associated with being male or female
Gender Roles
focuses on what young children learn about gender from
society, including parents, peers, media, religious institutions, schools, and public
policies
Gender Socialization
argues that behavior is learned through observation, modeling, reinforcement, and
punishment.
Social Learning Theory
emphasizes reinforcement, punishment, and imitation, but adds cognitive processes.
Cognitive Social Learning Theory
children develop
their own conceptions of the attributes associated with maleness or femaleness
Gender Schema Theory
many of our gender stereotypes are so strong because we emphasize gender so much in culture.
Developmental Intergroup Theory
identifying with the gender
opposite their natal sex
Transgender
distress accompanying a mismatch between one’s gender identity and biological sex
Gender Dysphoria
those whose gender and sex
assignment at birth (male or female) matched
Cisgender
born with either an absence or
some combination of male and female reproductive organs, sex hormones, or sex chromosomes
Intersex
the absence of, or an imperfect, second X chromosome.
Turner Syndrome
genetic disorder caused by an
increased production of androgens
Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia
when a person has one X and one Y chromosome, but is resistant to the male hormones or androgens
Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome
theorized by Diana
Baumrind
Parenting Styles
supportive and shows interest in their kids’ activities but is not overbearing and allows them to
make constructive mistakes
Authoritative Parenting
traditional model of parenting; parents make the rules and children are expected to be
obedient
Authoritarian Parenting
involves holding expectations of children that are below what could be reasonably expected from them; children are allowed to make their own rules . Do not supervise their children
closely.
Permissive Parenting
disengagement from their children, they do not make
demands on their children and are non-responsive
Uninvolved Parenting
often thought of as a rite of
passage for children; a method of discipline that is endorsed by the majority of parents
Spanking
siblings play an
important role in the development of
social skills.
- Parent’s poor patterns of
communication with their children = more negative interactions
between siblings
Sibling Relationships
According to Freud - its a means for children to release pent-up emotions and to deal with emotionally distressing situations in a more secure
environment, while seen by Vygotsky and Piaget as a
way for children to develop their intellectual abilities.
Play
It involves parallel,
associative, and cooperative
Social Play
It involves unoccupied,
solitary, and observer
Non-social play
has always been a predictor of
developmental milestones for
children.
Child Care
pertains to any recent act or failure to act on the part of a parent or caretaker that results in death, serious physical or emotional harm, sexual abuse or exploitation; or an act or failure to act, which presents an imminent risk of serious harm.
Child Abuse and Neglect
- Neglect
- Physical abuse
- Psychological maltreatment
- Sexual abuse
Types of Child Abuse
varies from nation to
nation - with developed countries having more established responses
Protective Services
is defined as any sexual contact between a child and an adult or a much older child.
Childhood Sexual Abuse
refer to trauma and stress
that were experienced before the age of 18. Parental separation in times of
stress also poses adverse effects down the line
Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE)
