Lecture 20- Preschool (3 - 5 years)

Question 1

What ages are classed as a Preschooler

Answer 1

3 and 5 years

Question 2

What is Piaget’s Pre-operational stage (2 to 7 years)

Answer 2

Preschoolers continue to master Piaget’s pre-operational stage of cognition. This is where children judge people, objects and events by their outward appearance, or what ‘seems to be’.

Children recognise that they are separate beings to their mothers but are unable to assume the view of another.

They use symbols to represent objects, places and people.

They can imitate the behaviour of another they viewed earlier (for example washing the dishes).

They can pretend one object is another (for example by using a finger as a pen).

And they can use language to stand for absent objects (for example asking for a cup to drink out of).

Question 3

What are the four characteristics of the pre-operational stage of cognition?

Answer 3

Symbolic thinking
Intuitive thinking
Irreversibility of thinking
Egocentrism

Question 4

What is Symbolic thinking?

Answer 4

Pretend play, using toys and props to represent people (themselves) and objects.

Question 5

What’s intuitive thinking?

Answer 5

Rather than rational thinking - what they see is what represents reality.

Question 6

Whats Irreversibility of thinking?

Answer 6

Irreversibility of thinking - unable to reverse or ‘undue’ thinking - what they first see represents reality (difficult to change their minds).

Question 7

Whats Egocentrism?

Answer 7

The child is the centre of their world, for them it is hard to understand how other people feel, or how their behaviour affects others.

Question 8

What stage of Erikson’s theory applies to preschoolers

Answer 8

Stage 3. initiative vs guilt

Question 9

What is Erikson’s stage 3. initiative vs guilt

Answer 9

As the child gains confidence to in mastering learning, the preschooler actively seeks out or initiates new experiences and engage in new activities.

Guilt arises within children when they overstep the limits of their abilities and feel they have behaved incorrectly.

To reduce these feelings Erikson recommends that parents allow children to do things on their own while setting firm limits and providing guidance.

Question 10

What’s an example of Egocentrism in preschoolers?

Answer 10

Covering eyes when playing hide and seek and thinking the other person can see them. If i cant see you you cant see me

Question 11

Whats an example of Symbolic thinking in preschoolers?

Answer 11

Having a tea party with objects.

Question 12

Whats an example of What’s intuitive thinking in preschoolers?

Answer 12

Having two glasses of water and pouring the water into a bigger glass and thinking the bigger glass has more water.

Question 13

What is an example of Irreversibility of thinking?

Answer 13

Unable to reverse or ‘undue’ thinking - what they first see represents reality (difficult to change their minds).

if a three-year-old boy sees someone flatten a ball of play dough, he will not understand that the dough can easily be reformed into a ball

Question 14

At what age should bladder control be established?

Answer 14

5- However, 7% of boys and 3% of girls may experience enuresis (lack of bladder control) or encopresis (loss of bowel control). Persistent regression is usually associated with loss, grief or stress

Question 15

How can you apply Erikson’s theory to practice?

Answer 15

• Give children the opportunity to make choices and act upon those choices.
• Provide times for children to choose their own activities.
• Break instruction and activities down into small steps.
• Ensure that any competitive games or activities have well-balanced teams.
• Accept mistakes resulting from children attempting activities on their own.