Cognitive

Development

Jean PiagetConstructivism Theory

Kinds of Knowledge

•physical knowledge

•logico-mathematical knowledge

•social knowledge

Constructivism•children are active learners, not passive observers•organize their knowledge into schemes•schemes change through–assimilation–accommodation

Stages of Cognitive Development

•children’s schemes change over time •cognition develops in stages, not gradually•each stage builds on accomplishments of prior stage

Sensori-motor Stage• ages birth – 2 years old

• infant uses senses and motor abilities to explore•first explorations are innate reflexes•goal-directed behaviors• object permanence

Substages of Sensori-motor Stage• 1st: (birth - 1 mo)

– innate reflexes, – circular reactions

• 2nd: (1-4 mo)– primary circular reactions

• 3rd: (4-8 mo)– secondary circular

Substages of Sensori-motor Stage

• 4th: (8-12 mo)– goal directed behavior– object permanence

• 5th: (12-18 mo) – tertiary circular

• 6th: (18-24 mo) – Symbolicrepresentation

Preoperational Stage

•ages 2-7•child uses mental representations of objects•play moves from using real objects to more complex play•child’s thinking is perception-bound, egocentric, irreversible, centrated, intuitive, animistic

Concrete operations

•ages 7-11•child uses logical operations•ability to –conserve–think flexibly–seriate–classify with more than 1 attribute and with hierarchical thinking

Conservation Tasks

Formal operations• ages 12 and up• child uses logical operations in a systematic fashion• can think abstractly•hypothetico-deductive thinking•propositional thinking

Contributions of Piaget's Theories to

Current Practice•focus on active, hands-on learning•play is important•sensitivity to a child's current level of understanding•acceptance of individual differences

Criticisms of Piaget's Ideas

•research methods•underestimated/overestimated the abilities of children•didn't adequately consider the role of culture and experience in children’s undertaking of his tasks•stage theory

Lev VygotskySocio-cultural Theory

•Importance of culture and society on a child’s learning–knowledge is socially constructed–culturally determined

•Importance of interactions with more-abled members of the society–zone of proximal development–scaffolding

•Language is the foundation of all higher cognitive processes–private speech–inner speech

•Development is continuous, not occurring in stages

Contributions of Vygotsky's Theories to Current Practice

•opportunities for discovery and play•opportunities social interactions for learning•use of language to enhance conceptual development