{"id":3811,"date":"2018-07-21T20:54:11","date_gmt":"2018-07-22T00:54:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.amyork.ca\/academic\/zz\/?p=3811"},"modified":"2019-05-25T22:14:10","modified_gmt":"2019-05-26T02:14:10","slug":"9-cognitive-development-in-the-preschool-years","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.amyork.ca\/academic\/zz\/child-psychology\/9-cognitive-development-in-the-preschool-years\/","title":{"rendered":"Cognitive Development in the Preschool Years"},"content":{"rendered":"<ul>\n<li>Intellectual Development\n<ul>\n<li>Piaget\u2019s Stage of Preoperational Thinking<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>During the stage that Piaget has described as preoperational, children are not yet able to engage in organized, formal, logical thinking.\u00a0 However, their development of symbolic function permits quicker and more effective thinking as they are freed from the limitations of sensorimotor learning.\u00a0 Preschoolers are in the preoperational stage, from age 2 to 7, characterized by symbolic thinking.\u00a0 A key aspect of preoperational thought is symbolic function\u00ad ability to use symbols, words, objects to represent something not physically present<\/p>\n<p>Mental reasoning and the use of concepts increases, but children are not capable of operations\u00ad<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The Relation Between Language and Thought<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Symbolic function is directly related to language acquisition. Symbols allow greater speed of processing\u00ad not limited by senrosimotor thinking. Can think into future. Still likely fantasy based\u00ad what did you want to be when you grow up? Does thought determine language or does language determine thought?<\/p>\n<p>Piaget\u00ad language grows out of cognitive advances<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Centration: What You See Is What You Think<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Centration\u2014 process of concentrating on one limited aspect of stimulus; ignoring other aspects<\/p>\n<p>Your book gives the example of putting a dog mask on a cat.\u00a0 3\u00ad4 year olds, cat should start acting like a dog<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Conservation: Learning That Appearances Are Deceiving\n<ol>\n<li>Preschoolers do NOT understand conservation\u2014knowledge that<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>quantity is unrelated to the arrangement\/physical appearance of objects \u2013 play doh \u2013 related to centatration \u2013 test them using the cups task<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Incomplete Understanding of Transformation\n<ul>\n<li>Preschoolers are unable to understand the notion of transformation\u2014 the process in which one state is changed into another\u2014because they <em>ignore the intermediate steps<\/em>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Your text gives the example of a pencil held upright, and then allowed to fall on its side.\u00a0 Passes thru different angles. Kids who dong understand transformation cant recall\/imagine different angles<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Egocentrism: The Inability to Take Others\u2019 Perspectives Egocentrism \u2013 inability to take others\u2019 perspectives. 2 forms:<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Egocentric thought takes two forms.<\/p>\n<p>Lack of awareness that others see things from different physical<\/p>\n<p>perspectives<\/p>\n<p>Failure to realize that others may hold thoughts\/feelings\/POV<\/p>\n<p>different from self<\/p>\n<p>Egocentrism is at the root of many preschool behaviors; for example, talking to oneself \u2013 Don\u2019t realize own behavior could trigger reactions in others<\/p>\n<p>Another example involves hiding games.\u00a0 \u2013 cover faces\u00ad they assume if they can\u2019t see others, others can\u2019t see them.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The Emergence of Intuitive Thought<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>A number of advances in thought occur in the preoperational stage.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Intuitive thought\u2014 use of primitive reasoning: reasoning + natural curiosity = \u201cWhy?\u201d; start to believe they are rights; cannot explain why<\/li>\n<li>Functionality\u2014 actions\/events\/outcomes are related in fixed patterns\u00ad Ex\u00ad turning a doorknob and pushing opens the door<\/li>\n<li>Identity\u2014 certain things stay the same regardless of changes in shape\/size\/appearance; helps to gain conservation<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Evaluating Piaget\u2019s Approaches to Cognitive Development<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Critics\u00ad underestimate kids\u2019 capabilities. Cognitive development more continuous<\/p>\n<p>Training can improve performance on conservation tasks. Too much focus on shortcomings<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Information\u00adProcessing Approaches to Cognitive Development\n<ul>\n<li>Memory: Recalling the Past\n<ul>\n<li>Autobiographical memory\u00adevents from one\u2019s own life\u00ad not very accurate until after 3; slowly becomes more accurate<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><em>Preschoolers\u2019 autobiographical memories fade, unless they involve something particularly memorable.<\/em>\u00a0 They may not be accurate \u00ad preschoolers\u2019 memories of familiar events are often organized in terms of scripts, <u>broad representations in memory of events and the order in which they occur.\u00a0 <\/u>Ex\u00ad script for going to class\u00ad particular instance difficult to recall<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Preschoolers have difficulty describing certain information andoversimplify recollections. Ex\u00ad remember mom and dad yelling, but unable to recall what the fight was about.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Forensic Developmental Psychology<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Focuses on reliability of kid\u2019s autobiographical memories in legal proceedings.<\/p>\n<p>Highly susceptible to suggestions\u00ad may change answers if asked questions repeatedly \u2013 should not be questioned repeatedly Should be questioned ASAP after event. Questions need to be specific<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Vygotsky\u2019s View of Cognitive Development: Taking Culture Into Account<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Differences in learning styles cross\u00adculturally led Vygotsky to propose that the nature and progress of children\u2019s cognitive development are dependent on the children\u2019s social and cultural context.\u00ad cultural differences; social interactions<\/p>\n<p>Cognition proceeds because of social interactions where partners jointly work to solve problems.\u00a0 This is one of the reasons so many schools are so big on group projects.\u00a0 Vygotsky felt that peers were better teachers than adults \u2013 they are on the same level.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The Zone of Proximal Development and Scaffolding: Foundations of<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Cognitive Development<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>According to Vygotsky, children\u2019s cognitive abilities increase when<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>information is provided within their zone of proximal development (ZPD)\u00ad level at which child can almost, but not fully, comprehend\/perform task w\/out assistance<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Scaffolding\u00adsupport for learning\/problem solving that encourages<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>independence, growth<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The Growth of Language\n<ul>\n<li>Language Development During the Preschool Years<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Children rapidly progress from two\u00adword utterances to longer, more sophisticated expressions that reflect their growing vocabularies and emerging grasp of grammar. Language dev. Affected by SES\u00ad lower SES kids have lower linguistic ability Between late 2s and mid\u00ad3s, sentence length increases.<\/p>\n<p>Syntax\u00ad proper order of words. Ways kids use syntax doubles each month<\/p>\n<p>By age 3, children use plurals and possessive forms of nouns (boys\/boy\u2019s), employ the past tense (adding \u00aded), use articles (the\/a), and can ask and answer complex questions (\u201cWhere did you say my book is?\u201d).<\/p>\n<p>By 6, the average child has a vocabulary of 14,000 words. Preschoolers acquire a new word every 2 hours, 24 hours a day. They manage this feat through a process known as fast mappingnew words associated with meaning after only 1 or 2 presentations<\/p>\n<p>Preschoolers begin to acquire the principles of grammar\u00ad rules of how thoughts can be expressed. Speech is grammatically correct over 90% of the time.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Private Speech and Social Speech\n<ul>\n<li>Preschoolers engage in a lot of private speech\u00ad not intended for others. Talking to self or toys, but not to each other So why do they do this?\n<ul>\n<li>Vygotsky \u2013 facilitates thinking, helps control behavior, solve problems, reflect. Stream of consciousness that will later be internalized<\/li>\n<li>Piaget \u2013 private speech is egocentric\u00ad problem\u00ad they have conversations with family\/peers\u00adobviously know their speech can affect others<\/li>\n<li>This private speech may also aid in the development of pragmatics\u00adaspect of language related to communicating effectively\/appropriately with others. Often talk to toys almost conversationally. Turn\u00adtaking, polite phrases, appropriateness of information<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Social speech\u00addirected towards others. Want to express more to others; can get frustrated if not understood.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>How Living in Poverty Affects Language Development<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The language children hear at home influences their language development.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Economic level was a significant factor in the amount of parental interactions, types of language children were exposed to, and kinds of language used.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>SES also affects the types of words parents use with their children. Language kids hear at home affects lang. dev. Higher SES parents talk to their kids more than lower SES parents do<\/p>\n<p>4 year old kid in high SES house has heard 13 million more words from parents than kids in low SES houses. Lower SES parents more likely to issue orders\/stop behaviors. Higher SES parents more likely to have conversations<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Poverty was also related to lower IQ scores by age 5.<\/li>\n<li>Length of time spent in poverty affects outcomes. Lower SES parents often face stressors. Higher SES parents do not. Less supportive<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>III. Schooling and Society<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Early Childhood Education: Taking the Pre\u00ad Out of the Preschool Period Three quarters of children in the United States are enrolled in some kind of care outside the home. A major factor is working parents.\u00a0 Evidence suggests that children can benefit from early educational activities.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>The Varieties of Early Education\n<ul>\n<li>Child\u00adcare centers \u2013all day care; some effort at education\u00ad mostly<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>social\/emotional<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Family child care centers \u2013 small, home based. Many unlicensed.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Organized institutions\u00ad tend to be licensed; better overall quality of care<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Preschools (nursery schools) \u2013developmental enrichment,<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>intellectual stimulation. Usually more limited in operational hours<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>School child care \u2013provided by some school districts. Usually<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>aimed at disadvantaged kids. More focus on intellectual development<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The Effectiveness of Child Care\n<ul>\n<li>Advantages: increases in verbal fluency, memory and comprehension advantages, higher IQ scores, social advances<\/li>\n<li>Disadvantages: less polite\/ complaint, less respectful of adults,<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>may be more competitive\/ aggressive<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The Quality of Child Care<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Characteristics of high\u00adquality child\u00adcare: well\u00adtrained providers, overall size of group; child\u00adcare provider to child ratio. Curriculum planned out in advance. Lots of conversations between caregivers and kids. Basic health and safety standards. US lags behind more industrialized countries in quality\/quantity\/affordability of childcare<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Preparing Preschoolers for Academic Pursuits: Does Head Start Truly Provide a Head Start?<\/li>\n<li>In the United States, the best\u00adknown program designed to promote future academic success is Head Start. Started in 1960\u2019s as part of \u201cwar on poverty\u201d. \u201cWhole Child\u201d\u00ad physical health, self\u00adconfidence, social responsibility, social\/emotional development.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Graduates of Head Start programs tend to:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>show immediate IQ gains (don\u2019t last)<\/li>\n<li>be better prepared for future schooling<\/li>\n<li>have better future school adjustment<\/li>\n<li>less likely to be enrolled in special \u00aded classes or be held back in 1<sup>st<\/sup> grade<\/li>\n<li>higher academic performance at end of high school (modest) Critics\u00ad other programs are more cost effective<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Are We Pushing Children Too Hard and Too Fast?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>David Elkind argues that U.S. society tends to push children so rapidly that they begin to feel stress and pressure at a young age.\u00a0 Standardized tests are being implemented at earlier and earlier grades. <u>Better to encourage learning, not push it<\/u><\/p>\n<p>Children require developmentally appropriate educational practice \u2013 based on both typical development and unique characteristics of a given child<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Intellectual Development Piaget\u2019s Stage of Preoperational Thinking During the stage that Piaget has described as preoperational, children are not yet able to engage in organized, formal, logical thinking.\u00a0 However,&hellip; <a class=\"continue\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amyork.ca\/academic\/zz\/child-psychology\/9-cognitive-development-in-the-preschool-years\/\">Continue Reading<span> Cognitive Development in the Preschool Years<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[97],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.amyork.ca\/academic\/zz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3811"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.amyork.ca\/academic\/zz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.amyork.ca\/academic\/zz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.amyork.ca\/academic\/zz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.amyork.ca\/academic\/zz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3811"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.amyork.ca\/academic\/zz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3811\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4773,"href":"https:\/\/www.amyork.ca\/academic\/zz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3811\/revisions\/4773"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.amyork.ca\/academic\/zz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3811"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.amyork.ca\/academic\/zz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3811"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.amyork.ca\/academic\/zz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3811"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}