Cognitive Development PDF

COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT, P Cognition – Mental processes by which knowledge is acquired, elaborated, stored, retrieved, and used to solve problems. Cognitive Development – Refers to the changes that occur in children’s mental skills and abilities over time. COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT Piaget’s Theory of Cog...

COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT, P Cognition – Mental processes by which knowledge is acquired, elaborated, stored, retrieved, and used to solve problems. Cognitive Development – Refers to the changes that occur in children’s mental skills and abilities over time. COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development  Jean Piaget Jean Piaget, Switzerland, died in 1980’s His theory describes how children’s thinking and learning develops He believed – knowledge is built by the child over time – children are active learners in their environment – knowledge is the result of interaction between the child and the environment  Cognitive Development Knowledge is the result of interactions: Child + Environment + Understanding + Interest = Learning  Basic Terminology Organization Adaptation Scheme – Assimilation – Accommodati on Equilibrium  COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development Scheme – (Schema for singular, Schemata for plural) An organized pattern of thought or action that one constructs to interpret some aspect of one’s experience. Represent the way that people organize and understand the things around them.  COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development Symbolic schemes – internal mental symbols that one uses to represent aspects of experience. Cognitive operation – an internal mental activity that one performs on objects or thoughts.  Scheme Cognitive or mental structures by which an individual intellectually adapts to and organizes the environment Repeated patterns of behavior that develop by trial and error Never stop changing; constantly refined  COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development Assimilation – The process of interpreting new experiences by incorporating them into existing schemes. Accommodation – The process of modifying existing schemes in order to incorporate or adapt to new experiences. Examples…. COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development  Equilibration/ Equilibrium Balance between assimilation and accommodation The person faced with understanding a new type of woman has to deal with situations that can not be fully handled by existing schemes. This, in Piaget's theory, creates a state of disequilibrium, or an imbalance between what is understood and what is encountered. People naturally try to reduce such imbalances by using the stimuli that cause the disequilibrium and developing new schemes or adapting old ones until equilibrium is restored. This process of restoring balance is called equilibration. According to Piaget, learning depends on this process. When equilibrium is upset, children have the opportunity to grow and develop.  Piagetian Example Concept Toddler who has Equilibrium never seen anything fly but birds thinks that all flying objects are birds Seeing an airplane Assimilation flying prompts the child to call it a birdie Start Child experiences Accommoda conflict upon realizing tion that the new birdie has no feathers. Concludes it is not a bird and asks for the proper term or invents a name. Equilibrium restored Forms hierarchal Organizatio  Piaget’s Stages of Cognitive Development Stages of Cognitive Development Piaget proposed that children move through four stages. Periods of time are consistent in age and developmental sequence. – Age ranges are averages. – Some children are in transition from one stage to the next. VYGOTSKY’S THEORY OF COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT  Vygotsky’s Theory His theory is sometimes referred to as the socio-cultural perspective because of its emphasis on the impact of society and culture on cognitive development. Theory suggests that social interaction leads to continuous step by step changes in a child’s thought and behaviour that can vary greatly from culture to culture. Vygotsky’s theory – Places emphasis on culture affecting/shaping cognitive development – Empahizes social factors that contribute to cognitive development – Places emphasis on the role of language in cognitive development  The 4 Basic Principles Language plays a central role in mental development Development can not be separated from its social context Learning can lead development Children construct their knowledge  Vygotsky saw cognitive development as depending more on interactions with people & tools in the child’s world. – Tools are real: pens, paper, computers; or – Tools are symbols: language, math systems, signs Play allows children to stretch themselves cognitively Vygotsky believed that children will acquire ways of thinking and behaving that make up a culture by interacting with a More Knowledgeable Other (MKO).  Zone of Proximal Development This refers to the difference in a child’s performance when he or she attempts the problem on his or her own compared to when an adult or older child provides assistance Applying Vygotsky’s Theory Encourage students to talk themselves through difficult tasks Provide cognitive tools that students can use to make difficult tasks easier Present some tasks that students can perform successfully only with assistance Provide sufficient scaffolding to enable students to attempt to perform challenging tasks Have students work in small groups on complex tasks Provide opportunities to engage in adult-like activities Give young children time to practice adult roles and behaviors through play  Quick Summary Emphasized the role of a teacher in cognitive development, and the need to have support from a More Knowledgeable Other, or MKO. The zone of proximal development, or ZPD, differentiates between a learner’s current development and their potential development when being taught from a MKO. Scaffolding provides an effective way to reach potential levels of development, but only when different levels of assistance are given when required. Social and cultural tools are an important means of gaining intelligence. There is a close link between the acquisition of language and the development of thinking. Internalizing monologues, and therefore becoming a verbal thinker, is a stepping stone to higher levels of thinking.