CHAPTER 2

Cognitive and Language Development

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Piagets Theory
Schemes

Assimilation
Accommodation Organization Equilibration

Actions or mental representations that organize knowledge Incorporating new knowledge into existing schemes Adjusting existing schemes to fit new information and experiences Grouping isolated behaviors into a higher-order system A shift, a resolution of conflict to reach a balance

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Piagets Four Stages

Cognition unfolds in a sequence of four stages. Each is age-related and distinctive Each stage is discontinuous from and more advanced than the previous

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Piagets Four Stages

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Piagets Sensorimotor Stage

Coordination of sensory experiences with motor actions

Object permanence involves the

realization that objects continue to exist over time

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Piagets Preoperational Stage

Symbolic Function Substage

Symbolic Thought: ability to represent mentally

an object that is not present.

Limitations:

Egocentrism: The inability to distinguish between

ones own perspective and someone elses perspective.

Animism

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The Three Mountain Tasks

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Piagets Preoperational Stage

Symbolic Function Substage

Limitations:

Egocentrism

Animism: The belief that inanimate objects have

lifelike qualities and are capable of action.

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Stages of Animism

Almost everything is alive and conscious Only those things that move are alive Only those things that manifest spontaneous movements are alive Consciousness is limited to the animal world
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Piagets Preoperational Stage

Intuitive Thought Substage

Intuitive Thought rather than logical thinking

Centration: focuses on one characteristic to the
exclusion of others

Irreversibility: inability to mentally reverse operations

Lack of Conservation
Classification: ability to classify objects according to only
one characteristic at a time
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Conservation of Liquid

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Conservation Tasks

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Conservation Tasks (cont)

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Piagets Concrete Operational Stage

Logical reasoning replaces intuitive reasoning, but only in concrete situations. Conservation:
The idea that some characteristics of an object stay the same even though the object might change in appearance. Coordinate several characteristics rather than focus on a single property of an object. Order stimuli along some quantitative dimension. Combine relations to understand certain conclusions. If A>B, and B>C, then A>C.
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Classification: Seriation:

Transitivity:

Hierarchical Classification
When shown a family tree of four generations, the concrete operational child can classify the members vertically, horizontally, and obliquely.

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Piagets Formal Operational Stage

Abstract reasoning: think in abstract, idealistic,
and logical ways

Hypothetical-deductive reasoning: ability to

develop hypotheses about ways to solve problems and systematically reach a conclusion

Adolescent egocentrism: heightened selfconsciousness and a sense of personal uniqueness

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Piagets Theory
Teaching Strategies
Preoperational Thinkers
Manipulate groups of objects Reduce egocentrism Draw conclusions and explain why

Concrete Operations

Encourage children to discover concepts and principles Assign operational tasks

Propose problems and encourage hypothesis formation Suggest alternative approaches to problems Develop projects and investigations
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Formal Operations

Enter the Debate

Should teachers allow preschool, kindergarten, and first-grade students to play for the bulk of their day?
YES NO

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Piagets Cognitive Constructivism

Theory into Practice
Jennifer, James, and several of their classmates are playing hide-and-go-seek during indoor recess one rainy day. Jennifer carefully conceals her entire body behind Mrs. Johnsons long smock. In contrast, James hides only his upper body behind a jacket hanging on a hook. He giggles, sure that his classmates will never see him.

Q: Based on the information given above, at which of

Piagets stages of cognitive development is James most likely operating? Explain.

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Piagets Cognitive Constructivism

Theory into Practice
Mr. Jackson has a sand table in his kindergarten classroom. He provides his students with many containers of different sizes and shapes to play with in the sand. He watches as his students carefully pour sand from one container to another. One little girl, Michelle, seems amazed when she pours sand back and forth between two containers. The sand always fills up one container and only half-fills the other, yet the containers are the same height.
Q: Based on the information given above, what skill is
Michelle most likely developing? Explain.
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Piagets Cognitive Constructivism

Theory into Practice
Mr. Welby teaches high school English. He always asks his students to find the symbolism in the great works of literature he assigns. Some students do this with relative ease. For others it is a real struggle. Many are only able to parrot back what he has told them in class. Q.1: At which of Piagets stages are those who
understand the symbolism in literature likely operating?

Q.2: At which of Piagets stages are those who cannot

understand the symbolism in literature likely operating?
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Piagets Cognitive Constructivism

Theory into Practice
Marsha refuses to go to school one morning because she is having a bad hair day and is certain that everyone will stare at her all day. Her mother assures her that she looks just fine. However, Marsha races back to the bathroom to attempt to fix her awful hair. Q: What would Elkind say is happening here?

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Piaget and Language Development

Which comes first? Language or cognition? Emerges from existing cognitive structures

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Speech Categories of the Preoperational Child

Egocentric Speech

Repetition Monologue Collective Monologue

Socialized Speech

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Overview of Piaget

Criticisms

Underestimated abilities May not be stagelike Underestimated experience Ages influenced by culture

Contributions

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Vygotskys Theory
Cognitive skills Can be understood when they are developmentally analyzed Are mediated by words, language, and forms of discourse Have their origins embedded in a sociocultural backdrop
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Vygotskys Theory

Internalization

Interpsychological Intrapsychological

Language Development

Preintellectual speech Nave psychology Private speech Inner speech

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Vygotskys Theory
Zone of Proximal Development

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Vygotskys Theory

Scaffolding - Teacher adjusts the level of support as performance rises Cognitive Apprenticeship - expert supports novice Tutoring Cooperative Learning work in small groups, facilitate one another
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Effectiveness of Cooperative Learning

Generation of group rewards Individual accountability

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Vygotskys Social Constructivism

Theory into Practice
Peter is having difficulty with his math assignment. His teacher, Ms. Jacobs helps him work through the first problem step-bystep. Peter begins to understand the concepts and begins the other problems. Suzanne also struggles with the assignment. However, even when Ms. Jacobs works through the first problem with her, she still cannot grasp how to do the remaining problems. Meanwhile, Clarice has breezed through the assignment with no difficulty at all.

Q.1: What would Vygotsky say about the

assignment for Peter?

Q.2: What would Vygotsky say about the

assignment for Suzanne?
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Vygotskys Social Constructivism

Theory into Practice
Peter is having difficulty with his math assignment. His teacher, Ms. Jacobs helps him work through the first problem step-bystep. Peter begins to understand the concepts and begins the other problems. Suzanne also struggles with the assignment. However, even when Ms. Jacobs works through the first problem with her, she still cannot grasp how to do the remaining problems. Meanwhile, Clarice has breezed through the assignment with no difficulty at all.

Q.3: What would Vygotsky say about the

assignment for Clarice?

Q.4: What would Vygotsky call the assistance Ms.

Jacobs gives Peter and Suzanne? Explain.
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Cognitive and Language Development

Language Development

What Is Language Development? Biological and Environmental Influences

How Language Develops

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Biological and Environmental Influences on Language Development

Children are neither exclusively biological linguists

nor
social architects of language.

Interactionists emphasize the contribution of both.

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Language is
a form of communication, spoken, written, or signed, that is based on a system of symbols.

Phonology

Sound system of a language

Morphology
Syntax Semantics Pragmatics

Units of meaning involved in word formation

Rules for combining words into phrases/sentences Meaning of words and sentences Appropriate use of language in different contexts
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How Language Develops

Infancy

Prelinguistic Period

Cooing Babbling

Holophrastic Period Telegraphic Period

One two words

Simple Sentences
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How Language Develops

Early Childhood Phonology Morphology
Sensitive to sounds, rhymes Overgeneralize rules

Syntax
Semantics Pragmatics

Complex rules for ordering words

6-year-old: 8,000- to 14,000-word vocabulary Talk in different ways to different people
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How Language Develops

Middle & Late Childhood Phonology
Alphabetic principle: letter-sound correspondence

Morphology
Syntax Semantics Pragmatics

Appropriate application of rules

Complex grammar; linguistic awareness 12-year-old: 50,000-word vocabulary Culturally appropriate language use
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How Language Develops

Adolescence

Increased sophistication in use of words Greater understanding of metaphors, satire, and complex literary works Better writers Dialect includes jargon and slang

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Supporting Vocabulary Development Through Technology

Computers

Relate the new to the known Promote active, in-depth processing Encourage reading

Audio Books Educational Television

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