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Cognitive

Developmen
t

Jean Piaget
Constructivism 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

childrens 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)
Symbolic
representation

Preoperational
Stage

ages 2-7
child uses mental
representations of objects
play moves from using real
objects to more complex play
childs 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/overestimat
ed the abilities of children
didn't adequately consider
the role of culture and
experience in childrens
undertaking of his tasks
stage theory

Lev Vygotsky
Socio-cultural Theory

Importance of culture and


society on a childs 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

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