CHAPTER 1: YOUNG CHILDREN GROWING, THINKING, AND LEARNING
CHAPTER OBJECTIVES
1. Define developmentally appropriate practice (DAP)
2. Describe the three major theories of child development
3. Describe the physical, social, emotional and intellectual development of children
4. Describe appropriate curricular activities for each developmental area
5. Explain the relationship between diversity and child development
CHAPTER ONE OUTLINE
1. Developmentally Appropriate Practice (DAP)
A) The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)
defines early childhood as the period from birth to age eight. Because children change dramatically during this period, appropriate educational activities must match differences in children's development.
B) The practice of matching curriculum to the skills and needs of each child is called Developmentally Appropriate Practice (DAP).
C) In addition to recognizing developmental differences in cognitive and physical skills, DAP also requires that teachers create inclusive programs, honoring children's cultural differences.
2. Theories of Development
A) Behaviorism
i. Behaviorists focus on the way that the environment shapes an
individual's behavior.
ii. Classical Conditioning creates an association between two
different stimuli, so that the individual reacts in the same way to each stimulus.
iii. Operant Conditioning uses reinforcement or punishment to
shape or change the frequency of a behavior, and is frequently used in the classroom.
a) Positive reinforcement provides a desirable response (i.e., a reward) to encourage the repetition of a desirable behavior.
b) Negative reinforcement ends an undesirable situation as a way of rewarding behavioral change (e.g. allowing a child to return to the group when a disruptive behavior stops).
c) Punishment provides an undesirable consequence to discourage the repetition of a behavior.
d) Shaping behavior involves the use of operant conditioning to gradually change behavior through a series of incremental steps.
B) Maturationism
i. A Maturationist believes that development is largely predetermined, needing only time and minimal physical resources to unfold.
ii. This theory advocates testing to allow children of different abilities to be "matched" to appropriate programs.
C) Constructivism
i. Piaget
a) Piaget believed that children seek equilibrium (the state at which their mental structures match their experiences and environment), and that disequilibrium is the primary motivation for learning and development.
b) This theory sees children as active learners, so that no two children will react to the same situation in exactly the same way.
c) Children seek equilibrium through assimilation (fitting new information and experiences into existing mental structures) and through accommodation (changing mental structures to correspond to new information and experiences). This process is called equilibration.
d) Metaknowledge is the ability to reflect on one's own understanding of a situation, or on one's skills and abilities.
ii. Vygotsky
a) Vygotsky also viewed children as active learners, but histheory suggested a more active role for adults and other "experts".
b) The Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) is the area between a child's current abilities (what the child can do on his/her own) and the child's potential (his/her ability with the assistance of an experienced adult).
a) Gardner identified nine different types of intelligence.
(1) Linguistic intelligence is the capacity to use language to communicate.
(2) Logical-mathematical intelligence reflects the ability to understand causal and numerical systems.
(3) Spatial intelligence is the ability to create mental representations of external spatial relationships.
(4) Bodily-kinesthetic intelligence is the capacity to use one's body to solve problems and to control one's movements.
(5) Musical intelligence is the capacity to recognize and remember sound patterns.
(6) Interpersonal intelligence is the understanding of other people (e.g. empathy, perspective taking).
(7) Intrapersonal intelligence is the understanding of one's self.
(8) Naturalist intelligence is the ability to discriminate among living things and be sensitive to aspects of the natural world.
(9) Existentialist intelligence is a focus on fundamental questions about the meaningful life. This is the aspect of intelligence most recently recognized by the theory.
b) These categories give teachers and parents opportunities to identify children's learning strengths, and can be used to provide learning experiences that promote child development in all areas.