Early Childhood Chapter 7: Physical and Cognitive Development Chapter 8: Emotional and Social Development

Summary of Milestones during Early Childhood Cognitive Development (ch. 7) Piaget’s Preoperational Stage – increases in representational, or symbolic, activity, but with many cognitive limitations (e.g., egocentrism and lack of conservation) Beginning of sociodramatic play, or make-believe play with others Both Piaget and Vygotsky discuss childrens’ private speech, but view it very differently Theory of Mind, or think about thinking develops; also called metacognition Emergent literacy, where children learn by being immersed in a language rich environment Great increases in vocabulary development; grammar and pragmatic language also increases Physical Development (ch. 7) Add about 2-3” and 5 lb. per year Gradually loose “baby fat” and thin Brain increase to about 90% of final adult size Many children become picky eaters Auto and traffic accidents, drowning and burns are the most common injuries Gross motor improvements include: better balance, running, jumping, riding a tricycle, and catching and throwing a ball Fine motor improvements include: self help skills, such as feeding and dressing, and drawing and writing improvements

Summary of Milestones during Early Childhood Emotional and Social Development (ch. 8) Erikson’s Theory of Initiative vs. Guilt Self-concept develops, as does self-esteem Children become better at emotional identification and regulation Play becomes more sophisticated, and is considered by many to be the “work” of young children Child may display altruism or aggression Gender identity develops

Picture book assignment Read through the story Evaluate the book Do you think this is a good story for children 2-6 years old? What are the strengths of the book? What are the weaknesses? Think of activities to tie into the book, 2-3 for each area of development Present your story, evaluation and activities.