Child Development/ Jean Piaget FOUN 3100 August 25, 2003

DevelopmentDevelopment Why and What?

Child Development in the 16 th Century Puritans –Children are born evil and have a natural tendency toward evil –Children are born without knowledge – they are not aware of their evilness and how to lead a good life –Teachers/parents must steer children away from natural tendencies so they could go to Heaven –“The New England Primer” – rote memorization

Child Development in the 17 th Century Jean-Jacques Rousseau (Émile) –Children morally good –Stayed that way unless corrupted by society –Discovery learning – teachers/parents should create environment for children to explore

Child Development in the 21 st Century What is the basis of the modern day ideas of child development? –Puritans or Rousseau?

Why is studying development important? The more you know, the more capable you are to teach Our society values childhood –Individual level –Shared characteristics (psychologists)

What is development? The pattern of biological, cognitive, and socioemotional changes that begins at conception and continues through the life span.

Development: The Whole Child Biological SocioemotionalCognitive

Periods of Development Infancy: birth to 18 months Early childhood: 18 months to 6-years-old Middle and late childhood:6 to 11-years-old Adolescence: 10 to 18-years-old Early adulthood: late teens to early 30s

Cognitive Processes Jean Piaget ( )

Piaget’s Theory Piaget was interested in: –how we develop our understanding of the things around us –How kids come to know day-to-day things adults take for granted

Three Characteristics of Piaget’s Theory Biological model Structured theory Stages

Biological Model Piaget’s education – Biology Explained development using biological terms –Example: over time our knowledge gets more advanced and more differentiated as cells do during prenatal growth

Structured Theory Interested in how things are organized Determined that children do not think in the same way as adults Schemas –Change as we get older –Assimilation –Accommodation Equilibration

Characteristics of Piaget’s Stages Reflect an underlying mental structure Describe a person in a state of equilibrium Must follow the order developed by Piaget Cannot skip stages Composed partly of preparation and party of achievement Found in all cultures - Universal

Piaget’s Stages of Development Sensorimotor Stage: birth to 2 –Infants use senses to understand their world –Object permanence

Piaget’s Stages of Development Preoperational Stage: 2 to 7 –Increased use of language –Egocentrism –Animism –Centration –Lack of conservation –Lack reversibility (operations)

Piaget’s Stages of Development Concrete Operational Stage: 7 to 11 –Operations –Logical reasoning only in concrete situations –Classification –Seriation

Piaget’s Stages of Development Formal Operational Stage: 11 – 15 –More logical thought –Abstract thought –Idealistic thought –Hypothetical-deductive reasoning

Strengths of Piaget’s Theory One of the first formal, comprehensive theories on child development Children as active, constructive thinkers Methodology – interested in why kids got wrong answers Observation methods Cognitive growth: partial accomplishments vs. complete appearance at once

Weaknesses of Piaget’s Theory Estimates of time related to children’s competencies Development does not always occur in a stage-like fashion Children can be trained to be at the next stage