Understanding Intellectual Development of Infants Chapter 10.1 Child/Human Development

Learning in the First Year Perception- learn from senses Perception- learn from senses 4 abilities in growing/ thinking power: 4 abilities in growing/ thinking power: 1. Remembering (1 st few months) 1. Remembering (1 st few months) 2. Making associations 2. Making associations 3. Understanding cause and 3. Understanding cause and effect effect 4. Paying Attention 4. Paying Attention

Learning in the First Year Turn to page Turn to page Which of these developments have you observed in infants? Which of these developments have you observed in infants? Describe a situation and tell me how you responded to the infant’s actions? Describe a situation and tell me how you responded to the infant’s actions? How did that response affect the infant? How did that response affect the infant?

Piaget’s Theories Jean Piaget, Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget, Swiss psychologist Found that intellectual development is followed by a pattern. Found that intellectual development is followed by a pattern. Children learn to master one thinking skill before they can master another Children learn to master one thinking skill before they can master another Children cannot be forced by parents or teachers to develop understanding faster Children cannot be forced by parents or teachers to develop understanding faster He discovered 4 major periods He discovered 4 major periods

Jean Piaget ( )

The Sensorimotor Period Sensorimotor period- birth- age 2 Sensorimotor period- birth- age 2 - Babies learn primarily through their senses and their own actions - Object permanence- (10 mo.) – realize that objects continue to exist even when they are out of sight - Turn to p. 326: 6 sub stages

The Preoperational Period Preoperational Period- age 2-7 Preoperational Period- age 2-7 Children think about everything in terms of their own activities and of what they perceive at the moment (Conservation) Children think about everything in terms of their own activities and of what they perceive at the moment (Conservation) Understand abstract terms like love and beauty Understand abstract terms like love and beauty May not be aware of what is real or make-believe May not be aware of what is real or make-believe Concentrate on one thing at a time Concentrate on one thing at a time

The Concrete Operations Period Concrete Operations Period- Concrete Operations Period years old 7-11 years old Children can think logically but still learn best from direct experience Children can think logically but still learn best from direct experience Understand conservation Understand conservation Classification (ex. Food, animals) Classification (ex. Food, animals)

The Formal Operations Period Formal Operations Period- Formal Operations Period- Age 11- adulthood Age 11- adulthood Children become capable of abstract thinking Children become capable of abstract thinking Able to think about what might have been the cause of an event without really experiencing the cause Able to think about what might have been the cause of an event without really experiencing the cause Can form ideas and understand deeper Can form ideas and understand deeper

Using Piaget’s Ideas Symbolic Thinking- the use of words and numbers to stand for ideas Symbolic Thinking- the use of words and numbers to stand for ideas Piaget showed that young children learn in their own way other than adults Piaget showed that young children learn in their own way other than adults

Questions What do you think is a criticism of Piaget’s ideas? What do you think is a criticism of Piaget’s ideas? What are the four stages of Piaget’s intellectual development? What are the four stages of Piaget’s intellectual development? What stage do you believe a kindergartener is in? What stage do you believe a kindergartener is in? Why might children in the preoperational period be able to understand such abstract terms as love and beauty? Why might children in the preoperational period be able to understand such abstract terms as love and beauty?