1
Q
What is Piaget’s Cognitive Developmental Theory?
A
A theory explaining how children’s thinking develops in stages as they grow
2
Q
How many stages did Piaget propose?
A
4 stages of cognitive development
3
Q
What are the main points studied in Piaget’s theory?
A
The 4 stages and their criticisms
4
Q
Why is Piaget’s theory important?
A
it’s extremely influential in understanding how children learn and think
5
Q
Who offered another major perspective on cognitive development?
A
Vygotsky
5
Q
What is cognition?
A
Mental processes like attention, learning, thought, and memory
6
Q
What does cognition involve?
A
How we acquire and process information
6
Q
What is cognitive development?
A
How our mental processes (thinking, learning, and knowledge about the world) change as we grow older
6
Q
Why are errors important in Piaget’s theory?
A
Mistakes show how children think and help reveal their stage of understanding
7
Q
What is Piaget’s theory about?
A
How children’s thinking develops through stages, changing in quality, not just quantity
8
Q
How did Piaget study development?
A
He based his theory on observations and descriptions of children’s behavior (particularly mainly his own)
9
Q
What is assimilation?
A
New experiences fit into existing schemes
9
Q
What was unique about his theory?
A
It was the first to explain how and why thinking changes, not just describe it
9
Q
what age group is Formal Operational Stage ?
A
11+ years
10
Q
What kind of changes happen between stages?
A
Qualitative changes — kids start thinking in completely new ways, not just gaining more info
10
Q
Example of a scheme:
A
If a child’s scheme is “dogs are nice and friendly,” they’ll imagine all dogs that way
10
Q
what are the four stages of piaget’s theory ?
A
- sensorimotor stage
- preoperational stage
- concrete operational stage
- formal operational stage
11
Q
describe the Sensorimotor Stage (Birth–2 yrs) :
A
→ Infants learn by using senses and actions (seeing, touching)
→ Begin to develop symbolic thought near the end
11
Q
what age group is Concrete Operational Stage ?
A
7–11 yrs
11
Q
describe the Preoperational Stage (2–7 yrs) :
A
→ Children use words and images to represent things
→ Show symbolic thinking, but not logical yet
11
Q
what age group is Preoperational Stage ?
A
2–7 yrs
11
Q
give an example of assimilation :
A
A child sees a new dog and thinks it’s friendly—just like their family dog
11
Q
what age group is Sensorimotor Stage ?
A
birth - 2 years
12
Q
describe the Formal Operational Stage (11+ yrs):
A
→ Can think abstractly, logically, and idealistically (like adults)
12
describe the Concrete Operational Stage (7–11 yrs) :
→ Can think logically about concrete events and classify objects
13
What is a scheme?
A pattern of thought we use to represent, organize, and interpret experiences
13
What does a scheme do?
Acts as a basic knowledge set that helps us predict what to expect in situations
14
How do schemes change over time?
New experiences cause old schemes to be changed, replaced, or evolved into new ones
15
give an example of accommodation :
The child hears the new dog bark loudly—now they learn not all dogs are friendly
15
What happens in the Preoperational Stage (2–7 yrs)?
→ Kids use words and pictures to think but aren’t logical yet
15
What is accommodation?
Old schemes are changed/altered or new ones are made to understand something new
16
what is assimilation ?
Fitting new info into what you already know
16
What happens in the Formal Operational Stage (11+ yrs)?
→ Teens think abstractly and logically, and can plan and solve problems
17
what is accommodation
?
Changing what you know to fit new info
17
What does “stage model” mean?
Every child goes through the same stages in the same order (universal and fixed)
17
The new dog barks and scares you—now you learn, “Not all dogs are nice”
Accommodation
17
You see a new dog and think, “It’s nice like my dog” is an example of what ?
Assimilation
18
What did Piaget believe about how kids learn?
Kids actively build their understanding of the world — like little scientists exploring and learning
18
What happens in the Sensorimotor Stage (0–2 yrs)?
→ Babies learn through senses and movement (touching, grabbing, sucking)
→ They start doing things on purpose
19
What happens in the Concrete Operational Stage (7–11 yrs)?
→ Kids think logically about real things and can sort + organize info
19
What develops during this stage?
→ Intentional actions
→ Object permanence
20
What structures are available in the Sensorimotor Stage?
Basic motor reflexes (like sucking or grasping)
21
What structures are available? (at the beginning) :
Basic motor reflexes
22
define intentional actions :
babies start to move on purpose
23
define object permanence :
they learn things still exist even when unseen
24
What are “primary circular reactions”?
Repeated actions (circular) that focus on the baby’s own body (primary)
24
What kind of actions do babies show?
Only reflexes (like sucking or grasping) — no control yet
24
What age is Sensorimotor Substage 1?
0–1 month old
25
what term is described by : No understanding that objects continue to exist even when no longer in view
No Object Concept at Substage 1
25
Do babies understand objects yet?
No — they have no object concept (if something’s hidden, it’s gone)
25
Are the actions intentional?
No, movements are automatic, not on purpose
26
define circular :
repeated
26
define primary :
centred on infant’s own body
26
What is the “object concept”?
Knowing that objects still exist even when you can’t see them
26
Do babies in Substage 1 (0–1 month) have object concept?
No. If an object is hidden, they think it’s gone
26
What age is Sensorimotor Substage 2?
1–4 months old
27
what is an example of a babies object concept ?
If a toy or pacifier is covered, the baby won’t look for it.
27
Example of a primary circular reaction:
A baby sucks their thumb, likes it, and does it again
27
What starts to develop in this stage 4?
Intentionality — babies begin doing actions on purpose
28
What limits a baby’s ability to act on purpose in Substage 3?
They have a poor understanding of cause and effect, so actions aren’t fully intentional yet
28
example of Object Concept at Substage 2 :
If a toy rolls away, the baby may glance that way but won’t try to find it
28
What is “magical causality”?
When babies think something happened by chance, not realizing they caused it
29
What age is Sensorimotor Substage 2?
1–4 months old
29
What happens with object concept here?
Babies show passive expectation — they might look where an object was, but don’t search for it
29
Do babies have full object permanence yet?
No, they don’t understand that objects still exist when out of sight
30
Why is the sensorimotor stage substage 3 (4-8 months) important?
Babies start noticing that their actions affect the world around them
30
do babies have object perminance yet at substage 2?
no, not yet
30
what is an example of the sensorimotor stage substage 3 (4-8 months) ?
a baby presses a button on a toy or shakes a rattle to hear the sound again
30
What age is Sensorimotor Substage 3?
4–8 months old
31
Do they have full object permanence st substage 3?
Not yet. They only understand part of it (ex. peek-a-boo )
31
What are “secondary circular reactions”?
Repeated actions that involve external objects, not just the baby’s body
32
What new ability starts to develop in substage stage 3?
They search for partially hidden objects (can find something if a bit is showing)
33
Example of magical causality:
A baby hits a toy, it lights up — they enjoy it but don’t yet know their action made it happen
34
What happens with object concept in Substage 3 (4–8 months)?
Babies start showing visual anticipation — they look where an object is expected to appear
35
What happens in Sensorimotor Substage 4 ?
Babies start coordinating actions — combining two or more behaviors to reach a goal
36
What age is Sensorimotor Substage 4?
8–12 months old
37
What are “coordinated secondary circular reactions”?
Planned, linked actions (e.g., moving one thing to get another)
37
What is “means-ends behaviour”?
Using one action (means) to make another action (end) happen
37
What is an example of Sensorimotor Substage 4 ?
A baby pushes a toy aside to grab another toy underneath
38
What age is Sensorimotor Substage 4?
8–12 months old
38
What appears for the first time in Sensorimotor Substage 4?
True intentionality — babies act on purpose to reach a goal
38
what is the "The A not B Task" :
It’s a test used to study object permanence (understanding that objects still exist when out of sight) in infants — especially around 8–12 months old
39
What improves in object understanding in Sensorimotor Substage 4 ?
They start to know things still exist when fully hidden
39
in what stage do infants have a better understanding that thtings/toys exist when hidden ?
Sensorimotor Stage Substage 4 (8-12 months)
39
What happens with object concept in Substage 4 (8–12 months)?
Babies can now search for fully hidden objects.
40
what is an example of Sensorimotor Substage 4?
A baby pushes a barrier (means) to grab a toy (end)
40
What does this show?
Their understanding of object permanence is improving but not complete yet.
40
what test do we use to test and show how babies understand object permanence?
A not B Task
40
in regards to object concept substage 4... does the infant understand the object as something that exists separate from the scheme applied to the object?
no
41
Do babies understand that the object exists on its own (separate from their actions)?
No. They know it’s hidden but don’t fully get that it still exists independently
41
how does the "A not B Task" work ?
- A toy is hidden under location A several times.
- The baby finds it successfully each time.
- Then, the toy is moved and hidden under location B (in front of the baby).
- Many babies still look under A, even though they saw it go under B — this mistake is called the A-not-B error.
41
What do mistakes in the the "A not B Task" test show?
Babies know the object exists but don’t yet think of it as separate from their actions
41
Why the "A not B Task" matter ...
It shows that babies know the object exists but don’t fully understand that it can exist independently of their own actions — their thinking is still tied to past success
41
How does the task work?
A toy is hidden several times under spot A, then once under spot B
41
What age is Sensorimotor Substage 5?
12–18 months old
41
Does the infant truly understand object permanence here?
No. They still link the object to their own action or past location
41
What does this behavior show?
The baby doesn’t fully understand that the object exists separately from where it was placed
41
What happens during the A trials?
The toy is hidden under box A, and the baby finds it correctly several times
41
What do babies usually do during the "A not B Task" test ?
They still look under A, even though they saw the toy moved to B
41
How does problem-solving change?
They can solve problems in their head instead of just trial and error
42
At what age does the "A not B Task" happen ?
Around 8–12 months old (Substage 4)
42
Example of Object Concept at Substage 5 :
If a toy is hidden inside a box that’s then moved, the baby won’t know it’s inside the box
42
What happens during the B trial?
The toy is moved and hidden under box B, but the baby often still searches at box A (the old spot)
42
What is the “A-not-B error”?
When a baby keeps looking under A even though they watched the toy move to B
42
What is the A-not-B error?
When a baby keeps looking at the first hiding spot (A) even after the toy is moved to a new spot (B)
42
Example of Sensorimotor Substage 5 :
A baby drops a toy in different ways to see what happens each time
42
What age is Sensorimotor Substage 5?
12–18 months old
42
What are “tertiary circular reactions”?
When babies experiment by trying new actions to see what happens
42
How did Piaget underestimate infants?
He thought secondary reactions (interacting with objects) happened later than they actually do
42
What do infants do in this stage?
they act like little scientists — testing cause and effect through play
42
in Substage 6 of Piaget’s sensorimotor stage — around 18–24 months - what can babies now do?
They can solve the A-not-B task — they look in the right spot (B)
42
What are their experiments limited to?
physical actions with objects (they can’t think abstractly yet)
42
What was Piaget mainly focused on?
Motor actions (like grabbing or moving), not mental or sensory processes
42
What can infants now do mentally?
Picture or imagine objects that aren’t there (mentally represent them)
42
What can’t they do yet?
They can’t find the object if its movement is hidden (invisible displacement)
42
What major ability appears in substage 6 (a type of thought)?
Symbolic thought — babies can think about things even when they’re not visible
42
What age is Sensorimotor Substage 6?
18–24 months old
42
Example of Sensorimotor Stage Substage 6 (18-24 months) :
If a toy rolls behind the couch, the baby knows it still exists and can imagine where it went
42
TRUE OR FALSE
Piaget may have underestimated how early babies develop these skills
TRUE
43
What did newer research show about infants?
Babies can combine actions and understand object permanence earlier than Piaget said
43
What are some challenges to Piaget’s Sensorimotor Stage theory?
It ignores sensation and perception, and underestimates infants’ abilities
43
What does Piaget’s theory ignore?
The roles of sight, hearing, and perception in how babies understand the world
43
What does “preoperational” mean?
It means the child is not yet able to think in an organized, logical way — their thinking isn’t fully “operationalized”
43
what is there an increase in during the preoperational stage?
There’s a big increase in symbolic thought — kids start using symbols to represent things
43
How is children’s thinking guided in this stage?
It’s guided mainly by the appearance of objects, not logic
43
What are examples of symbolic thought?
Pretend play, language, drawing, and imitation
44
Why do people still value Piaget’s work?
His theory inspired many researchers, even though some of his ideas were proven too limited
44
What does “thinking operationally” mean in Piaget’s theory?
It means applying logical principles to solve problems or think about symbols (not just physical objects)
44
What are the two substages of the preoperational stage?
- Symbolic Function (2–4 years)
- Intuitive Thought (4–7 years).
45
What’s a limitation in thinking during this stage?
Kids’ thinking is still not logical — they focus on how things look rather than reasoning
45
What are the two substages of the preoperational stage?
Symbolic Function (2–4 years) and Intuitive Thought (4–7 years)
45
What happens during the preoperational stage (2–7 years)?
Children’s thinking increases in symbolic ability — they can use symbols and words to represent things
45
What happens in the Symbolic Function substage (2–4 years)?
Children start using symbols (like words, drawings, and pretend play) to represent real things
45
what is an example of Symbolic Function substage (2–4 years) :
Pretending a block is a car or feeding a doll
46
What happens in the Intuitive Thought substage (4–7 years)?
Children begin to ask lots of “why” questions and start reasoning — but their logic is still based on intuition, not facts
47
What’s the main difference between the two substages?
→ Symbolic Function = using symbols to represent things
→ Intuitive Thought = starting to reason but without real logic yet
48
what age is Symbolic Function ?
2-4 years
49
what age is Intuitive Thought?
4 to 7 years
50
What are the main limitations in thinking during the Symbolic Function substage?
The two main limitations are egocentrism and animism
50
What is egocentrism?
Egocentrism means children can only see the world from their own point of view and have a hard time understanding that others might think or see differently
51
what do egocentrism believe ?
They believe everyone sees what they see and thinks what they think
52
What is animism?
Animism is when children believe that non-living (inanimate) objects have life-like qualities such as feelings, thoughts, or intentions
53
what do animism believe ?
They might think their toys, the sun, or the wind have emotions or can act on purpose
53
Why do these limitations happen in the preoperational stage?
Because children’s thinking is still centered on their own experiences — they use imagination and symbols but haven’t yet developed logical or flexible reasoning
54
What is the Symbolic Function Substage?
It’s the first part of the preoperational stage (ages 2–4) when children begin using symbols—like words, drawings, or pretend play—to represent real things or experiences.
55
What is the Symbolic Function Substage?
It’s the early part of the preoperational stage (ages 2–4) when children use symbols (like words or play) to represent real things but their thinking still has limits
56
What is Animism?
It’s when children believe non-living things are alive or have feelings and thoughts
56
What is Egocentrism?
It’s when a child can only see the world from their own point of view and thinks everyone sees and feels the same way
57
When do Egocentrism and Animism happen?
They happen only in the preoperational stage, especially during the Symbolic Function Substage (2–4 years)
58
What is the Three Mountains Task?
It’s a study by Piaget that tested egocentrism — whether children can see things from someone else’s point of view
59
How does the Three Mountains Task work?
Children sit in front of a model with three “mountains” (or boxes). Dolls are placed at different spots around it, and the child is asked
60
What does the task measure?
It measures if a child can understand another person’s perspective instead of only their own
60
in the mountain task work .. what do we ask ?
“What does the doll see?”
61
What do preoperational children (ages 2–4) usually say?
They usually describe what they see instead of what the doll sees — showing egocentrism (they think everyone sees what they see)
62
What happens as children get older?
Older children start to understand that others have different views and can pick the doll’s perspective correctly
62
What is animism in children?
It’s when young children believe non-living things have feelings or thoughts — like people or animals
63
Why do children say things like this?
Because they are still learning to separate living and non-living things, so they imagine everything has emotions or intentions
63
What are examples of animism?
- “The sun goes to bed because it’s sad.”
- “The stone is afraid of the grass.”
- “The boats are asleep.”
64
When is animism common?
Around ages 2–4, during the symbolic function substage of the preoperational stage
65
What does Abby’s story show?
It shows animism and imagination — she gives human feelings and roles to non-living things (the peaches)
66
What is Abby doing in the story?
She pretends the peaches are a family (baby, mom, dad) having a birthday party in her tummy
67
What does this behavior tell us about children’s thinking?
Young children often mix imagination with reality — they believe objects can act, feel, or think like humans
67
Why is this normal for her age?
Because 2-year-olds use symbolic play and animism to explore the world and practice thinking creatively
68
What is the Intuitive Thought Substage?
A stage (ages 4–7) when children start asking lots of questions but base thinking on how things look, not logic
69
What is conservation?
The understanding that amounts stay the same even if appearance changes (like water in different glasses)
69
What is centration?
When a child focuses on one feature of something (like height or color) and ignores other details
70
Can children in this stage do conservation tasks?
No — they think the appearance change means the amount changed (e.g., taller glass = more water)
71
What is Conservation of Number?
The understanding that the number of items stays the same even if their arrangement or spacing changes
71
What limits their thinking at this stage?
They rely on perception, not reasoning — what they see is what they believe
72
What happens in this task?
Children are shown two equal rows of objects and asked if they have the same number
73
What do young children usually say when one row is spread out?
They say the longer row has more, even though both have the same number
74
Why do they make this mistake?
Because they focus on appearance (space), not the actual number — this is called centration
74
What does this show about their thinking?
It shows they don’t yet understand conservation — they think quantity changes when appearance changes
75
Why do children fail conservation tasks?
Because their thinking isn’t based on logic yet — it’s driven by how things look
75
What is compensation?
Realizing that changes in one aspect (like height) can be balanced by another (like width)
76
What kind of thinking do children in the preoperational stage use?
They don’t use the principles of reversibility, compensation, or identity
77
What is reversibility?
Understanding that actions can be undone (e.g., if you pour water back, it’s the same amount)
78
What does this show about children’s thinking?
They’re still learning how to reason logically and understand cause and effect in the world
78
What is identity?
Knowing that an object stays the same even if its appearance changes (e.g., cutting a cookie doesn’t make more)
79
What does reversibility mean?
Understanding that actions can be undone — like pouring water back into the original glass
80
What do children in the preoperational stage think when water is poured into a taller glass?
They think the taller glass has more water, even though it’s the same amount
80
Why do infants think when water is poured into a taller glass theres more water?
Because they focus only on height, not width — they can’t mentally reverse the action
81
What does “lack of reversibility” show?
That children don’t understand the amount stays the same when appearance changes
82
Can young children fix this mistake by imagining pouring the water back?
no — they can’t yet mentally reverse the process
82
What is compensation?
Understanding that changes in one feature (like height) can be balanced by another (like width)
83
What does “lack of compensation” mean?
Children don’t realize that when one thing decreases, another can increase to keep the amount the same
84
Example of lack of compensation?
A child sees a short, wide cup and a tall, thin cup and thinks the tall one has more water
85
What does this show (preoperational children)?
Preoperational children can’t coordinate multiple dimensions yet; they think visually, not logically
86
What is identity?
Knowing that something stays the same even if its appearance changes
87
What does lack of identity mean?
Children think the amount changes just because it looks different
87
Example of lack of identity?
When water is poured into a taller glass, children think there’s more water, even though nothing was added or removed
88
Why does this happen?
Because preoperational children focus on one feature (like height) and ignore others (like amount)
88
What does this show about their thinking?
They trust what they see, not logic — they don’t understand that appearance ≠ quantity
89
Why do children fail conservation tasks?
Their thinking isn’t logical yet — they can’t understand that quantity stays the same when appearance changes
90
What are the three main principles children in this stage don’t understand?
1. Reversibility – actions can be undone
2. Compensation – one change can balance another
3. Identity – amount stays the same even if it looks different
91
What do children usually focus on?
height or size, not volume — they think “taller = more"
92
What does children failing conservation tasks show about their reasoning?
They rely on appearance, not logic — typical of the preoperational stage
92
What age range is the Concrete Operational Stage?
About 7 to 11 years old
93
Could it also be a communication problem?
yes — children may be confused by adult questions or think the adult expects a different answer
94
What new skills develop in the concrete operational stage?
Reasoning and logic — kids can think more logically and organized
95
What is relational logic?
Understanding how things relate — like seriation (ordering objects) and transitivity (if A > B and B > C, then A > C)
95
What problems can children now solve in the concreter operational stage ?
Conservation problems — they understand that amount doesn’t change just because appearance does
96
What is the main limitation in the concrete operational stage?
Children can only think about real or concrete things — not abstract or hypothetical ideas yet
97
What is seriation?
The ability to order or arrange objects based on a property like length, size, or height
97
What happens before the concrete operational stage?
ounger children can’t organize objects correctly — they may group small and big items together randomly
98
What changes in the concrete operational stage?
Children can logically arrange items in order (e.g., shortest to tallest)
99
What skill allows this improvement where children can logically arrange items in order?
Logical reasoning — understanding the relationship between different object sizes
100
What is transitivity?
The ability to combine and compare relationships logically
100
Example of seriation?
Lining up sticks from shortest to tallest
101
What skill does transitivity show?
Logical thinking — understanding how things relate in order
102
At what stage do kids develop transitivity?
In the Concrete Operational Stage (around 7–11 years)
102
Example of transitivity?
If Laurie > Jill and Jill > Mary, then Laurie > Mary (Laurie is the tallest)
103
What’s the main idea of the concrete operational stage?
Children can now connect information to make a logical conclusion
104
What is the main limitation of the Concrete Operational Stage?
Children can only think logically about real or concrete things, not abstract ideas
105
What does "concrete" mean here?
Things that are real, visible, or imaginable — not hypothetical
106
Example of this limitation?
A child may think a whale is a fish because it looks like one, not realizing it’s actually a mammal
107
Why do they think this way?
They rely on appearance instead of abstract reasoning or deeper understanding
108
When does this change?
In the Formal Operational Stage, when they can think abstractly and reason beyond what they see
109
in what stage do infants begin to think beyond their personal experiences; can think of things they haven't even experienced ?
Formal-operational Stage (11 years and beyond)
110
What is the Formal Operational Stage?
Piaget’s final stage of cognitive development (ages 12+) where kids can think abstractly and logically
111
What does abstract logical thinking mean?
Thinking about ideas or situations not physically present (e.g., “What if…” questions)
112
What new reasoning skills appear in the formal operational stage?
Deductive logic and inductive logic
113
What is deductive logic?
Starting with a theory or rule and testing it with examples
114
What is an example of deductive logic?
“All birds have feathers → this animal has feathers → it’s a bird”
115
What is inductive logic?
Using observations to form a theory or conclusion
116
What is an example of inductive logic?
“I saw 3 white swans → maybe all swans are white”
117
How is formal operational stage different from concrete thinking?
Children can now think theoretically, not just about what they can see or touch
118
What is the Pendulum Problem?
A task that tests reasoning skills by asking what affects how fast a pendulum swings
118
What factors can affect a pendulum’s speed?
- Length of the string
- Weight of the object
- Height it’s dropped from
- Force of the push
119
What are kids asked to do?
Test one factor at a time while keeping others constant — like a scientific experiment
119
What skill does The Pendulum Problem test?
Inductive reasoning — forming theories from observations
120
Why do some children fail this task?
They may test randomly or only one possibility, instead of isolating variables
121
What plays a role in success?
Culture, education, and experience — they help children learn to test logically
122
what are the 3 General Criticisms of Piaget’s Theory ?
- generalization
- stages
- underestimates abilities
123
What does generalizability mean in Piaget’s theory?
His theory was based mostly on his own kids — so it lacks diversity and may not apply to all children
123
Which stage did he likely underestimate?
the Sensorimotor Stage — babies understand more than Piaget thought
124
Why is generalizability a criticism?
He didn’t study enough different ages, cultures, or backgrounds, so results may not represent all kids
124
What’s the issue with stages?
Critics question if Piaget’s clear stages really exist — development may be more gradual, not sudden shifts
124
What does underestimates abilities mean?
Piaget underestimated how smart kids actually are — modern research shows kids can do more, earlier
125
Which stage might he have overestimated?
The Formal Operational Stage — not all teens reach that level of abstract thinking
126
What is Vygotsky’s Theory of Development about?
It explains how social interaction and language help shape a child’s thinking and learning
127
How did Vygotsky’s view differ from Piaget’s?
Vygotsky said learning comes from others (social), while Piaget said learning develops individually
128
What does it mean that cognitive skills should be analyzed developmentally?
we should look at how a child’s thinking changes with age and experience, not just what they know now
128
What does it mean that cognitive skills originate in social relations?
Kids learn first through talking and interacting with others (like parents, teachers, or peers)
129
What does it mean that cognitive skills are mediated by language?
Language helps thinking — children use words to plan, remember, and solve problems
130
What was a key idea Vygotsky focused on that Piaget didn’t?
The importance of social input and culture in shaping how children think and learn
130
What is the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)?
The gap between what a child can do alone and what they can do with help from an adult or skilled peer
131
What is the actual level?
What the child can do independently (e.g., putting on shoes alone)
132
What is scaffolding?
When a more skilled person helps a child learn by giving the right amount of support for their current ability
132
What is the potential level?
What the child can do with guidance or support (e.g., tying laces with help)
133
Why is the ZPD important?
It shows how learning happens — children learn best when given just enough help to reach the next level
134
What role do teachers or peers play?
They act as guides or scaffolds, helping the child progress until they can do it alone
134
Example of ZPD in action?
A child learning to ride a bike — first with training wheels and help, then independently
135
What does scaffolding involve?
Adjusting help — giving more guidance at first, then reducing support as the child improves
136
Who can provide scaffolding?
Teachers, parents, or peers who are more capable
137
What’s the goal of scaffolding?
To help the child become independent in doing the task on their own
138
Example of scaffolding?
A parent guiding a child to sound out words when reading, then letting them try alone once they get better
139
What did Vygotsky believe about language and thought?
He believed language shapes thinking — we use words to form and organize our thoughts
140
What determines thought development, according to Vygotsky?
Language and social experiences — the way children talk and interact helps their thinking grow
141
How is language linked to thinking?
Language is a tool for thought — it helps children plan, problem-solve, and reason
142
How did Vygotsky’s view differ from Piaget’s?
- Vygotsky: Language is very important — inner speech helps thinking
- Piaget: Language is not central — thinking develops before language
143
What is “inner speech”?
It’s the voice in your head that helps you think, plan, and solve problems
Child Development 2040
flashcards
Decks in class (12)
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