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C H A P T E R 2

Cognitive and Language Development

1

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ChoiceLearning Goals

1. Define development and explain the main processes, periods, and issues in development.

2. Discuss the development of the brain and compare the cognitive developmental theories of Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky.

3. Identify the key features of language, biological and environmental influences on language, and the typical growth of a child’s language.

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ChoiceCognitive and Language Development

An Overview ofChild

Development

Processes and Periods

Development and Education

Developmental Issues

Exploring What Development Is

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ChoiceAn Overview of Child Development

Development: The pattern of biological, cognitive, and socioemotional changes that begins at conception and continues through the life span.

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ChoicePERIODS OF DEVELOPMENT

• INFANCY-18 TO 24 months• EARLY CHILDHOOD-24 months to 5 yrs• MIDDLE & LATE CHILDHOOD-6-11yrs• ADOLESCENCE-12yrs-18 to 21 yrs

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ChoiceDevelopmental Processes

Biological processes and genetic inheritance Development of the brain Gains in height and weight Changes in motor skills Puberty’s hormonal changes

Cognitive processes Changes in the child’s thinking Intelligence Language acquisition

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ChoiceDevelopmental Processes

Socioemotional processes Changes in the child’s relationships

with other people Changes in personality

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ChoiceDevelopmental Issues

Nature-Nurture Issue

Continuity-Discontinuity Issue

Early-Later Experience Issue

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ChoiceCognitive and Language Development

Cognitive Development

Piaget’s Theory

The Brain Vygotsky’s Theory

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ChoiceMyelination

Myelination increases the speed at which information travels through the nervous system.

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ChoiceBrain Lateralization

…the specialization of functions in each hemisphere of the brain.

Verbal Processing

In most individuals, speech and grammar

are localized in the left hemisphere.

Nonverbal Processing

Spatial perception,visual recognition,

and emotion are localized

in the right hemisphere.

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ChoicePiaget’s Cognitive Processes Schemas

Assimilation

Accommodation

Organization

Equilibration

Actions or mental representations that organize knowledge

Incorporating new information into existing schemas

Adjusting existing schemas to fit new information and experiences

Grouping isolated behaviors and thoughts into a higher-order system

A shift, a resolution of conflict to reach a balance

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Cognition unfolds in a sequence of four stages.

Each stage is age-related and distinctive.

Each stage is discontinuous from and more advanced than the previous.

Piaget’s Four Stages

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ChoicePiaget’s Four Stages

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Coordination of sensory experiences with motor actions.

Object permanence involves the realization that objects continue to exist over time.

Piaget’s Sensorimotor Stage-birth to two yrs

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ChoicePiaget’s Preoperational Stage Symbolic Function Substage-2yrs to 4yrs

Symbolic Thought: Ability to represent mentally an object that is not present; pretend play

Limitations: Egocentrism: The inability to distinguish between

one’s own perspective and someone else’s perspective.

Animism: The belief that inanimate objects have “lifelike” qualities and are capable of action.

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ChoiceThe Three Mountain Tasks

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ChoicePiaget’s Preoperational StageIntuitive Thought Substage -4yrs-7 yrs

Intuitive Thought rather than logical thinking

Centration: Focuses on one characteristic to the exclusion of others.

Lack of Conservation

Classification: Ability to classify objects according to only one characteristic at a time.

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ChoiceConservation of Liquid

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ChoicePiaget’s Concrete Operational Stage-7yrs-11yrs

Conservation The idea that some characteristics of an object stay the same even though the object might change in appearance.

Classification Coordinate several characteristics rather than focus on a single property of an object.

Seriation Order stimuli along some quantitative dimension.

Transitivity Combine relations to understand certain conclusions.If A>B, and B>C, then A>C.

Logical reasoning replaces intuitive reasoning, but only in concrete situations.

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ChoiceHierarchical ClassificationWhen shown a

family tree of fourgenerations, the

concrete operationalchild can classify

the members vertically,

horizontally,and obliquely.

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ChoicePiaget’s Formal Operational Stage-11yrs to 15 yrs

Abstract reasoning: Think in abstract, idealistic, and logical ways.

Hypothetical-deductive reasoning: Ability to develop hypotheses about ways to solve problems and systematically reach a conclusion.

Adolescent egocentrism: Heightened self-consciousness and a sense of personal uniqueness.

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ChoicePiaget’s TheoryTeaching Strategies

• Take a constructivist approach• Facilitate rather than direct learning• Consider the child’s knowledge & level of

thinking• Promote the student’s intellectual health• Turn the classroom into a setting of

exploration & discovery

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ChoiceCriticisms of Piaget’s Theory• Estimates of children’s competence• Stages• Training children to reason at a higher level• Culture and education

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ChoiceVygotsky’s Theory

Zone of Proximal DevelopmentScaffolding: Teacher adjusts the

level of support as performance rises.

Language and Thought:Develop independently of each

other, then merge.Have external or social originsSelf-talk

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ChoiceVygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development

(ZPD)

ZPD

Tasks too difficult for child to master even with assistance

Tasks child can master alone

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Choice• Zone of Proximal development- Upper limit “buds/flowers” of developmentLower limit “fruits” of development• Scaffolding-Changing level of support- as student competence

increases less guidance is given.

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Choice• Language & thought• Private speech (self talk) • transition from external to internal speech takes

place between 3-7yrs; • after a while self talk becomes minimal and they

can act without verbalizing; • hence this can be called as the transition of

egocentric speech to inner speech which in turn are called our thoughts.

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ChoiceStrategies for using Vygotsky’s theory

• Assess the child’s ZPD• Use the child’s ZPD for teaching- “What can I do to help you”• Use skilled peers as teachers• Monitor & encourage children’s private

speech• Place instruction in a meaningful context

(real world implications)

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ChoiceReflection & Observation

Reflection:• Identify an experience in which a more competent person helped you learn something you were unable to do alone. • How did this person scaffold your learning?

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ChoiceCognitive and Language Development

Language Development

How Language Develops

What IsLanguage?

Biological andEnvironmental

Influences

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ChoiceLanguage is …

Phonology Sound system of a language

Morphology Units of meaning involved in word formation-

Syntax Rules for combining words into phrases/sentences--Bob was beaten by James

-

…a form of communication, spoken, written, or signed, that is based on a system of symbols.

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ChoiceSemantics Meaning of words and

sentences-girl and woman

Pragmatics Appropriate use of language in different contexts-addressing diff people according to age and relationship

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ChoiceHow Language DevelopsInfancy-birth to 2 yrs

• Babbling• One two words

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ChoiceHow Language DevelopsEarly Childhood-2-5yrs

Phonology Sensitive to sounds, rhymes

Morphology Overgeneralize rules (eg foot-foots)

Syntax Complex rules for ordering words(where daddy is going?)

Semantics 6-year-old: 8,000 to 14,000-word vocabulary

Pragmatics Talk in different ways to different people

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ChoiceHow Language Develops

Middle & Late Childhood-6 to 11 yrsPhonology Alphabetic principle: letter-sound

correspondence

MorphologyAppropriate application of rule(categorizing-dog/barks; eat/lunch….transforms to dog/cat & eat/drink)

SyntaxComplex grammar; metalinguistic awareness-to think about their lang. understand what words are and even define them

Semantics 12-year-old: 50,000-word vocabulary

Pragmatics Culturally appropriate language use

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ChoiceHow Language DevelopsAdolescence-12 yrs to adulthood

• Increased sophistication in use of words

• Greater understanding of metaphors(implied comparison between unlike things), satire,(irony) and complex literary works

• Better writers• Dialect includes jargon and

slang

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ChoiceSupporting Vocabulary Development Through Technology

Computers Relate the new to the known Promote active, in-depth

processing-learn meaning instead of memorizing

Encourage reading

Audio BooksEducational Television

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