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PDF Introduction To Early Childhood Education Pearson New International Edition Preschool Through Primary Grades Jo Ann Brewer Ebook Full Chapter
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Introduction to Early Childhood Education
Introduction to Early Childhood
Education: Preschool Through
Primary Grades
Brewer
Jo Ann Brewer Sixth Edition
Sixth Edition
ISBN 978-1-29204-201-5
9 781292 042015
Pearson New International Edition
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted
in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without either the
prior written permission of the publisher or a licence permitting restricted copying in the United Kingdom
issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency Ltd, Saffron House, 6–10 Kirby Street, London EC1N 8TS.
All trademarks used herein are the property of their respective owners. The use of any trademark
in this text does not vest in the author or publisher any trademark ownership rights in such
trademarks, nor does the use of such trademarks imply any affiliation with or endorsement of this
book by such owners.
Table of Contents
Glossary
Jo Ann Brewer 1
1. Young Children Growing, Thinking, and Learning
Jo Ann Brewer 7
2. Designing Schools for Young Children
Jo Ann Brewer 45
3. Creating an Environment for Learning
Jo Ann Brewer 85
4. Planning Learning Activities
Jo Ann Brewer 115
5. Play: Learning at Its Best
Jo Ann Brewer 153
6. Guiding Behavior
Jo Ann Brewer 189
7. Assessment and Reporting
Jo Ann Brewer 217
8. Celebrating the Magic of Language
Jo Ann Brewer 255
9. Developing Literacy
Jo Ann Brewer 293
10. Manipulation and Discovery through Mathematics
Jo Ann Brewer 341
11. Manipulation and Discovery through Science
Jo Ann Brewer 379
12. Encouraging the Creative Arts
Jo Ann Brewer 411
I
13. Living Together: The Social Studies
Jo Ann Brewer 451
14. Promoting Wellness: Physical Education and Health, Nutrition, and Safety Education
Jo Ann Brewer 481
15. Working with Parents and Paraprofessionals
Jo Ann Brewer 511
References
Jo Ann Brewer 541
Index 561
II
Glossary
Adaptive equipment Equipment used by people with Classifying Sorting materials or objects into pre-
disabilities, such as wheelchairs, walkers, and so specified categories or into categories that one can
on. explain.
Algorithm The general rule or procedure for solving Cognitive development Development of the ability to
a specific kind of math problem; for instance, add- think and reason.
ing multidigit numbers often involves moving (or Communicating In science, sharing one’s observa-
“carrying”) the tens or hundreds value to the next tions and data collections with others through a
column. variety of means.
Anecdotal records Informal records of the teacher’s Communication In mathematics, being able to or-
observations of children’s behavior; these records ganize and express to others the solutions to prob-
are likely to reveal patterns of behavior over time. lems, how problems were solved, and so on.
Antibias curriculum A curriculum aimed at eliminat- Communicative competence The ability of a speaker
ing bias of all types by teaching children to respect to use language appropriately to achieve his needs.
people regardless of their sex, age, race/ethnicity, Comparing Examining objects and events in terms of
and other traits. their similarities and differences.
Arrival time The period just before the start of the Complex unit A play material that has several differ-
schoolday, when children are arriving at the class- ent purposes and that can be used by several chil-
room; providing activities during this period can dren at once.
help occupy children who arrive early and avoid Conflict resolution The set of skills needed to man-
behavior problems before the official start of the age difficult social situations, including recognizing
day. alternate responses, understanding others’ view-
Assessment Use of a comprehensive evaluation sys- points, and communicating one’s own feelings and
tem to determine the quality of a program or the expectations in positive ways.
progress of a child. Constructivist model A method of instruction that
Assistive technology Devices such as portable key- recognizes the importance of the learner in the
boards and speech synthesizers that allow children learning process; learners have to build their own
with disabilities to communicate. understandings, especially of math and science
Autonomy The ability to make decisions for oneself; concepts.
autonomy is essential to effective guidance because Content strands In the model of the National Council
asking children to obey without understanding why of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM), the content
does not help them learn to make good decisions strands define the subjects that will be taught:
about their behavior. Number and Operations; Geometry and Spatial
Behaviorist model A method of education based on Sense; Measurement; Patterns, Functions, and Alge-
the theory that learning is a behavior that can be bra; and Data Analysis, Statistics, and Probability.
manipulated by a system of rewards and punish- Corporal punishment Physical punishment, such as
ments or by operant conditioning. spanking, pinching, and slapping.
Behavior-management systems Approaches to man- Craft activities Activities in which the focus is on the
aging children’s behavior that are rooted in various product, suggesting that the work that results is
theories of child development and discipline. more important than the process used to create it.
Body of knowledge What is known in any field of Creativity Purposeful behaviors and ideas that ex-
study; in social studies, this would include knowing tend beyond the present and are original and
the major holidays, the names of the states, the di- imaginative.
rections on a map or globe, and so forth. Curriculum A written plan for learning experiences.
Broken home A phrase often used to describe fami- Daily class schedule A plan for daily classroom activ-
lies who are divorced; it is a negative phrase and ities that provides routine, structure, and balance
does not describe the home or the family in any yet is flexible enough to accommodate individual
useful way. and group needs.
Child care Care for children in a group, usually for Dance education Planned activities that help
the entire working day; the term day care was used children learn to express themselves through
previously. movement.
From Glossary of Introduction to Early Childhood Education: Preschool Through Primary Grades, Sixth Edition.
Jo Ann Brewer. Copyright © 2007 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. 1
Decision making A focus in social studies educa- in time; children’s early literacy behaviors lay the
tion that involves helping children solve prob- foundation for their development.
lems and make decisions related to the classroom Emerging curriculum An approach to curriculum
environment or their own behaviors and development in which the teacher follows the lead
choices. of the children.
Deficit model A point of view that regards parents English language learners The most common term
in terms of what they do not know or do and that for describing children who do not speak English
ignores the strengths of the family. as their first language; in some school systems,
Departure time The end of the schoolday, when ma- these children are described as being limited
terials are being distributed, coats are being put English proficiency (LEP) or as ESL (English-as-a-
on, and children are getting ready to leave; having second-language) students.
a routine for these tasks can help avoid behavior Environmental print Print that occurs in the every-
problems at this time of day. day environment, such as stop signs and product
Developmentally appropriate practice (DAP) labels.
Teaching that is age and individually appropriate Expanding curriculum A social studies curriculum
for each child in a program. that begins with a focus on the individual in kin-
Dialect A systematic variation of the common lan- dergarten or first grade and moves on in subse-
guage that is spoken by a particular group; the quent grades to address the family, the community,
variation can be in word order, meaning, or pro- the state, the nation, and the world.
nunciation; by definition, a dialect is rule governed Experimenting Controlling one or more variables
and consistent. and manipulating the conditions; the purposes are
Direct instruction Instruction in which the teacher to determine if the results obtained match those
presents information directly to the children. that were expected and if those results can be
Directed play Play in which the teacher instructs the repeated.
children in how to accomplish a specific task. Exploratory play Play in which children have no
Discipline Guidance aimed at helping children gain objective other than exploration.
self-control of their behavior. Food pyramid A model that specifies the amounts
Dispositional learning Learning to be more empa- and kinds of food needed for a healthy diet; the
thetic, to try different techniques, and to avoid current model was created by the U.S. Department
negative behaviors (such as sulking, whining, and of Agriculture and is called My Pyramid.
having tantrums) in discipline situations; modeling Formative assessment Assessment that is conducted
these skills is an effective way of helping children on a regular basis as children work through a
learn them. project; this feedback allows instruction to be
Drama Experiences in which children play, pretend, adapted if children are not making progress.
role-play, and create characters and ideas. Free play Play in which children have many choices
Drawing realism The fourth stage in children’s art of materials and how to use them.
development, which is marked by creating smaller Functions The patterns created when certain actions
drawings, adding more detail, and being less will- are performed on objects or numbers.
ing to share their art. Fundamental motor skills Basic motor skills, such
Early childhood The period from birth to age eight. as running, jumping, hopping, throwing, and
Eclectic approach An approach to social studies in- so on.
struction that combines parts of several different Games of construction Games in which children
approaches—for example, teaching children the build mechanical constructions or solve problems
names of the states as well as what underlies the by using materials symbolically.
concept of a state or a country such as the United Games with rules Games in which children play ac-
States. cording to rules they have created or rules that are
Ecological systems theory A theoretical point of generally agreed on for the given game.
view that explains a child’s development through Guidance An approach to behavior management
a dynamic system of relationships, including the that helps children gain self-esteem, learn to
family and the culture of the child. be cooperative, and gradually learn the skills
Egocentric thought patterns Thought patterns in necessary for taking responsibility for their own
which the child fails to consider the viewpoints of behavior.
others. Guided listening An instructional strategy in which
Emergent literacy The concept that children start the teacher selects a piece of music for a specific
to learn about printed language in infancy and de- group of children and then guides them through
velop their skills gradually, rather than at one point their initial hearing of it.
Glossary
2
Guided play Play in which the teacher has selected Language A system of communication used by hu-
materials from which the children may choose in mans; it is either produced orally or by sign and
order to discover specific concepts. can be written.
Guided reading An instructional strategy in which Latchkey children A term used to describe children
the teacher selects a text for a specific group of who are home alone after school until a parent or
readers and then guides them through their initial caregiver returns from work.
reading of it. Learning areas Places designated in the classroom
Head Start A federal program initiated in 1965 that where certain activities take place and related ma-
provides educational, social, medical, dental, nu- terials are stored; also called learning centers.
trition, and mental health services to low-income Learning environment A space, indoors or out, that
preschool children. is planned to facilitate instruction.
Health education Activities integrated throughout Learning plan A comprehensive plan of learning ex-
the schoolday that help children learn good health periences for children.
habits, such as daily personal routines. Least restrictive environment (LRI) The educa-
High-stakes testing Testing for which the results tional setting that is least restrictive for an indi-
are used to make major decisions about children vidual with given characteristics; the setting that
and their futures (e.g., to pass to another grade, to provides the best educational opportunity for a
graduate from high school, and so on). child who is disabled.
Holiday celebrations In social studies education, Linguistic model An approach to language develop-
choosing and celebrating holidays that are rele- ment that suggests that language is inherent in the
vant to children’s lives and the goals of the child at birth and needs only to be triggered by so-
curriculum. cial contact with speakers to emerge.
Home visits Planned visits to children’s homes by a Listening Being engaged in hearing and comprehend-
school staff member such as a teacher, counselor, ing oral language and other sounds.
or principal. Literacy The ability to read and write well enough to
Illicit play Play that is discouraged and perhaps for- function in day-to-day life.
bidden by the teacher, such as gun play, sex play, Logico-mathematical learning Learning that re-
and “superhero” play. quires children to create and reflect on relation-
Incidental learning Learning opportunities that ships between and among objects; unlike social
present themselves in the course of a day through learning (such as language), logico-mathematical
the child’s play or interaction with people and learning involves replacing previously learned
materials. concepts.
Instructional materials The materials provided to Mainstreaming A placement approach in which
help children develop specific skills and learn spe- children with disabling conditions are included in
cific concepts. regular classrooms; now more frequently referred
Instrumental play Play that the teacher plans and to as inclusion.
encourages to teach specific concepts or ideas to Mandated goals Goals set by the school director or
children. written into the school curriculum that both the
Integrated curriculum A curriculum in which the teacher and children are expected to meet.
content is integrated across subject areas; learning Manipulatives Materials such as cubes, blocks,
goals in the subject areas are met by organizing the beads, and the like that children can physically
curriculum around a topic or theme. handle while learning mathematical concepts.
Journal writing An instructional strategy in which Mastery learning The concept that children can mas-
children record messages and ideas in personal ter the tasks presented to them at school but that
notebooks through drawing and writing. some of them will need more time and more activi-
Kidwatching A term coined by Goodman (1985) ties or guidance to do so.
to describe how teachers should observe chil- Mathematics The science of numbers and space con-
dren’s language, thinking, and responses; do- figurations; for children, it provides a way of view-
ing so is very important in assessing language ing the world and their experiences in it.
development. Maturationist theory A theoretical point of view sug-
Kindergarten A class or school for children who are gesting that when given optimal conditions, a child
usually from four to six years old; kindergarten pre- will develop according to his own schedule.
cedes first grade. Measuring Collecting and quantifying information; it
Language delay A delay in a child’s language develop- is not restricted to using standard measures.
ment that results in her skills not matching what is Medical procedures The common procedures that
typical of age peers. children undergo when visiting a doctor, such as
Glossary
3
getting a shot, wearing a splint on a limb, being more positive attitudes and behaviors, a higher
weighed and measured, and the like. graduation rate, and an increased likelihood of en-
Metaknowledge Knowledge of what one knows. rolling in higher education.
Montessori model A model of education that focuses Parent place A special area of the classroom or a
on the individuality of each child and that em- room in the school that is set aside for parents for
phasizes that children are different from adults in the purpose of making them feel important and
terms of how they develop and think. needed.
Morpheme The smallest unit of sound that carries Patterns Discernible combinations or arrangements
meaning; some words are morphemes (e.g., tiger) of numbers, sounds, words, color, and so on.
and some are combinations of morphemes (e.g., Phonemic awareness The ability to understand lan-
tigers = tiger + s). guage separate from meaning and manipulate its
Morphology The system of language that involves the component sounds; it involves a cluster of skills
meanings of sounds; included are the prefixes and that develop over time.
suffixes that change the meanings of words (for in- Phonics A method of instruction that involves teach-
stance, adding an s to form a plural). ing readers how to decode the print symbols used
Movement experiences Planned activities in which to represent language sounds.
children respond to music through various types of Phonology The system of language that involves the
movement, such as clapping or tapping, walking or sounds of the language; included are rules for com-
skipping to a beat, moving slowly or quickly, and bining sounds and how to adjust stress and intona-
so on. tion to communicate meaning.
Multicultural education An approach to education Physical development The process of ongoing physi-
that encourages children to understand and respect cal growth and maturation; the acquisition of mo-
all people and cultures. tor skills is generally sequential and age related.
Multiple intelligences theory A theoretical point Physical education A content area that involves
of view that suggests learners have particular studying movement, increasing skills in move-
strengths in one or more areas, such as verbal skill, ment, and learning to play games; some teachers
physical skill, or musical skill. have special certification for teaching physical
Music Vocal, instrumental, and mechanical sounds education.
that are characterized by rhythm, melody, and Physical fitness For young children, physical fitness
harmony. is defined by cardiorespiratory function, relative
No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act Legislation leanness, abdominal endurance, lower-back flex-
passed in 2001 that requires states to administer ibility, and upper-body strength and endurance.
content-area tests to students at various grade lev- Physical knowledge Knowledge gained by exploring
els and to use those test scores as the basis for de- objects and identifying their properties (such as
termining effectiveness of individual schools. hard, soft, square, able to roll, and so on).
Nonjudgmental attitude An attitude of acceptance; Play An active behavior that is personally motivated,
a refusal on the part of the teacher to criticize is often nonliteral, has no extrinsic goals or rules,
parents. and for which the individual supplies the meaning.
Nutrition education Planned activities about various Portfolio A collection of artifacts and anecdotes that
kinds of food and how to make nutritious choices document a student’s efforts and achievements; the
to ensure good health. student is involved in selecting and evaluating these
Observing Examining objects in an attempt to notice materials.
specific qualities or behaviors; it involves all the Practice play Play in which children explore the
senses, not just sight. nature of objects or materials with no other play
Open-ended materials Play materials that allow mul- goals.
tiple outcomes and unique uses in each situation, Pragmatics The system of language that determines
such as blocks, sand, and water. the use of language in social interactions; speak-
Operant conditioning Rewards that are offered to a ers must learn acceptable ways to adapt their lan-
subject for moving closer to a desired behavior. guage to achieve communication goals in different
Oral language Communicating by expressing infor- situations.
mation through speech. Preschematic stage The second stage in children’s art
Paraprofessionals Paid assistants in the classroom, development, which is marked by attempts to rep-
who are sometimes referred to as teacher aides. resent familiar objects in the environment.
Parent involvement Parents’ interest and participa- Print-rich environment An environment in which
tion in their children’s schooling; it has been shown functional print is prevalent, such that learners no-
to result in higher grades, improved attendance, tice it, use it, and add to it.
Glossary
4
Problem solving The basic feature of mathemat- School handbook A booklet prepared by the school
ics instruction, given that the purpose of learning for the parents that describes the school’s philosophy
math is to solve problems; this term should not be and goals and provides practical information such
confused with the term word problem. as a calendar, phone numbers to call, and so on.
Process strands In the model of the National Coun- Science The process of observing, thinking, and re-
cil of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM), the pro- flecting on actions and events; for children, science
cess strands represent how mathematical content involves constructing a framework of relationships
knowledge is used: Problem Solving; Reasoning within which factual information can be organized
and Proof; Communication; Connections; and into meaningful and useful concepts.
Representation. Scientific process The cycle or steps of investigat-
Progressive education movement A model that ing various properties and reactions: forming hy-
rejects methods involving memorization and potheses, collecting data; confirming or rejecting
recitation and provides more active and engaging hypotheses; making generalizations; and repeating
experiences for learners. the cycle.
Pullout programs Special lessons and activities Screening tests Tests designed to determine whether
that involve removing children from the class- children are eligible for particular programs or
room at certain times of day—for instance, speech need special attention.
therapy. Scribbling In the visual arts, the beginning stage in
Punishment Removing children’s privileges or physi- development; also the first stage in the develop-
cally reprimanding them with the intent of chang- ment of writing.
ing their behavior. Semantics The system of language that governs the
Read-aloud A critical reading instructional strat- meanings of words; context is very important in de-
egy in which the teacher reads aloud a carefully termining meaning.
selected text to a whole class, small group, or Shared reading An instructional strategy in which
individual. the teacher takes primary responsibility for the
Readiness tests Tests designed to predict children’s reading but actively involves the children in the
preparedness for specific instructional programs. process.
Reading Gaining information from print. Sight-word vocabulary The set of words that a given
Reflective abstraction Learning a concept by ma- reader can recognize on sight and without having
nipulating objects and examining the results. to do any other decoding.
Reliability The degree to which the scores gener- Simple abstraction Learning a concept from re-
ated by a test are consistent, repeatable, and thus peated experience with objects.
dependable. Simple unit A play material that has one obvious use
Representation Related to communication in mathe- and that only one child can use at a time.
matics, representation is the skill of finding ways to Social development The process of acquiring social
record one’s information so that it can be retrieved, skills and understanding the nature of social inter-
discussed, used again, and so on. actions and relationships.
Room arrangement The arrangement of furniture Social knowledge The ability to put incidents into
and materials to meet the needs of the children and perspective and to gain a basic understanding of
the teacher. the concept of justice.
Rubric A scoring plan that indicates the tasks or qual- Social learning theory A theoretical point of view
ities that underlie successful completion of a given that describes the importance of social learning
activity (say, writing a story) as well as the weight and the use of modeling as an important method
or value of each task or quality. for assisting learning.
Rule-governed play Play in which children have ob- Social play Play in which children are involved to
jectives, such as finding the solution to a problem various degrees with other people.
or determining cause and effect. Social skills The set of behavioral skills that a child
Safety education Planned activities that help chil- needs to interact with others in positive ways while
dren learn how to protect themselves and what to being assertive about meeting his own needs.
do in an emergency; topics include fire safety, traf- Social skills The skills needed to interact effectively
fic safety, water safety, poison safety, and personal with others, especially in a group—for instance,
safety. taking turns when talking, abiding by group deci-
Schematic stage The third stage in children’s art sions, asserting preferences gracefully, and recog-
development, which is marked by using specific nizing individual differences.
forms and shapes to represent elements of the Social studies The integrated study of the social
environment. sciences and humanities; for young children, the
Glossary
5
purpose is to help them learn how to make deci- calling and voice mail systems, answering ma-
sions as informed citizens in a diverse, democratic chines, and websites; its use in school makes com-
society. munication with parents quick and easy.
Sociodramatic play Play in which children assume Testing The administration of various kinds of
roles and act out episodes, such as putting a baby tests (such as standardized, readiness, screen-
to bed. ing, achievement, and so on) to measure certain
Sociolinguistics The study of language in a social outcomes.
context; this study is closely related to pragmatics. Theme A topic of study that can be addressed across
Specialists Those teachers who are certified to teach the content areas; it should be worthy of study and
art, music, or physical education to children. relevant and of interest to learners.
Standardized tests Tests for which individuals’ “Time out” Removing a child from the group and
scores are interpreted against the scores of a norm isolating her, perhaps by sitting on a chair; the
group that has taken the test and that is considered intent is to provide an opportunity for the child to
representative of the population. gain control of her behavior and then return to the
State standards Standards implemented at the state group when ready.
level that specify, in more or less detail, what is to Traffic patterns The paths where children and teach-
be taught at each grade level in each subject. ers walk in the classroom, which are often deter-
Stimulus-response theory The theory that when a mined by the arrangement of furniture.
stimulus is offered and a reward or punishment Transitions The periods of time needed between
is given in response, a certain behavior will be re- activities, which may involve movement from one
peated or extinguished over time; this is one of the area to another; these are the most likely times for
key mechanisms for learning from the behaviorist behavior problems and other disruptions.
point of view. Validity The degree to which a test measures what it
Strand Model A way of conceptualizing the impor- is intended to measure.
tant elements of mathematics instruction using Verbal skills The set of language skills that a child
content strands (actual math topics) and process needs to solve problem situations, such as being
strands (ways of using math knowledge). able to negotiate with others and express one’s own
Summative assessment Assessment that is con- needs without being rude or sullen.
ducted at the end of a project or unit; the final as- Vertical space Wall space and space on the sides
sessment, after which instruction can no longer be of file cabinets, bookshelves, and so on; this
adjusted to provide a different outcome. space is often overlooked and thus underused in
Super unit A play material that has three or more classrooms.
purposes and that can be used by several children Visual arts The graphic arts, such as drawing, paint-
at once. ing, and printing as well as producing sculpture
Symbolic play Play in which children use items to and collage.
represent other items—say, using blocks to build a Volunteers Parents and community members who
corral and dominoes to represent the animals in it. help in the classroom without being paid.
Syntax The system of language that provides the Withitness The teacher’s ability to know what is going
rules for combining words into phrases and sen- on in the classroom and on the playground at all
tences and for transforming sentences into other times.
sentences. Writing Communicating by recording information in
Teaching strategies Methods of presenting in- print.
struction, such as demonstrations, lectures, and Zone of proximal development (ZPD) The gap be-
simulations. tween what a child can do independently and what
Telecommunication Communication that is facili- he cannot do even with assistance.
tated by electronic means, such as computerized
Glossary
6
Young Children
Growing, Thinking,
and Learning
From Chapter 1 of Introduction to Early Childhood Education: Preschool Through Primary Grades, Sixth Edition.
Jo Ann Brewer. Copyright © 2007 by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. 7
KEY TERMS you’ll find in this chapter:
■ Cognitive ■ Maturationist theory ■ Stimulus-response
development ■ Metaknowledge theory
■ Developmentally ■ Multiple intelligences ■ Zone of proximal
appropriate practice theory development (ZPD)
(DAP)
■ Operant conditioning
■ Early childhood
■ Social learning
■ Ecological systems theory
theory
8
Young Children
Growing, Thinking,
FOCUS
and Learning QUESTIONS
● What is developmentally appro-
priate practice (DAP)?
● What are the five major theo-
When you enrolled in the program to become a teacher of ries that describe child growth
and development?
young children, you knew that you had much to learn about
● What patterns make up the
planning activities for children, keeping records of children’s physical, social, emotional,
progress, and handling all the other responsibilities of a and intellectual development
of young children?
teacher. You were pleased when your first observation was to
● How can knowledge about
be focused on children’s growth and development because that child development be used to
seemed to you to be basic information that every teacher would identify children with special
needs?
need to know.
● What is the relationship be-
You selected a second-grade classroom in a school where tween child development and
the population was diverse and the school was in a low socio- diversity?
economic area of the city. After your observation, when you
looked over your notes, you found many indicators of devel-
opment in all areas. The children in this classroom exhibited
their physical development through skillful ball throwing and
catching, jumping rope, hanging by their knees from bars,
and other physical skills. They also had the fine motor skills to
make writing, drawing, and painting easy for them to manage.
You noted evidence of social growth as children settled a dis-
agreement about who was responsible for cleaning up the art
center by talking about their points of view and listening to one
another’s perception of the problem. You noted that indications
of frustration or anger were rare in this classroom. You also
found that these children could attend to a task for an extended
period of time. You watched in amazement as they worked on
their research projects for an hour.
9
When you talked with the teacher, she explained that for chil-
dren ages seven and eight, she plans many activities that give the
children a choice about what they will do to achieve a goal, she in-
vites children to share their ideas and discoveries with one another,
she plans regular sessions in which classroom problems are solved,
and she is sensitive to the cultural expectations of the parents. She
knows that second-graders still need to move around and talk to
one another. ■
Theories of Development
Children’s growth and development can be de-
scribed from several theoretical points of view.
Each of these points of view has its supporters Parents and Development
among practitioners in early childhood educa- ● Each month, find an article on some aspect of child
tion, and each offers explanations of human development related to the age of children you teach.
growth and development. These theoretical Make the article available to parents by summarizing it
positions include behaviorism, maturationism, in the class newsletter or letting those who are inter-
constructivism, multiple intelligences theory, ested check it out.
.
ww Behaviorist Theory
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www.sil.org/lingualinks/ Behaviorist theory suggests that behavior can be shaped by the response
literacy/implement that follows any particular action. John B. Watson (1878–1958), Edward
ALiteracy/Behaviorist
TheoriesofLearning.htm Thorndike (1874–1949), and B. F. Skinner (1904–1990) are well-known
Information and links to re- behaviorists.
sources on behaviorism and its Skinner is the best known of the modern behaviorists. He wrote exten-
important theorists sively about learning as controlled by a system of rewards and punishments.
His name is synonymous with the terms stimulus-response theory and
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ww operant conditioning (W. F. Hill 1977). The basic elements of stimulus-
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Maturationist Theory ww
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The roots of the maturationist theory are found in the work of Jean-Jacques www.ncrel/org/sdrs/areas/
Rousseau (1712–1778), who believed that children should be allowed to “un- issues/students/earlycld/
ea7lk18.htm
fold.” A child is like a seed that contains all the elements to produce a won-
derful apple if given the proper amounts of nutrients from the soil and water Explanations of maturationist
theory
along with sunshine and an ideal climate. The modern maturationist point
of view is most often associated with the work of the Gesell Institute (Ilg and
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ww Constructivist Theory
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they actively work at organizing their experience into more and more com-
http://chiron.valdosta.edu/
whuitt.col.cogsys/piaget.html plex mental structures. Piaget and Inhelder’s (1969) descriptions of chil-
A biography of Piaget and an dren’s thinking include the concepts of assimilation, accommodation, and
explanation of his theories equilibrium.
Assimilation is fitting information into existing schemas or categories.
If a child has developed a schema for “dog” and is presented with a new ex-
ample of a dog, such as a St. Bernard, the new example can be assimilated,
or included, in the existing schema. If presented with a cat, the child may
create a new schema for “furry pets that are not dogs.” Creating a new cat-
egory is the process of accommodation. Through a series of repeated assimi-
lations and accommodations, the child eventually creates a mental structure
that will account for all animals.
Equilibrium is the balance achieved whenever information or experi-
ence is fitted into a schema or a new schema is created for it. This balance
is very short lived, as the child constantly encounters new experiences and
information. Disequilibrium describes the mental state in which there is an
imbalance between assimilation and accommodation. Disequilibrium is
motivating in that it drives the learner to achieve equilibrium.
Equilibration is the process of moving from disequilibrium to equi-
librium. Equilibration allows the learner to employ assimilation and ac-
commodation as tools for achieving equilibrium (Piaget 1985). In the “dog”
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Lev Vygotsky ww
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Lev Vygotsky was a contemporary of Jean Piaget, and the two men agreed www.indiana.edu/~intell/
on many points about human growth and development. Whereas Vygotsky vygotsky.shtml
died as a young man, Piaget lived into his early eighties and thus produced A brief biographical sketch of
a greater volume of work. Moreover, Vygotsky’s work remained relatively Vygotsky and an explanation
unknown for many years, as U.S. scholars rarely read the work of Soviet of his most important ideas
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scholars during the cold war era. In more recent years, Vygotsky’s work has
been translated and studied, such that his sociocultural theory is now influ-
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The highest level of development is associated with the ability to perform and
self-regulate complex cognitive operations. Children cannot reach the level
through maturation or the accumulation of experiences with objects alone.
The emergence of this higher level of cognitive development depends on the
appropriation of tools through formal and informal instruction. (p. 19)
www.thomasarmstrong.com/ The theories of Howard Gardner (1943– ) in explaining the growth of hu-
multiple_intelligences.htm man intelligence are very important to the work of early childhood teachers.
Information about multiple in- In his multiple intelligences theory, Gardner has identified nine intelli-
telligences and links to other gences that meet the strict criteria for being labeled as such. Gardner (1997a)
sites with related topics describes these multiple intelligences as follows:
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her native language and perhaps other languages—to express herself and to www.infed.org/thinkers/
understand other people. A poet really specializes in linguistic intelligence, gardner.htm
but any kind of writer, orator, speaker, lawyer, or person for whom language Information about Gardner and
is important to her trade demonstrates a high level of linguistic intelligence. his theories
2. Logical-mathematical intelligence is highly developed in someone
who understands the underlying principles of some kind of causal system—
the way a scientist or a logician does—or who can manipulate numbers,
quantities, and operations—the way a mathematician does.
3. Spatial intelligence refers to a person’s ability to represent the spa-
tial world internally in her mind—the way a sailor or airplane pilot navigates
the large spatial world or the way a chess player or sculptor represents a
more circumscribed spatial world. Spatial intelligence can be used in the
arts or in the sciences. If someone is spatially intelligent and oriented toward
the arts, she will more likely become a painter, sculptor, or architect than,
say, a musician or writer. Similarly, certain sciences, such as anatomy and
topology, require spatial intelligence skills.
4. Bodily-kinesthetic intelligence is the capacity to use the whole body
or parts of it—hands, fingers, arms—to solve a problem, make something,
or put on some kind of production. The most evident examples of people
with well-developed bodily-kinesthetic intelligence are those
in athletics or the performing arts, particularly dance and
drama. If we understand the mind
5. Musical intelligence is the capacity to think in mu- of the five-year-old we will
sical terms—to be able to hear patterns, recognize them, re- understand human nature.
member them, and perhaps manipulate them. People who
have a strong musical intelligence do not just remember —Howard Gardner
music easily—they cannot get it out of their minds, it is so
omnipresent. Some critics argue that musical ability is a talent, not an intel-
ligence. However, the genius of individuals such as Mozart and Beethoven
would seem to demonstrate the existence of musical intelligence.
6. Interpersonal intelligence is understanding other people. It is an
ability everyone needs, but it is vital to success for anyone who is a teacher,
clinician, salesperson, or politician. Anybody who deals with other people
has to be skilled in the interpersonal sphere.
7. Intrapersonal intelligence refers to a person’s understanding him-
self—knowing who he is, what he can do, what he wants to do, how he reacts
to things, which things to avoid, and which things to embrace. People are
drawn to individuals who have a good understanding of themselves because
they tend to be confident and successful. They know what they can and can-
not do, and they know where to go if they need help.
8. Naturalist intelligence is the human ability to discriminate among
living things (such as plants, animals) and to be sensitive to other features of
the natural world (such as clouds, rock formations). This ability was clearly
of value in humans’ evolutionary past as hunters, gatherers, and farmers;
it continues to be central in such roles as botanist and chef. Much of con-
sumer society also seems to exploit naturalist intelligence in discriminating
among goods such as cars, sneakers, kinds of makeup, and the like. The kind
of pattern recognition valued in certain of the sciences may also draw on
naturalist intelligence.
In a classroom for young children in which the teacher believes that the
theory of multiple intelligences is a meaningful guide to making curriculum
decisions, the program would include various ways of learning material, but
lessons would not be repeated to address every type of intelligence. At least
once during each week, however, information would be presented through
each of the intelligences so that every child could learn through her stron-
gest skills some of the time. For example, if the children were investigat-
ing simple machines, they would take apart old appliances looking for the
simple machine parts, work in small groups to invent their own appliances
using simple machines, write descriptions of their appliances, and present
their appliances to the class and try to persuade others to buy them. On an-
other day, the children would learn about the life cycle of the frog through
watching a video, put together a puzzle depicting the life cycle, listen to a
recording of the sounds of various kinds of frogs, and examine the back legs
of a frog on a computer simulation that compares the frog’s leg muscles
to those of a human being, measuring the distance each can jump from a
standing start, and so on.
The significance of multiple intelligences theory for early childhood
teachers is that it gives them the opportunity to look for learning strengths
in all children and to justify providing a wide variety of learning experi-
ences so that each child will have the chance to learn through areas of
strength. Gardner explains that all learners need all the intelligences and
opportunities to grow intellectually in all areas. However, initial learning or
entry-point learning is most easily achieved through employing individuals’
personal areas of strength. In sum, by understanding and applying multiple
intelligences theory, teachers affirm that every child has abilities that can be
recognized and honored.
www.psy.pdx.edu/PsiCafe/ Albert Bandura (1925– ) is one of the major theorists who describes
KeyTheorists/Bandura.htm social learning theory (Bandura 1977), which emphasizes imitation,
www.ship.edu/~cgboeree/ or social learning, in children’s development. This theory suggests that chil-
bandura.html
dren observe their caretakers performing certain actions and then imitate
Both have information about
those actions themselves. In more recent years, social learning theory has
Bandura and social learning
theory emphasized cognition, suggesting that children begin to think about what
they are imitating and become more selective about the elements in their en-
vironments that they choose to imitate (Bandura 2001). Although Bandura
comes from a behaviorist tradition, he believes that children take an active
role in their development.
The most important element of social learning theory for teachers is
the idea of modeling desired behaviors so that children will have an example
to follow. Such modeling is most prominent in the area of social develop-
ment. Teachers commonly model kindness, turn taking, and other behaviors
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Urie Bronfenbrenner’s (1917–2005) ecological systems theory explains www.psy.pdx.edu/PsiCafe/
that a child develops within a complex system of relationships and that all KeyTheorists/Bronfenbrenner.
htm
these relationships are themselves influenced by multiple levels of the sur-
rounding environment (Bronfenbrenner and Evans 2000). For example, a Information about Bronfen-
brenner’s theories and links
child has a relationship with a parent, and that relationship is set within a
to other useful sites
family structure of some kind. In some families, the child and a single par-
ent make up the family. In other cases, the child and parent are set within a
family that consists of grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and so on—an
extended family model.
However the family is structured, it is also set within various cultural
environments. The cultural milieu may expect that the parent has complete
responsibility for the child or that all the family or even the “village” is re-
sponsible for childrearing. The cultural group itself may be set in another
layer of environments. For instance, it might be the dominant culture in a
given area or a minority culture, such that its cultural beliefs are very differ-
ent from those of the dominate culture or even in direct conflict with them.
This layer also may be complicated by various laws (e.g., laws about what
constitutes child abuse), customs (e.g., circumcision), and values (e.g., at-
tending formal school or learning skills at home).
Further complicating the nature of ecological systems is the fact that
they are not static but dynamic, or always changing (Spencer and Schöner
2003; Thelen and Smith 1998). As children get older, they have varying de-
grees of opportunity to create their own settings and experiences. The dy-
namic systems view is that a child’s mind and body and physical and social
worlds form an integrated whole that guides the development of new skills
and knowledge. If a change occurs in one part of the system, then the system
must be reorganized so that the components work together again but in a
more complex manner. For example, a child of about eight may discover that
her parents do not know everything. This knowledge will change the way she
and her parents interact. They must learn to interact in new ways that reflect
the new knowledge.
Behaviorist The teacher will first determine whether the child has a grasp
of the concept. If needed, the teacher will provide direct instruction by ask-
ing the child to connect one set of objects to another and determine that
the sets are equivalent. The teacher might supply a worksheet with a set of
dogs and a set of bones and ask the child to draw lines from the dogs to the
bones; the teacher would then tell the child that these sets have the same
number of items because there is one bone for each dog. In various ways,
the teacher will ask the child to practice matching sets until he can say that
sets are equivalent if there is one item in one set for each item in another set.
Rewards such as “happy faces” and tokens will be given each time the child
succeeds on the worksheet.
Constructivist Knowing that the child will have to develop his own under-
standing of one-to-one correspondence, the teacher will provide many dif-
ferent materials that the child can match into equivalent sets (e.g., dolls and
dollclothes, paintbrushes and paint containers, unit blocks and half units,
lids and jars, and so on). As the child plays with the materials, the teacher
will question him about what he is doing and ask him to explain what it
means if the sets are the same numerically.
Social Responds to Becomes more aware Expresses rigid ideas Is more competitive
Development others of self about sex roles with peers
Enjoys company Develops more altruistic Has best friends but for Depends on parents for
of other children feelings short periods of time expansion of interests,
activities
Can maintain Becomes aware of Quarrels often but anger
involvement with racial/ethnic and is short lived Is influenced by peer
another for a sexual differences opinions
very short period Is able to share and take
Is able to take direc- turns Plays with opposite sex
Is unable to tion, follow some rules less often
share without Is eager to participate
coaxing Has strong feelings to- in school experiences Needs teacher approval
ward home and family
Shows very Considers teacher very Is able to share
little ability Shows a growing sense important
of self-reliance Wants to please
to postpone Wants to be first
gratification Parallel play is common; Is more independent at
cooperative play begins Becomes possessive work and play
Imitates actions
of others Imaginary playmates are Forms more enduring
fairly common friendships
Begins to engage
in parallel play Peer groups begin to form
Sources: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development 1975; Berk 2006; Tudor 1981.
255 sq.) that “death with all that immediately precedes or follows it, is
in the eyes of these people the greatest of all defilements. Thus the
sick, persons who have touched or buried a corpse, or who have dug
the grave, individuals who inadvertently walk over or sit upon a
grave, the near relatives of a person deceased, murderers, warriors
who have killed their enemies in battle, are all considered impure.”
No doubt all such persons would also be prohibited from handling
the corn.
57.1 Edward Westermarck, Ceremonies and Beliefs connected with
Agriculture, Certain Dates of the Solar Year, and the Weather in
Morocco (Helsingfors, 1913), p. 46.
57.2 E. Westermarck, op. cit. p. 54; compare pp. 17, 23, 47.
57.3 C. G. Seligmann, s.v. “Dinka,” in Dr. J. Hastings’s
Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics, iv. (Edinburgh, 1911) p. 709.
57.4 Henri A. Junod, “Les conceptions physiologiques des Bantou
Sud-Africains et leurs tabous,” Revue d’ Ethnographie et de
Sociologie, i. (1910) p. 146 note 2.
59.1 Henri A. Junod, The Life of a South African Tribe (Neuchatel,
1888), pp. 308 sq., referring to the Book of the Dun, 54a.
64.1 Laws of Manu, viii. 371 sq., translated by G. Bühler, pp. 318
sq. (Sacred Books of the East, vol. xxv.). Compare Gautama, xxiii.
14 sq., translated by G. Bühler, p. 285 (Sacred Books of the East,
vol. ii.).
64.2 Code of Hammurabi, §§ 129, 157, C. H. W. Johns, Babylonian
and Assyrian Laws, Contracts and Letters (Edinburgh, 1904), pp. 54,
56; Robert W. Rogers, Cuneiform Parallels to the Old Testament
(Oxford, preface dated 1911), pp. 427, 434.
64.3 Deuteronomy xxii. 22.
64.4 Deuteronomy xxii. 20 sq.
64.5 Leviticus xxi. 9.
64.6 Leviticus xx. 14.
65.1 Rev. J. Roscoe, The Baganda (London, 1911), pp. 261 sq.
65.2 Rev. J. Roscoe, op. cit. p. 262. As to the totemic clans, see id.
pp. 133 sqq. One clan (the Lung-fish clan) was excepted from the
rule.
65.3 Sir Harry Johnston, The Uganda Protectorate (London, 1904),
ii. 719.
66.1 Sir Harry Johnston, op. cit. ii. 746 sq.
66.2 A. C. Hollis, The Nandi (Oxford, 1909), p. 76.
66.3 Werner Munzinger, Ostafrikanische Studien (Schaffhausen,
1864), p. 243.
66.4 W. Munzinger, op. cit. p. 322. However, the child of an
unmarried slave woman is brought up; the father pays for its nurture.
66.5 H. S. Stannus, “Notes on some Tribes of British Central
266.
74.3 A. W. Howitt, Native Tribes of South-East Australia, pp. 246
sq.
74.4 Mrs. Daisy M. Bates, “The Marriage Laws and some Customs
of the West Australian Aborigines,” Victorian Geographical Journal,
xxiii.-xxiv. (1905-1906) p. 42. The statement in the text was made by
a settler who had lived in the Tableland district, inland from
Roeburne, for twenty years.
75.1 A. W. Howitt, Native Tribes of South-East Australia, p. 208.
Similarly among tribes on the Hunter River “a man is not permitted to
speak to his wife’s mother, but can do so through a third party. In
former days it was death to speak to her, but now a man doing so is
only severely reprimanded and has to leave the camp for a certain
time” (A. W. Howitt, op. cit. p. 267).
75.2 See for example (Sir) E. B. Tylor, “On a method of
Oriental Society, iv. No. 2 (New York, 1854), pp. 312 sq.
130.3 Bringaud, “Les Karins de la Birmanie,” Les Missions