CCLD 303 Outcome: 303.3 Factsheet – Theories of development Theorist Examples of theories Theories in practice

Jerome Bruner

Children are active in their own learning. Children develop different ways of thinking at different times in their lives. The relationship between language and thought enables children to think symbolically. The adult can provide scaffolding for a child’s learning.

Jason is learning to do up his zip. His mother joins it at the bottom and helps him to pull it up. Later he manages to pull it up himself. After lots of practice and help he manages to do the whole thing himself. You are learning about development so that you have a very good understanding of the different stages. Once you have observed what a child can do, you can introduce the next step and support the child as he or she learns the new skill.

Burrhus Skinner

Learning can be affected by rewards and punishments. Behaviour can be changed or shaped by providing positive reinforcements. While punishments may reduce undesirable behaviours, they do not replace these with desirable behaviours.

When Kevin spilt some sand on the floor, 4-year-old Frances swept it up without being asked. A member of staff noticed, praised her and told everyone else in the room. Ruth is 6 years old and steals sweets from the drawer. Her mother stops her having sweets, but Ruth continues to steal and blame her little sister.

Lev Vygotsky

Children are active in their learning and learn through social interaction. Children use language to develop thought process. The Zone of Proximal Development describes what a child can achieve with help.

There are only 28 children at Knowsley Bank Village School so the children are all in mixed aged groups. The older children regularly help the younger. During a weighing activity, the adults in the pre-school are actively questioning the children, encouraging them to predict and reason, and reinforcing the language of weight, mass and volume. Sophie has been observing Emma’s social skills to identify why she appears reluctant to communicate with other children. She will then identify ways of supporting her.

Albert Bandura

Children observe and copy the actions of others. A child is more likely to copy the actions of someone they respect. A child’s response will be affected by whether the behaviour is rewarded or punished.

The childminder is dusting the living room. The toddler has a duster and is also wiping the furniture. Jude is 11. He regularly goes out with a group of ‘hard’ boys. They have been sniffing lighter fuel behind the garages.

Jean Piaget

Children are actively involved in their own learning. Children learn by assimilation and accommodation and need the same skill presented in different ways to support this. Children pass through 4 distinct stages: sensory motor; pre-operational; concrete operational; formal operational.

In Hollow Bank Nursery, the children complete maths worksheets, while at Hillside Nursery, the children manipulate objects and undertake practical activities to develop maths skills. The children at Hollow Bank progress more quickly than the children at Hillside. This week, Hollow Bank has provided the following activities to support children learning primary colours: a sorting and matching colour activity; painting with red, blue and yellow; a colour collage activity; a music and dance activity, running to coloured circles when the music stops.

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