Theorists and Practices

Chapter 1

Overview

Profile of the Young Child

Theories, Theorists, & Curriculum models

Misconceptions Developmentally

Appropriate Practices Curriculum

Young Children

Development and Learning Theories and Theorists (Cantron &Allen, 1999;Taylor,1999)

Cognitive Development Theory– Jean Piaget

Sociocultural Theory– Lev Vygotsky

Psychodynamic

Theory (psychosocial)

-Erik Erikson

Sigmund Freud

Behavioral Theory– B.F. Skinner

Multiple Intelligence– Howard Gardner

Curriculum Models and Developers (Catron & Allen, 1999; Taylor, 1999) Montessori

– Maria Montessori

Reggio Emilia– Loris Malaguzzi

Bank Street– Mitchell, Pratt &

Johnson

High reach

High/scope Cognitively Oriented

Curriculum

Cognitive Development Theory-Jean Piaget (1896-1980) Four stages of

intellectual Development

Emphasize first and second stage in this course

Stage 1- Sensorimotor (0-24months)

Stage 2-Preoperational(2 years to 7 years)

Stage 3- ConcreteOperational(7 years to 11 years)

Stage 4-FormalOperational(11years and older)

Sensorimotor (0-24 months)

Learning through senses

Gaining control of body movements

Mouthing & touching objects

Intense listening Acute sense of

smell Acute observation Intense exploration

Preoperational Stage (2-7yrs)

Focus on self Learn through senses Difficulty with abstract

thought Lack of conservation

skills Focus of learning

through real life experiences

Instructional Techniques

Hands-on experiences

Concrete experience

during instruction Age appropriate and

challenging activities High/Scope Creative Play

Play is important in intellectual development

Child primary influence in knowledge

Sociocultural Theory-Lev Vygotsky(1896-1934) Influence of society

and culture on– child’s development– Language– Higher order thinking

skills– Play and

environment

Zone of proximal development

Scaffolding

Psychosocial Theory-Erik Erikson(1902-19994) Extension of

Sigmund Freud-id, ego, superego

Eight stages of psychosocial development

Trust vs mistrust– (0-1yr)

Autonomy vs shame and doubt– (1-3yrs)

Inititative vs guilt– (3-6yrs)

Industry vs. inferiority– (7-11yrs)

Identity vs. role confusion– (adolescence)

Others page 4 in text

Key Concepts Psychosocial Early development of

good work habits Child takes initiative Intrinsic rewards Develop confidence in

child Praise attempts than

final outcomes Play as mastery over

situations

Behavioral TheoryB.F.Skinner-(1904-1990) Objective observable

principles influence behavior

Operant conditioning Child is “conditioned”

through consequences, reinforcement and punishment

Montessori

Self correcting toys and materials

Personal care/hygiene

Children choose materials

Intrinsic rewards and motivation

Prepared environment

Humility Individualism Children are

– Self directed– Self-disciplined– independent

Reggio Emilia

Children learn from children about children

Aesthetic aspects of curriculum

Children’s ideas are priority

Use of child’s natural language

Constructivist view

Misconceptions

Negativism Children are like adults Children learn best when sitting and listening Children learn according to rules Fast pace is better that further explanation Child’s IQ can be increased by parents and

teachers

Developmentally Appropriate Practices (DAP) and Developmentally Inappropriate Practices (DIP)

Developmentally Appropriate Practices

– Coined by NAEYC

– Traditional approaches to teaching young children

DAP

Misconceptions about DAP

right vs wrong Prior knowledge is

eliminated Unstructured

classes

Meets needs of certain children

Fad Watered down

curriculum

Curriculum

Include all areas of development (cognitive, physical, social etc)

Exploration of materials

Outdoor/indoor activities

Interaction with others (adults and children)

Real world experiences

Child’s view active play and

quiet-restful periods

Curriculum should meet the needs of children not children meeting the needs of the curriculum

Teacher Environments

Teacher Environments

Training– DAP– Participation in Professional organizations

Code of Ethics

Safe, healthy, nurturing, and responsive settings

Collaboration between home and school Relationships between colleagues that

supports productive work and meet professional standards

Meets needs of agencies and professions for the welfare of children

See page 28 in text

Teacher-Child Relationships

Warm positive Providing emotional

security Make relationship

priority Increase

involvement with children

Strive for positive relationship with parents and others

Plan activities about relationships

Factors to Consider

Kindergartners see conflict in present, physical terms, egocentrically

Negotiation is difficult for young children

Praise should be personal, honest, specific, valued and behavior reinforcing

More nurturing caregiver; more positive children relate to social interactions

Guidance

Proactive Guidance– Teacher anticipate problem and consider

acceptable solutions Reactive Guidance

– Lack of thought process and planning, leads to negativity and one-sidedness

Indirect Guidance– Reduction of behavior problems through

organization of materials, areas, traffic patternsSequencing of events, use of space and time.

Working with Parents and Families

The Child and the Family

The Developing Child

The family(Parents, Siblings, Extended family,

Home culture)

The Preschool Child

The Developing Child

SchoolAnd teaching staff

The family and home culture

Influences Affecting Child’s Environment

The Developing Child

CommunityExtra curricula activities

The schoolculture

The family and home culture

Timing

Timing-- Elkind (1984)

Clock energy-used in daily activities– Rest and food replenish this energy– Symptoms of loss include fatigue, loss of appetite

and less productivity– Child will draw on calendar energy when clock

energy is not replenished adequately Calendar energy- growth and development

energy– Symptoms of loss headaches, stomachaches and

lead to injuries and shorter life span

Family and School

Three types of child-rearing patterns (Greenberg-1992) Authoritarian

– values obedience– External control

Permissive– Lacks limits– Laissez-faire

Democratic– DAP– Discussion of rules with children– Proactive parents

Techniques for home and school

Discussion techniques– Instead of “I like the

way… Listen to children and

talk to them– Eye contact– stoop and kneel– Speak normally

Plan challenging and successful activities– 80% of time for

confidence

Send clear messages– Reasonable, simple requests

think request and follow through

Reinforce Actions you want repeated– Behavior not child is

unacceptable– reinforcement should

closely follow the action– Identify appropriate action

specifically

Inappropriate Behavior

Ignore it – Child will continue behavior to get attention

child then sees attention is not rewarded and will discontinue it

Assertive approach to discipline– Positive statements– Setting limits– Avoid negative statements– Guidelines for behavior

Guidelines for Behavior

Child is not allowed to:– Hurt himself– Hurt someone else– Destroy property

More Techniques

Respect children– Self-confidence– Personal belongings

Guide with love– Explain caution with

love appropriately

Be a role model– Happy attitude– Actions speak

Be aware of warning signals– Verbal then physical if

necessary– Observant

Avoid Power Struggles Offer choices and

accept decisions– consider child’s

health and factors in decision making process

More Techniques

Encourage independence– Guide not control– Honest praise

Provide acceptable avenues of feeling of release (clay, pillow, punching bag)– Younger children release

more physically

Learn through participation– First hand

experiences

Appropriate discipline

Communication/contact with parent Assess Build trust Communicate Encourage visits Articulate program

philosophy Orient parent

Learning cards Learning packets Newsletter Tapes for parents

with visual impairments

Information in native language when possible