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World of Children 1st ed
Chapter 11
Cognitive Development
in Middle Childhood
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Cognitive Development: Piaget
Concrete Operational Thought (7-11)
1.decentered thought: consider multiple aspects of a problem at one time
2.dynamic transformations: answer lies in the process
3.reversibility: things can be changed back to their original form
ex: conservation task
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Concrete Operational Thought (7-11)Concrete Operational Thought (7-11)
Children think about the world using
Factual rules of logic not intuitive thought or personal
experience
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Cognitive abilities
Children show their logical abilities by solving problems such as…
1. Class inclusion: objects can be classified in different ways and at different levels
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example
Ex: Are there more dolls or toys?
Ex: She’s not a doctor she’s my mommy
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Cognitive abilities cont…
2. Seriation: arrange a set of items according to size, weight, or length
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Cognitive abilities cont…
3. Transitive inference: process of mentally drawing inferences by comparing relations among items.
Ex: John is taller than Mary, and Mary is taller than Bobby.
Who is taller John or Bobby?
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Cognitive abilities cont…
Children can use logical thought processes but must have actual materials, contexts and situations to fully understand.
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Memory
Storing information and remembering it later is crucial to cognitive development
No matter on your capacity to process new info or attention spanHOW DO CHILDREN PROCESS INFORMATION AND REMEMBER
IT????
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2 Models of Memory
1. Stores model: information enters the system through the sensory store, moves to short-term store, and then to long-term store.
An executive processor controls the stores and the passage of information
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STORES MEMORY MODEL
EXECUTIVE PROCESSOR
SENSORY STORE
SHORT-TERM STORE
5-9 CHUNKS OF INFO
LONG-TERM STORE
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Memory
2. Network model: information is held in concept nodes which are connected by links. Information is activated by external or internal source.
Seeing an object or thinking about the object.
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Interconnected network of associated information
Heavy links = greater degree of association
Higher level of activation = info. Is easier to remember
Ivet has higher level of activation than names of previous students
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NETWORK MEMORY MODEL
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with in Network Model
Working Memory (WM): information that is currently active in the system and available for use.
Like short term store basic components visible by 6 years effective use present in school years limited capacity decays over time or may be permanently lost Keep info by rehearsing or relate it to other info The better a child’s short term/working memory works
the higher that child will score on cognitive ablilities.
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with in Network Model
Long-term Memory: non-activated information permanent unlimited capacity similar to long-term store
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with long term memory
Problems with…1. encoding: forming mental
representation of info.2. storage: putting info away3. accessing: finding right information
when needed4. retrieval: activating it to become
apart of working memory or STS
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example
Walking down the street and see someone you know but can’t remember their name.
Encoding: never mentally represented her name.
encoding incorrectly “Helen” really “Ellen” Storage : never stored it access: encoded it correctly but can’t access it at the
moment. “I know her” Retrieval: tip of the tongue but can’ t remember
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with in Network Model
Older children:have more information organized better information is more
interconnectedmore connections between
stored concepts
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Examples of long-term memorypg 370-371
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with in long-term memory & research
semantic memory : knowledge of words and concepts
- lost of research in this area
episodic memory : memory of events in day to day life
- earliest memories of a child scripts : mental representations of the way things
occur in specific settings - 1 year olds show evidence of scripts - older children need fewer encounters w/an event to form a script - older children’s scripts become more detailed
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Example of script
Going to McDonald’s
Going to school
Scripts help children predict what will happen next & help them remember events that take place b/c they are organizing their knowledge
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Characteristics of Memory
reconstructive memory : parts of events and knowledge are stored; during recall. We retrieve stored pieces and fill in the rest
autobiographical memory : memories of highly personal significant events, often very vivid and detailed including emotions, sights, sounds
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Information Processing
Knowledge base : the amount of information you have about a specific topic the more you know, the more you can
remember more likely to notice details and relationships better able to group, store and access that
information
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Information Processing
Strategies : conscious, intentional and controllable plans people use to improve performance rehearsal- repeating information organization-using relationships
among items elaboration- create visual or verbal
associations
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How to put a puzzle together?Knowledge base & strategy
Group A
Bobby
4 years old
Group B
Robby
8 years old
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Language Development
Growth in Semantic knowledge – meaning of
words Phonemic knowledge – meaning of
sounds of speech (bat, bit) Grammar & Syntax – combining
words into sentences Pragmatics – using language to
effectively interact w/others.
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Language Development
2 year old 200 words 6 year old10,000 words
10 year old40,000 words
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Language Development
Metalinguistic awareness – explicit knowledge about language and personal use of it.
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Experience w/using language + increase in cognitive abilities
Single word has many meanings Self monitor & self correct receptive
and expressive language Social rules of discourse helps
children have more effective & appropriate conversations
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Development of Math Skills
newborns can see differences in numbers of objects (less than 1 week old)
* * *** subitizing : ability to perceive how
many objects there are in a small set without actually counting
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Development of Math Skills
preschoolers learn counting words, and connect the words to the number of objects
counting by rote: by memory counting by one to one
correspondence: a # corresponds w/the object
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Development of Math Skills
Counting strategies : approaches to solving math problems that involve counting quantities strategies become more efficient over
time
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Counting strategies
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Counting strategies
strategy choice model : children solve math problems by choosing the fastest strategy that they can do accurately will use back up strategy if first choice
doesn’t work consistently use a variety of strategies
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Counting strategies
Discouraging children from using back up strategies (counting on fingers) may actually delay their memorizing basic math facts
WHY????
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Counting strategies
Multiple strategies: increase the likely hood that thechild can have the answer quickly helps child succeed in solving
problems helps build strong connections
between problems and their correct answers
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Math Word Problems
Why so hard for children???
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too many words
too many math operations
too many math terms
boring context/doesn’t relate to what child likes
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Solution
problem need to be in familiar context
let children learn from “bugs” systematic errors instead of memorizing
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Development of Reading Skills
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Development of Reading Skills
Factors that predict success in early reading
familiarity with the alphabet phonemic awareness
the understanding that words are made up of smaller units of sound (phonemes)
st-op f-ly fl-ea children must then connect the speech
sounds with the printed letters
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Development of Reading Skills
1. Alphabet awareness
2. Phonemic awareness
3. Automatizing –recognizing words in a speedy manner as you read
Playing w/ letters and letter sounds is helpful
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How can we help children strengthen their pre-reading skills?
Point out printed words
Read to children over and over
Educational programs
Practice sound of language through rhyme books
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Development of Writing Skills
inventive spelling “tu” for “two” “sumtyms” for “sometimes” Ok in some school Focus on meaning & message instead of mechanics Research states that inventive spelling doesn’t interfere
with ability to spell correctly Mechanics (elementary school)
spelling, punctuation, capitalization Knowledge telling- adding ideas to an essay as they
come along egocentric perspective
planning and revising (elementary school) evaluating, rewriting