Cognitive Development

andLanguage

DEVELOPMENTIt refers to a certain changes that occur in human beings between conception and death.

It is not applied to all changes, but rather to those that appear in orderly ways and remain for a long period of time.

ASPECTS OF DEVELOPMENT

Physical development - deals with the changes in the body.

Personal development - changes in the individual’s personality.

Social development - changes in the way how an individual relates to others.

Cognitive development - changes in thinking.

PRINCIPLES OF DEVELOPMENT

1. People develop at different rates.

2. Development is relatively orderly.

3. Development takes place gradually.

THE BRAIN AND COGNITIVE

DEVELOPMENTCerebral cortex - the outermost layer of gray matter making up the superficial aspect of the cerebrum.

Neuroscientists understand that brain development is related to the aspects of adolescence such as decision making and managing impulsive behaviour.

AREAS OR LOBES OF THE BRAIN

Frontal Lobe- responsible for memory formation, emotions and thinking processes.

Parietal Lobe- responsible for senses and integrates sensations.

Temporal Lobe- responsible for hearing and information retrieval.

Occipital Lobe- responsible for our visual capacity and capability.

NEURONSNeurons sends messages to each other by releasing chemicals that jump across the tiny spaces called synapses.

These synapses can be seen between the dendrites of one neuron and the axons of the other neurons.

SYNAPTIC OVERPRODUCTION

Experienced-expectant – synapses are overproduced in certain parts of the brain during certain developmental periods.

Experienced-dependent – synaptic connections are formed based on the individual’s experiences.

TENDENCIES IN THINKINGOrganization- ongoing process of arranging information and experience into mental systems or categories.

Adaptation- adjustment to the environment. Assimilation- fitting new

information into existing schemes. Accommodation- creating new

schemes in response to new information.

PIAGET’S STAGES OF COGNITIVE

DEVELOPMENT

SENSORIMOTOR STAGE

Age: birth to 2 yearsCharacteristics:

Begins to make use of imitation, memory and thought.

Learns the concept of object permanence.

Moves from reflex actions to goal-directed activity.

PREOPERATIONAL STAGE

Age: 2 to 7 yearsCharacteristics:

Starts to use language Capable of thinking in the forms of mental images and words

Egocentric thinking or self-centered Difficulties seeing other’s point of view

CONCRETE OPERATIONAL STAGE

Age: 7 to 11 yearsCharacteristics:

Increase ability to think logically

Understands law of conservation and is able to classify and seriate

Understands reversibility

FORMAL OPERATIONAL STAGE

Age: 11 to adultCharacteristics:

Can think in abstract terms Can solve problems systematically and reason hypothesis

Hypothetic-deductive reasoning Adolescent egocentrism

IMPLICATIONS OF

PIAGET’STHEORY FOR TEACHERS

More interested in understanding children’s thinking.

He believed that the main goal of education should be to help children learn how to learn.

Student are the best sources of information about their own thinking abilities

UNDERSTANDING & BUILDING ON

STUDENT’S THINKING

Important implication of Piaget’s theory for teaching is what Hunt

years ago(1961) called “the problem of the match”

WHAT IS THE “PROBLEM OF THE MATCH”?

According to Hunt, disequilibrium must be kept “just right” to encourage growth. Setting up situation that lead to errors can help create an appropriate level of disequilibrium.

When students experience some conflict between what they think should happen

and what actually happens, they may rethink the situation and new knowledge

may develop.

ACTIVITY AND CONSTRUCTING

KNOWLEDGE

The individuals construct their own understanding; learning

is a constructive process.

In his words:

Knowledge is not a copy of reality. To know an object, to

know an event, is not simply to look at it and make a mental

copy or image of it. To know an object is to act on it. To know is

to modify, and as a consequence to understand

the way the object is constructed.

As a general rule, student should act, manipulate, observe, and

then talk and/or write about what they have experienced.

THE VALUE OF PLAY Maria Montessori said:

“Play children’s work”. In games they learn cooperation, fairness, negotiation, wining and losing.

All important skills for work someday.

Without cooperation, there is no game.

SOME LIMITATIONS OF PIAGET’S

THEORY

Trouble with Stage lack of consistency in

children’s thinking. Underestimating Children’s Abilities Underestimated the

cognitive abilities of children, particularly younger ones.

Cognitive Development & Information Processing Focus on the child’s

developing information processing skills such as attention, memory capacity, and learning strategies.

Cognitive Development & Culture Overlooks the important

effects of the child’s cultural and social group.

VYGOTSKY’S SOCIOCULTUR

AL PERSPECTIVE

“Vygotsky’s conceptualized development as the transformation of socially shared activities into internalized processes”

One of his key ideas was that our specific mental structures and processes can be traced to our interaction with others.

The Social Sources of Individual ThinkingSocial levelIndividual level

Social interaction was more than influence, it was the origin of higher mental processes.Piaget – most helpful interactions

were those between peers.Vygotsky – parents and teachers

for they are capable or advanced in thinking.

Two Themes in Vygotsky’s Writings:

Cultural tools (such as printing presses, rulers, abacus, computers, internet etc.) supports thinking, learning and plays a very important role in cognitive development.

Vygotsky emphasized the tools that the culture provides to support thinking – Psychological tools ( language, signs and symbols) The psychological tools can help

students advance their own development.

Cultural tools and Cognitive Development

Cultural tool kit – filled with physical tools and psychological tools for acting mentally.

Vygotsky’s theory: “language is the most important symbol system in the tool kit, and it is the one that helps to fill the kit with other tools.

THE ROLE OF LANGUAGE AND PRIVATE SPEECH

Piaget - “egocentric speech”He assumed that egocentric

speech is another indication that young children can’t see the world through the eyes of others.

As they mature children developed socialized speech and learn how to listen and exchange ideas.

Vgotsky – “self-regulation” He believed that self-

regulation developed in a series of stage. The child’s behavior is regulated by others, usually parents, using language and other signs such as gestures.

The child learns to regulate her own behavior by using

silent inner speech.

THE ROLE OF LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT

Piaget defined development as the active construction of knowledge and learning as the passive formation of associations.

Vygotsky believed that learning was an active process that does not have to wait for readiness. Learning pulls development to higher level means that other people play a significant role in cognitive development.

He saw a learning as a tool in development-learning pulls development up to higher

levels and social interaction is a key in learning.

THE ROLE OF ADULTS AND PEERS

Vygotsky’s believed that cognitive development occurs through the child’s conversations and interactions with more capable members of the culture. These people serve as guides and teachers, providing the information and support necessary for the child to grow intellectually.

Scaffolding – children use this help for support while they build a firm understanding that will eventually allow them to solve the problems on their own.

FUNDS OF KNOWLEDGE

Knowledge that families and community members have acquired in many areas of

work, home, and religious life that can become the basis for

teaching.

THE DEVELOPMENT OF LANGUAG

E

FACTORS THAT PLAY A ROLE IN LANGUAGE

DEVELOPMENT:

BiologicalCulturalExperiential

To master a language, children must:

a) Read the intentions of others so they can acquire the words, phrases, and concepts of their language and also

b) Find patterns in the ways other people use the words and phrases to construct the grammar of their language.

WHEN AND HOW DOES LANGUAGE DEVELOP

Sounds & Pronunciation By about age 5, most children

have mastered the sounds of their native language, but a few sounds may remain unconquered.

Vocabulary & Meaning Expressive vocabulary- the

words a person can speak.

Receptive vocabulary- the words a person can understand in spoken or written words.

Bilingual- Speaking two languages and dealing appropriately with the two different cultures.

Grammar & Syntax Over regularize- to apply

a rule of syntax or grammar in situations where the rule does not apply.

Syntax- The order of words in phrases or sentences

Pragmatics: Using Language in Social Situations Pragmatics- the rules for

when and how to use language to be an effective communicator in a particular culture

Metalinguistic Awareness- Understanding about one's own use of language

DIVERSITY IN LANGUAGE

DEVELOPMENT

Benefits of Bilingualism Higher degrees of bilingualism are correlated with increased cognitive abilities in such areas as concept formation, creativity, theory of mind, cognitive flexibility, and understanding that printed words are symbols of language. 

Heritage language- the language spoken in the student's home or by members of the family.

Balanced bilingualism- adding a second language. capability without losing your heritage language

Emergent literacy-the skills and knowledge, usually developed in the preschool years, that are the foundation for the development of reading and writing.