Child Development
Discuss the importance of providing developmentally and culturally appropriate; stimulating environments and experiences to support children learning in the early years (include theories) in context of your centre or hypothetical. Describe the roles you play in facilitating and scaffolding children’s learning?
Developmentally appropriate, stimulating environments and experiences According to Piaget’s stages of cognitive development, children constantly absorb knowledge as they experience and explore their world. Piaget has classified children’s growth into 4 stages. The first being the Sensorimotor stage which is from birth to 2 years old. This stage the infant explores the world with their eyes, ears, hands and mouth. The next stage is the Preoperational stage which is preschool children between 2 to 7 years olds. At this stage there is development of language and make-believe play takes place. However, there is no logical thinking developed here. The third is the concrete operational stage. The children are between 7 to 11 years old. At this stage, children’s reasoning becomes logical. The fourth stage is the Formal operational stage. Children ages from 11 years onwards. At this stage, the children could thinkof all possible outcomes and solve problems. (Berk 2003) With regards to these 4 stages of cognitive development, if children at a certain stages have not reach their maturity and are given inappropriate materials or activities, there will be a hindrance to their learning and this may result in discouragement and lose of interest in learning. For example if we let an infant of 2 years or below play games such as monopoly, the infant who is cognitively still need exploring may messed up all the cards or tear the ‘money’. At this stage we should provide stimulating materials like rattles, music box, big colorful cars, biting toys, bright colors pictures, big hand size toys for the infant to feel and explore. Games like peek-a-boo instead of
Developmentally appropriate, stimulating environments and experiences According to Piaget’s stages of cognitive development, children constantly absorb knowledge as they experience and explore their world. Piaget has classified children’s growth into 4 stages. The first being the Sensorimotor stage which is from birth to 2 years old. This stage the infant explores the world with their eyes, ears, hands and mouth. The next stage is the Preoperational stage which is preschool children between 2 to 7 years olds. At this stage there is development of language and make-believe play takes place. However, there is no logical thinking developed here. The third is the concrete operational stage. The children are between 7 to 11 years old. At this stage, children’s reasoning becomes logical. The fourth stage is the Formal operational stage. Children ages from 11 years onwards. At this stage, the children could thinkof all possible outcomes and solve problems. (Berk 2003) With regards to these 4 stages of cognitive development, if children at a certain stages have not reach their maturity and are given inappropriate materials or activities, there will be a hindrance to their learning and this may result in discouragement and lose of interest in learning. For example if we let an infant of 2 years or below play games such as monopoly, the infant who is cognitively still need exploring may messed up all the cards or tear the ‘money’. At this stage we should provide stimulating materials like rattles, music box, big colorful cars, biting toys, bright colors pictures, big hand size toys for the infant to feel and explore. Games like peek-a-boo instead of
References: Developmentally appropriate practices, Carol Gestwicki, 2011, Wadsworth Who am I in the lives of children?, Stephanie Feeney, Eva Moravcik, Sherry Nolte, Doris Christensen, 2010, Pearson Education Ltd Child Development, Laura E Berk, 2003, Pearson Education Approaches to early childhood education, Jaipaul Roopnarine, James E Johnson, 2010, Pearson Education Ltd