Theorists and Practices

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Theorists and Practices

• Chapter 1

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Overview

• Profile of the Young Child
• Theories, Theorists, Curriculum models
• Misconceptions
• Developmentally Appropriate Practices
• Curriculum

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Young Children
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Development and Learning Theories and Theorists
(Cantron Allen, 1999Taylor,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

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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

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Cognitive Development Theory-Jean Piaget
(1896-1980)

• Stage 1- Sensorimotor
• (0-24months)
• Stage 2-Preoperational
• (2 years to 7 years)
• Stage 3- Concrete
• Operational
• (7 years to 11 years)
• Stage 4-Formal
• Operational
• (11years and older)

• Four stages of intellectual Development
• Emphasize first and second stage in this course

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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

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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

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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

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Sociocultural Theory-Lev Vygotsky(1896-1934)

• Influence of society and culture on
• childs development
• Language
• Higher order thinking skills
• Play and environment

• Zone of proximal development
• Scaffolding

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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

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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

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

• Objective observable principles influence
  behavior
• Operant conditioning
• Child is conditioned through consequences,
  reinforcement and punishment

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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

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Reggio Emilia

• Children learn from children about children
• Aesthetic aspects of curriculum
• Childrens ideas are priority
• Use of childs natural language
• Constructivist view

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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
• Childs IQ can be increased by parents and
  teachers

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

• Coined by NAEYC
• Traditional approaches to teaching young children

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DAP
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Misconceptions about DAP

• right vs wrong
• Prior knowledge is eliminated
• Unstructured classes

• Meets needs of certain children
• Fad
• Watered down curriculum

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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
• Childs view
• active play and quiet-restful periods

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

• Training
• DAP
• Participation in Professional organizations

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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

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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

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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

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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
  patterns
• Sequencing of events, use of space and time.

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Working with Parents and Families
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The Child and the Family
The Developing Child
The family (Parents, Siblings, Extended family,
Home culture)
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The Preschool Child
The Developing Child
School And teaching staff
The family and home culture
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Influences Affecting Childs Environment
Community
Extra curricula activities
The Developing Child
Timing
The school culture
The family and home culture
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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

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Family and School
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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

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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

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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

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Guidelines for Behavior

• Child is not allowed to
• Hurt himself
• Hurt someone else
• Destroy property

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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 childs health and factors in decision
  making process

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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

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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