This document discusses different theories that can help guide children, including those focusing on the systems children develop in, how children construct knowledge, and psychological needs. It outlines ecological theory which examines a child's environment from micro to macro levels. Family systems theory looks at boundaries, rules and roles. Piaget's stages of cognitive development and Vygotsky's zone of proximal development are also summarized. Erikson's psychosocial stages and Maslow's hierarchy of needs are presented as ways teachers can help meet children's psychological and social requirements.

1. Guidance of Young Children
Tenth Edition
Chapter 2
Theoretical Foundations of
Child Guidance
Copyright © 2019, 2015, 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved

2. Copyright © 2019, 2015, 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Learning Objectives
• Explain what a theory about child development is, and
what it is not.
• Describe theories focusing on the systems (settings) in
which children develop, and explain how they help
teachers guide children.
• Describe theories focusing on how children build or
construct knowledge, and explain how they help teachers
guide children.
• Describe theories focusing on psychological, emotional,
and social learning needs, and explain how they help
teachers guide children.

3. Copyright © 2019, 2015, 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Theories Focusing on Settings or ‘Systems’
in Which Children Develop
• Ecological Theory
– (Ecological theory of human development)
• Family Systems Theory

4. Copyright © 2019, 2015, 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Ecology of Human Development (1 of 2)
• Microsystem (smallest systems)
– Relationships within families and the resources in a
neighborhood
• Mesosystem (network of the smallest systems)
– Connected network formed by different microsystems
• Exosystem (outside smallest systems but still affecting
microsystems)
– Groups farther away from child (laws, government
reform, environmental regulation, social unrest,
financial strength or upheaval, business and industry)

5. Copyright © 2019, 2015, 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Ecology of Human Development (2 of 2)
• Macrosystem (events affecting all other systems)
– Values of the culture, type of government, social
trends, and major events such as natural disasters
– Macrosystems affect every other system

6. Copyright © 2019, 2015, 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Family Systems Theory
• Boundaries
– Family’s ideas about separateness and togetherness
• Rules
– Traditions that families use to guide their interactions
with each other
– Tell how families deal with persons and systems
outside their family
• Roles
– Responsibility or job that a family assigns to different
members of a group

7. Copyright © 2019, 2015, 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Theories Focusing on How Children
Construct Knowledge
• Dewey
• Piaget
• Vygotsky

8. Copyright © 2019, 2015, 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
John Dewey: Children Construct
Knowledge
• Four primary interests of children
• Learner’s curiosity
– children are naturally inquisitive and interest in their
world
• Creating classroom communities
– makes it possible for children to use their curiosity
and interests to build ideas, knowledge, and skills

9. Copyright © 2019, 2015, 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Four Primary Interests of Children
(Dewey)
• Desire to investigate and discover things
• Need to communicate
• Joy in construction
• Artistic expression

10. Copyright © 2019, 2015, 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Jean Piaget: Children Construct
Knowledge by
• Interacting with people and objects Children need to be
actively involved
– Taking in new information into one of their existing
concepts (assimilation)
– Changing their existing ideas and concepts to make
room for a more refined idea (accommodation)

11. Copyright © 2019, 2015, 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Piaget’s Stages of Cognitive Development
(Ages Approximate) (1 of 2)
• Sensorimotor Stage
– From birth to about age 2
– Babies center on their bodies for the first 7-9 months
– Gain information about the world through motor
activity and coordinating movements
• Preoperational Stage
– 2 to about 7 years of age
– Now, children can use symbols (words, paintings,
beginning writing to show their experience)

12. Copyright © 2019, 2015, 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Piaget’s Stages of Cognitive Development
(Ages Approximate) (2 of 2)
• Concrete Operations Stage
– About 7 to about 11 years of age
– Logical thinking more refined when using concrete
objects
• Formal Operations Stage
– About 11 years and forward
– Deals with abstract ideas
– Can think about different ways to solve problems

13. Copyright © 2019, 2015, 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Lev Vygotsky: Children Construct Knowledge
When Teachers Pay Attention to
• Scaffolding
– A teacher’s changing support as a child develops a
new competency or skill
• Zone of proximal development
– Space or zone where learning and development takes
place
• Adult-child dialogue or discourse
– Talking about tasks that a child can accomplish
without adult help

14. Copyright © 2019, 2015, 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Erikson and Maslow are Emphasized Here
• Theories Focusing on Psychological, Emotional, and
Social Learning Needs.

15. Copyright © 2019, 2015, 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Erik Erikson’s Stages of Psychosocial
Development (1 of 3)
• Trust versus. mistrust
– birth-18months
– Develop positive trait of trust when needs are met
• Autonomy versus. shame or doubt
– 18months-3 years
– Encourage independence when possible and safe

16. Copyright © 2019, 2015, 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Erik Erikson’s Stages of Psychosocial
Development (2 of 3)
• Initiative versus. guilt
– 3-5 years
– Exploration of their world
• Industry versus. inferiority
– 6-12 years
– Support as challenges are faced in different systems

17. Copyright © 2019, 2015, 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Erik Erikson’s Stages of Psychosocial
Development (3 of 3)
• Identity versus. role confusion
– Adolescence
– Dealing with pressure from the outside world
• Intimacy versus. isolation
– Young adulthood
• Generativity versus. stagnation or self-absorption
– Middle adulthood
• Integrity versus. despair
– Late adulthood

18. Copyright © 2019, 2015, 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Abraham Maslow: Emphasized Hierarchy of Human
Needs: Teachers Can Help Children Meet These Needs
• Physiological needs
• Security needs
• Social needs
• Esteem needs
• Self-actualizing needs

19. Copyright © 2019, 2015, 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Copyright