This chapter discusses cognition and cognitive development in children. It covers Jean Piaget's theories of cognitive development, including the sensorimotor and preoperational stages. It also discusses Lev Vygotsky's sociocultural theory, including the zone of proximal development. The chapter describes supporting cognitive development through exploration, hands-on learning, and natural language exposure. It notes the benefits of early childhood inclusion for children with special needs.

1. Chapter 8:
Cognition
McGraw-Hill/Irwin © 2011 McGraw-Hill Higher Education. All rights reserved.

2. The Cognitive Experience
• Cognitive Experience is:
– The process of gathering, organizing, and using
information in order to adapt to the world
– Primarily unseen
– Behind all areas of development
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3. Sensorimotor Experience
• Jean Piaget created theories about how children
come to know about their world.
• The Sensorimotor Stage is Piaget’s first stage in
development.
– Children from birth to age 2 are in the sensorimotor
stage.
– Sensorimotor refers to the coordination of sense
perception and muscle movements.
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4. Sensorimotor Experience
• Assimilation refers to the process of taking in new
information and processing it.
• Accommodation describes what happens when
this new information refines or expands previous
mental categories.
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5. Sensorimotor Experience
• Infants acknowledge the existence of things that
they can see, touch, taste, smell, or hear.
• Young infants lack object permanence.
– Object permanence is the ability to remember an
object or person even though it cannot be seen,
touched, smelled, or heard.
– Gaining awareness of object permanence is a gradual
process.
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6. Preoperational Stage
• The Preoperational Stage is characterized by the beginning of
language and the ability to pretend.
• Preoperational children can still use mental images for their thinking
process.
• Children in this stage have increased memory of past events.
• Children in this stage have an improved ability to predict.
? Have you noticed 2-year olds who are beginning to use symbols
and better reasoning skills?
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7. Piaget’s Major Points
• Piaget believed knowledge is functional.
• Piaget believed children construct new knowledge as they
grow and mature.
• Piaget believed that there is a connection between
successive periods of development.
• Piaget referred to children’s ability to construct a plan as
intentionality.
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8. Vygotsky’s Major Points
• Vygotsky believed that cognitive activities stem
from social interactions.
• Vygotsky believed that knowledge is co-
constructed.
• The Zone of Proximal Development
– Vygotsky used this term to identify the difference
between what children can do on their own and what
they can further do with guidance.
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9. Vygotsky’s Major Points
• Vygotsky believed that:
– Language plays a vital role in cognition
– Problem solving works best in a positive, responsive
environment
– The sharing of cultural activities between child and
adult helps children understand their world
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10. Pretend Play
What are differences between
1-year old pretend play and
2-year old pretend play?
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11. Supporting Cognitive Development
• Cognitive Development depends on security and
attachment.
– Children whose needs are met consistently will feel
trusting and comfortable.
• Children who feel comfortable will explore their
environment.
– Exploring the environment leads to cognitive development!
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12. Supporting Cognitive Development
• To support cognitive development:
– Invite and encourage exploration and curiosity
– Encourage children to interact with one another to
solve problems
– Introduce vocabulary and whole language
development naturally, don’t force
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13. Supporting Cognitive Development
• To support cognitive development:
– Plan opportunities for creativity
– Use discovery-oriented, hands-on, collaborative and
open-ended experiences
Are flashcards and drills appropriate for
toddlers? Why or why not?
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14. Children with Special Needs
• Early Childhood Inclusion
– Learning about the world in a natural setting, or as
least restrictive as possible, is significant for the
development and learning of young children with
special needs.
– Access to a wide range of learning opportunities and
play-based activities and environments is a key
characteristic of high-quality early childhood inclusion
programs.
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15. Children with Special Needs
• Early Childhood Inclusion
– Benefits children with and without disabilities,
caregivers, and families.
• Inclusion programs provide better developmental outcomes,
skills learned in a natural setting, peer models for social
interactions and competence
• Provides greater understanding and opportunity for diverse
friendships
• Modifications for the included child can result in more creative
problem solving for all children
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16. Online Learning Center
• See Chapter 8 of the text’s Online Learning
Center for chapter quizzes, Theory Into Action
activities, Video Observations, and more.
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