chapter 11 cognitive development in middle … 11 cognitive development in middle childhood...

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007

World of Children 1st ed

Chapter 11

Cognitive Development

in Middle Childhood


Cognitive Development: Piaget

Concrete Operational Thought (7-11)

1.decentered thought: consider multiple aspects of a problem at one time

2.dynamic transformations: answer lies in the process

3.reversibility: things can be changed back to their original form

ex: conservation task


Concrete Operational Thought (7-11)Concrete Operational Thought (7-11)

Children think about the world using

Factual rules of logic not intuitive thought or personal

experience


Cognitive abilities

Children show their logical abilities by solving problems such as…

1. Class inclusion: objects can be classified in different ways and at different levels


example

Ex: Are there more dolls or toys?

Ex: She’s not a doctor she’s my mommy


Cognitive abilities cont…

2. Seriation: arrange a set of items according to size, weight, or length



3. Transitive inference: process of mentally drawing inferences by comparing relations among items.

Ex: John is taller than Mary, and Mary is taller than Bobby.

Who is taller John or Bobby?



Children can use logical thought processes but must have actual materials, contexts and situations to fully understand.


Memory

Storing information and remembering it later is crucial to cognitive development

No matter on your capacity to process new info or attention spanHOW DO CHILDREN PROCESS INFORMATION AND REMEMBER

IT????


2 Models of Memory

1. Stores model: information enters the system through the sensory store, moves to short-term store, and then to long-term store.

An executive processor controls the stores and the passage of information


STORES MEMORY MODEL

EXECUTIVE PROCESSOR

SENSORY STORE

SHORT-TERM STORE

5-9 CHUNKS OF INFO

LONG-TERM STORE


Memory

2. Network model: information is held in concept nodes which are connected by links. Information is activated by external or internal source.

Seeing an object or thinking about the object.


Interconnected network of associated information

Heavy links = greater degree of association

Higher level of activation = info. Is easier to remember

Ivet has higher level of activation than names of previous students


NETWORK MEMORY MODEL


with in Network Model

Working Memory (WM): information that is currently active in the system and available for use.

Like short term store basic components visible by 6 years effective use present in school years limited capacity decays over time or may be permanently lost Keep info by rehearsing or relate it to other info The better a child’s short term/working memory works

the higher that child will score on cognitive ablilities.



Long-term Memory: non-activated information permanent unlimited capacity similar to long-term store


with long term memory

Problems with…1. encoding: forming mental

representation of info.2. storage: putting info away3. accessing: finding right information

when needed4. retrieval: activating it to become

apart of working memory or STS


example

Walking down the street and see someone you know but can’t remember their name.

Encoding: never mentally represented her name.

encoding incorrectly “Helen” really “Ellen” Storage : never stored it access: encoded it correctly but can’t access it at the

moment. “I know her” Retrieval: tip of the tongue but can’ t remember



Older children:have more information organized better information is more

interconnectedmore connections between

stored concepts


Examples of long-term memorypg 370-371


with in long-term memory & research

semantic memory : knowledge of words and concepts

- lost of research in this area

episodic memory : memory of events in day to day life

- earliest memories of a child scripts : mental representations of the way things

occur in specific settings - 1 year olds show evidence of scripts - older children need fewer encounters w/an event to form a script - older children’s scripts become more detailed


Example of script

Going to McDonald’s

Going to school

Scripts help children predict what will happen next & help them remember events that take place b/c they are organizing their knowledge


Characteristics of Memory

reconstructive memory : parts of events and knowledge are stored; during recall. We retrieve stored pieces and fill in the rest

autobiographical memory : memories of highly personal significant events, often very vivid and detailed including emotions, sights, sounds


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Information Processing

Knowledge base : the amount of information you have about a specific topic the more you know, the more you can

remember more likely to notice details and relationships better able to group, store and access that

information


Information Processing

Strategies : conscious, intentional and controllable plans people use to improve performance rehearsal- repeating information organization-using relationships

among items elaboration- create visual or verbal

associations


How to put a puzzle together?Knowledge base & strategy

Group A

Bobby

4 years old

Group B

Robby

8 years old


Language Development

Growth in Semantic knowledge – meaning of

words Phonemic knowledge – meaning of

sounds of speech (bat, bit) Grammar & Syntax – combining

words into sentences Pragmatics – using language to

effectively interact w/others.



2 year old 200 words 6 year old10,000 words

10 year old40,000 words



Metalinguistic awareness – explicit knowledge about language and personal use of it.


Experience w/using language + increase in cognitive abilities

Single word has many meanings Self monitor & self correct receptive

and expressive language Social rules of discourse helps

children have more effective & appropriate conversations


Development of Math Skills

newborns can see differences in numbers of objects (less than 1 week old)

* * *** subitizing : ability to perceive how

many objects there are in a small set without actually counting



preschoolers learn counting words, and connect the words to the number of objects

counting by rote: by memory counting by one to one

correspondence: a # corresponds w/the object



Counting strategies : approaches to solving math problems that involve counting quantities strategies become more efficient over

time


Counting strategies


Counting strategies

strategy choice model : children solve math problems by choosing the fastest strategy that they can do accurately will use back up strategy if first choice

doesn’t work consistently use a variety of strategies


Counting strategies

Discouraging children from using back up strategies (counting on fingers) may actually delay their memorizing basic math facts

WHY????


Counting strategies

Multiple strategies: increase the likely hood that thechild can have the answer quickly helps child succeed in solving

problems helps build strong connections

between problems and their correct answers


Math Word Problems

Why so hard for children???


too many words

too many math operations

too many math terms

boring context/doesn’t relate to what child likes


Solution

problem need to be in familiar context

let children learn from “bugs” systematic errors instead of memorizing


Development of Reading Skills



Factors that predict success in early reading

familiarity with the alphabet phonemic awareness

the understanding that words are made up of smaller units of sound (phonemes)

st-op f-ly fl-ea children must then connect the speech

sounds with the printed letters



1. Alphabet awareness

2. Phonemic awareness

3. Automatizing –recognizing words in a speedy manner as you read

Playing w/ letters and letter sounds is helpful


How can we help children strengthen their pre-reading skills?

Point out printed words

Read to children over and over

Educational programs

Practice sound of language through rhyme books


Development of Writing Skills

inventive spelling “tu” for “two” “sumtyms” for “sometimes” Ok in some school Focus on meaning & message instead of mechanics Research states that inventive spelling doesn’t interfere

with ability to spell correctly Mechanics (elementary school)

spelling, punctuation, capitalization Knowledge telling- adding ideas to an essay as they

come along egocentric perspective

planning and revising (elementary school) evaluating, rewriting

chapter 11 cognitive development in middle … 11 cognitive development in middle childhood...

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