Cognitive, Language, & Literacy Development (module 2)

1. Cognitive, Language, and
Literacy Development
Dr. Jennifer Irwin
EDU 620: Module 2
Chapter 2

2. Types of Development
• In the next two modules, we will be
exploring 4 types of development:
– Module 2:
• Cognitive
• Language & Literacy
– Module 3:
• Moral
• Social & Emotional

3. Types of Development
• Throughout the next two modules, please
keep in mind these basic principles of
development:
2. Development proceeds in a somewhat orderly and
predictable pattern (although this has been debated)
3. Different children develop at different rates
4. Periods of relatively rapid growth (spurts) may appear
between periods of slower growth (plateaus)
5. Developments is continually affected by both nature
(heredity) and nurture (environment)

4. Please note:
• Important vocabulary from the chapter
(which is listed on the overview for this
module) will be underlined throughout this
presentation.
• Also, be sure you have printed the
“Student Development Study Guide” and
be ready to add information from modules
2 and 3.

5. Piaget’s Stages of Cognitive
Development
• Sensorimotor (0-2 years)
• Preoperational (2-7 years)
• Concrete Operational (7-11 years)
• Formal Operational (11 and older)

6. Piaget’s Basic Assumptions:
• Children:
– Are active and motivated learners
– Construct knowledge from their experiences
– Learn through assimilation & accommodation
• Also:
– Interactions with one’s physical & social
environments are essential for development
– Equilibration promotes progression toward more
complex thought
– Cognitive development depends to some degree on
neurological development

7. Sensorimotor stage
• Sensorimotor (0-2 years)
 Infants uses senses to learn about
surroundings
 Have an innate tendency or natural curiosity
to interact with the environment
 Use reflexes, then schemata and later
intentional decision making
 Lack object permanence until approx. 11
months
 Begin using symbols to represent objects in
the environment (baby sign language is good
to begin in this stage)

8. Sensorimotor children enjoy …
• Learning through
movement & senses
(especially taste)
• Exploring
surroundings
• Interacting with
environment
• Sensory stimulation
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colors, shapes, etc.)
ew
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• Putting everything in
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Ys the mouth!
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9. Preoperational stage
2. Preoperational (2-7 years)
 Preschoolers continue to use symbols &
expand recognition of symbols and
vocabulary
 Language and conceptual thinking begins
to take off
 Lack conservation because of centration
 Egocentric

10. A typical
preoperational
child …

11. Characteristics of the Preoperational stage
• Being the center of attention
• Opportunities to be
inventive
• Beginning problem solving
This is
Sa
creative mantha, very
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read ho f her
u se !

12. Concrete Operational stage
• Concrete Operational (7-11
years)
 Elementary-aged students begin
more logically thought processes
 No longer lack conservation
 Can do activities requiring
seriation, transitivity,
reversability, class inclusion and
inferred reality

13. Concrete operational students enjoy…
• Exercising their logical
minds
• Opportunities to be
inventive and forward
thinking
• “What if…” scenarios
• History, science,
mathematics
(identifying
relationships and
patterns)

14. Formal Operational stage
4. Formal Operational (11 and older)
 Middle-school to adult students
think more abstractly,
hypothetically and logically
 Increase transitivity skills
 Think metacognitively or more
reflectively on their own “style of
thinking” or “way of learning”

15. Formal operational students enjoy…
• Experiments
• Riddles, puns,
play on words
• Problem solving
or open-ended
assignments
• Self-reflection

16. Pause, practice, and apply
Who do you know who fits into each of
Piaget’s stages of cognitive
development?
Also, explain which stage you fit in.

17. Vygotsky & Cognitive
Development
Key ideas:
– Sign systems
– Private speech
– Scaffolding
– Zone of proximal
development

18. Vygotsky’s Basic Assumptions:
• Complex mental processes begin as social
processes that children gradually
internalize and use independently
(internalization)
• Thought & language become increasingly
interdependent (private speech)
• Both informally and formally, adults
convey their culture’s interpretations of
the world (socialization)

19. Vygotsky’s Basic Assumptions: (cont.)
• Challenging tasks promote maximum
cognitive growth
• Children perform more challenging tasks
when assisted by more advanced
individuals (zone of proximal
development; scaffolding)

20. Example of Scaffolding
in Reading

21. Pause, practice, and apply
Describe a time where the zone of
proximal development helped you
learn a new skill or concept?
Where have you used scaffolding or
seen scaffolding used?
(and, of course, we are not talking about
construction scaffolding!)

22. Language & Literacy Development
• The basis for successful reading and
writing begins way before children enter
school!
– Early oral language experiences are critical
(e.g. reading and talking with children)
– Emergent Literacy is the term for early
reading and writing behaviors like recognizing
a STOP sign and scribbling

23. Pause, practice, and apply
What are some ways that parents
and caregivers can boost a young
child’s literacy development?

24. And now, onto module 3 for more areas of
development …..

25. Erikson’s Stages of
Psychosocial Development
1. Trust vs. Mistrust (0 - 18 months)
Infant’s needs need to be satisfied, if not, infant
develops mistrust for caregivers & others
2. Autonomy vs. Doubt (18 months – 2 years)
Child has natural desire to be independent and do
things for themselves. If not, child feels
powerless, restricted and doubtful of their ability
3. Initiative vs. Guilt (3 – 6 years)
Child has natural curiosity to seek, explore and
understand the world around them. If not, child
feels guilty about natural urges to explore, be
curious, etc.
4. Industry vs. Inferiority (6 – 12 years)
Child desires to be successful and industrious, if
not, child has feelings of inadequacy

26. Erikson’s Stages of Psychosocial
Development (cont.)
5. Identity vs. Role Confusion (12-18 years)
Person is discovering themselves educationally,
occupationally, emotionally, socially, and sexually. If
not, person is confused about their place or role in
society
6. Intimacy vs. Isolation (Young adulthood)
Person establishes growth relationships with others, if
not, person goes into isolation to escape relationship
failures
7. Generativity vs. Self-Absorption (Middle adulthood)
Person has interest in guiding others and contributing to
the greater good of society. If not, person may feel
stagnate & lead to self-absorption.
8. Integrity vs. Despair (Late adulthood)
Person reflects on life and accepts life’s
accomplishments, failures, and choices. If not, regret
leads to despair.

27. Pause, practice, and apply
Who do you know who fits into each of
one of Erickson’s stages of
psychosocial development?
Where do you fit in?

28. Moral Development
• For moral development, we will learn
about Kohlberg’s stages as well as Piaget’s
(yes, he had a theory of moral
development too … busy guy!)

29. First, think about this:
• How do we learn what is morally right or
wrong?
• Do our morals change over time?
– If yes, how or why do our morals change?

30. Piaget’s Theory of Moral Development
Heteronomous
(Young stage)
Rules are automatic and inflexible
Autonomous
(Older stage; 10+ years)
Rules are changeable and situation dependent

31. Cartoons created by former ed. psych. student

32. Kohlberg’s Stages of Moral Reasoning
• Refer to chapter
2 for a
description of
each stage, but
before you do
ask yourself
what you would
do if you were This is Kohlberg, not Heinz 
“Heinz” …

33. The Heinz Dilemma (what Kohlberg used to
develop his theory)
A woman was near death from a special kind of cancer. There
was one drug that the doctors thought might save her. It
was a form of radium that a druggist in the same town had
recently discovered. The drug was expensive to make, but
the druggist was charging ten times what the drug cost him
to produce. He paid $200 for the radium and charged
$2,000 for a small dose of the drug. The sick woman's
husband, Heinz, went to everyone he knew to borrow the
money, but he could only get together about $1,000 which is
half of what it cost. He told the druggist that his wife was
dying and asked him to sell it cheaper or let him pay later.
But the druggist said: "No, I discovered the drug and I'm
going to make money from it." So Heinz got desperate and
broke into the man's store to steal the drug for his wife.
Should Heinz have broken into the laboratory to steal the drug
for his wife? Why or why not?

34. Kohlberg’s Stages of Moral Reasoning
• Level 1: Preconventional Morality
– Stage 1
– Stage 2
• Level 2: Conventional Morality
– Stage 3
– Stage 4
• Level 3: Postconventional Morality
– Stage 5
– Stage 6

35. Pause, practice, and apply
In which stage of Kohlberg’s
Moral Reasoning are you?
Which stage is your best friend?
Can you think of a time where you
witnessed heteronomous-type
thinking/moral development?

36. For more clarification or
additional information,
review chapter 2, ask a
classmate or contact the
instructor
Also, I hope you’re thinking
of some great ideas for your
Real Me! Project!