Cognitive Development (Entry #1)

    Cognitive development essentially refers to how people think and make sense of the world around them. When talking about children’s development, it is important to note that “they think differently and see the world differently than adults do” (Slavin, 2020, p. 20). I, as a teacher, must fully comprehend the ways in which my students think and how they see the world. Only then will I be able to effectively teach each of my students. 

    Overall, I feel that understanding the concept of cognitive development in children is extremely beneficial to the success of my students in the classroom. As Slavin (2020) states, “individual children develop in different ways and at different rates, and development is influenced by biology, culture, parenting, education, and other factors” (p. 20). This ultimately means no two children think exactly alike. I must take this into consideration when differentiating the content, process, and product of my lessons. Ultimately, the goal is to help my students grow and foster in them a sense of self-motivation and self-confidence (Slavin, 2020, p. 23). 

    Concerning the context of my classroom, cognitive development can further be broken down into what my students’ development is most affected by: nature or nurture. According to Slavin (2020), “...the key point is that while nothing can be done about a child’s genes, a great deal can be done about his or her environment to build skill, motivation, and self-confidence” (p. 23). Therefore, in the classroom, it is my responsibility to provide an environment where my students consistently feel empowered and are taught in a way that is developmentally appropriate, whatever that looks like for each individual child. For example, I can not pull a small group of students for instruction before first observing and making notes of the specific abilities each child possesses. My small groups must be strategically picked per where the student will learn best and with what peers. Despite what their genetics may be, all my students are capable of learning and thriving in their academics.

    From reading this chapter, I can use what I have learned to become a better teacher by being mindful of and implementing aspects from Piaget’s and Vygotsky’s theories of cognitive development in my instructional decisions and practices. I teach Kindergarten, and so my students fall under Piaget’s preoperational stage (ages 2-7). During this particular stage, “...children have greater ability to think about things and can use symbols to mentally represent objects” (Slavin, 2020, p. 27). I have seen this within my current group of students, especially where they are still egocentric in their thinking. I can better teach my students when I provide developmentally appropriate instruction per this stage they are in. 

    Furthermore, from Vygotsky’s theory, he believed that “...learning takes place most effectively when children are working within their zone of proximal development” (Slavin, 2020, p. 33). To become a better teacher, I can ensure that my students engage in collaboration and conversation among their peers and I. I must provide both support and guidance when they master a skill and are ready and capable of tackling the next skill in their zone of proximal development. Then I may gradually release some of this support/scaffolding, so they can take on more personal responsibility with their learning. 

    Slavin (2020) says, “oral language development is heavily influenced by the amount and quality of the talking parents do with their children” (p. 38). From my group of students this school year, I have learned so much about each and every one of them and their families. There is so much variety within my one classroom. Some students come from high-class, middle-class, or low-class families. Some come from broken families and live with aunts, uncles, or family friends while others live with both their parents. Some students come from working-class or low-income families that often times do not have regular conversations. The typical dynamic of families today is so diverse. This leads me to the question of how can I, for one school year, help close the gap for these students who are not talked to and conversated a lot with at home? In turn, this significantly affects the amount and quality of words in their vocabularies: their oral language development. To address this question, I can take action by finding programs that will substantially increase the development of their oral language. I will conduct my own personal research as to which program produces the best results in this area. With this, I can hopefully assist these particular students in reaching relatively the same number of vocabulary words as those students who do regularly talk with their parents/guardians.

References

Slavin, R. E. (2020). Educational psychology: Theory and practice (13th ed.).  Pearson Education.