Outcome: 303.3 Factsheet – Theories of development
Theorist Examples of theories Theories in practice
Jason is learning to do up his zip. His mother joins it at the bottom and helps him to pull it up. Children are active in their own learning. Later he manages to pull it up himself. After Children develop different ways of lots of practice and help he manages to do the thinking at different times in their lives. Jerome whole thing himself. The relationship between language and Bruner You are learning about development so that thought enables children to think you have a very good understanding of the symbolically. different stages. Once you have observed what The adult can provide scaffolding for a a child can do, you can introduce the next step child’s learning. and support the child as he or she learns the new skill. When Kevin spilt some sand on the floor, 4- Learning can be affected by rewards year-old Frances swept it up without being and punishments. Behaviour can be asked. A member of staff noticed, praised her Burrhus changed or shaped by providing and told everyone else in the room. Skinner positive reinforcements. Ruth is 6 years old and steals sweets from the While punishments may reduce drawer. Her mother stops her having sweets, undesirable behaviours, they do not but Ruth continues to steal and blame her little replace these with desirable behaviours. sister. There are only 28 children at Knowsley Bank Village School so the children are all in mixed aged groups. The older children regularly help Children are active in their learning and the younger. learn through social interaction. During a weighing activity, the adults in the pre- Children use language to develop school are actively questioning the children, Lev thought process. encouraging them to predict and reason, and Vygotsky The Zone of Proximal Development reinforcing the language of weight, mass and describes what a child can achieve with volume. help. Sophie has been observing Emma’s social skills to identify why she appears reluctant to communicate with other children. She will then identify ways of supporting her. Children observe and copy the actions The childminder is dusting the living room. The of others. toddler has a duster and is also wiping the A child is more likely to copy the actions Albert furniture. of someone they respect. Bandura Jude is 11. He regularly goes out with a group A child’s response will be affected by of ‘hard’ boys. They have been sniffing lighter whether the behaviour is rewarded or fuel behind the garages. punished. In Hollow Bank Nursery, the children complete Children are actively involved in their maths worksheets, while at Hillside Nursery, own learning. the children manipulate objects and undertake Children learn by assimilation and practical activities to develop maths skills. The accommodation and need the same skill children at Hollow Bank progress more quickly Jean presented in different ways to support than the children at Hillside. This week, Hollow Piaget this. Bank has provided the following activities to Children pass through 4 distinct stages: support children learning primary colours: a sensory motor; pre-operational; sorting and matching colour activity; painting concrete operational; formal with red, blue and yellow; a colour collage operational. activity; a music and dance activity, running to coloured circles when the music stops.