Chapter SevenThe School Years:

Cognitive Development

Building on Piaget and Vygotsky Concrete Operational Thought

Vygotsky did not believe the child was a socially isolated learner

Logic and Culture

Piaget’s ideas still remain logicalVygotsky’s premise is that the

social cultural context of learning is important

Most research in U.S. and England

Information Processing Theory- processes by which the mind

analyses stores retrieves

Mind is like a computer

Memory

Sensory memory Working (short-term) memory Long-term memory

Speed of Processing

Older children are quicker thinkers than younger children

Thinking speed continues to increase throughout adolescence

Automatization helps free up thoughts for speed of processing

Knowledge Base

Knowledge base—broad body of knowledge in a particular subject area that makes it easier to master new learning in that area

Control Processes

Control processes—regulate the analysis and flow of information within the system

Selective Attention

Selective attention—ability to concentrate on relevant information and disregard distractions

Memory and thought depend on this ability

Improved control

Metacognition

“Thinking about one’s thoughts” Older children approach cognitive tasks

more strategically and analytically

The Pragmatics of Language Pragmatics—using language fluently in

many types of situations; from play through school years, distinguished by logic memory ability to make connections

Teaching and Learning

Worldwide, many ideological debates swirl around the content and practice of elementary education

A review of practices in 5 cultures found discrepancy between “expressed claim and observed reality”

Which Curriculum?

Intended curriculum

Implemented curriculum

Attained curriculum

Hidden curriculum

The Reading Wars

Phonics Whole language

Phonics Versus Whole Language Phonics approach—teaching reading by

requiring children to learn the sounds of each letter before they begin to decipher simple words

Whole-language approach—teaching reading by encouraging children to develop all their language skills— talking and listening, reading and writing—all with the goal of communication

The Socioeconomic Divide

Language development, reading attainment correlate with socioeconomic status the lower the family income, the less

developed a child’s vocabulary and grammar

The Math Wars

Math and science are key areas in which children should be ready for the challenges of the future

Traditionally taught through rote learning

New curriculum developed that teaches concepts, problem solving, estimating, and probability

Technology is another area of controversy Specifically, computers

digital divide

students in U. S. twice as likely to use computers in math and science than students in other nations

Bilingual Education

Learning a 2nd language

Total immersion—approach that teaches a second language in which instruction occurs entirely in that language and the learner’s language is not used at all

Attitudes and Achievement Success or failure in 2nd language

learning seems to lie in the attitude of teachers parents the larger community

Additive bilingualism Semilingual