Preschool Development
The Development of Preschool Children Once children reach the stage of “preschooler”, usually between the ages of three and five, they continue to develop both physically and cognitively. This paper will discuss the following areas of development of preschool-age children:
• Cognitive
• Motor
• Social
• Emotional
Jean Piaget, who is the psychologist credited with forming the Theory of Cognitive Development in the late 1920s, created a list of what children at each stage are capable of, and what they are not capable of. He found that a preschooler’s thought process does not always make sense, and they are not capable of going back through their thought process to see if all of the steps made sense. He also found that once a preschooler has made a decision, it is very difficult, if not impossible to change their mind. Preschoolers are able to speak in complex sentences, but do not completely understand cause and effect. Piaget found that preschoolers are egocentric, and they believe that everyone sees the world as they see it. Preschoolers often will only pay attention to one aspect of an event. For example, if a child is asked about a party that they attended, they may be able to describe the cake in great detail, but may not be able to describe the games they played at all. Children of preschool age have a difficult time judging amounts. For example, a preschooler does not realize that if you put a certain amount of candy is a big jar, and then take the candy out and place it into a smaller jar, the amount of candy does not change. Preschoolers believe that inanimate objects, such as their stuffed animals, are alive. It is perfectly common for a preschool child to believe that one of their teddy bears has feelings. Preschoolers are capable of learning. In the 1950s, psychologist Benjamin Bloom led a team of researchers to create a cognitive learning guide. This guide describes how children of different ages understand new information that they are
• Cognitive
• Motor
• Social
• Emotional
Jean Piaget, who is the psychologist credited with forming the Theory of Cognitive Development in the late 1920s, created a list of what children at each stage are capable of, and what they are not capable of. He found that a preschooler’s thought process does not always make sense, and they are not capable of going back through their thought process to see if all of the steps made sense. He also found that once a preschooler has made a decision, it is very difficult, if not impossible to change their mind. Preschoolers are able to speak in complex sentences, but do not completely understand cause and effect. Piaget found that preschoolers are egocentric, and they believe that everyone sees the world as they see it. Preschoolers often will only pay attention to one aspect of an event. For example, if a child is asked about a party that they attended, they may be able to describe the cake in great detail, but may not be able to describe the games they played at all. Children of preschool age have a difficult time judging amounts. For example, a preschooler does not realize that if you put a certain amount of candy is a big jar, and then take the candy out and place it into a smaller jar, the amount of candy does not change. Preschoolers believe that inanimate objects, such as their stuffed animals, are alive. It is perfectly common for a preschool child to believe that one of their teddy bears has feelings. Preschoolers are capable of learning. In the 1950s, psychologist Benjamin Bloom led a team of researchers to create a cognitive learning guide. This guide describes how children of different ages understand new information that they are
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