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Chapter 9

Ask Yourself

Ask Yourself

This activity contains 18 questions.

	REVIEW: Select two of the following features of Piaget’s preoperational stage: egocentrism, a focus on perceptual appearances, difficulty reasoning about transformations, and lack of hierarchical classification. Cite findings that led Piaget to conclude that preschoolers are deficient in those ways. Then present evidence indicating that preschoolers are more capable thinkers than Piaget assumed. (pp. 319-321)   To create paragraphs in your essay response, type <p> at the beginning of the paragraph, and </p> at the end.

	APPLY: At home, 4-year-old Will understands that his tricycle isn’t alive and can’t move by itself. Yet when Will went fishing with his family and his father asked, “Why do you think the river is flowing along?” Will responded, “Because it’s alive and wants to.” What explains this contradiction in Will’s reasoning? (pp. 319-320)   To create paragraphs in your essay response, type <p> at the beginning of the paragraph, and </p> at the end.

	CONNECT: When do children realize that a scale model of a room represents a real room? When do they distinguish the real and apparent identities of disguised objects (such as a stone painted to look like an egg)? What cognitive capacity underlies both attainments? (pp. 325-326)   To create paragraphs in your essay response, type <p> at the beginning of the paragraph, and </p> at the end.

	REFLECT: Did you have an imaginary companion as a young child? If so, what was your companion like, and why did you create it? Were your parents aware of your companion? What was their attitude toward it?   To create paragraphs in your essay response, type <p> at the beginning of the paragraph, and </p> at the end.

	REVIEW: Describe features of social interaction that support children’s cognitive development. How does such interaction create a zone of proximal development? (pp. 329-331)   To create paragraphs in your essay response, type <p> at the beginning of the paragraph, and </p> at the end.

	REVIEW: Why, according to Vygotsky, is make-believe play the ideal social context for cognitive development in early childhood? (p. 330)   To create paragraphs in your essay response, type <p> at the beginning of the paragraph, and </p> at the end.

	APPLY: Tanisha sees her 5-year-old son, Toby, talking out loud to himself while he plays. She wonders whether she should discourage this behavior. Use Vygotsky’s theory to explain why Toby talks to himself. How would you advise Tanisha? (p. 329)   To create paragraphs in your essay response, type <p> at the beginning of the paragraph, and </p> at the end.

	CONNECT: How are intersubjectivity and scaffolding involved in child-directed speech, discussed on pages 242-243 of Chapter 6? Explain.   To create paragraphs in your essay response, type <p> at the beginning of the paragraph, and </p> at the end.

	REVIEW: Describe a typical 4-year-old’s understanding of mental activities, noting both strengths and limitations. (pp. 336-338)   To create paragraphs in your essay response, type <p> at the beginning of the paragraph, and </p> at the end.

	REVIEW: What factors influence children’s problem-solving strategies, and why do they follow an overlapping-waves pattern of development? (pp. 335-336)   To create paragraphs in your essay response, type <p> at the beginning of the paragraph, and </p> at the end.

	APPLY: Gregor’s mother wonders why his preschool teacher, instead of teaching him academic skills, permits him to spend so much time playing. Gregor’s teacher responds, “I am teaching him academics—though play.” Why is play the best way for preschoolers to develop academically? (pp. 338-342)   To create paragraphs in your essay response, type <p> at the beginning of the paragraph, and </p> at the end.

	CONNECT: Cite evidence on the development of memory, theory of mind, and literacy and mathematical understanding that is consistent with Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory. (pp. 334-342)   To create paragraphs in your essay response, type <p> at the beginning of the paragraph, and </p> at the end.

	REVIEW: Describe differences between child-centered and academic preschools. What findings indicate that parents who want to foster their preschooler’s academic development should choose a child-centered preschool? (p. 345)   To create paragraphs in your essay response, type <p> at the beginning of the paragraph, and </p> at the end.

	APPLY: Senator Smith heard that IQ and achievement gains resulting from Head Start do not last, so he plans to vote against funding for the program. Write a letter to Senator Smith explaining why he should support Head Start. (pp. 345-346)   To create paragraphs in your essay response, type <p> at the beginning of the paragraph, and </p> at the end.

	REFLECT: What TV programs did you watch as a child? How do you think they affected your play and learning? (pp. 347-348)   To create paragraphs in your essay response, type <p> at the beginning of the paragraph, and </p> at the end.

	REVIEW: Provide a list of recommendations for supporting language development in early childhood, noting research that supports each. (pp. 348-353)   To create paragraphs in your essay response, type <p> at the beginning of the paragraph, and </p> at the end.

	APPLY: One day, Sammy’s mother explained to him that the family would take a vacation in Miami. The next morning, Sammy emerged from his room with belongings spilling out of a suitcase and remarked, “I gotted my bag packed. When are we going to Your-ami?” What do Sammy’s errors reveal about his approach to mastering language? (p. 350)   To create paragraphs in your essay response, type <p> at the beginning of the paragraph, and </p> at the end.

	CONNECT: Explain how children’s strategies for word learning support the interactionist perspective on language development, described on pages 237-238 of Chapter 6.   To create paragraphs in your essay response, type <p> at the beginning of the paragraph, and </p> at the end.

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