PSY 2410 Chapter 12

Piaget's term for the ability to reason logically about direct experiences and perceptions (Piaget's third stage); Children understand their actual experiences and direct observations, not abstractions

The logical principle that things can be organized into groups (or categories or classes) according to some characteristic that they have in common

Gradually, with personal experience, they begin to understand that objects/things can be divided and subdivided

The knowledge that things can be arranged in a logical series

Begins with familiarity with numbers, but requires children to grasp the logic behind the numbers to fully understand it; develops gradually during concrete operational thought

Educators should consider children's thought processes, not just the outcomes; middle childhood was prime time for learning, with the specifics depending on family, school, and culture; emphasized that mentors guide and speed the learning process

Piaget advocated discovery; Vygotsky stressed guidance

The analysis of brain activation, made possible by innovations in brain research, allows for more detailed data than Piaget or Vygotsky had

Like computers, people accumulate large amounts of facts; People then seek relevant facts, analyze, and express conclusions

A process in which repetition of a sequence of thoughts and actions makes the sequence routine so that it no longer requires conscious thought

One brain-based ability, measured by how fast a child can name a series of colors, objects, and so on

Took an information-processing approach; he compared the acquisition of knowledge to waves on an ocean, after much ebb and flow, eventually a new high-water mark is reached

A body of knowledge in a particular area that makes it easier to master new information in that area

Past experience, current opportunity, and personal motivation facilitate this

Mechanisms (including selective attention, metacognition, and emotional regulation) that combine memory, processing speed, and knowledge to regulate the analysis and flow of information within the information-processing system

Metacognition (thinking about thinking) and metamemory (knowing about memory)

Locations where many axons meet, tend to be near the corpus callosum, and damage to them correlates with notable brain dysfunction

Because concrete operation children are logical, they can use prefixes, suffixes, compound words, phrases, and metaphors, allowing them to understand the meaning of a word they've never heard before

Codeswitching in accent, gestures, grammar, and more; causes adpet friend making skills

A strategy in which instruction in all school subjects occurs in the second (usually the majority) language that a child is learning

Having instruction in two languages. Occurs when a school has dozens of children all speaking the same mother tounge

Basic english is taught to all the students with no other languages allowed. Occurs when children who need to learn English speak many different home languages

The youngest children can soak up every new word and language, but as they age, logic begins to take over, meaning children can grasp that each language has its own rules.

Advancing in cognitive control, powerful motivation, advantaged in cognitive skills, better academic performance

SES affects cognitive development, especially in language; on avaerage children from low SES households not only have smaller vocabs, but they also use fewer compound sentences, dependent clauses, and conditional verbs

Possibilities include financial stress, inadequate prenatal care, no breakfast, crowded and noisy homes, teenage parents, and physical punishment, all of which correlate with less brain activity and less learning. One proven cause is amount of lanagauge heard in infancy and early childhood

National economies advance when school achievement rises and globally, the education gender gap is narrowing to include more girls

Crutial

Some nations emphasize soft skills while others emphasize academic skills, religious education is public school in contentious, and overall nations debate each subject's importance

The unofficial, unstated, or implicit patterns within a school that influence what children learn. For instance, teacher demographics, organization of the play space, and class assignments are all part of the hidden curriculum - not formally prescribed, but instructive to the children

The practice of assigning children to class based on their characteristics, such as their reading ability or their ethnicity. Named for similarity to railroad _____ - once on a certain ____, trains do not change even if an obstacle is in the way

It ensures that students are all on the same level, making them easier to teach, but it reinforces social inequality

Teacher identity and expectations reflect values. Punishment and shooter drills also show hidden curriculum

Almost 100 nations have participated in at least one massive international test of educational achievement

Trends in math and science study (TIMSS), Progress in international reading literacy study (PIRLS), Programme for international student assessment (PISA)

Creating questions that are equally fair for everyone is impossible (nations introduce topics at different times and stress certain topics), children not in school are not being tested, and motivation to do well on these tests may vary by nation

International tests suggest US academic performance is improving, but schools aren't teaching as well as they could

An ongoing and nationally representative measure of US children's achievement in reading, math, and other subjects over time; nicknamed "the Nation's Report Card

Schools that are given no public funds and have their own standards for admissions, curriculum, and teacher quality. Specifics of costs and education vary widely

Should public schools be well-supported by public funds? Should parents be given vouchers to pay for some tuition at a private school? Should more charter schools open or close? Should parents be allowed to homeschool their children, and with what regulations?

A promise of payment under certain conditions. When used in education, vouchers allow public funds to be paid for private school tuition

A school funded by public taxes that is exempt from some requirements for traditional public schools

When a child is taught at home, usually by a stay-at-home parent, instead of being enrolled in any school, public or private

In most nations, matters regarding public education are set by the central government. In the US, local districts provide most of the funds and guidelines, and parents are active within the school (parents are often guided more by political rhetoric than theory, and local control increases parent engagement, which can improve student performance