1

Running head: Video Summary

Chapter 9 Video Summary
Cayla Sandlin-EDUC 121
Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana


2
Running head: Video Summary



1) Throughout the video, Growing and Learning in Preschool, we see a day in the life of a
preschooler. The video opens with stating how much a preschooler can learn at this age
and how important it is to teach them. These days, most children are attending preschool
by three or four years old. The video says that a preschool education, early learning,
helps build skills they need to be successful in the future and to even graduate high
school. In our textbook, Berk states that is children at the preschool age get very stressed
when teachers feel pressured to take the approach of teaching children through worksheet
lessons. However, Montessori education allows teachers to teach their preschoolers in a
hands-on, discovery format so children can explore through their learning (Berk, pg.
348). Like the video, Growing and Learning in Preschool, Berk states (pg. 349) that is
important for preschool intervention, especially to increase high school graduation rates
and to help boost children with learning disabilities. Play helps children build language
skills, helps cognitive development, problem solving, imagination, and helps strengthen
memory (Berk, pg. 319). It is also important for children to interact in peer play or
sociodramatic play so they can build friendships and confidence.
2) Egocentrism: Throughout the seven years that I have worked with children, I have heard
a lot of kids talk about them self. It is hard for children to understand sharing and that
others have feelings too. I try my hardest to be gentle as I teach sharing and I remind my
kiddos that they will always get another turn if they share. Animistic thinking: I know a
lot of children, myself included when I was a child, that said God is bowling whenever
they hear a thunderstorm. Conservation: I have I heard children whine about not having
the same amount as their peer, but in reality they have the exact same amount. I cannot
3
Running head: Video Summary


remember a particular time. Conservation also stems from egocentrismchildren think
only about themselves. Piagets stages: Preoperational Thought: Piaget created
discovery learning. Discovery learning allows children to opportunity to learn in a
hands-on way (p. 328). In the video, Growing and Learning in Preschool, this video
gives several examples of children learning as they discover. We see children in the
video holding a butterfly and watching a butterfly fly in a box. Also, a student is holding
a rabbit. The classroom has a dramatic-play area so children can participate in make-
believe play. The classroom in the video also has many hands-on learning activities to
help children of different learning abilities stay interested in learning. Inability to
categorize: During early childhood, children organize things in categorizes that are
animate versus inanimate. Like our textbook says, children believe in magic. Magic, to
them, are things that they cannot explain (Berk, pg. 323). I meet children daily that
believe in magic and Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy.
3) Zone of Proximal Development, to me, is introducing a task or activity to a child. The
child might need some adult assistance or guidance, but it is important for the adult to
only support the child, not do most of the work for the child. The child is learning from
how the adult is instructing them, building on their language development skills, and the
child is learning to do the task independently. Later on, children work together in groups
to help one another finish a task or activity. The child takes what he or she has learned
from the adult and incorporates that into the task, activity, or play they are participating
in with their peers.
4) The first video, Read with Me: You Make the Difference, shows parents reading with their
infants and young preschoolers. Communication begins at birth, so it is important to
4
Running head: Video Summary


begin verbalizing to infants. Although at a young age children dont comprehend the
story, infants like hearing the comfort of their mothers voice. Practicing a reading
routine to children at home, helps children grasp the concept of reading earlier on and
prepares them developmentally for school. By the age of three, preschoolers memory
and language skills have grown. Because children have a sponge-like brain and memory
at this age, comprehend is easier (Berk, pg. 355-356). Along with that, in the video
Building Vocabulary and Comprehension, we learn that the better children listen and the
more of an opportunity that children have to listen, the more they comprehend. Listening
skills help build building comprehension. Allowing children to create their own stories
prepares them to learn how books work and help them with communication later on. In
the Reading and Writing Together Video, we learn that is important not to force a reading
time with children. If the child is active in play, dont interrupt them. The child will feel
forced to read, therefore they will not receive the best experience of that moment of
reading. It is important that parents and children read books together that have good
picture to word correspondence so that if the child is unsure of a word, they can look at
the picture to help figure out the word. Keeping writing utensils and paper handy around
the house encourages children to write whenever they want, which helps increase writing
skills. As an assistant teacher, I loved watching the Connecting Sounds to Print video as
I use this teaching skill to help my children write. Calling attention to letters and how to
make them helps them apply the language used to how to create the letter. Having
watched the videos and summarized them, as a parent, I would have a box of writing
utensils and paper handy to encourage writing. Also, as a parent, I will read daily and
consistently to my child. It is important to have their name everywhere in the house. As
5
Running head: Video Summary


parents we need to communicate very often to our children so they can pick up on the
language skills needed.
5) Working Memory and Learning: Working memory begins in early childhood. I love the
example Lisa Archibald gave where she is explaining sounding out a word. But children
have to sound out the letter sound, that they remember from previously learning, yet they
are still trying to add the letter sounds together to make a word or to read the word. It is
important that children have the cognitive tools necessary to help them learn to read, or to
put those letter sounds together. Parents can help working memory and learning
cognitive development by spending about 40 minutes a day building skills and interacting
with children. Parents need to remember to work with children with things they are
familiar with in order to keep them from stressing out. The State of Preschools: I really
liked this video, but it was heartbreaking to see how some children are just being
babysat every day instead of learning. Berk (pg. 348-349) explains how important is
for a learning center have very many hands-on activities and different types of learning
centers so children can get the best education they can. The young mind is learning all it
can at the preschool age, so it is important that they get the best education possible. Our
textbook also introduces us to Project Head Start (pg. 349). Project Head Start is a low-
cost education facility that introduces children and their parents to education and good
nutrition. The facility is geared to help in child development and prepares children
socially. News Report on Video Games and the Brain: Video games are just over
stimulating to the childs brain. Nevertheless, children will do what they see and act out
like some of the video game characters. It is important that parents dont give children
too much time on the game systems. This news report reminded me of Dimitris TED
6
Running head: Video Summary


lecture and how too much television proposes negative effects on childrens brain
development.

7
Running head: Video Summary


References
Berk, L. (2012) Infants, children, and adolescents. 7
th
Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson