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children should be learning, for example Katz and Chard (1989) four
learning goals which include acquisition of knowledge, skills, plus the
development of disposition and feelings. The chapter also highlights the
importance of Childrens play, including the ten stages of play; play as a
social experience and play based pedagogy.
One question the text raises for me as a future educator of young
children, is Which theory on early childhood development, Piaget or
Vygotsky resonates with me more? This is an important question as
cognitive development is vital in the early years, as it leads to knowing,
reasoning, planning, problem solving, representing and remembering.
While Piagets theory stresses that there are qualitative differences in
the ways children interpret and think about the world, as well as being
actively involved in the construction of their own knowledge and
understanding through experience (Arthur et al. 2012. p, 89),
Vygotskys theory stressed the role of the individual as a social being,
influenced by the social world and their environment. Both theories
recognise the importance of children encountering challenge in a
supportive environment, however Piaget believed cognitive
development resulted from the children encountering a situation they
could not understand, while Vygotsky believed the zone of proximal
development reflected the psychological space just beyond childrens
capabilities, where assistance and guidance was most effective (Arthur
et al. 2012. p, 80). Piagets theory has been seen as an alternative to
Vygotskys theory, so as an educator, it is important to reflect on which
theory influences me in my early childhood classroom setting.
Another Question the text raises for me as an educator, is How do I
provide a stimulating environment and plan appropriate activities to
enhance childrens learning and development? The learning
environment is an extremely vital part of teaching early childhood, as
the way children respond to their learning environment determines their
acquisition of knowledge, skills and their development of dispositions
References.