Kristyn Lloyd 11.9.

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Theory Assignment #3: Child Lab Observation

Child Development 210-03 Sister Eagar
While observing in one of the BYUI Child Lab observation booths, please answer the following questions
on Piaget and Vygostky concepts applied to early childhood education.

1. Name six characteristics of preoperational thought according to Piaget and give an example of each.

a. Centration- two kids focus on getting the biggest ball of play dough rather than listening to
the story being read. They keep asking for more play dough and aren’t listening at all. Eventually the
teacher drops the book and plays along with them saying “lets make it bigger by blowing it like a
balloon.”

b. Focus on appearance- a little boy is talking to a teacher and he thinks she is too young to be
married so asks if her ring is from her dad. When she explains it is from her husband he brushes the idea
aside because she looks too young to be a parent and thus she couldn’t be married.

c. Static reasoning-

d. Animism- a little boy said “the car got me” when the little remote control car was controlled
and drove to bump into the child

e. Conservation- (reading in a book that) red paint mixed with yellow paint makes orange paint,
not a whole new thing but a mixture of what you already had.

f. Irreversibility- while reading a book the children seem concerned that the animal drinks all the
water in his bowl and there is none left when he gets thirsty later on.

2. Define Piaget’s notion of Theory-Theory or Children’s Theories.

The idea that children attempt to explain everything they see and hear by constructing theories, like
“don’t eat the seeds, they will grow in your tummy.” Often these theories come from questions about
people’s behavior.

3. Define Piaget’s idea of Theory of the Mind. What influences theory of the mind in early childhood?

Realizing that someone is not thinking what the same as us. This happens usually around 4 yrs old.
Ability to change perspective.

4. Define guided participation and scaffolding.

Tailored support to help the child step by step. Help them master the next task in a learning process
with temporary support. Can be done one by one, or as a group. Help them learn how the parts make a
whole.

5. Give an example of how a parent might scaffold making pudding together with a preschool age child.

The mother can measure out the ingredients separately and allow the child to pour the ingredients
together and stir.
Kristyn Lloyd 11.9.16

6. Contrast and compare Piaget and Vygostsky’s ideas on cognition or learning in young children.

Piaget says, “development drives learning”, Vygotsky believes “Learning drives development”.

7. While observing in the BYUI child lab, give two examples of preoperational thought.

-Reversibility- the children believed that the color of the cat changed color when there was another
colored paper behind the clear page.

-Centration- two kids focus on getting the biggest ball of play dough rather than listening to the story
being read. They keep asking for more play dough and aren’t listening at all. Eventually the teacher
drops the book and plays along with them saying “lets make it bigger by blowing it like a balloon.”

8. Give one example of a learning activity in the BYUI child lab that seemed to be based on Piaget’s
ideas on how children learn? Explain why you think this activity is based on the theoretical principles of
Piaget.

They sang and danced to the song “hot potato” and they were all acting like “limp spaghetti” or
“smashed banana” as they danced. This goes along with their learning style of animism that they try to
bring everything to life or play pretend.

9. Give one example of a learning activity in the BYUI child lab that seemed to be based on Vygotsky’s
ideas on how children learn? Explain why you think this activity is based on the theoretical principles of
Vygotsky.

One activity is that they were able to go outside and look at a cool car after they learned about the
simple parts of a car in a song. This encouraged them to explore the environment around them while
they could also practice the new vocabulary words they just learned. Like wheels, steering wheel, and
engine. The children spoke in egocentric speech when they saw the car because they talked at the other
kids while naming the parts, rather than talking to the others.