The cognitive development of learners remains a significant area of consideration for researchers. Theorists such as Piaget and Vygotsky have postulated models to understand the early learners' cognitive development and abilities. The child's cognitive development depends on the educator's ability to simulate the classroom and simulate artificial and natural environments. Learners are also social beings and depend on associations with other students and teachers to demonstrate higher cognitive skills such as memory, thinking, and depiction of causal relationships. In this essay, I will observe preschool students interacting in their natural environment with the teachers. The primary objective is to assess their cognitive development and how their environment facilitates their growth. I will also pay significant attention to the role of the teacher. Educators have a critical role in assessing students' needs and supporting them in their learning endeavors. Notably, they must identify children that need support and provide them with special attention. I will also pay close attention to the materials within the classroom environment that support the learner's cognitive development.
Question 1
Cognitive development is crucial because it addresses the gradual and dynamic changes in human beings' minds. Understanding cognitive development provides individuals with insights into how children improve their memory, reasoning, thinking, perception, language, and problem-solving (Miller Jr, 2016). Cognitive development enables children to understand the world around them. It also allows them to improve their concentration levels. Through cognitive development, children can respond and react to changes within their environment. The education of the children significantly depends on their cognitive development (Miller Jr, 2016). The ability empowers them to make comparisons, analyze issues, and understand the relationship between cause and effect. The milestones that children make in their cognitive development are critical in the growth of the child (Miller Jr, 2016). Learners become more receptive to information which they apply to make meaningful decisions in their environment. Cognition allows children to engage with new information and relate it with what they have in their memories.
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Question 2
According to Piaget, incorporating pretend play as part of children learning was critical in the child's cognitive development. According to Piaget, pretend-play enables children to develop and advance their schemata, directly contributing to their cognitive growth. Through pretense and experiment, children get the opportunity to learn and experience the world differently. The children's pretend play, therefore, improved the thought and conception of children. Toys are helpful in this endeavor because they represent objects and characters that trigger the minds of children. In the video "Draco and Jessie playing with trains," the children play with trains as their main toys. According to Piaget's cognitive theory, the train forms a critical part of the pretense play, which eventually triggers young learners' minds and thoughts. The video "Draco and friends at a restaurant" is also an example of pretend play as children assume that they are serving food in a restaurant ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfW3C3OGWJI ).Vygotsky's cognitive development theory emphasized the importance of social interaction and its impact on social development. According to the theorist, students within the proximal development zone of a given task in the classroom will need the teacher's help to achieve the much-needed impetus to complete the job. The theory is witnessed in the video "Devin and Draco Going Fishing," where the teacher supports the students in accomplishing their pretend-play and making meaning out of it. Without the help of the teacher in this exercise, the student would understand what they were doing.
Question 3
Naturally, children are regarded as explorers. Teachers must, therefore, respond to these needs by creating a physical environment that maximizes engagement and learning. The videos illustrate several materials that can support the cognitive learning of the students. Toys are essential sources of cognitive development because they trigger imagination and the thought process of the children. Toys are also critical in enabling the child to develop different cognitive skills such as imitation, problem-solving, symbolic thinking, and the establishment of cause and effect. The toy blocks are also instrumental in developing spatial skills, motor skills, and math skills. Charts within the classroom environment are critical in the cognitive development of the child. The visual representation of images and colors assists in sparking imagination and boosting the child's ability to develop memory. Artifacts within the classroom environment, such as dolls and pictures, can also trigger imagination and allow them to engage in co-play. Cosplay is particularly critical because it will enable children to assume different roles. For instance, the video "Draco and friends at a restaurant" demonstrates how children can benefit from classroom artifacts that will allow them to engage in cosplay ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lijes9uawYo )
Question 4
Developmentally appropriate practices are critical in the development of learners in the classroom environment. The first developmentally appropriate practice is determined by the relationship between the teacher and the student (Gestwicki, 2013). The face-to-face interaction between the learners and the teachers is in line with Vygotsky’s cognitive development theory on the zone of proximal development. In the video, "Devin and Draco Going Fishing," the teacher has a direct one-on-one discussion with the students. She takes them through the fishing game and asks them simple questions using easy to understand language. The nurturing relationship demonstrated in this video is part of the developmentally appropriate practices that teachers are expected to leverage in the classroom environment. The availability of cognitive-developmental tools within the learning environment remains a significant aspect of the developmentally appropriate learning practices. The children can see, touch, and interact with these materials to improve their development outcomes. The video "Wyatt and Draco Playing at the Table" demonstrates how children can benefit from advanced learning tools that enable a quicker transition from lower to higher cognitive levels. The two children are playing at a sensory table, thereby illustrating their vast array of fine motor, social, and communication skills ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMW3yuTPAR8 ).
Question 5
Teachers have an essential role in the learning and cognitive development of the child. As illustrated in Vygotsky's cognitive development theory, teachers have a critical role in supporting the learners by understanding their environment. Teachers are directly involved in establishing an appropriate learning environment by arranging materials and integrating the natural environment to support the child’s learning (Čavojová & Jurkovič, 2017). The video "Devin and Draco Going Fishing" provides a perfect illustration of how teachers can accompany children in their learning environment and support them in their interaction with cognitive materials and tools. In the video, "Draco and Jessie playing with trains," the teacher mainly assumes a supervisory role where she manages the children and ensures harmony and order in their interactions. Teachers have a responsibility to ensure that classroom activities impact the holistic development of the child. They support the children and enable them to overcome their various difficulties. Teachers do not just have passive roles in their interaction with children. They actively engage verbally and nonverbally by asking questions that trigger the imagination of the children. For instance, in the video "Draco and friends playing with Legos," the teacher engages the learners through questions and commentary that trigger imagination and promote a meaningful response from the learners ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfW3C3OGWJI ).
Question 6
Teachers must remain aware of their need to support children experiencing difficulties in the learning environment. The videos have demonstrated how teachers take proactive roles in ensuring that the learners understand concepts and overcome problems (Čavojová & Jurkovič, 2017). Throughout all the videos, the students are arranged in groups of three or four learners. The primary objective is to empower the students to support one another and mitigate their challenges. Slow learners are better-placed to learn from fast learners. Vygotsky's cognitive development theory emphasizes the importance of the social environment in the learning of the children. Besides the children's arrangement into groups, the teachers have taken an active role in ensuring that learners are taken through their difficulties. In the video "Wyatt and Draco Playing at the Table," the teacher can be seen guiding one of the students on how they can play with the sensory tables. Through learning by doing, learners are well-poised to appreciate class concepts and learning strategies as required by the teacher. In supporting the students, the teachers remain patient and, from time to time, immerse themselves in the children's activities ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=im16tMxX1Rw&feature=emb_title ).
Question 7
Piaget is among the most recognized theorists in the field of child learning. The theorist came with several meaningful models that have helped educators improve their classroom environment's instructional dynamics. In his cognitive development theory, Piaget comes with a concept known as the Piagetian classroom. In this model, children are encouraged to discover themselves by spontaneously interacting with the environment (Lefa, 2014). Interaction with the teacher's artificial environment in the classroom contributes to their cognitive development, which occurs in stages. In the video, "Draco and Jessie playing with trains," the teacher has permitted the students to interact with their environment using the power of tools. They are paired in groups to explore their spatial and motor abilities using the toys and the bricks ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6hlPCeeBZE ). In "Devin and Draco Going Fishing," the teacher has creatively simulated a fishing environment using the classroom's available materials. With the teacher's help, the students can imagine and reimagine their engagement in a real-life fishing escapade. The students have the autonomy and independence to do anything they want. The presence of the teacher at the site is for purposes of guidance and answering any questions ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpOVz5GZSNU ).
Conclusion
Interaction with this video helped me understand several concepts that I have learned in class. It has empowered me to use theoretical lenses to understand how preschool children learn and interact in their classroom environment. I am specifically pleased to learn more about the cognitive development theory as postulated by Piaget and Vygotsky. I have realized that a child's cognitive development is a combination of a wide array of aspects, including materials, tools, environment, and the teacher's impact. The teachers have a wide variety of roles, including developing the class environment to meet the children's specific demands. They must also avail of the most impactful learning materials, including toys and charts that have the most significant impact on the learner's mental faculties. Also, teachers act as support systems and immerse themselves in the children's activities to provide them with much-needed support. They must also remain keen and ready to assist children who might experience specific difficulties with class concepts or activities. Therefore, the videos have several implications for stakeholders in the early learning education of the child. The school administration must remain alive to the learner's unique cognitive needs and avail them for effective learning.
References
Čavojová, V., & Jurkovič, M. (2017). Comparison of experienced vs. novice teachers in cognitive reflection and rationality. Studia Psychological , 59 (2), 100.
Gestwicki, C. (2013). Developmentally appropriate practice: Curriculum and development in early education . Cengage Learning.
Lefa, B. (2014). The Piaget theory of cognitive development: educational implications. Educational Psychology , 1 (1), 1-8.
Miller Jr, H. L. (Ed.). (, 2016). The sage encyclopedia of theory in psychology . SAGE Publications.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfW3C3OGWJI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lijes9uawYo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6hlPCeeBZE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpOVz5GZSNU&feature=emb_title https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=im16tMxX1Rw&feature=emb_title
