Chapter 1 Early Education Curriculum
self-help skills
in early childhood, a child's ability to care for himself, such as dressing, feeding, and toileting
schema
integrated way of thinking or of learning mental images
object permanence
mature state of perceptual development. According to Piaget's theory, a baby thinks that objects, including people, cease to exist the moment he stops seeing them. An older child starts to search for the missing object or person
psychosocial
Erickson's eight stages that describe the interaction between an individual's social-emotional condition and the interpersonal environment
multiple intelligences
Gardner's theory, which proposes that one form of intelligence is not better than another, all eight are equally valuable and viable
assimilation
Piaget's process of cognitive development, which occurs when a child handles, sees, or otherwise experiences something
accommodation
Piaget's theory of modification of existing cognitive information. Cognitive schemes are changed to accommodate new experiences or information
associative play
activity of a three- or four-year old child playing with other children in a group, the child drops in and out of play with normal organization of activity
scaffolding
adjustable support the teacher offers in response to the child's level of performance
anti-bias
an attitude that actively challenges prejudice, stereotyping, and unfair treatment of an individual or group of individuals
prejudice
an attitude, opinion, or idea that is preconeived or decided, usually unfavorably
bias
any attitude, belief, or feeling that results in unfair treatment of an individual or group of individuals
Advocacy
attitude that encourages professionals, parents, and other caring adults to work together on behalf of young children
equilibrium
balance of one's cognitive schemes and information gathered from the environment; assimilation, and accommodation
schedule
basic daily timeline of an early childhood education
play
behavior that is self-motivated, freely chosen, processorientated , and enjoyable
learning
change in behavior or cognition that occurs as children construct knowledge through active exploration and discovery in their physical and social environments
self-regulation
child's natural ability to exercise control over physical and emotional behavior in the face of changing circumstances
developmentally appropriate practice
curriculum planning philosophy expressed by NAEYC, defines and describe what is developmentally appropriate for young children in childhood programs serving children and families, birth through age eight
routines
events that fit into the daily time frame of an early childhood program
symbolic thinking
formation of symbols or mental representations, allowing children to solve problems by thinking before acting
goals
general overall aims or overview of an early childhood program
cognitive development
mental process that focuses on how children's intelligence, thinking abilities, and language acquisition emerge through distinct ages, Piaget's study of children's thinking, involving creating their own mental images of the world, based on encounters with the environment
parallel play
observable play in the older toddler and young three-year-old that emphasizes being near another child while playing with an object rather than playing with a child
stereotyping
oversimplified generalization about a particular group, race, or sex, often with negative implications
onlooker play
play of young children introduced to new situations that focus on an activity rather than the environment
developmental theories
principles that examine children's growth, behavior, and process of learning
zone of proximal development
range of potential each child has for learning, with that learning being shaped by the social environment in which it takes place
unoccupied behavior
refers to a child (infant or toddler) who occupies himself by watching anything of momentary interest
objectives
specific purposes or teaching techniques that interpret the goals of planning, schedules, and routines. These objectives are designed to meet the physical, intellectual, social, emotional, and creative development of young children
practice play or sensorimotor play
stage in cognitive development during which the young child learns through repetitive sensory and motor play activities
egocentric
stage when individuals think about the world only in relation to themselves
development
systematic and adaptive changes in the body and mind
theory
systematic statement of principles and beliefs that is created to explain a group of facts that have been repeatedly tested or widely accepted
cooperative play
type of play organized for some purpose by the four-year-old and older child. It requires group membership and reflects a child's growing capacity to accept and respond to ideas and actions not originally his own
symbolic play
type of play that allows the child to transfer objects into symbols (things that represent something else) and images into people, places, and events within his experiences. Symbolic play occurs during Piaget's preoperational stage (two to seven years). Superhero fantasy play is considered a type of symbolic play for a young child