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