Essay questions
1. A 4 year old is playing in the sandbox using wet sand and saying he is making sand castles. He keeps filling the bucket without patting the sand down and then pouring the sand out from two feet above the ground. How would an adult following Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory respond? How would an adult following Piaget’s Cognitive Development Theory respond?Compare and contrast between Vygotsky and Piaget. What would you do in this situation? 10 points
2. Choose a year between the ages of 2 and 14 years. a. Describe each domain of development (language, cognitive, physical and social/emotional) for the age of the child you chose. b. As an adult working with this child create an age appropriate activity for each domain of development (1 for language, 1 for cognitive, 1 for physical, and 1 for social/emotional) that would support the child’s growth. c. What is the adult’s role during the activities to promote optimal learning? Think about the domains of development and the age of the child when answering this question.
3. How has taking this class helped you to understand how children develop? Why is it important for parents and teachers (and anyone working with children) to understand child development theories? Which theorist did you identify most with? Why? 5 points