A Report On Children Psychologists And Their Theories

Piaget

Jean Piaget was a Swiss psychologist. He is known for his theory of cognitive development. This theory basically explains how children learn as they grow up. It is split up into 4 stages. The stages are sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, and formal operational. The first stage is the sensorimotor which applies to newborns to 2 year olds. They learn by using their 5 senses: touch, taste, smell, see, and hear. This is why these children always have an object in their mouth. It’s their way of learning. The next stage is preoperational which deals with children of ages 2 to 6. These children are learning words and associating them with the things they see. These children also know how to group thing by size, shape, and color. Their thinking is known as egocentric, which means that they can only think from their point of view and no one else. For example, they might not understand why their friend might be hurt because they took the car away. All they know is that they wanted the car and their friend had it. The third stage is concrete operational which takes place in children ages 6 to 11. These children are able to think logically and explain why things are the way they are. They can do science experiments like forming hypothesis and they can do mathematical equations like multiplication and division. The last stage is concrete operational, which is children ages 12 and up, also known as adolescents, are now logical and abstract thinkers. They can think outside, behind, and around the box. This is when puberty starts and maturity is setting in.

Vygotsky

Lee Vygotsky was a Russian psychologist. He is known for his theory of social development. Vygotsky sees children as those who have learned their knowledge from those with greater experience. In terms this is known as scaffolding. In better terms, it is when a child that lacks a certain skill or concept can learn it from someone with a more advanced skill set like a teacher or an advanced student. He also believed that cognitive development grew through social interaction. He says that the extent of a child’s learning is based on the child’s zone of proximal development. This zone is when children engage in social interaction. It is basically “What can I do with help?”. He states that a full ZPD is based on full social interaction with adults and peers.

Skinner

B. F. Skinner was an American psychologist. He pioneered the Behaviorism theory and operant conditioning. Behaviorism is a theory that behaviors can be shaped by conditioning. It also believes that humans and animals can be studied by their behaviors. Skinner formed operant conditioning to research if an subject can be trained and taught to perform a behavior using reinforcement and punishment. He invented the Skinner Box, a box he used to test rats and pigeons to see if they can do such. He uses positive reinforcement, like food pellets, to congratulate the behavior. He would also use positive punishment, like electric shocks, to show that the behavior was wrong. He used negative reinforcement like stopping an electric shock and negative punishment like taking away food pellets in order for them to perform the right behavior. Operant Conditioning is used today in classrooms and in parenting. Teachers use it to get their students to meet their expectations. For example, a teacher might give a student detention for bad behavior or throw a pizza party for the class for making good grades on a recent test. Parents use it to get their children to meet their expectations as well. For example, a parent might take away a phone for not doing their chores or give a raise in allowance for doing all their chores.

Bruner

Jerome Bruner was an American psychologist as well. He came up with three versions of thinking: enactive, iconic, and symbolic representation. Enactive representation is for newborns to 1 year olds. This thinking is based on physical action and storing that action into memory. For example, a baby will remember how to shake a rattle. Bruner states that this will continue into later years like riding a bike or typing. Iconic representation is for 1 to 6 year olds. This is images and pictures stored into the mind. This is also known as photographic memory but not ever experiences this or iconic representation. Symbolic representation is for 7 year olds and up. This is when knowledge can be stored as words, math, music, etc. This representation is the last to develop.

Bloom

Benjamin Bloom was another American psychologist. He invented the Bloom’s Taxonomy Model. This model classifies styles of learning that teachers K-12 have used in their lesson for years. There are 6 stages in the model. The first one is Remembering, which is just recalling and memorizing basic facts. The second one is Understandjng, which is being able to explain and make sense of the material. The third one is Applying, which is being able to use the material in new ways. The fourth one is Analyzing, which is separating the material and knowing how each part relates to each other. The fifth one is Evaluating, which is being able to justify and make judgements on the knowledge. The sixth and last one is Creating, which is making a new product from the material learned. As said before, teachers use this model faithfully to create modalities in their classrooms to help students learn the material.

Gardner

Howard Gardner is an American psychologist. He formed the Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences. This theory deals with the different ways that people are better learning in. There are 9 intelligences: visual-spatial, naturalist, musical, logical-mathematical, verbal-linguistic, existential, bodily-kinesthetic, interpersonal, and intra-personal. Visual-Spatial is learning by seeing and images. Naturalist is learning by classifying differences and similarities. Musical is learning by songs and rhythms. Logical-Mathematical is learning through problem-solving and numbers. Verbal-Linguistic is learning by spoken and written words. Existential is learning by seeing the “big picture”. Bodily-Kinesthetic is learning by interaction with the environment and “hands off”. Interpersonal is learning through interaction with others while Intrapersonal is learning through morals and values.

Hunter

Madeline Hunter was an Canadian educator. She created the Madeline Hunter Model, which helped with instruction and teaching. It consists of 7 steps: objectives, standards, anticipatory set, teaching, guided practice, closure, and independent practice. Objectives are made before the lesson and states what the student can do after learning the lesson. Standards let the student know about the instruction, expectations, and procedures. The anticipatory set is what gets the students’ interest. Then there is the act of teaching. Then there is guided practice to see if the students understand the material along with the teacher. Closure reviews the lesson and helps students remember what they’ve learned from the lesson. Independent practice give students the opportunity to practice what they learned on their own.