ESH241 Early Childhood Theories of Teaching and Learning : Theory of P

Educational theories

Bronfenbrenner’s Theory of Ecological development:

This theory has classified the education of a child in to three stages- microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, macrosystem, and chronosystems. He had described how the internal and the external environment of a child influences the growth of a child (Bronfenbrenner, 2015).

· The microsystem is the immediate, small environment in which the child lives in, that affects the growth of a child.

· The macro-system defines how the different parts of the microsystem of the child works together for the sake of the child.

The ecosystem includes other places and people that can have large effect on her, such as parent’s workplaces, neighborhood and the family members (Bronfenbrenner, 2015).

· The macro-system involves the remote set of a child’s development such as government, economy and wars.

Vygotsky’s theory of development

· The main assumptions of Vygotsky’s theory is that adults convey to children the way the culture interprets and responds to the world.

· Thought and language becomes independent as a child grows.

· Complex mental process starts as social activities. With the development, they usually internalize the process that they use in social context and starts to use them independently (Newman & Newman, 2017).

· According to Vygotsky, children can perform difficult tasks when assisted by competent individuals.

· Challenging tasks helps in the proximal growth of the child known as the zone of proximal development.

Piaget’ theory of psychosocial development

The importance of this theory lies in the fact that that it emphasizes on the factors important for the psychosocial development of the child and mainly focuses on the ability of the child as it grow from one stage to the other (Miller, 2017). Piaget considers child’s development as an important aspect and has recommended the importance of child in the process of learning. He has stated as the child to be the center of learning 

Age group

Domains of development

Birth to 3 months

Cognitive development- smiles and laughs y looks towards the direction of the sound.

Physical development- Moves the whole body, squirms

Socio-emotional development- Bonding, cries when hungry (Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations., 2018)..

4-6 months

Physical development- makes effort to sit alone, but needs hand support, uses feet and toes.

Cognitive development- Shakes and stares at toy

Socio-emotional development- begins to show wariness to the strangers.  

7-12 months

Physical development- can raise him to a sitting and standing position.

Cognitive development-  Can move the obstacle , can respond to her own name

Socio-emotional development-Can actively seek to be next to the parent or the principle caregiver Australian Government through the (Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations., 2018).

1-3 years

Physical development-Walks, climbs and run

Cognitive development-points to the object when named or mimics the household activities.

Socio-emotional development-Shows strong attachment with the family.

3-5 years

Physical development-walks, runs, climbs and jumps.

Cognitive development- can recognize and understand the common objects.

Socio-emotional development-Shows strong attachment with the parents.

5-8 years

Physical development- Can hop, jump or run with ease.

Cognitive development-Understands the opposites, builds tower by eight to ten blocks.

Socio-emotional development- may show stronger preference for same-sex playmates