During early childhood, the brain reaches about 70% of its total weight with the growth of white matter (protects the brain) and grey matter (responsible for covering cerebral regions). However, the grey matter cells still need to be connected in order to activate the full function of the brain. There are a number of different areas of the brain that will connect during the early childhood period of rapid growth. Using your understanding of brain development and Piaget’s pre-operative stage of cognitive development, respond to the following scenario.
Early Childhood Interventions
You work as an early childhood specialist with an at-risk population of children through Head Start. One of your job functions is to assess children for possible developmental learning delays. To do this, you have to understand how poor nutrition, exposure to infectious diseases, and lack of parental knowledge related to accessing services could interfere with the cognitive development of young children.
Using your knowledge of basic brain development and Piagetian theory, respond to the following questions.
What developmental problems do you expect children in your Head Start program to have because of living in a lower socio-economic neighborhood? Explain your response using support from the readings.
According to Piaget, children ages two to seven are in the pre- operative stage of development. Using the scenario above, explain the importance of make-believe play and its uses in working with children. Create a plan for using play with three-year-old clients that would allow you to assess cognitive development.