Developing Thinking And Understanding in Young Children An Introduction For Students

How do children's experiences help to develop their thinking? From the moment they are born, children are active thinkers, using all their senses to explore and make sense of their experiences and to communicate their thoughts to those around them. Practitioners and parents are keen to support and extend young children's thinking and understanding, through ways in which they interact with them, and the activities they provide. What, though, is meant by thinking, and how can young children's understanding be developed? This essential textbook for students on Childhood Studies and Early Childhood Studies programmes helpfully combines introductions to theories about thinking skills with examples from practice, illustrating often abstract ideas through the use of skilled observations of young children. Chapters explore the basic theories behind such topics as: models of cognitive development '¬" the author pulls together strands from key thinkers such as Piaget, Vygotsky and Bruner; Neuroscience and its relationship to early childhood; the social, emotional and cultural context of children's thinking, as well as discussion of '¬~emotional intelligence'; language and thought, including children's use of questions, narrative and talk in pretend play; the relationship between nature and nurture; whether children can think philosophically; young children's conception of the world around them. Throughout the book implications for practice are identified, and approaches to developing young children's thinking are outlined and analysed. Developing Thinking and Understanding in Young Children draws together the latest research and writing from a number of areas, including education, social care, psychology and health. Any student, practitioner or parent looking for the key to understanding and encouraging young children's thinking will find this textbook an invaluable starting point.Robson, Sue is the author of 'Developing Thinking And Understanding in Young Children An Introduction For Students', published 2006 under ISBN 9780415361088 and ISBN 0415361087.