Child Development and Learning Flashcards

According to Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory, which system refers to the immediate environment a child directly interacts with, such as home and school?

Answer: Microsystem

The microsystem is the innermost layer of Bronfenbrenner's model and includes the settings where a child has direct, face-to-face interactions.

A toddler who uses a blanket to represent a cape during dramatic play is demonstrating which cognitive milestone?

Answer: Symbolic thinking

Symbolic thinking, or representational thought, emerges in Piaget's preoperational stage and allows children to use one object to stand for another.

Which theorist introduced the concept of the 'zone of proximal development' (ZPD)?

Answer: Lev Vygotsky

Vygotsky defined the ZPD as the distance between what a child can do independently and what they can do with skilled assistance.

An infant who searches for a toy hidden under a blanket is demonstrating the achievement of:

Answer: Object permanence

Object permanence, typically emerging around 8–12 months, is the understanding that objects continue to exist even when out of sight.

In Erikson's psychosocial theory, the central crisis for preschool-aged children (ages 3–6) is:

Answer: Initiative vs. Guilt

During the Initiative vs. Guilt stage, children begin to assert power and control and learn to take initiative in planning activities.

Which type of play involves children playing alongside each other without direct interaction or shared goals?

Answer: Parallel play

Parallel play is common in toddlers and involves children engaging in similar activities side by side but independently.

The principle that development proceeds from the center of the body outward to the extremities is called:

Answer: Proximodistal development

Proximodistal development describes the pattern in which motor skills develop from the trunk outward to the fingers and toes.