Define the Piaget and Vygotsky theories of cognitive development 

Define the Piaget and Vygotsky theories of cognitive development and discuss three factors that can affect the cognitive abilities of children.

Define the Piaget and Vygotsky theories of cognitive development

Firstly, define the Piaget and Vygotsky theories of cognitive development and discuss three factors that can affect the cognitive abilities of children.

Secondly, discuss the role of self-awareness in helping children to grow in their cognitive development abilities.

Finally, identify three ways that the presence of child abuse or neglect can affect a child’s normal cognitive development.

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Comparing Piaget and Vygotsky

Methods and approaches to teaching have been greatly influenced by the research of Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky. Both have contributed to the field of education by offering explanations for children’s cognitive learning styles and abilities. While Piaget and Vygotsky may differ on how they view cognitive development in children. Both offer educators good suggestions on how teach certain material in a developmentally appropriate manner.

Piaget proposed that cognitive development from infant to young adult occurs in four universal and consecutive stages: sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operations, and formal operations (Woolfolk, A., 2004). Between the ages of zero and two years of age, the child is in the sensorimotor stage. It is during this stage the child experiences his or her own world through the senses and through movement. During the latter part of the sensorimotor stage, the child develops object permanence, which is an understanding that an object exists even if it is not within the field of vision (Woolfolk, A., 2004). The child also begins to understand that his or her actions could cause another action, for example, kicking a mobile to make the mobile move. This is an example of goal-directed behavior. Children in the sensorimotor stage can reverse actions, but cannot yet reverse thinking (Woolfolk, A., 2004).