Deck 8: Cognitive Development in Early Childhood

Question 1

Which of the following would be an indicator that a child has acquired the semiotic function?

A) Sasha takes a bowl and wooden spoon and begins to pretend to be stirring cake batter.
B) William is able to jump on one foot.
C) Jacob can recall that his mother picks him up from day care after nap time.
D) Meghan understands abstract concepts such as wait and share.

Answer 1

Sasha takes a bowl and wooden spoon and begins to pretend to be stirring cake batter.

Question 2

What cognitive milestone is a child who understands that a banana is a fruit and so is a cherry demonstrating?

A) Concrete and logical thinking
B) Figurative schemes
C) Operative schemes
D) Semiotic function

Answer 2

Figurative schemes

Question 3

In early childhood, which schemes develop faster?

A) relational schemes
B) operative schemes
C) figurative schemes
D) manipulative schemes

Answer 3

figurative schemes

Question 4

While figurative schemes are developed through observation and increased verbal knowledge, what helps operative schemes to develop?

A) Pretend play and sharing
B) Brain maturation, practicing the scheme, and information from others
C) Age, brain growth, and growth of logic
D) Role playing and verbal labeling

Question 5

During which stage of cognitive development do children's figurative schemes grow rapidly?

A) Preoperational
B) Concrete Operational
C) Sensorimotor
D) Formal Operational

Question 6

When a young child is talking on the phone with someone and says, "look at my birds," holding the phone towards her parakeets and assuming that the other person can see what she sees, she is demonstrating what characteristic?

A) Improper logic
B) Egomania
C) Egocentrism
D) Short attention span

Question 7

What is egocentrism?

A) It is the same as selfishness
B) It means the child is self centered
C) It is the child's belief that everyone sees the world as he/she does
D) It is the child's tendency to think of the world in terms of one variable at a time

Question 8

Which characteristic is the young child who believes his stuffed animals are truly alive demonstrating?

A) Egocentrism
B) Centrism
C) Animism
D) Conservation

Question 9

If I have 4-year-old Juan fill a tall cylinder with water up to the two cup mark and a short, wide cylinder up to the two cup mark and I ask him to tell me which cylinder has more water, what is he most likely to say?

A) They are both equal.
B) The taller cylinder has more water in it.
C) The shorter cylinder has more water in it.
D) He does not know the answer.

Question 10

If I open two packages of clay of the same amount but roll one into a ball, why would 3-year- old Sydney think I was giving her sister Sarah more as I hand her the long piece?

A) She has developed conservation.
B) She has not developed conservation.
C) She is thinking in the sensorimotor stage.
D) She is being egocentric.

Question 11

A child who has not developed conservation is thinking in what manner?

A) Egocentrically
B) Using transductive logic
C) Using inductive reasoning
D) Using existing schemes without accommodating or assimilating

Question 12

In the development of theory of mind, the child first understands, "I know that you know." What is the next step that happens around age 5 to age 7 that lets the child believe that "You know that I know."

A) That understanding is reciprocal.
B) That knowledge can be derived through inference.
C) That beliefs are understood prior to desires of others.
D) That they are less egocentric

Question 13

What two things help young children to understand theory of mind?

A) Pretend play and knowledge of language that helps express feelings
B) Brain maturation and early vocabulary
C) The development of empathy and sympathy
D) Secure attachment and prosocial modeling

Question 14

What does theory of mind or reciprocal thinking allow children to experience socially?

A) Reciprocal friendships
B) Cooperation
C) Attachment
D) Deductive reasoning

Question 15

Where do children develop theory of mind?

A) Only in the United States
B) Only in industrialized cultures
C) Only in third world countries where it is critical for survival
D) Everywhere

Question 16

What is short-term storage space (STSS)?

A) A child's working memory
B) A child's ability to recall events
C) A child's lack of memorization skills
D) Metacognition

Question 17

What is the maximum number of schemes that can be processed in working memory at one time called?

A) Operational efficiency
B) Object permanence
C) Schematic efficiency
D) None of the above

Question 18

What would information processing theorists call the steps a child goes through to get dressed such as put on shirt and pull down, put on pants, then put on socks and shoes?

A) Metacognition
B) Metamemory
C) Schemes
D) Scripts

Question 19

What is understanding about and control of memory processes called?

A) Metacognition
B) Metamemory
C) Schemes
D) Scripts

Question 20

What is a child who knows that they can recall three things from a grocery list but not a longer list demonstrating?

A) Metacognition
B) Metamemory
C) Schemes
D) Scripts

Question 21

What is known as thinking about thinking, or understanding what you know and what you still need to know in order to understand something?

A) Metacognition
B) Metamemory
C) Schemes
D) Scripts

Question 22

How do Vygotsky's theories of cognitive development differ from those of Piaget and information processing theorists?

A) They emphasize the role of social factors such as interaction
B) They focus on how children think as it relates to their environment
C) They focus on continuous processes rather than stages
D) They look at both the effects of nature and nurture on cognitive development

Question 23

Juanita takes out a puzzle at preschool and dumps it face down on the table. She tells her teacher she can't do the puzzle because it is too hard. How might her teacher use scaffolding to help Juanita learn how to do puzzles?

A) He would do the puzzle for her, modeling how to put the pieces in.
B) He would reinforce her every time she put a piece in without his help by praising her.
C) He would help her to figure out the steps of turning the pieces over, finding the edge pieces and placing them in first, letting Juanita do the work.
D) He would get her a more age-appropriate puzzle.

Question 24

According to Vygotsky, what is work that is neither too easy nor too hard but just outside the range of what a child can do called?

A) Scaffolding
B) Guided participation
C) Zone of proximal development
D) Naïve psychology stage

Question 25

Your 5-year-old is trying to put his truck together. While working at this task, he is mumbling something aloud to himself that you cannot understand but appears to be the steps of how to put the toy together. Which stage of cognitive development is he in?

A) Primitive stage
B) Private speech stage
C) Ingrowth stage
D) Naïve psychology stage

Question 26

Three-year-old Maddie tells herself aloud, "I have to go down the stairs sitting down," as she does so. Which of Vygotsky's stages of cognitive development is she demonstrating?

A) Guided participation
B) Private speech
C) Ingrowth
D) Primitive stage

Question 27

In which stage did Vygotsky believe that infants possessed mental processes similar to those of lower animals?

A) Ingrowth stage
B) Naïve psychology stage
C) Primitive stage
D) Private speech stage

Question 28

Jackie is bowling at a friend's birthday party. She remembers from the last time she bowled that she needs to walk up to the line, look at the center pin, wind the ball low and behind, and then move it forward and release her grip. She reviews these steps to herself in her mind.Which stage of cognitive development is she proving she is in?

A) Ingrowth stage
B) Private speech stage
C) Primitive stage
D) Naïve psychology stage

Question 29

What benefits do children whose parents provided them with more cognitive scaffolding in the preschool years receive in the early elementary grades?

A) Larger vocabularies
B) They are more socially mature
C) They are dependent learners
D) Higher levels of achievement

Question 30

What does the research show about children working individually rather than in pairs or groups which validates Vygotsky's theories?

A) It is easier for them to come to a solution.
B) They come up with less complex ideas than children who work together.
C) They are less aggressive when problem solving.
D) They rely on private speech more.

Question 31

When Emma went to the aquarium, she pointed at the whale and said, "whale fishy," relating her knowledge of the properties of a fish to the whale. What is this language technique often witnessed during toddlerhood called?

A) Fast mapping
B) Grammar explosion
C) Overregularization
D) Generalization

Question 32

Stacy told her day care teacher, "I goed to my Nana's before," demonstrating which language technique common in children this age?

A) Grammar explosion
B) Overregularization
C) Fast-mapping
D) Vocabulary explosion

Question 33

How does phonological awareness develop?

A) Through word play
B) Through direct instruction
C) Through invented spelling
D) Through language arts in school

Question 34

Cheryl sat with her 3-year-old while she wrote out various lists as they played a game the child called work. When Cheryl's mother came over she pointed out that her granddaughter had misspelled practically every word on the paper and should be properly taught how to spell.
What should Cheryl tell her mother?

A) Practicing writing and using invented spelling helps children to read more quickly.
B) You should never correct a child's mistakes or it can damage their self esteem.
C) Early writing is just scribbling and has nothing to do with later language skills.
D) Good spelling is a learned skill that should be taught to four year olds and older.

Question 35

What is a child who uses invented spelling demonstrating?

A) Good phonological awareness skills
B) The inability to spell correctly
C) A lag in vocabulary learning
D) The natural desire for word play

Question 36

What is the IQ range within which most children currently score?

A) 130 and above
B) 100-130
C) 85-115
D) 70-130

Question 37

In which category are children who score 130 and above on an IQ test?

A) Average
B) Gifted
C) Mentally retarded
D) Autistic

Question 38

Which of the following is considered an average IQ score?

A) 130 and above
B) 100
C) 70 and below
D) 70 and above

Question 39

How are children categorized if they score a 70 or below on an IQ test and have difficulties with adaptive behavior?

A) Gifted
B) Mentally retarded
C) Average
D) Autistic

Question 40

What are the most commonly used intelligence tests used for children today?

A) Stanford-Binet and the Denver Developmental
B) Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children IV and the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence III
C) Stanford-Binet and the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children IV
D) Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children and the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children IV

Question 41

What is high intelligence associated with for children who are poor?

A) Good grades, self-confidence, personal competence
B) Average grades, no difference in self esteem, same likelihood of living in poverty as adults
C) High achievers in the early grades with steady declines through high school
D) High test scores, leadership abilities, low college completion rates

Question 42

What outcomes is low intelligence associated with?

A) Delinquency in adolescence and adulthood, illiteracy
B) No long term negative outcomes
C) Average school achievement but low socioeconomic class as adults
D) Early criminal behavior yet improved intelligence in high quality schools

Question 43

What are some limitations of IQ tests?

A) They are not good predictors of school success.
B) They do not measure spatial reasoning abilities.
C) They are not administered in an unbiased manner.
D) They cannot be administered to young children.

Question 44

What is intelligence a product of?

A) Genetics
B) Environment
C) Parenting style
D) All of the above

Question 45

How are parents of children with high IQs different from parents of children with low IQs?

A) They are demanding and punitive if their children do not show academic achievement.
B) They are always in the higher income bracket.
C) They have interesting play materials and are responsive to their children.
D) They purchase expensive toys and software that poorer families cannot afford.

Question 46

What is known about children of genius parents?

A) They are always geniuses
B) Their genes interact with their environment to produce their level of intelligence
C) Experience is not a factor in such extreme genetic intelligence
D) They have the same chance of a high intellect as any other child

Question 47

Why is it that in the United States, African American children score lower overall than whites on IQ tests?

A) They are genetically inferior given their slave heritage.
B) More African Americans live in poverty, are low birth weight babies, and at greater risk for lead poisoning.
C) All IQ tests administered currently are culturally biased towards African Americans.
D) They have a history of low intelligence.

Question 48

What is the correlation between parents' educational levels and their children's IQ scores?

A) There is no correlation
B) The more education parents have, the higher their children's IQs
C) There is a limited correlation as nature is also a factor
D) It would depend on the parent's IQ score what their children's IQ scores were

Question 49

What is the Flynn effect?

A) The phenomenon of average IQ scores increasing in every racial group except African Americans since the 19^th century
B) The phenomenon of average IQ scores increasing in every racial group since the 19^th century
C) The phenomenon of average IQ scores staying constant in every racial group since the 19^th century
D) The phenomenon of average IQ scores decreasing in every racial group since the 19^th century

Question 50

Which IQ test has been regarded as culturally unbiased?

A) The Stanford-Binet
B) The WISC-IV
C) The WISC-III
D) The Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children

Question 51

What are the two broad categories of early childhood education programs?

A) Developmental approaches and academic approaches
B) Structured programs and unstructured programs
C) Education based and play based
D) Public and private

Question 52

Which approach to early childhood education is the Montessori method?

A) Developmental approach
B) Academic approach
C) Structured approach
D) Unstructured approach

Question 53

What do academic approaches to early childhood education focus on?

A) A child's natural physical, cognitive, and socioemotional development
B) Instruction in skills needed to excel in school
C) Encouraging children to begin school at equal levels of knowledge
D) Giving children a boost prior to kindergarten

Question 54

How would the N.A.E.Y.C. view a preschool classroom of 3-year olds where circle time is twenty minutes long and children are expected to pay attention?

A) Developmentally appropriate practice
B) Not developmentally appropriate practice
C) Academic approach
D) Developmental approach

Question 55

Maritza is a new teacher in a preschool classroom for 4-year-olds. She understands that young children have difficulty focusing and listening for long periods of time so she reads interactive, short stories to them during group time and allows children who are struggling to sit still to go to a nearby table and play with play dough while she reads. What would the N.A.E.Y.C. think about Maritza's classroom?

A) That it is developmentally inappropriate
B) That it is too structured for developing young children
C) That it is not rigid or academic enough to be high quality
D) That it is developmentally appropriate

Question 56

What are Title 1 preschool programs?

A) The same as Head Start programs
B) Early childhood education programs in public schools for children from poor families
C) Early childhood education programs for disabled children who attend public schools
D) Preschool programs begun in the sixties for children from poor families that are no longer funded

Question 57

Which early childhood education program uses a holistic approach, providing health and nutritional information to children and families?

A) Montessori preschools
B) Reggio Emilia schools
C) Title 1
D) Head Start

Question 58

What is the long term impact of programs such as Title 1 and Head Start?

A) Only short term IQ gains were made and these were similar to the general population
B) Less special education services, less grade retention, greater likelihood of attending college
C) Preschoolers attending Title 1 showed less improvements than Head Start
D) Head Start preschoolers were shown to be high achievers by middle school

Question 59

What has research shown regarding the IQs of preschoolers attending Title 1 or Head Start programs?

A) There are IQ gains while the children are enrolled that last for the first few years of school
B) There is no difference in IQ between these children and those not attending preschool
C) Children not attending preschool had initial gains in kindergarten but then were surpassed by the Title 1 and Head Start children until high school
D) There were initial IQ gains that lasted until adulthood

Question 60

What has the Abecedarian project proven about quality early childhood programs?

A) Programs are unnecessary until kindergarten
B) Interventions that begin in infancy can have long lasting impact even if parents have a low IQ
C) A quality preschool program does not always raise a child's IQ
D) Head Start and Title 1 have equal results

Question 61

Should the government continue to fund preschool programs such as Title 1, Head Start, and the Abecedarian project?

A) No, only short term gains were noted
B) Yes, the Abecedarian project showed long term benefits and has shown to save money in the long run.
C) Yes, children who are enrolled build their self esteem
D) No, the government should focus on school age public education where the longest lasting gains can be found

Question 62

Maria and James are hoping to find a preschool program for their daughter Mallory that allows her to explore her own interests and work to her unique developmental potential. Should they consider a developmental approach or an academic approach?

A) A developmental approach as these emphasize a natural course of child development that incorporates what children are most interested in
B) An academic approach as this will focus on helping Mallory learn at her own pace
C) Neither as they both have lesson plans that are rigid and do not allow for individual preferences in learning
D) Either one as they both have as their core goals preparing children for kindergarten

Question 63

Which approaches do many early childhood programs use currently?

A) A combination of developmental and academic
B) Developmental
C) Academic
D) Structured

Question 64

Which approach to education do Reggio Emilia, Montessori, and Waldorf schools provide?

A) Developmental
B) Academic
C) Unstructured
D) Center based

Question 65

What is the National Association for the Education of Young Children?

A) An organization that evaluates and accredits early childhood programs that meet its standards
B) An organization that licenses child care programs for each state
C) An organization that provides funding for Title 1 and Head Start programs
D) An organization that oversees public schools

Question 66

What is the focus of N.A.E.Y.C.?

A) Encouraging preschools to use a developmental approach
B) Encouraging preschools to us an academic approach
C) Ensuring preschools are using developmentally appropriate practices
D) Advocacy for Head Start programs

Question 67

What assumptions are made by the government that have led to early childhood programs being funded for children who live in poor families?

A) Poverty can limit the kinds of experiences young children have which can also limit their intellectual development.
B) Poor mothers should return to work when they have young children in an effort to move the family into a better socioeconomic status.
C) Children who are poor often require special education and preschool programs can save public schools money by helping these children early on.
D) Poor children should be away from their low income homes as much as possible to lessen the negative impact.

Question 68

John wants to be an early childhood education teacher. Which ages could he be working with?

A) Ages 1 through 5
B) Ages infancy until age 8
C) Preschool age children
D) Kindergarten children

Question 69

Children acquire the__________ between the ages of 18 and 24 months, which is the understanding that one object or behavior can represent another.

Question 70

Children in the preoperational stage of cognitive development see the world only from their perspective. This trait is not selfishness but rather__________ .

Question 71

Children rarely show any kind of conservation before age__________ .

Question 72

Seven-year-old Rebecca knows that if you put one cup of water in a tall vase and another cup of water in a round, short vase, that you still have one cup of water in each vase. Rebecca understands __________ .

Question 73

__________ can help a child to develop theory of mind.

Question 74

Children in all cultures develop reciprocal thinking or __________ .

Question 75

Thinking about thinking or understanding how your mind works is called __________ .

Question 76

Children's use of __________ and __________ improve during the early childhood period.

Question 77

According to Vygotsky,__________ is central to cognitive development.

Question 78

Will is very bored in second grade as all of the work he does is very easy for him. His classmate Abby dislikes school because she struggles with nearly every assignment and is frustrated by lessons that are too challenging. Will and Abby's teacher is not teaching to their individual __________ as Vygotsky recommended.

Question 79

Joe is a new teacher hoping to work with his students to reach new learning levels. He will employ a technique recommended by Vygotsky that will guide and assist each student called __________ .

Question 80

Private speech helps children to __________ .