Abstract
This chapter will outline the roles of teachers within early childhood learning environments and how they may promote children's critical thinking skills. Further discussions about how children's cognitive development may be fostered is also addressed. Theoretical frameworks are integrated as well to further decipher and understand how children's critical thinking skills may be promoted within early childhood learning environments. In addition, several curriculum models in early childhood education that are focused on the Montessori, Reggio Emilia, Tools of the Mind, High Scope, and Waldorf approaches are presented and applied to how they may enhance children's critical thinking skills as well as their overall development.
TopBackground
Children’s social, emotional, cognitive, and physical development may greatly be influenced by their environments and experiences they gain within these settings. To begin the discussion of how factors within children’s environments may affect their critical thinking skills within early childhood contexts, it is important to consider how nature and nurture both interact to influence this potential. Children’s ability to engage in critical thinking skills may depend upon a combination of both nature and nurture.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Tools of the Mind: The Tools of the Mind curriculum is defined as using many principles from Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory. Specifically, scaffolding and the concepts of promoting active exploration within children’s environments to promote children’s cognitive development is fostered.
Reggio Emilia: Reggio Emilia is defined as an early childhood curriculum that focuses on emergent curriculum, where children’s interests are followed and pursued. For instance, if children are interested in dinosaurs, teachers may provide props that further enhance their curiosity and knowledge of this topic. In addition, teachers may read books and integrate creative arts activities that further promote children’s interest of this material.
High Scope: High scope is defined as an early childhood education curriculum model that focuses on Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory due to the incorporation of concepts related to scaffolding and children’s active participation within their environments to promote their cognitive development skills.
Multiple Intelligences: Multiple intelligences is defined as a theory created by Gardner, who posited there are numerous intelligences that individuals may possess. These include: interpersonal, intrapersonal, bodily-kinesthetic, linguistic, logical-mathematical, naturalistic, spatial, and musical.
Montessori: Montessori is defined as an early childhood education curriculum model that is child-centered; teachers are typically perceived as guides that assist children when needed. The Montessori model focuses on providing children with practical life experiences. Examples include utilizing ceramic dishes, rather than plastic dishes. In addition, mixed-age groupings of children typically occur. An example includes two-year old children interacting within a class with five-year old children.
Developmentally Appropriate Practices: Developmentally appropriate practices are defined as activities and lessons that are created for children within early childhood education environments that promote their social, emotional, cognitive, and social development. These activities are designed to coincide and foster children’s growth within their specific developmental ages and stages of maturation.
Critical Thinking: Critical thinking is defined as providing children with opportunities to exercise their higher level thinking processes by asking open-ended and engaging questions. Examples of open-ended questions include those that do not have “yes” or “no” replies. Rather, these questions typically entail several sentence responses.
National Association for the Education of Young Children: The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) is defined as a professional organization that aims to provide early childhood education environments with guidelines and competencies for individuals working with children and families. NAEYC also offers accreditation to early childhood programs who apply and meet the established criterion. These programs ensure that teachers engage in professional development opportunities, while creating nurturing environments for children that promote their cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development using developmentally appropriate practices. In addition, early childhood environments that are NAEYC accredited create warm and welcoming environments for all families, while encouraging their involvement. The embrace of diversity is also highlighted within these programs and environments. Furthermore, children’s health and safety are a high priority for professionals working with children and their families.
Zone of Proximal Development: The zone of proximal development is defined as changing the amount of assistance provided by the individual with advanced knowledge to the other individual with developing knowledge through scaffolding. This commonly occurs as time progresses and the amount of assistance needed by the individual with developing knowledge typically decreases.
Waldorf: Waldorf is defined as an early childhood curriculum that focuses on the whole child. This model emphasizes the importance of promoting children’s spirituality and emotional awareness of others within their environments. In addition, the Waldorf model highlights the significance of imitation and creative play for assisting children’s overall developmental domains.
Scaffolding: Scaffolding is defined as the process where two individuals are paired together; one with advanced knowledge and another with developing knowledge. As they are paired together, the individual with advanced knowledge will teach the other with developing knowledge certain skills he or she will need to successfully complete the activity by themselves.
Early Childhood Environments: Early childhood environments are defined as educational spaces designed for young children, typically between the ages of 2 to 5 years that promote children’s social, emotional, cognitive, and physical development.