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GROWING MINDS: COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT IN EARLY CHILDHOOD With David Elkind, Ph.D.
1996 (25 min) $250.
ISBN: 1-891340-48-4 View a short clip from this film. Visit our Support Materials section to view or download the Learning Guide and Discussion Topics for this film.
The development that transforms a largely helpless, inarticulate newborn infant into a competent, chatty person in five short years is truly amazing. Based on the theories of Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky, this film chronicles the intellectual changes that occur in this brief span as children construct their understanding of the world and means to function in it. The film focuses on three developmental arenas: reasoning, perception and language. Largely filmed in an excellent children’s center, the film includes both structured interviews and candid shots of lively children going about the exciting business of discovering and utilizing their intellectual capacities.
Film content: The theories of Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky on early intellectual development The similarity of their work The differences between their theories The development of reasoning Deductive vs. transductive Magical thinking The development of visual perceptual regulation Field effects Figure/ground Decentering The development of oral language Vygotsky on the relation of thought and language Vygotsky’s language stages Private speech Role of adults
Visuals: Children from newborn to eight year olds at home and in an exemplary children’s center in interviews and in classrooms Graphic representations comparing Vygotsky’s and Piaget’s work Piagetian structured interviews with children determining their reasoning patterns Elkind’s ambiguous drawings with children of different ages to determine their ability to separate figure and ground Children from infancy through four demonstrating Vygotsky’s theory of language development in daily interactions with peers and adults
Consultant:
David Elkind, Ph.D.
is a Professor of Child Development, Tufts University, Medford,
Massachusetts. He did his Ph.D. at UCLA and
a post-doctorate year in Switzerland working directly with Jean Piaget. He
is a Past President of the National Association for the Education of
Children. Dr. Elkind is the author of several seminal books, among them: THE HURRIED
CHILD, ALL GROWN UP WITH NO PLACE TO GO, THE POWER OF PLAY.
Other films with Dr. Elkind as consultant: PIAGET’S DEVELOPMENTAL THEORY: AN INTRODUCTION ADOLESCENT COGNITION: THINKING IN A NEW KEY USING WHAT WE KNOW: APPLYING PIAGET'S DEVELOPMENTAL THEORY IN PRIMARY CLASSROOMS Related film: Part of the CONSTRUCTIVISM SERIES
A Published Review of this Film: Reviewed by Christine Sisak, Lorette Wilmot Library, Nazareth College of Rochester Growing Minds, written and narrated by Dr. David Elkind, explores the concept of cognitive development that takes place in children during the first five years of life. The program begins by introducing the theorists', Piaget, Vygotsky, Freud, and Erikson, four major viewpoints on early cognitive development. Elkind then narrows the discussion to encompass two of the theorists and their views - Vygotsky and Piaget. The role of the environment, whether it be passive (Piaget) or active ( Vygotsky), is explained in detail along with the directions of development (from egocentric to social (Piaget) vs. from social to egocentric (Vygotsky)). Also, elaborated in this program are the ways children (and pertaining to deductive reasoning - adults) reason; deductive and transductive reasoning, and magical thinking. Throughout the program, the specific stages of development, acquired cognitive skills, and employed reasoning, are demonstrated through 'staged' testing of children or through observations of their play activity. Dr. Elkind captures his audience and retains their attention through use of these excellent and well defined examples. His narrative is very clear, definitive, and to the point. The children being tested or observed are very expressive and visual. Their responses to questions and situations slant on the comical side at times, lightening the otherwise serious nature of the program's subject matter. The quality of this well written and produced program clearly illustrates an understanding as to how presentation is extremely important in educating the viewing audience. Growing Minds would accentuate an academic library's collection supporting programs in the fields of early childhood education and/or psychology. This program comes highly recommended.
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