Maturationionist
Theory{{/B}} The maturationist theory was advanced by the work of
Arnold Gessell. Maturationists believe that development is a biological process
that occurs automatically in predictable, sequential stages over time. This
perspective leads many educators and families to assume that young children will
acquire knowledge naturally and automatically as they grow physically and become
older, provided that they are healthy. School readiness,
according to maturationists, is a state at which all healthy young children
arrive when they can perform tasks such as reciting the alphabet and counting;
these tasks are required for learning more complex tasks such as reading and
arithmetic. Because development and school readiness occur naturally and
automatically, maturationists believe the best practices are for parents to
teach young children to recite the alphabet and count while being patient and
waiting for children to become ready for kindergarten. If a child is
developmentally unready for school, maturationists might suggest referrals to
transitional kindergartens, retention, or holding children out of school for an
additional year. These practices are sometimes used by schools, educators, and
parents when a young child developmentally lags behind his or her peers. The
young child's underperformance is interpreted as the child needing more time to
acquire the knowledge and skills needed to perform at the level of his or her
peers. {{B}}
B
Environmentalist Theory{{/B}}
Theorists such as John Watson, B.F. Skinner, and Albert Bandura contributed
greatly to the environmentalist perspective of development. Environmentalists
believe the child's environment shapes learning and behavior; in fact, human
behavior, development, and learning are thought of as reactions to the
environment. This perspective leads many families, schools, and educators to
assume that young children develop and acquire new knowledge by reacting to
their surroundings. Kindergarten readiness, according to the
environmentalists, is the age or stage when young children can respond
appropriately to the environment of the school and the classroom (e. g. , roles
and regulations, curriculum activities, positive behavior in group settings, and
directions and instructions from teachers and other adults in the school). The
ability to respond appropriately to this environment is necessary for young
children to participate in teacher-initiated learning activities. Success is
dependent on the child following instructions from the teacher or the adult in
the classroom. Many environmentalist-influenced educators and parents believe
that young children learn best by rote activities, such as reciting the alphabet
over and over, copying letters, and tracing numbers. This viewpoint is evident
in kindergarten classrooms where young children are expected to sit at desks
arranged in rows and listen attentively to their teachers. At home, parents may
provide their young children with workbooks containing such activities as
coloring or tracing letters and numbers--activities that require little
interaction between parent and child. When young children are unable to respond
appropriately to the classroom and school environment, they often are labeled as
having some form of learning disabilities and are tracked in classrooms with
curriculum designed to control their behaviors and responses. {{B}}
C
Constructivist Theory{{/B}}
The constructivist perspective of readiness and development was advanced by
theorists such as Jean Piaget, Mafia Montessori, and Lev Vygotsky. Although
their work varies greatly, each articulates a similar context of learning and
development. They are consistent in .their belief that learning and development
occur when young children Internet with the environment and people around them
(Hunt, 1969). Constructivists view young children as active participants in the
learning process. In addition, constructivists believe young children initiate
most of the activities required for learning and development. Because active
interaction with the environment and people are necessary for learning and
development, constructivists believe that children are ready for school when
they can initiate many of the interactions they have with the environment and
people around them. Constructivist-influenced schools and
educators pay a lot of attention to the physical environment and the curriculum
of the early childhood classroom. Kindergarten classrooms often are divided into
different learning centers and are equipped with developmentally appropriate
materials for young children to play with and manipulate. Teachers and
adults have direct conversations with children, children move actively from
center to another, and daily activities are made meaningful through the
incorporation of children's experiences into the curriculum. At home,
parents engage their young children in reading and storytelling activities and
encourage children's participation in daily household activities in a way that
introduces such concepts as counting and language use. In addition, parents may
provide young children with picture books containing very large print, and toys
that stimulate interaction (such as building blocks and large puzzles). When a
young child encounters difficulties in the learning process, the constructivist
approach is neither to label the child nor to retain him or her; instead,
constructivists give the child some individualized attention and customize the
classroom curriculum to help the child address his or her
difficulties. ·young children are expected to learn repetitively both in
class and at home?
{{U}} {{U}} 1 {{/U}} {{/U}} ·each child is given individual
attention and can express his ideas freely?
{{U}} {{U}} 2 {{/U}}
{{/U}} ·young children are not ready for school unless they can recite
the alphabet and count?
{{U}} {{U}} 3 {{/U}} {{/U}} ·building
blocks and large puzzles are helpful toys stimulating children's
interaction?
{{U}}
{{U}} 4 {{/U}} {{/U}} ·as young children grow older, they will
learn naturally and automatically?
{{U}} {{U}} 5 {{/U}} {{/U}} ·young children are
ready for school when they initiatively interact with the environment and
people around them?
{{U}} {{U}} 6 {{/U}}
{{/U}} ·young children are best taught by their parents to learn to recite
the alphabet and count before they go to the kindergarten?
{{U}} {{U}} 7 {{/U}} {{/U}} ·children are both the
designers and participants in classroom activities?
{{U}} {{U}} 8 {{/U}} {{/U}} ·children with learning
disabilities have to attend special classes if they can't respond
properly?
{{U}}
{{U}} 9 {{/U}} {{/U}} ·young children are not ready for school
unless they can follow instructions from adults?
{{U}}
{{U}} 10 {{/U}} {{/U}}