http://worldcat.org/entity/work/id/482698

The child's construction of knowledge Piaget for teaching children

This book presents a theory of child development and learning and explores the implications of this theory for early childhood education. The theory is based on the Piagetian premise that the acquisition of knowledge is the result of an active process of construction. The child mentally transforms the environment by relating new information to what he already knows or believes. The purpose of preschool education within this framework is the fostering of the construction and use of knowledge and the concomitant improvement of the quality of life. The theoretical and practical framework of the book emphasizes the interdependence of knowledge, development, learning, and teaching. Development reflects progressive stages in the construction of knowledge; learning is the application of this level of knowledge to new information; the practice of teaching ideally facilitates this learning. The organization of the book reflects this theoretical framework. Section I presents the theoretical background and an overview of the contents of the book. Section ii reviews the purpose of early childhood education and discusses, in theoretical terms, the acquisition of knowledge. Section iii presents Piaget's theory of development and its implications for children's learning. Section iv relates the practice of teaching to the theories of knowledge, development, and learning. Section v presents practical ideas for translating theory into practice in preschool classrooms. (Bd).

Open All Close All