Our reading this week included a review of theories of child development that have been influential in the field of early childhood education.

Part 1:

Select one of the key theorists presented in the Week 2 Reading (Erikson, Maslow, Piaget, Vygotsky, Bronfenbrenner, Skinner, Bandura or Gardner) and do some additional research (either online or from your ECE textbooks). Describe a few key components of the theory. (Don’t try to explain every aspect of the theory; instead, summarize in a long paragraph the components of the theory that are most interesting and meaningful to you.) Provide a reference to where you did the additional research — i.e., include the title of book or article and page number, or the name and URL of website where you found your information.

Part 2:

For the theory you selected, reflect on your experiences with young children (in or out of the classroom). What evidence of the theory have you seen in children’s development or in early childhood programs? How can early childhood programs apply this theory to promote children’s development and learning? Provide specific examples from your experiences!

How to participate in the discussion:

• To make your first post, please use the “Reply” button below. You will be able to see the posts of your classmates after you have made the first post.
• Your original post should be at least two paragraphs long. The first paragraph should include the explanation of the theorist / theory you selected, and the second paragraph should explain how the theory supports or explains children’s learning and development. (Each paragraph should be a minimum of 8-10 sentences.)
• The initial post is due by 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, and responses to at least two classmates are due by Monday at 11:59 p.m. For full credit, you must post on two separate days within the week. Because we are such a large class, you have been split into smaller groups for the Discussions.
• Remember, your responses to classmates must build on what has been said, so be sure to add new information, offer a different example or perspective, or even respectfully disagree. Discussions will be graded according to the rubric found on pages 5 of the syllabus.