Psychology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Psychology - Essay Example A child will not survive without the care and support of others. He learns about life and living not only by his own discoveries but with interactions with people around him and within the environment he lives in. Piaget’s Stages of Cognitive Development outlines how a child develops his learning abilities that equip him to survive life’s challenges. Initially, he discovers the world using his senses, and as he grows, learns to form associations and conclusions. With a healthy attachment to significant adults, the child develops a sense of security enabling him to venture into more learning about his world. â€Å"Piaget believed that children create knowledge through interactions with the environment. Children are not passive receivers of knowledge; rather, they actively work at organizing their experience into more and more complex mental structures.† (Brewer, 2001, p.6). He insists that children need to use all their cognitive functions. These theories were designed to form minds which can be critical, can verify, and not accept everything they are offered. Such beliefs reflect his respect for children’s thinking. Vygotsky (1978) believed that children’s intellectual development is influenced more by social context than by individual experiences. His theory places a great deal of emphasis on effective social interaction. Learning ensues in social interactions. A person ingrained in a particular cultural group automatically adapts to its socio-history and socio-cultural ways. Learning about one’s culture comes easy if the individual is totally immersed in it. A perfect example is how Reggio Emilia schools in Italy are run. There, the whole community is involved in rearing the children. â€Å"Reggio Emilia educators repeatedly emphasize that "no one has a monopoly" on what children need and, as noted above, invite parents to become