Effective Practices in Early Childhood Education, 3e (Bredekamp)
Chapter 4 Applying What We Know About Children’s Learning and Development
1) What is an “age-related change that results from an interaction between biological maturation
and physical and/or social experience”?
A) learning
B) play
C) development
D) theory
2) What is an example of physical development?
A) the ability to make friends
B) learning how to write
C) active-responsive parenting
D) learning a second language
3) Why should research that leads to a new theory be conducted with diverse populations of
children and families?
A) It doesn’t; all children and families develop the exact same way and face the exact same
stressors.
B) Children raised in different cultures may be exposed to different stressors, which can affect
how parents teach and interact with their children, so if their culture was not included in the
study, the theory cannot be applied to them.
C) Children from different cultures go through entirely different physical and cognitive
developmental processes, so no developmental theory can be universally applied.
D) Culture only needs to be considered if the child’s parents speak a language other than English.
4) Development is best defined as
A) age-related change that results from an interaction between biological maturation and a
physical and/or social experience
B) changes in knowledge or skillsets that occur as a result from new experiences or instruction
C) new skills that serve a function for children’s play experiences
D) genetically-based ability to make sense of new experiences
5) Which term refers to the brain’s ability to develop and change in response to experiences?
A) pruning
B) cognitive development
C) plasticity
D) neuron production
6) Brain research indicates that the years up to age 10 are the prime time for learning. What is
this referred to as?
A) windows of opportunity
B) intelligence
C) prenatal care
D) critical periods
7) Fostering optimal early brain development is essential for positive outcomes for children
because
A) the brain’s most significant development occurs before birth
B) the brain stops developing and changing at age 3
C) once the window of learning closes at age 10, people no longer have the ability to learn
D) if children do not have positive outcomes, they will grow up to have no interests
8) What is an example of toxic stress?
A) playgrounds with broken equipment
B) a child being yelled at for breaking a rule
C) an infant not being fed enough everyday
D) low quality TV programming for children
9) According to Erikson’s theory of Psychosocial Development, when do individuals deal with
the crisis of “Industry vs. inferiority”?
A) preschool age — 3 to 5 years
B) adolescence — 10 to 20 years
C) elementary school-age — 6 to 12 years
D) infancy — birth to 1 year
10) In which stage of Erikson’s theory of Psychosocial Development do humans have an
increased awareness of competence, strong will to practice new skills, and growing sense of
individualism?
A) trust vs. mistrust
B) autonomy vs. doubt
C) generativity vs. self-absorption
D) intimacy vs. isolation
11) What is Maslow’s theory useful for understanding?
A) physiology
B) pruning
C) motivation
D) cognitive development
12) How are learning theories different than developmental theories?
A) In learning theories, changes are linked to the environment and developmental theories are
linked to the past experiences of the child.
B) Learning theories are based on consequences of behavior, and developmental theories are
changes based on an unpleasant consequence.
C) In learning theories, learning occurs regardless original abilities and the opposite is true in
developmental theories.
D) Learning theories apply in the same way regardless of the age of the learner, and
developmental theories are linked to age-related changes in children.
13) What is constructivism?
A) Piaget’s learning theory based on the idea that children make sense of their experiences by
constructing their own knowledge
B) Vygotsky’s play theory which states that through imaginary play, children build their own
reality and expand their ability to regulate their emotions
C) Erikson’s developmental theory that lessons we learn in each stage build on one another to
construct our understanding of the world
D) A term to describe Maslow’s hierarchy and the basis that needs build on one another to create
a pyramid
14) Which term refers to seeing everything from one’s own point of view?
A) the sensorimotor stage
B) maturation
C) egocentrism
D) imaginary play
15) What did Vygotsky believe to be an important tool for children’s learning?
A) curriculum
B) speech
C) culture
D) problem solving
16) Which learning theory assumes that children actively build their own knowledge from first-
hand experiences in stimulating environments?
A) Sociocultural Theory
B) Behaviorism
C) Cognitive Theory
D) Constructivism
17) What type of play can help a child take another person’s perspective and move beyond
egocentrism?
A) pretend play
B) outdoor play
C) functional play
D) sociodramatic play
18) What is the term for a way of increasing a behavior by having an unpleasant consequence be
avoided if the task is performed?
A) positive reinforcement
B) negative reinforcement
C) operant conditioning
D) punishment
19) Which term refers to children learning through observation?
A) self-regulation
B) operant conditioning
C) scaffolding
D) vicarious learning
20) Describe the parenting styles identified by Baumrind and explain why culture must be
considered when considering this (or any other) theory of development.
21) Describe the importance of studying child development and learning.
22) Choose two of the key theorists from this chapter (Erikson, Maslow, Piaget, Vygotsky,
Bronfenbrenner). Compare and contrast the key components of how they believe development
occurs.
23) Describe the types of play and the benefits associated with each.
Chapter 4 – Applying What We Know About Children’s Learning and Development