How does constructivist theory inform our knowledge of appropriate practices in programs serving young children?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Constructivist theory states that children create their understanding of the world through interactions with the environment (people and things). As children pass through different stages of cognitive development, they continually receive, organize and interpret new information. During the early childhood years, children pass through what Piaget refers to as the sensorimotor stage (birth to 2 years) and preoperational stage (2 to 7 years). Both are characterized by a need to create understanding by acting on objects and a limited ability to understand more than one perspective, or to organize concepts and images.
There are several implications for early childhood educators. First, children must be allowed to actively explore and have direct and repeated sensory experiences in order to create their own knowledge and understanding. Second, cognitive development proceeds through stages and we can't rush a child into thinking like an adult. Children think and perceive the world in ways that are qualitatively different than adults. At this point in life, they need to actively explore, experiment, and manipulate materials rather than to engage in direct instruction of abstract concepts. Developmentally appropriate practices must reflect the need for children to act and interact with their environment in concrete ways and to represent their understanding using their bodies and when engaged in a variety of play experiences (e.g., blocks, art, sociodramatic play, sand and water play).