What is ‘concrete to abstract’ principle?
The ‘concrete to abstract’ principle, otherwise known as Concrete-Pictorial-Abstract (CPA) approach, is used widely in Singapore’s educational system and closely related to Bruner’s Enactive-Iconic-Symbolic (EIS) representation. According to Leong et al., 2015, CPA is similar to EIS because both “concrete” and “enactive” discuss about children reconstructing roles and events using their bodies, gestures, sounds, words and objects. It is the most basic form of representing a child’s experience and very common in early childhood years. For this instance in Activity 3, children use different tools of measurements such as uni-cubes, paper clips or even ice cream sticks to measure the length of the plants.
This is because implementing activity plans which rely on abstract approaches too soon, children may choose to parrot what adults tell them instead of truly understanding the essential concepts. For this case, teachers provide the children with many firsthand experience with concrete objects before progressively introducing greater abstractions. Concrete experiences allow the children to be involved in physical contact with real object using their sense of taste, touch, smell, see and hear. Getting the children to use their senses is the most concrete way to enhance their learning interest and knowledge. On the other hand, abstract experiences allow teachers take a step forward and expose children to less concrete materials which otherwise perceive to be more abstract to
According to Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory (Berk, 2013), children’s learning take place within the zone of proximal development through scaffolding, a form of teaching interaction which uses concrete materials such as puzzles, model making and picture matching. Even in make-believe play, children use concrete items such as dolls which can be considered as enactive representation. Furthermore, Vygotsky saw how a child’s ability to think logically develops in stages. Hence, he outlined the four stages of conceptual development, namely: thinking in unordered heaps, thinking in complex stage, thinking in concepts stage and thinking in true concepts stage. Through these stages, children’s cognitive development matures as they undergo concrete to abstract representation.
For example, children first use concrete materials to trial and error (thinking in unordered heaps). Next, they form connections between objects in an inconsistent manner (thinking in complex stage). Following that, they should be able to think in more abstract concepts and make associations (thinking in concepts stage). Finally, they can manipulate a number of abstract concepts (thinking in true concepts stage). (Nixon & Aldwinckle, 2003) Therefore, using concrete to abstract representation is crucial in children’s cognitive
This theory is crafted by Jean Piaget (1896– 1980) and his work concentrated on seeing how kids see the world. Piaget trusted that from outset, we have the fundamental mental structure on which all ensuing information and learning are based and because of natural development and ecological experience, the mental procedures will have a dynamic rearrangement. Piaget's presumption was that kids are dynamic takes part in the advancement of information and they adjust to nature through currently looking to comprehend their condition. He proposed that cognitive advancement occurs in four phases, 0 to 2 years being the sensori motor, 2 years to 7 years the preoperational, 7 to 12 years the solid operations, and 12 years or more the formal operations.
In his book written in 1954 Piaget stated that “for young infants objects are not permanent entities that exist continuously in time but instead are transient entities that cease to exist when they are no longer visible and begin to exist anew when they come back into view.” He proposed the notion that infants do not begin to understand the object of object p...
The child’s development is determined by biological maturation and interaction with the environment. Although all children go through each stage in the same order, there are individual differences in the rate at which children progress through stages, and some may never go through the later steps. Each stage of development reflects an increasing sophistication of children’s thought. The first stage is the Sensorimotor stage. This stage ranges from birth to two years of age and can be broken down to six substages. The main objective of this stage is goal-directed behavior and object permanence. Goal-directed behavior combines several schemes and coordinates them to perform a single act to solve a problem. Object permanence is the realization to form a mental schema of an object that is not present but exists. The Preoperational Stage is the second stage and ranges from age two to seven. During this stage children increase their ability to think symbolically, as well as increase the use of concepts, centration, conservation,and intuitive thought emerge , and thinking remains egocentric. The third stage is the Concrete Operational change. Occurring between ages seven and twelve. Piaget characterized this stage as a major turning point in a child’s cognitive development because it applies operational thought. In this stage, children are
Swiss theorist Jean Piaget constructed the multi-stage cognitive-development theory, which suggests that as a child develops and explores their different environments, their brain is also developing, these advancements are characterised by different ways of thinking during the different stages (Lamdin & Lamdin-Hunter, 2012). Using John Bowlby’s theory of attachment in conjunction with Piaget’s cognitive-development theory, we can conclude that the secure environment formed from a child’s early caregiver type relationships allow them to explore these different environments safely allowing for cognitive development during early childhood and beyond. Between the ages of approximately two to seven years, a child enters the preoperational stage, a time in which symbolism is used to express sensorimotor discoveries and the development of language and the ability to pretend occurs (Berk, 2008). During this stage the child’s thinking lacks the logic that is typical of the concrete operational and formal operational stages (Berk 2008). To assist my own development my mother ensured I attended pre-school from the age of four to supplement my cognitive, social and physical development. This environment was stimulating with elements of play incorporated into each
Lev Vygotsky stages of development were not defined by age or biology. Social and cultural experiences were the basis for his theory. Consciousness was an end product of social interactions (Kearsley, 1994-2010). The history of the child’s society and his own personal history determine how the child thinks. Language is crucial for development as it is with words that a child conceptualizes and makes sense of the world (Schütz, 2004). A precept of Vygotsky’s theory wa...
One of the children (George) created a map, that did not look like a physical representation of the children outdoor area, when his partner asked what he was drawing he explained he was using his imagination. The ‘water represents the big children’s playground, our area is the island, the dotted line is where we have to find the word treasure, that’s hidden under the X!’ George’s partner Pedro looked puzzled and asked me why he was doing it wrong. I explained that George was not doing it wrong, it is his interpretation of his outdoor area, and this is how he imagines it. This allowed me to be reflexive and flexible as a researcher, and to ensure at all times the child’s voice was being heard, and that I was not shaping the research to the outcome I wanted. I also thought this was a lovely example of children’s imagination. The child’s outdoor area can represent a number of things to them as expressed through George map. As adults we will never think how children do, or how we once did (Christensen, 2004). Child lead learning and child participation is increasingly being valued, as reflected in the literature. The map-making activity was a superb way to extend the pupils critical thinking, contributing to their communication and language development. Examples from my observation reflect the impact the
Piaget’s theory is developed from the idea that the child constructs their knowledge individually whereas Vygotsky argued that children develop tools of learning by communicating with more knowledgeable others (O. Lourenco 2012). Piaget suggested that children develop through a series of four stages in their thinking – the sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational and formal operational stages each of which causes broad changes in the child’s intelligence structure and their logic (reference). These four structures are mental operations which are applied to anything in the child’s world these mental operations are referred to as schemas which grow and change from one stage to the next (book). Vygotsky had very different idea on this subject although they both agreed that the child is the active constructor of their own knowledge
Piaget stated that children function in a concrete world and therefore are unable to use language in an abstract way until about eleven years old. Consequently language does not afford young children the structure for appropriate self-expression. Piaget believed that children design symbols to communicate their wishes, ideas and emotions. This system of symbols characterises symbolic play (Piaget & Inhelder,
Next is the concrete operational stages which continues between the ages of seven and twelve. Children see the world from a less egocentric point of view as they begin to see the world in relation to others. Through the use of manipulatives children are able to begin thinking logically. It is imperative that students are offered opportunities to interact with their environment and construct new
Piaget argued that cognitive development is based on the development of schemas. This refers to a psychological structure representing all of a person’s knowledge of actions or objects. To perform a new skill which the person has no schema, they have to work from previous skills that they have. This is called assimilation, where they have pulled previous schemas together then adapted and changed them to fit their task through accommodation.
Jean Piaget is a Switzerland psychologist and biologist who understand children’s intellectual development. Piaget is the first to study cognitive development. He developed the four stages of cognitive development: the sensori-motor stage, preoperational stage, the concrete operational and the formal operational stage. Piaget curiosity was how children cogitate and developed. As they get mature and have the experience, children’s will get knowledgeable. He suggested that children develop schemas so they can present the world. Children’s extend their schemas through the operation of accommodation and assimilation.
Piaget was biologist and psychologist that is known for “constructing a highly influential model for child development and learning”. Piaget’s theory is based on the premise that the developing child “builds cognitive structures”. These structures are things like mental maps, “schemes, or networked concepts for understanding and responding to physical experiences within a child’s environment.” Piaget further demonstrates that a child’s “cognitive structure increases in sophis...
Jean Piaget was an individual constructivist. According to Piaget, a child’s cognitive structure helps the child understand the world around him. This structure develops into complex mental activities. He believed that childhood plays an important role in the growth of intelligence and a child learns through doing and exploring. Piaget believed that hands
“{No theory of cognitive development has had more impact than the cognitive stages presented by Jean Piaget. Piaget, a Swiss psychologist, suggested that children go through four separate stages in a fixed order that is universal in all children. Piaget declared that these stages differ not only in the quantity of information acquired at each, but also in the quality of knowledge and understanding at that stage. Piaget suggested that movement from one stage to the next occurred when the child reached an appropriate level of maturation and was exposed to relevant types of experiences. Without experience, children were assumed incapable of reaching their highest cognitive ability. Piaget's four stages are known as the sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, and formal operational stages.
Jean Piaget(1929), widely known as one of the pioneers in investigating child development, has developed his theory on the basis of cognitive stages. He presents four aspects of the child `s concept formation: sensorimotor ,preoperational, concrete operational and formal operational. All of these stages suggest the emergence of development precedes the ability to learn. Moreover, It is emphasised on the intellectual development regardless of the cultural influences and specific individual differences. Therefore, human cognitive development is regarded as universal for all human species. On the one hand, Piaget sees the human internal conception in interaction with external world messages conveyed. On the other hand, a child`s ability to perceive cognitive information in an effective way is not clearly defined. Resulting from this, old experiences receive new names. According to Piaget th...