Developing Thinking and Understanding in Young Children

Combines theoretical approaches to thinking skills with real-life observations of young children. This work provides insights from the disciplines of neuroscience and psychology to help classroom activities become useful. It is intended for those looking to understand young children's thinking.

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Invaluable for anyone looking to understand young children’s thinking, this essential textbook helpfully combines introductions to theories about thinking with observations from real-life practice. The book explores underlying theories behind topics such as:




the relationship between nature and nuture
models of cognitive development, with ideas from key thinkers such as Piaget, Vygotsky and Bruner
basic neuroscience and its application to early childhood
the social, emotional and cultural context of children’s development
emotional intelligence
language and thought, including the use of motherese and children’s talk in pretend play
whether children can think philosophically.





The author accompanies every topic with observations from the classroom, supported by her own critical analysis linking theory to practice throughout.