how do abstract ideas help young children?
469907
its supposed to make them think for themselves.
406084
Piaget thought the key to understanding human intellectual development was not in what children get wrong, but how they get it wrong. It was clear to Piaget that childish reasoning is not merely less accurate than adult reasoning; it is qualitatively different (Wadsworth 1996). From this point forward, Piaget dedicated himself to answering the question "How does knowledge grow?"\n\nPiaget eventually came to believe that intelligence is a form of adaptation, wherein knowledge is constructed by each individual through the two complementary processes of assimilation and accommodation. He theorized that as children interact with their physical and social environments, they organize information into groups of interrelated ideas called "schemes". When children encounter something new, they must either assimilate it into an existing scheme or create an entirely new scheme to deal with it (Wadsworth 1996).\n\nPiaget also believed that intellectual development occurs in four distinct stages. The sensorimotor stage begins at birth, and lasts until the child is approximately two years old. At this stage, the child cannot form mental representations of objects that are outside his immediate view, so his intelligence develops through his motor interactions with his environment. The preoperational stage typically lasts until the child is 6 or 7. According to Piaget, this is the stage where true "thought" emerges. Preoperational children are able to make mental representations of unseen objects, but they cannot use deductive reasoning. The concrete operations stage follows, and lasts until the child is 11 or 12. Concrete operational children are able to use deductive reasoning, demonstrate conservation of number, and can differentiate their perspective from that of other people. Formal operations is the final stage. Its most salient feature is the ability to think abstractly.
124877
Well, if it's really small children, it's a good idea to get at their eye level when you talk, that way you're not so intimidating. dont use unnecissarily long words, but dont dumb it down too much for them- they can think, too. Like anyone else, they want to be listened to1 If you ask them to talk about something, listen and respond to what they say! dont just set them off rembling and then direct your attention elsewhere. : D. Also, a good way to get kids to maybe stop doing something they shouldnt be is the 'I know...But...' format. Such as, 'I know you want to play for five more minutes, but our dinner will get cold if we dont leave now' \n\nI hope this helps a bit!
35104
Of course. You can "lead" them to the answer, letting them solve the problem with clues. Or you can offer multiple choice answers. Or you can help them understand the problem by showing which answers are not possible (elimination of choices). Stimulating young minds is a challenge that is very rewarding. When done correctly, children gain confidence in their own abilities and excel. Of course, it helps if the teacher really understands the concepts they are teaching. So many teachers are versed in education, but not in the subject matter. A mathematician who is taught to teach is a far better math teacher than an educator who "learns" math.
644496
Check out http://www.education.smarttech.com/ste/en-gb there are smart board lesson plans and resources on there that might be able to back up your proposal. Smart boards are a great way to get children involved and enthusiastic about a lesson. I hope your school takes up your idea.
806299
Well that is a pretty vague question but i will do my best.  Preoperational thinking is when a child cannot logically figure things out because they just see things in the moment.  Ex. My daughter understands that I am her mother but doesnt understand that her grandma is my mother.  Now if you are talking about the specific concepts involved with piagets theory there is; centration, focus on appearance, static reasoning, and irreversibility.  \n\nCentration is when a child is looking at one thing to classify things instead of looking at the whole class.  Thinking a tiger is not a cat because it is too big.\n\nFocus on appearance is how children view things by how they look.  My best friend has a son who is one month younger than my daughter and they are both confussed the both keep saying that he is older because he is taller and has bigger feet.  FYI they are both 5.\n\nStatic reasoning is when children think that everything is as they see things now.  That it will never change.  \n\nIrreversibility is when a child thinks that what they currently see cannot be undone.  Like putting chalk on a chalk board they might think they need a new one not realizing that you can erase it and it will be good as new.  \n\nConservation is important too although not "one of the four concept" it is certainly important to preoperational thought.  The two glasses filled with water experiment.  Identical glasses.  Which one is fuller?  They are equal.  Now take one of the glasses and pour the water into a taller skinner glass.  Ask the child which one is fuller they will say that the taller glass is fuller even though they just saw that it was equall.
899757
Choices are a great thing for young children. They learn through their play, and allowing them to make choices has so many benifits: they are more interested in what they are doing, they get more confident in themselves and their ability to make decisions (rather than be dependant on an adult making them for them), children at different levels of development are able to work at different levels which are appropriate for them, etc. There are TONS of websites and magizines with more information on this. They key to organization is this: a quality teacher is able to skillfully weave in specific goals. All of the activities available should promote learning. For this age, that could be a block center (geometry, physics, social skills, hand-eye coordination), an art center (creativity, small muscle development)...the list goes on and on.
242000
When the children first start primary classroom they start working with the:\n\npractical life materials to develop their concentration, coordination and order. They learn grace and courtesy. The teacher shows the child how to walk, how to carry a tray and how to set it down quietly. The child copies the teacher's behavior. \n\nThe second area of Montessori education is sensorial Sensorial materials are designed to convey an abstract idea in concrete form. The knobbed cylinders give the experience of widest diameter to the narrowest diameter, largest to the smallest, shortest and widest to the tallest and thinnest. The sandpaper tablets give the experiences of rough, rougher, roughest and smooth, smoother, smoothest. The pink tower demonstrates volume and size. The red rods show the concept of length, etc. \n\nThe materials involve use of hand. In the process of working with sensorial materials children acquire a broad knowledge in language and use it spontaneously in their life: dark, darker, darkest, etc. There will be substantial vocabulary enlargement in this area. \n\nThe next area of learning is language and then mathematics Children are being introduced to numbers and sounds of letters. The prepared environment with the materials in an ordered progression makes learning possible for the child. Our children also study many other areas such as geography, land and water forms, name of continents and countries. \n\nIn mathematics,our children are introduced to numbers and establish a solid basis for understanding the decimal system. \n\nAt the end of primary stage the children should have good knowledge of addition, subtraction, and multiplication and division. \n\nThe prepared environment and the trained teachers are provided for the child's self-discovery, however, learning is not forced upon children, they learn according to their own pace. \n\nIn a multiage Montessori classroom older children will develop their self-esteem by helping the younger ones, they also learn social responsibility. The younger children will learn tremendously from the older ones. \n\nThe multiage classroom strengthens social development. Montessori is a distinct and unique alternative to other school programs, both public and private. Perhaps the most prominent difference is the mixed age grouping. The teacher shares his or her role as educator with the older children in the classroom.\n\nThe older students help the younger ones with materials and work that they have already mastered. This process, in turn, helps the older children solidify their own knowledge, as the repetition reinforces the learning process. Maria Montessori says in The Child, Society, and the World, pp. 60;65 : \n\nThe material is a help because we have only one set of material in a class and if one child is using the piece that another child wants, the latter must wait until the first child has finished with it and put it back in its place…The children do not give the material to each other but always put it back in its place when they have finished. So they have an exercise in patience and respect for others. All these little things help. They bring sympathy and understanding. It gradually brings a real harmony which could not be given artificially. Maria Montessori says in The Child, Society, and the World, pp. 60;65
754379
Children learn in spite of their teachers....The first thing I was taught at teacher training. \n\ndrilling is fine provided you understand what you are learning. The multiplication tables are a good example of this. We used to memorise those tables like a poem. Did it help? Yes becasue they provided us with quick answers when dealing with more complex issues. \n\nThe fact is that there are some things you just need to know. You can either make the effort to remember it (and there are lots of techniques for that) or you can look it up in a book every time you need to know.
871491
With out know which impairment the child has I can only offer a generalization.\n\nThink about the activity and which senses it involves.\nWhat do you want the child to learn?\nCan the activity be accomplished using other senses?\n\nThink of it like solving a puzzle and Try imposing the same impairment on yourself and experiment with different ways to achieve what effect you want.
256359
designations of toys for the children were counts a lot.anywei, i have been experienced taking good care of kinder ages children and they want many ways in playing their toys.ages 2-5 were too playful,they grab,kick,suck anything,and chew anything.for this to avoid lead them to a safer place and away from unwanted objects.give them a suitable food for them to chew.medicinal toy cud help.For them to develop differences of objects try to tell them the difference between the two object. Ages 6-7,little creature at this age were eager to study more and more,and so buy a toy that suits their vocabulary and mathematical ability.this can help in refining their mental ability.in supermarkets ia lot of toys like this offered. 8-9 ages were starting in revealing their external  and internal behaviour.try to read knowledgeable books with them,and try to explain it to them by their selves,for them to develop analization.and prolem solving. Ages 10-12-emotions and self steem starts.give them time in some spiritual advices to know the diiferences of around us.share with them a game like going out at home somtimes for a change of sorroundings.let them know their likes abt hanging outsite.the rest of the age well..... thanks for letting me read.:)
308347
I found two lesson plans in a quick search that are K-2 -- not quite preschool, but pretty close. They could easily be adapted for younger kids, I think. I found them from a search on www.readwritethink.org.\n\nThe Lesson plans:\nhttp://www.sciencenetlinks.com/lessons.cfm?DocID=365\nhttp://www.sciencenetlinks.com/lessons.cfm?DocID=110
370105
young minds are like sponges so try to construct something that is fun, and will make them happy, but yet still enrich there minds with some sorts of learning ability...
212897
I've tried using humor.  I tell the kids that the day I look like an octopus I can help more than one student at a time. Otherwise they have to wait their turn.  The kids catch on eventually.  I heard one of my students say to another "Does she look like an octopus to you?"\nWith 3 and 4 years olds is a different story but it might work.  Why don't you try giving them a number and call them by number to get your help.
1163272
by all means. teach the children to think. don't just teach them to except whatever is thrown their way.
526124
Here are a couple of favorites from my preschool classroom.\n\nFill a basket or any kind of container with something fun like marbles, miniature cars etc.  Have your son roll a die (use two dice as he gets older) Have him count the spots on the die and then remove that many marbles, etc. from the basket.......continue taking turns until the basket is empty\n\nCut out circles, squares and triangles from construction paper.  Cut out a different number of each shape and hide them around the room then go on a shape hunt with your son.  Once you find all of them create a large graph by laying the like shapes together vertically or horizontally.  Count how many of each you have, talk about concepts such as most and least.\n\nHave your son lay down on a large piece of paper.  Trace his body and cut out.  Talk about the different body parts and label them.  Allow him to decorate his likeness with collage materials, markers, crayons etc.\n\nRead books every day.  A way to get kids excited about reading is to create a book catterpillar or train.  Make a new segment of the caterpillar or car for the train for each new book you read.  Write the name of the book on the segment and any comments your child has about the book then add it to existing bug or train and watch it wrap around the room.  \n\nThe main thing is to be in  tune with what your child likes and gear the learning towards that.  If he likes cars count toy cars, sit on a corner and count blue cars and red cars and graph, paint with cars etc.  Don't try to push anything or teach him above his years because that's the surest way to turn him off about learning.  Good luck and have fun.
1020353
The most important activity for a young child is play. That being said, children learn best through play. A child builds mathmatical concepts at a very early age, though they do not know it as "math." You may not even recognize it as math. \n\nAs a child plays with blocks, they are building geometric concepts about shapes and spatial reasoning. They may not even be able to name the shapes, but as they try to build a tower with the blocks, they are using problem solving skills to keep the tower from falling. \n\nProblem solving also comes into play with such simple activities as hide and seek or memory/matching games. With a memory game, a child learns to think about the tiles they have turned over already, realizing which ones might match. Also, when a child presents a problem to you through play activity, like "I can't do it. How can I...?" Don't just answer it for them. Problem solve with them. Problem solving abilities will be critical for them throughout school.\n\nReasoning skills are another mathematical concept. These are easily practiced through games and sorting acitvities. Promote this skill by asking questions like:\nAre you sure?\nHow do you know?\nWhy do you think...?\n\nFoster communication skills. Children must be able to clearly communicate their thoughts in order to explain their steps in solving problems or in trying to understand new concepts. Reading to children is the single most important activity you can do as a parent. Reading skills will help a child in every subject area.\n\nI could go on and on. I guess what I think is most important is to allow your child to play. They will learn and remember what they learn longer.