On-line Resources
Piaget's Stages of Cognitive Development at About.com:Psychology (2009).
- Site provides a clear and concise review of key concepts, stages, support, and criticism of Piaget's Theory of Cognitive Development.
- On-line quiz on Piaget's stages of development is also available.
- Site identifies how Piaget's theory differs from others, basic components to Piaget's theory, stages of development, and strengths and weaknesses.
- Site also links to audio broadcasts about relying on Piaget's findings and how children think.
- Site also links to excellent PDF downloads of Cognitive Development (Book Chapter), Piaget: Cognitive Development (Undergraduate Notes), and Piaget Summary (Packet of Notes).
- Especially helpful for defining Piaget's theory in terms of principles of learning.
Vygotsky's Theory of Social Development at Tip:Theories.
- Concise overview of Vygotsky's theory of social influences on cognitive development.
- Compares and contrasts Vygotsky's view with Piaget's Theory. Reviews More Knowledgeable Other (MKO).
- Provides good link to power point presentation on Vygotsky and Piaget.
Textbook Clarifications
Module 7: Cognitive Development from Ed Psych Modules by Bohlin (2009) pgs 118-132.
Cluster 2: Cognitive Development and Language from Educational Psychology: Active Learning Edition by Woolfolk (2008) pgs 24-66.
Children's or Youth Literature
Up the Learning Tree by Marcia K. Vaughan (2003) at the BYU Library
- A young slave boy risks his life to learn how to read and, with the unsuspecting help of a teacher from the North, begins to realize his dream.
- Identify examples of cultural tools, the co-constructed process, scaffolding, and more knowledgeable other within the story.
- A celebration of daily life with a toddler who gets up, eats breakfast, gets dressed, and investigates everything.
- Identify evidences of stages within Piaget's Theory of Cognitive Development.
- A book about a fish and a frog. The frog grows up and sees amazing things on land and returns to tell the fish. The reader sees what the fish visualizes fish-like people walking down the street, and fish-like cows and birds, etc. because the fish is only familiar with fish. This is a great book to illustrate schema and the difficulties associated with learning concepts outside of our schemas.
Religious Resources
Scriptures about Learning Together at LDS.org.
- Discuss the relation between Vygotsky's Sociocultural Perspective and the scriptural references regarding learning together.
- Discuss how the following scriptures and gospel principles reflect the concept of the zone of proximal development. Moroni 10: 23; Alma 7:8
- Discuss how co-constructed processes, cultural tools, more knowledgeable others, and scaffolding are exemplified in the gospel.
- I'm Trying to Be Like Jesus Hymn #78 from LDS Church Music.