Across the Great Divide Bridging the Gap Between Understanding of Toddlers' and Older Children's Thinking

by Chen, Zhe; Siegler, Robert S.

• ISBN13: 9780631221531
• ISBN10: 0631221530
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2000-06-08
• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell

Summary

Research on very young children's cognitive development differs greatly from research on cognitive development in older children. The differences include the questions asked, the methods used, the measure employed to provide evidence, and the level of detail at which children's knowledge is represented. The approaches have been so different that it creates the impression that infants' and toddlers' thinking differs qualitatively from that of pre-schoolers and other children. This monograph presents a detailed study of toddlers' problem solving and learning, using microgenetic methods and analyses that have been used with older children. The conclusion is that the gap can be bridged and that theories, methods, measures, and representations of knowledge typically used with older children can improve our understanding of toddlers' problem solving and learning as well.

Author Biography

Zhe Chen and Robert S. Siegler are the authors of Across the Great Divide: Bridging the Gap Between Understanding of Toddlers' and Older Children's Thinking, published by Wiley.

Table of Contents

Abstract	v
Preface	vii
The Great Divide	1	(6)
Overlapping Waves Theory	7	(5)
Microgenetic Methods	12	(5)
The Present Study	17	(8)
Method	25	(7)
Overview of Toddlers' Problem Solving	32	(11)
Components of Strategic Change	43	(16)
Individual Differences in Learning	59	(8)
How Changes Occur in Toddlers' Thinking	67	(13)
Implications for Older Children's Cognitive Development	80	(7)
Conclusions: Bridging The Gap	87	(19)
References	89	(7)
Acknowledgments	96	(1)
COMMENTARY
A Key Bridge to Understanding The Development of Thinking and Problem Solving	97	(9)
Marvin W. Daehler
Contributors	106	(1)
Statement of Editorial Policy	107