Vyquinsky, Vygotsky's Theory Of Cognitive Development

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Every Monday for the past semester, I have been spending two hours tutoring and interacting with elementary students though the Stars program at Crim Elementary in Bowling Green, Ohio. This experience has been an eye opening observation of educational psychological theories in the flesh. I have witnessed many of these developmental theories, including Erik Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development, Vygotsky’s socio-cultural theory, and Jean Piaget’s theory of cognitive development. Observing these theories in real life has furthered my understanding and methods of application to better educate our future leaders.
Erik Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development is explained through eight stages. These stages are: trust vs. mistrust (0 to 1 ½ ), autonomy vs. shame (1 ½ to 3), initiative vs. guilt (3 to 5), industry vs. inferiority (5 to 12), ego indemnity vs. role confusion (12 to 18), …show more content…

Social interaction plays a fundamental role in the development of cognition; the root of this is language. This theory emphasizes the importance of society and culture for cognitive development. With my own personal experience, when I was in high school, every year I had a French exchange student, Ugo, stay with me for part of my summer. My experience with Ugo has really played a role on my interpretation and understanding of other cultures and societies. Similar to my own experience, in tutoring, students are fond of and interested in two Chinese students. Many times, the Chinese students are teaching other some Chinese words and sharing culture. The leaders of the Stars program also take time out of the two hour sessions to teach a majority of the students how to sign language. The students are eager and excited to learn from others about social and cultural differences; this is helping to shape their perspective of the world and how they interact with

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