Match the Theorist
This Swiss psychologist proposed that children move through four distinct stages
Jean Piaget
Covers brain growth, thinking skills, memory, and the ability to solve a math problem
Cognitive development
A child is learning to roll over, sit up without support, and is forming their very first brain connections.
Infancy
This is the very first social milestone an infant hits, usually around 6–8 weeks old, to show they are connecting with a caregiver.
Social Smile
This term refers to the help or "temporary platform" a teacher provides to help a child reach the next level of learning.
What is Scaffolding?
the concept of the "Zone of Proximal Development" (ZPD) and emphasized social interaction.
Lev Vygotsky
Learning to share toys, making friends, and managing "big feelings" like anger or sadness falls into this domain.
Social-Emotional development
A child is saying their first words, combining two-word phrases, and starting to follow simple one-step instructions.
Toddlerhood
This term describes the strong emotional bond between an infant and their primary caregiver.
What is Attachment?
These are specialized services for children from birth to age 3 who may have developmental delays.
What is Early Intervention?
"Social Learning Theory," focusing on learning through observation and imitation.
Albert Bandura
This domain includes both "gross motor" skills like running and "fine motor" skills like holding a pencil.
Physical development
A child is engaged in imaginative "make-believe" play and is developing the independence needed for "school readiness."
Preschool
This is a child’s ability to control their impulses and emotions, like waiting their turn or not hitting when frustrated.
What is Self-Regulation?
This describes an environment that is safe, supportive, and matches a child’s current stage of growth.
What is Developmentally Appropriate?
focused on behaviorism, teaching that children learn through a system of rewards and punishments
B.F. Skinner
Listening, speaking, and eventually reading and writing are all parts of this specific developmental area.
Language development
A child is focusing on academic skills like reading and writing while building complex, long-term friendships with peers
Elementary school age
In the Toddler stage, this "negative" behavior is actually a sign the child is trying to express independence but lacks the words.
What is a Temper Tantrum?
These are windows of time where the brain is most "plastic" and ready to learn things like a second language.
What are Critical (or Sensitive) Periods?
He believed development is a natural "maturation" process and created the first detailed developmental schedules/norms
Arnold Gesell
These are the specific, measurable tasks—like a first smile or a first step—that fall into any of the four domains.
Developmental Milestones
This isn't a stage, but rather the "window of time" during early childhood when a child is most sensitive to learning a specific skill like language.
Critical (or Sensitive) Periods
This is the new and specific type of play where children play with each other and work toward a common goal (like building one big fort).
What is Cooperative Play?
This influence explains why a child in one country might learn to use chopsticks earlier than a child in another.
What are Cultural Differences (or Influences)?