Invitation to The Life Span 3rd Edition By Berger - Test Bank

Invitation to The Life Span 3rd Edition By Berger – Test Bank

Instant Download – Complete Test Bank With Answers

Sample Questions Are Posted Below

Page 1
1. The center of gravity in a 6-year-old drops from the breast to the belly, enabling many
motor skills.
A) True
B) False
2. By 4 years of age, most children no longer have the large heads, short limbs, and
protruding stomachs that toddlers do.
A) True
B) False
3. Many parents fear that their children are not getting enough to eat during early
childhood, which can contribute to childhood obesity.
A) True
B) False
4. A child’s appetite increases between the ages of 2 and 6.
A) True
B) False
5. Failure to brush the teeth is the primary cause of early tooth decay.
A) True
B) False
6. Too much sugar and too little fiber cause tooth decay in childhood.
A) True
B) False
7. By the age of 6 years, the brain has attained about half its adult weight.
A) True
B) False
8. The 2-year-old brain has attained about 75 percent of its adult weight.
A) True
B) False
Page 2
9. Research found that 2-year-old humans have similar intellectual abilities as
chimpanzees.
A) True
B) False
10. The cerebellum is considered the executive of the brain because planning and
prioritizing occur there.
A) True
B) False
11. The part of the brain that specializes in planning and prioritizing is the prefrontal cortex.
A) True
B) False
12. The corpus callosum connects the hemispheres of the brain.
A) True
B) False
13. The right side of the brain controls the right side of the body.
A) True
B) False
14. Eduardo is a natural-born musician with the ability to pick up and play nearly any
musical instrument. His musical talent is controlled by the left side of his brain.
A) True
B) False
15. In most people, language abilities are located in the left hemisphere of the brain.
A) True
B) False
16. Myelination is essential for basic communication between neurons.
A) True
B) False
Page 3
17. Impulsiveness and perseveration are opposite behaviors with the same underlying cause.
A) True
B) False
18. Perseveration is the tendency to continue an activity even when it has become
inappropriate to do so.
A) True
B) False
19. The amygdala registers emotions.
A) True
B) False
20. The hypothalamus is a central processor of memory, especially with regard to locations.
A) True
B) False
21. Preoperational thought involves magical, self-centered imagination rather than logic.
A) True
B) False
22. Egocentrism is Piaget’s term for a particular type of centration, in which the child thinks
about the world from his or her own perspective.
A) True
B) False
23. Centration is an obstacle to developing logical operations.
A) True
B) False
24. According to Piaget, the preoperational child is incapable of understanding
irreversibility.
A) True
B) False
Page 4
25. Conservation refers to a child’s assumption that the world is unchanging.
A) True
B) False
26. Vygotsky believed that cognitive growth was a process of individual discovery,
propelled by experience and biological maturation.
A) True
B) False
27. The process by which people learn from others who lead their experiences and
explorations is called guided participation.
A) True
B) False
28. Vygotsky’s followers believe in scaffolding, a learning process that involves mentors
who guide the child.
A) True
B) False
29. The temporary, sensitive structure provided by others to a developing child who is
learning new skills is known as the zone of proximal development.
A) True
B) False
30. Ten-year-old Sarah and 5-year-old Haley were making a special birthday card for their
grandmother. By patiently showing Haley how to carefully glue the lace around the
card’s edges, Sarah was providing scaffolding for Haley.
A) True
B) False
31. Overimitation is demonstrated when 2- to 6-year-old children imitate adult actions that
are irrelevant, time-consuming, and inefficient.
A) True
B) False
Page 5
32. A theory of mind is one’s own personal understanding of the complex interaction among
emotions, perceptions, thoughts, and intentions in oneself and others.
A) True
B) False
33. The development of theory of mind has been demonstrated only in more affluent
cultures.
A) True
B) False
34. The underlying factor allowing the development of theory of mind is static reasoning.
A) True
B) False
35. The vocabulary explosion typically occurs at about 1 year of age.
A) True
B) False
36. By the age of 6, many children have a vocabulary of about 10,000 words.
A) True
B) False
37. The charting of new vocabulary words by associating them with already-known words
is called fast-mapping.
A) True
B) False
38. Children display evidence of fast-mapping before the age of 1.
A) True
B) False
39. Overregularization is actually a sign of increased verbal knowledge.
A) True
B) False
Page 6
40. The best time to learn a second language is in adolescence.
A) True
B) False
41. A language shift occurs when children become as fluent in their new language as they
are in their home language.
A) True
B) False
42. It is always better for a young child to attend preschool than to be home with a parent.
A) True
B) False
43. If a child’s home environment is poor, early-education programs won’t be beneficial.
A) True
B) False
44. Child-centered programs stress children’s development and growth.
A) True
B) False
45. Montessori schools focus on using materials and projects in such a way that children
have a strong sense of accomplishment.
A) True
B) False
46. Reggio Emilia programs emphasize formal classroom instruction by the teacher.
A) True
B) False
47. Teacher-directed preschool programs are similar in nature to the Reggio Emilia
approach.
A) True
B) False
Page 7
48. Studies suggest that preschool education, such as that provided by Head Start, advances
the social and academic development of disadvantaged children.
A) True
B) False
Page 8
Answer Key
1. A
2. B
3. A
4. B
5. B
6. A
7. B
8. A
9. B
10. B
11. A
12. A
13. B
14. B
15. A
16. B
17. A
18. A
19. A
20. B
21. A
22. A
23. A
24. A
25. B
26. B
27. A
28. A
29. B
30. A
31. A
32. A
33. B
34. B
35. B
36. A
37. A
38. B
39. A
40. B
41. B
42. B
43. B
44. A
Page 9
45. A
46. B
47. B
48. A

Page 1
1. A person’s average body mass index (BMI) is the lowest at the ages of _____.
A) 1 to 2
B) 5 to 6
C) 9 to 10
D) 13 to 14
2. Between the ages of 2 and 6, a child’s appetite _____.
A) increases slightly
B) increases dramatically
C) stays the same
D) decreases
3. Over the past three decades, what has been the trend in children’s health and body
growth in Brazil?
A) Children have gone from suffering malnutrition to being healthy.
B) Children have become more impoverished, leading to malnutrition.
C) Children have become less impoverished, which has led to malnutrition.
D) Children no longer suffer from undernutrition, but now face overnutrition.
4. To ensure adequate nutrition and vitamin intake, what is recommended?
A) Eat six to eight times a day.
B) Take vitamin and mineral supplements.
C) Eat breakfast cereals that contain 100 percent of the day’s nutrients and vitamins.
D) Eat well-balanced meals with a variety of foods.
5. A common food allergy for young children is _____.
A) soy
B) rice
C) oats
D) bananas
6. Bernie is a 5-year-old who has never visited a dentist, even though his family has dental
insurance that allows for free regular checkups. His parents say that they will start
taking him to the dentist when his first permanent tooth erupts. What should his parents
know about delayed dental care?
A) Untreated decay in “baby” teeth can harm permanent teeth.
B) There is no medical need to visit a dentist before permanent teeth emerge.
C) Visiting the dentist at a young age will cause the child to fear the dentist.
D) Children do not need to brush their baby teeth but they should visit the dentist to
get fluoride treatments.
Page 2
7. Which statement about oral health is true?
A) It is not necessary to brush until children start to lose their baby teeth.
B) Almost all young children in the United States have been to the dentist.
C) Diet soda is a good option to help prevent tooth decay in children.
D) Young children should develop the habit of tooth brushing.
8. Cynthia wants to keep her son from getting cavities, so she gives him diet soda instead
of regular soda. Her dentist tells her that her strategy won’t work because _____.
A) diet soda is sweetened using high fructose corn syrup
B) all sweetened beverages can lead to tooth decay
C) diet soda contains the calcium needed for strong teeth
D) diet soda will keep the fluoride in drinking water from being ingested
9. A 2-year-old human’s brain is _____ percent of the adult brain’s weight.
A) 55
B) 65
C) 75
D) 80
10. Which of the following is most likely the difference between the brain of Tarik, a
2-year-old, and Terrence, his father?
A) Tarik’s brain is about 75 percent of the weight of Terrence’s.
B) Terrence’s brain has more activity in the angular gyrus than Tarik’s.
C) Tarik’s brain is the same weight at Terrence’s.
D) Terrence’s brain is less lateralized than Tarik’s.
11. Researchers had children sort picture cards by shape. Then they asked the same children
to sort the same cards by color. They found that children under the age of 4 _____.
A) could easily switch their original sorting pattern
B) could switch to sorting by shape but not by color
C) could switch to sorting by color but not by shape
D) had difficulty changing to a new sorting pattern
Page 3
12. Juan is left-handed and always kicks with his left foot when playing soccer. This
preference demonstrates _____, which advances with the development of the corpus
callosum.
A) myelination
B) lateralization
C) pragmatics
D) overregularization
13. The long band of nerve fibers that connects the brain’s hemispheres is _____.
A) myelination
B) the corpus callosum
C) the prefrontal cortex
D) the axon cord
14. Alden is beginning to learn how to write. He can hold a pencil in one hand and steady
the paper with his other hand. This new ability to coordinate the duties of his right and
left hands is likely due to _____.
A) the growth of his corpus callosum
B) his arms and legs growing longer
C) his brain’s lateralization
D) adequate calcium in his diet
15. Jerome is 4 years old and has recently begun coordinating the two sides of his body
more efficiently. This improvement can be attributed to _____.
A) the growth of his corpus callosum
B) his arms and legs growing longer
C) his brain’s lateralization
D) adequate protein in his diet
16. One of several possible causes of autism spectrum disorder may be _____.
A) rigid myelination
B) abnormal development of the corpus callosum
C) lesions in the prefrontal cortex
D) incomplete axon cords
17. A disorder that may result from abnormal development of the corpus callosum is _____.
A) hearing impairment
B) nearsightedness
C) extreme impulsivity
D) autism spectrum disorder
Page 4
18. The specialization of the functioning of the two halves of the brain is called _____.
A) lateralization
B) linearization
C) equalization
D) disequilibrium
19. The left side of the brain notices _____, while the right side grasps _____.
A) the big picture; the details
B) the details; emotions
C) emotions; language
D) creative impulses; detailed analysis
20. Today, about 10 percent of adults in Great Britain and the United States claim to be
_____.
A) left-handed
B) right-handed
C) left hemisphere dominant
D) right hemisphere dominant
21. Today, about _____ percent of people in Great Britain and the United States are
left-handed.
A) 5
B) 10
C) 20
D) 50
22. The number of people who claim to be left-handed in the United States and Great
Britain has ____ since 1900.
A) increased
B) decreased
C) remained the same
D) become equal to rates of right-handedness
23. The process through which axons become coated with a fatty substance that speeds up
the transmission of nerve impulses is called _____.
A) myelination
B) action potential
C) transmission
D) mylarization
Page 5
24. Myelination is important because it _____.
A) connects the two halves of the brain
B) compensates for loss of brain function due to injury
C) promotes regular childhood sleep patterns
D) speeds up the transmission of neural impulses
25. Steven, a 6-year-old, can correctly name objects, catch a ball and throw it, and write his
ABCs in proper sequence. His younger brother Harvey is much less speedy and skillful
in all of these areas. What is the best explanation for Steven’s superior performance?
A) Steven most likely eats healthier foods than Harvey.
B) Steven’s brain has experienced greater myelination than Harvey’s.
C) Steven’s frontal cortex is less mature than Harvey’s.
D) Steven has fewer dendrites than Harvey.
26. The ability to generate several thoughts in rapid succession is most specifically related
to _____.
A) eating healthy foods
B) myelination
C) frontal cortex maturation
D) development of new axons
27. Lin is able to play “Go Fish,” a card game that requires quick thinking. What brain
change most directly supports his ability to think quickly?
A) hypothalamic functioning
B) myelination
C) frontal cortex maturation
D) development of new axons
28. Isaac suffered a brain injury as a result of an automobile accident. His abilities to speak
and to process language were severely affected. His injury was to the _____.
A) right side of his brain
B) left side of his brain
C) corpus collosum
D) prefrontal cortex
Page 6
29. Nicoli suffered a stroke in the left hemisphere of his brain. Which of the following skills
is most likely to have been affected?
A) speech
B) face recognition
C) emotion processing
D) location in space
30. During a long car trip, Lex and Nicole asked “Are we there yet?” so many times that
their father became irritated. His children were exhibiting _____.
A) impulsiveness
B) emotional regulation
C) perseveration
D) habituation
31. Beth is a 3-year-old who is working on a craft project at preschool. She has to be
repeatedly reminded to sit still, to continue working on the craft, and to stop interfering
with her classmate’s work. What is the most likely explanation for Beth’s behavior?
A) She is not artistically inclined.
B) She is displaying normal lack of impulse control.
C) She is not yet mature enough to be in preschool.
D) She has ADHD.
32. Nathan, a 4-year-old, is playing with his building blocks. When his mother announces
that they have to leave to pick up his sister, he launches into a tantrum. What is the best
explanation for Nathan’s reaction?
A) Nathan is perseverating on the building blocks.
B) Nathan is spoiled.
C) Nathan’s mother should have given a warning.
D) Four-year-olds throw many tantrums.
33. An imbalance between the left and right sides of the prefrontal cortex and abnormal
growth of the corpus callosum seem to underlie _____.
A) hearing impairment
B) nearsightedness
C) extreme impulsivity
D) ADHD
Page 7
34. The area of the brain that is crucial in expressing and regulating emotions is the _____.
A) limbic system
B) prefrontal cortex
C) fusiform face area
D) corpus callosum
35. The amygdala is a brain structure that registers _____.
A) body temperature
B) emotions
C) speech perception
D) memories
36. The increased activity of the amygdala is a reason that young children experience
_____.
A) a language explosion
B) the ability to write
C) frightening nightmares
D) an increased susceptibility to disease
37. Because the amygdala responds to comfort but not logic, which of the following is the
best strategy for a parent to adopt when their preschooler has had a scary dream?
A) Tell the child that it was only a dream, and to go back to sleep.
B) Explain to the child that dreams are only imaginary, and so their dreams can’t hurt
them.
C) Ask them what was scary about the dream, and then convincingly pretend to scare
off that content.
D) Laugh at the scary content, and remind the child that it’s not real.
38. The hippocampus is a structure in the brain that processes _____.
A) language
B) coordination
C) memories
D) emotions
Page 8
39. As an adult, Xavier has a panic attack whenever he must ride in an elevator. He has
absolutely no recollection of ever having had a bad experience in an elevator. According
to the text, it is possible that his panic reaction is due to _____.
A) natural fears of elevators that everyone shares
B) deep emotional memories from early childhood
C) Xavier’s general fearfulness
D) a recent misadventure in an elevator that Xavier has repressed
40. Preoperational intelligence _____.
A) allows children to think in symbols
B) includes logical reasoning
C) is characterized by reversibility of thought
D) relies on children’s motor skills and senses
41. Piaget called the stage of human cognitive development between the ages of 2 and 6
_____ intelligence.
A) operational
B) egocentric
C) preoperational
D) sensorimotor
42. Piaget called the stage of human cognitive development between the ages of 2 and 6
“preoperational intelligence” because children do not yet _____.
A) have intelligence
B) use logical operations
C) understand language
D) produce language
43. Piaget believed that until about age 6, it is difficult for children to think _____.
A) subjectively
B) egocentrically
C) logically
D) about animism
44. One of the milestones of preoperational thought is the ability to _____.
A) use symbolic thought
B) understand reversibility
C) display conservation
D) think logically
Page 9
45. Marcy was playing under the kitchen table when she stood up suddenly and bumped her
head. She pointed at the table and sternly said, “Naughty table!” This is an example of
_____.
A) egocentrism
B) operational thinking
C) centration
D) animism
46. Preoperational thinking is all of the following EXCEPT _____.
A) magical
B) symbolic
C) logical
D) pretending
47. To focus on one aspect of a situation and simultaneously exclude all other aspects is
called _____.
A) magical thinking
B) static reasoning
C) centration
D) animism
48. A magician’s goal is to get the audience to focus on one aspect of his demonstration
while he manipulates another. This is easy to do with preoperational children, as they
are fooled by their tendency to _____.
A) be logical thinkers
B) reverse things in their minds
C) demonstrate centration
D) equilibrate
49. Nine-year-old Amanda has no problem understanding that the 20-year-old woman who
sometimes stays with her is both a student and a babysitter. According to Piaget, this is
because Amanda’s thinking has moved beyond _____.
A) conservation
B) object permanence
C) overregularization
D) centration
Page 10
50. “You are your Mom’s daughter, right?” Grandpa asked Beatriz.
“Yes!” Beatriz eagerly answered.
“Well, your Mom is my daughter,” Grandpa replied.
“No! She’s my Mommy!” Beatriz exclaimed. Why did Beatriz make this error?
A) conservation
B) object permanence
C) overregularization
D) centration
51. The Piagetian term for a particular type of centration in which a child thinks about the
world only from his or her personal perspective is _____.
A) static reasoning
B) egocentrism
C) irreversibility
D) conservatism
52. Rose and her mother were shopping for a birthday gift for Rose’s older brother. “How
about this? My brother would love it!” Rose exclaimed, showing her mother a pink and
purple toy horse with flowing mane and tail. Beverly’s belief that her teenage brother
would enjoy a toy that she herself would enjoy is an example of _____.
A) static reasoning
B) egocentrism
C) irreversibility
D) conservatism
53. A young child thinks a tall 20-year-old man is older than a short 40-year-old man. This
is an example of _____.
A) egocentrism
B) static thinking
C) focus on appearance
D) symbolic thinking
54. After her haircut was complete, Tania began crying inconsolably. “You turned me into a
boy!” she cried. Which obstacle to logic was Tania demonstrating?
A) egocentrism
B) static thinking
C) focus on appearance
D) symbolic thinking
Page 11
55. Seeing his third-grade teacher in the grocery store shocks Armand because he is used to
seeing her only in school. This is likely due to Armand’s _____.
A) static reasoning
B) abstract reasoning
C) concrete thinking
D) irreversibility
56. When children assume that the world is unchanging, they are engaging in _____.
A) magical thinking
B) static reasoning
C) centration
D) a focus on appearance
57. The characteristic of preoperational thought in which a young child thinks that nothing
changes is called _____.
A) animism
B) conservation
C) static reasoning
D) centration
58. Evelyn dropped ketchup on her pants during lunch. Although her teacher was able to
remove the stain completely, Evelyn cries hysterically, saying that she wants to go home
because her outfit is ruined. Her behavior demonstrates the characteristic of
preoperational thought known as _____.
A) irreversibility
B) centration
C) egocentrism
D) conservation
59. Irreversibility refers to the preoperational child’s tendency to _____.
A) focus on something other than appearances
B) use deductive reasoning to solve a problem
C) believe that what has been done cannot be undone
D) engage in centration when another solution is needed
Page 12
60. Tyrell’s father takes him to the barber for his first real haircut. At first, Tyrell is excited,
but when the barber makes the first cut, he becomes very upset and tells his father to
make the barber stop. Despite his father’s efforts to assure him that his hair will grow
back, Tyrell is exhibiting the characteristic known as _____.
A) animism
B) centration
C) egocentrism
D) irreversibility
61. A child’s inability to understand that undoing a sequence of events will bring about the
original situation is called _____.
A) concrete operations
B) conservation
C) irreversibility
D) symbolic thought
62. Four-year-old Mac is sitting at the lunch counter next to his sister Tori. They are having
hot dogs for lunch. When his Mom cuts his hot dog into five pieces and Tori’s into six
pieces, Mac protests, “Tori has more than me!” Which ability does Mac not yet
demonstrate?
A) animism
B) centration
C) egocentrism
D) conservation
63. Daryl has a ball of Silly Putty. His 6-year-old son, Mason, watches as Daryl flattens the
Silly Putty into a thin “pancake.” When Daryl asks Mason if there is now more Silly
Putty, Mason replies “Yes” because he has _____.
A) an understanding of scaffolding
B) not mastered the concept of conservation
C) an understanding of object permanence
D) demonstrated fast-mapping
64. A child is shown two identical tall containers, both half-filled with water. The contents
of one container are then poured into a short, wide container. If the child states that both
containers still have the same amount, then the child understands the concept of _____.
A) classification
B) conservation
C) centration
D) transformation
Page 13
65. Researchers now believe that Piaget _____ cognition in infancy and _____ cognition in
early childhood.
A) overestimated; overestimated
B) underestimated; underestimated
C) overestimated; underestimated
D) underestimated; overestimated
66. According to Vygotsky, guided participation requires that a child _____.
A) interacts with a mentor to accomplish a task
B) is told instructions for a task only once
C) discovers the solution to a task on his or her own
D) be taught new skills by other children
67. Each time Juan puts a puzzle together, his father gives him a little less help. Which
theorist would be MOST pleased with Juan’s father?
A) Piaget
B) Vygotsky
C) Skinner
D) Freud
68. Skills that the child can accomplish with assistance but can’t yet perform independently
are part of _____.
A) private speech
B) the gap between heredity and learning
C) distal development
D) the zone of proximal development
69. A child who is unable to read a picture book independently accomplishes the task with
the help of an adult. This assistance will be effective only if the _____.
A) assistance is offered in a warm and gentle manner
B) child is at least 6 years old
C) child is in the period of preoperations
D) skill is within the child’s zone of proximal development
70. According to Vygotsky’s concept of the zone of proximal development, _____.
A) there is a certain place in a school where most learning occurs
B) children can only reach a certain level of intelligence
C) children can master some tasks with the help of others
D) certain parts of the brain need to be activated
Page 14
71. Sydney helps her 2-year-old daughter to make hot chocolate. She helps the child to
measure teaspoons of cocoa into a cup, add water, stir the contents, and then use the
microwave. Sydney is providing _____.
A) scaffolding
B) overstimulation
C) conservation skills
D) the zone of proximal development
72. According to Vygotsky, a teacher who carefully plans each child’s participation in the
learning process within the zone of proximal development uses _____.
A) reinforcements for good behavior
B) scaffolding
C) peer mentoring
D) skill construction
73. Which is an example of scaffolding?
A) David helps his son build a model airplane by assembling it while his son watches.
B) Howard and Priscilla buy a Wii game system for their 5-year-old daughter
Rebecca. They set it up for her and then allow her to figure out how to turn it on
and use it.
C) Richard buys a do-it-yourself kite kit for his 6-year-old daughter Angela. He lays
all of the pieces out for her and then allows her to read the instructions and follow
them herself.
D) Miriam helps her son Ben to make cookies. She measures all the ingredients out
and places them on the counter in small bowls. She reads the recipe aloud as Ben
places the ingredients in the bowl and mixes them together with a spoon.
74. Which capability is demonstrated when young children imitate adult actions that are
irrelevant, time-consuming, and inefficient?
A) observing
B) scaffolding
C) modeling
D) overimitation
Page 15
75. Benjy is 5 years old. He can put a dish into the microwave and press the “2” button to
cook for 2 minutes. One day, he sees his mother wipe the front of the microwave with a
damp paper towel before she presses a number button. After that, Benjy rubs the front of
the microwave with a napkin before he presses the number button. Why?
A) He is overimitating his mother.
B) He has forgotten how the microwave works.
C) He is providing scaffolding for his mother.
D) He is engaging in guided participation.
76. Young children try to construct a reason for the things that they see and hear. This
tendency is known as _____.
A) reversibility
B) focus on appearance
C) theory-theory
D) logical reasoning
77. Humans seek reasons, causes, and underlying principles to explain the world around
them. The research term for this tendency is _____.
A) deductive reasoning
B) conservation
C) scaffolding
D) theory-theory
78. A few days ago, Hester’s parents disciplined her because she refused to eat her green
beans. Today, when her parents announced that they were going to get a divorce, Hester
cried, “Is it because I was bad? I’ll be good!” Hester’s conclusion that her failure to eat
her green beans is the reason her parents are getting divorced displays Hester’s _____.
A) deductive reasoning
B) conservation
C) scaffolding
D) theory-theory
79. According to theory-theory, why do children imitate irrelevant adult behaviors?
A) They mindlessly copy everything adults do.
B) They theorize that the irrelevant behavior must be important.
C) They theorize that the adult will reward them for correct imitation.
D) They derive pleasure from correctly imitating behaviors of all sorts.
Page 16
80. A person’s understanding of the thoughts of other people is called _____.
A) intuitive psychology
B) psychological schemata
C) theory of mind
D) self-schemes
81. At what age do MOST children develop theory of mind?
A) 1 year
B) 2 years
C) 3 years
D) 4 years
82. Britney understands that her father is crying because his best friend died. This shows
that Britney has developed _____.
A) egocentrism
B) a script for crying
C) theory of mind
D) conservation
83. By the age of 2, a child will typically have a vocabulary of _____ words; by the age of
6, a child will typically have a vocabulary of _____ words.
A) 500; 10,000
B) 5,000; 10,000
C) 200; 40,000
D) 100; 2,000
84. Children typically understand the basics of grammar by the _____.
A) age of 2
B) time the child has a vocabulary of about 300 words
C) time the child has a vocabulary of about 600 words
D) age of 5
85. A child’s ability to add new vocabulary words very quickly is called _____.
A) fast-mapping
B) word mapping
C) mental language
D) word charting
Page 17
86. When children hear a new word in a familiar context, they can simply add the word to
the general category without fully understanding the word. This is called _____.
A) lexical addition
B) categorical embellishment
C) vocabulary expansion
D) fast-mapping
87. Christopher’s mother is considering different wallpapers for decorating his room. She
asks him, “Which one do you like better: the striped or the plaid?” Christopher’s
vocabulary doesn’t include the word “plaid,” but he’s able to figure out what the word
must mean based on the context. Christopher is using _____ to add a new word to his
vocabulary.
A) lexical addition
B) categorical embellishment
C) vocabulary expansion
D) fast-mapping
88. Four-year-old Faisal and his mother were visiting Faisal’s older sister’s kindergarten
classroom. Faisal pointed at his sister’s teacher and asked his mother, “What’s that
mom’s name?” Faisal’s apparent assumption that all women are mothers is evidence of
his use of _____.
A) lexical addition
B) categorical embellishment
C) vocabulary expansion
D) fast-mapping
89. Logical extension involves _____.
A) linking a newly learned word to other objects in the same category
B) mentally charting new words
C) applying a new concept to a preexisting category
D) equilibration
90. Caitlin, age 4, visited the city zoo, pointed to a zebra, and exclaimed, “Look at the horse
with stripes!” In describing the zebra, she used _____.
A) logical extension
B) fast-mapping
C) overregularization
D) theory of mind
Page 18
91. The structures, rules, and techniques used to communicate meaning in language are
called _____.
A) inflections
B) logical extensions
C) grammar
D) theory-theory
92. When shown a novel object and told that it is called a “wug,” preschoolers know that
two of those objects would be two “wugs.” This ability to correctly add an –s when
pluralizing is evidence of their proper use of _____.
A) inflections
B) logical extensions
C) grammar
D) theory-theory
93. Overregularization in a child’s speech patterns indicates that _____.
A) the child is entering a sensitive period of language development
B) the child can apply grammatical rules to vocalizations
C) logical extension is now possible
D) fast-mapping has occurred
94. “I catched two mouses in a trap” is an example of _____.
A) egocentric speech
B) overregularization
C) literal translation
D) past imperfect tense
95. Overregularization occurs because children _____.
A) tend to regress briefly before progressing to new forms of language
B) have no understanding of past, present, and future verb tenses
C) assume that the language is less regular than it actually is
D) assume their language always follows the rules they already know
96. Four-year-old Yvonne is putting on her shoes and says, “I need to put my shoes on my
foots.” She is exhibiting _____.
A) pragmatics
B) executive function
C) theory of mind
D) overregularization
Page 19
97. Jane and her 4-year-old daughter, Michele, are visiting at a friend’s house when Michele
blurts out, “This house is dirty.” Michele clearly does not fully understand the _____ of
polite speech yet.
A) overregularization
B) pragmatics
C) grammar
D) conservation
98. All of the following are common concerns that parents have about raising bilingual
children EXCEPT _____.
A) that the child will be only semilingual
B) that the child will master language later than his or her peers
C) that the child will surpass his or her parents in the second language
D) that the child will become confused by the two languages
99. Neuroscience has proven true which statement about young bilingual children?
A) Even though both languages reside in the same area of the brain, bilingual
individuals are able to activate one language and temporarily inhibit the other.
B) Different languages reside in different areas of the brain, thus allowing a bilingual
individual to activate only one area at a time.
C) Bilingual individuals of any age have difficulty with keeping the two languages
totally separate when speaking.
D) Since both languages reside in the same area of the brain, bilingual individuals
consciously inhibit one language while speaking the other.
100. Demetrius’s family recently immigrated to the United States from the Ukraine. After he
attended kindergarten, his parents noticed that his English was more fluent than his
native language. Demetrius was exhibiting _____.
A) a language shift
B) accelerated bilingualism
C) a vocabulary explosion
D) linguistic egocentrism
101. Which early-childhood method has been found to aid reading later on?
A) code-focused teaching
B) teacher-directed programs
C) the “Hooked on Phonics” program
D) the “My Baby Can Read” program
Page 20
102. Jessica is reading a story aloud to her 3-year-old daughter, Abigail. Abigail’s father says,
“Why are you bothering? It’s not like she’s going to learn to read from that.” What
would you tell Abigail’s father about reading to preschoolers?
A) He’s right; it doesn’t matter whether parents read to their preschoolers.
B) He’s right; children whose parents read aloud to them too early lose interest in
books.
C) He’s wrong; children whose parents read to them as preschoolers tend to be better
readers in elementary school.
D) He’s wrong; children whose parents read to them by age 3 learn to read by the age
of 4.
103. In terms of early-childhood learning, research has found that if the home learning
environment is poor, then _____.
A) a quality preschool will help health, cognition, and social skills
B) attendance at preschool is detrimental
C) day care will be more beneficial than preschool
D) a child-centered program will be more beneficial than another approach
104. Preschool programs are called “child-centered” when they stress children’s _____.
A) gross motor skills
B) fine motor skills
C) development and growth
D) language development
105. Child-centered programs are often influenced by the theories of _____ and _____.
A) Piaget; Freud
B) Piaget; Vygotsky
C) Vygotsky; Skinner
D) Skinner; Freud
106. Sunnymont Preschool has plenty of opportunities for the children to play dress-up,
dance, build with blocks, finger-paint, and be creative. Sunnymont is most likely a
_____ program.
A) Vygotsky-based
B) child-centered
C) teacher-directed
D) bilingual
Page 21
107. Learning Circle Preschool emphasizes individual pride and achievement while focusing
on teaching young children literacy-related tasks. Learning Circle’s approach seems to
most closely resemble a(n) _____ program.
A) intervention
B) Montessori
C) Reggio Emilia
D) bilingual
108. What was Maria Montessori’s objective when she created her preschool?
A) individual achievement
B) the development of math skills
C) creative expression
D) obedience to a teacher
109. The Reggio Emilia early-childhood program focuses on _____.
A) reinforcement for academic accomplishments
B) assimilation and accommodation skills
C) children’s creativity and artistic talent
D) self-esteem and self-concept
110. Micah’s preschool has a high teacher/child ratio and ample opportunity for creative
expression. He has chosen to make dinosaurs out of clay as his long-term art project.
Which child-centered approach does Micah’s preschool most closely resemble?
A) Reggio Emilia
B) Montessori
C) Head Start
D) teacher-directed
111. Most teacher-directed preschool programs stress _____.
A) academics
B) arts and music
C) social skills
D) dual languages
112. The goal of most teacher-directed preschools is to _____.
A) promote individual achievement
B) encourage informal social interaction
C) make all children ready to learn when they enter elementary school
D) teach children to read by the end of the year
Page 22
113. Salim is in a teacher-directed preschool. Which activity would his parents NOT expect
him to be doing?
A) listening to a story read aloud during circle time
B) forming the letter M in a tray filled with shaving cream
C) gluing pieces of macaroni on a paper plate to form a number
D) working on a long-term individual project about birds
114. In the United States, low-income children are offered a free preschool education through
_____.
A) the War on Poverty
B) the Public Broadcasting System
C) the Women, Infants, and Children program
D) Head Start
115. An evaluation of Head Start found that benefits were MOST apparent for children
_____.
A) without disabilities
B) with the lowest family income
C) living in urban areas
D) living in suburban areas
116. Compared with children who did not attend an intensive early intervention program,
longitudinal studies showed that the children who did participate _____.
A) had higher aspirations, more pride, and were less likely to be abused
B) had higher IQ scores in high school and were more likely to attend college
C) had lower scores on math and reading assessments
D) experienced no significantly improved outcomes
Page 23
Answer Key
1. B
2. D
3. D
4. D
5. A
6. A
7. D
8. B
9. C
10. A
11. D
12. B
13. B
14. A
15. A
16. B
17. D
18. A
19. B
20. A
21. B
22. A
23. A
24. D
25. B
26. B
27. B
28. B
29. A
30. C
31. B
32. A
33. D
34. A
35. B
36. C
37. C
38. C
39. B
40. A
41. C
42. B
43. C
44. A
Page 24
45. D
46. C
47. C
48. C
49. D
50. D
51. B
52. B
53. C
54. C
55. A
56. B
57. C
58. A
59. C
60. D
61. C
62. D
63. B
64. B
65. B
66. A
67. B
68. D
69. D
70. C
71. A
72. B
73. D
74. D
75. A
76. C
77. D
78. D
79. B
80. C
81. D
82. C
83. A
84. A
85. A
86. D
87. D
88. D
89. A
90. A
Page 25
91. C
92. C
93. B
94. B
95. D
96. D
97. B
98. C
99. A
100. A
101. A
102. C
103. A
104. C
105. B
106. B
107. B
108. A
109. C
110. A
111. A
112. C
113. D
114. D
115. B
116. A

Page 1
1. Between the ages of 2 and 6, appetite _____.
2. Six-year-old Shelby eats green and orange vegetables regularly. She can be expected to
gain _____ but not fat.
3. Samantha allows her 3-year-old to drink sweetened beverages daily. The child’s favorite
drinks are soda and apple juice. Samantha should be aware that this habit could result in
_____.
4. By the age of 2, a human’s brain weighs _____ percent of what it will weigh in
adulthood.
5. The executive function area of the brain where planning, prioritizing, and reasoning
occur is called the _____.
6. The band of nerve fibers known as the _____ connects the two halves of the brain.
7. The part of the brain that allows children to coordinate functions involving both halves
of the body is the _____.
8. The term used to describe brain specialization whereby one side of the body or brain is
dominant for certain functions is _____.
9. The left side of the brain controls the _____ side of the body.
10. In most adults, the brain is organized in such a way that the areas of language
development are located in the _____ hemisphere of the brain.
11. Jacob is a preschooler. His teacher has noticed that his reaction time regarding sounds
and sights has decreased over the last year. This results from myelination in the
_______ and _____ areas.
12. Myelination results in more rapid _____ of neural impulses.
Page 2
13. A child can’t find his blankie at bedtime; he begins to cry uncontrollably and is still
crying until he falls asleep half an hour later. His continued crying is an example of
_____.
14. Young Diana has been upset lately by frightening nightmares. The part of her brain that
registers her fear is the _____.
15. The part of the brain that is a central processor of memory, especially for locations, is
the _____.
16. The part of the limbic system that responds to signals from the amygdala and the
hippocampus by producing cortisol is the _____.
17. The belief that inanimate things (furniture, moon, clouds) are alive is called _____.
18. The term for preschoolers’ tendency to view the world and others exclusively from their
own personal perspective is _____.
19. _____ is a particular type of centration in which a child may insist that Daddy is his
father, not his cousin’s uncle.
20. The four obstacles to logical thinking during the preoperational period include
centration, focus on appearance, irreversibility, and _____.
21. Three-year-old Joss does not want to eat the sandwich his mother made because it has
mustard on it. His mother wipes off the mustard, but Joss still will not eat it. This
characteristic of preoperational thought, in which the child feels that a thing cannot be
undone or restored, is known as _____.
22. Young children make mistakes in conservation problems because they focus strictly on
_____.
Page 3
23. Jana always chooses the taller of two glasses when her older brother pours each of them
a glass of juice. Even though each glass holds the same amount of juice, she believes
that her glass has more. Jana is demonstrating that she does not yet understand the
concept of _____.
24. A child watches a ball of modeling clay being rolled into a long, sausage-like shape. If
the child perceives that the amount of modeling clay remains the same after it is rolled,
that child understands the concept of _____.
25. The developmentalist who viewed children’s cognitive development as embedded in a
social context was _____.
26. The set of skills children can perform with assistance but not independently is
considered to be within their _____.
27. A temporary, sensitive support structure set up to help children work in the zone of
proximal development is called _____.
28. The process by which one person learns from another, more experienced mentor as they
share social experiences and explorations is known as _____.
29. When 2- to 6-year-old children imitate an adult’s action that is irrelevant, perhaps even
inefficient, it is called _____.
30. Children’s desire to develop theories to explain what they see and hear is called _____.
31. Beginning around age 4, children go through a change in thinking that allows them to
develop a set of ideas about other people’s thinking. This new perspective indicates that
the children have developed a _____.
32. Most children understand around 500 words by age 2 and 10,000 words by the age of 6.
This demonstrates the _____.
33. Learning vocabulary by connecting a new word to words and categories that are already
understood is called _____.
Page 4
34. The rapid and sometimes imprecise way in which children learn new words by placing
them in mental categories based on their perceived meaning is called _____.
35. When a child learns a word and then uses it to describe other objects in the same
category (such as calling a black-and-white cow a “Dalmatian cow” after learning about
Dalmatian dogs), the child is using _____.
36. The child who says, “I seed the dog,” or “My tooths hurt,” is demonstrating a language
error called _____.
37. Four-year-old Yvonne is putting on her shoes and says, “I need to put my shoes on my
foots.” She is exhibiting _____.
38. Jane and her 4-year-old son, Michael, are eating at a friend’s house when Michael blurts
out, “This food is disgusting.” Michael clearly does not fully understand the _____ of
polite speech yet.
39. Neuroscience finds that in young children who are _____, both languages are located in
the same areas of the brain yet the children manage to keep them separate.
40. Marjorie is becoming more fluent in English than her native French. She is exhibiting a
_____.
41. The major research conclusion about what is important for early-childhood education,
whether at home or at school, is the _____ of the educational environment.
42. Jace designed her preschool classroom with several play areas that enable groups of
children to learn from one another. Her classroom shows the influence of _____, who
thought that children learn from other children in addition to adults.
43. Child-centered programs are influenced by _____, who believed that children can learn
much from other children with the guidance of adults.
Page 5
44. Early-childhood educational programs designed to meet children’s developmental and
growth needs are called _____ programs.
45. In addition to being influenced by Vygotsky, child-centered programs are also
influenced by _____, who believed that each child is capable of discovering new ideas.
46. A special educational program with structured, individualized projects meant to give
children a sense of accomplishment was designed by _____.
47. A preschool program that teaches basic skills (precursors to reading, writing, and
arithmetic) in order to prepare children to be “ready to learn” when they enter
elementary school is called a _____ program.
48. The federally funded early-childhood education program that was started in 1965 to help
foster better health and cognition in disadvantaged children before first grade is called
_____.
Page 6
Answer Key
1. decreases (declines, drops)
2. bone mass
3. tooth decay
4. 75
5. prefrontal cortex
6. corpus callosum
7. corpus callosum
8. lateralization
9. right
10. left
11. motor; sensory
12. transmission (movement)
13. perseveration
14. amygdala
15. hippocampus
16. hypothalamus
17. animism
18. egocentrism
19. Egocentrism
20. static reasoning
21. irreversibility
22. appearances
23. conservation
24. conservation
25. Vygotsky
26. zone of proximal development
27. scaffolding
28. guided participation
29. overimitation
30. theory-theory
31. theory of mind
32. vocabulary explosion
33. fast-mapping
34. fast-mapping
35. logical extension
36. overregularization
37. overregularization
38. pragmatics
39. bilingual
40. language shift
41. quality
42. Vygotsky
43. Vygotsky
44. child-centered
Page 7
45. Piaget
46. Maria Montessori
47. teacher-directed
48. Head Start

Page 1
1. Discuss how growth rate affects the eating habits of young children, and name at least
three of the most common nutritional problems of young children.
2. Discuss the role of the corpus callosum in children’s brain development. What is it, what
does it do, and what happens if it does not develop correctly?
3. Explain the functions of the prefrontal cortex and limbic system in early childhood.
What changes occur in a child’s behavior as a result of the maturing limbic system and
prefrontal cortex?
4. Explain the important function of myelination in the nervous system.
5. Explain the concept of animism. Give two examples of how children demonstrate this
concept.
6. Explain at least three main characteristics of preoperational intelligence.
7. Explain the difference between Piaget’s concept of egocentrism and the concept of
egocentrism in everyday usage. Give an example of each of the two different usages.
8. What is conservation? Describe an example of a conservation task, noting the initial
presentation of the material, the transformation of the material, and the questions that
children are asked. What is a preoperational child’s response?
9. Francesca is frustrated trying to learn to tie her shoelaces. According to Vygotsky,
should the parents get involved, or should they let her try to master this task on her
own? If they decide to get involved, what should her parents do?
10. Explain theory of mind, and indicate at what age it generally begins to develop.
11. Explain and discuss the process of fast-mapping and the related idea of logical
extension. Give an example of each concept.
Page 2
12. Discuss the concept of language shift in bilingualism. What is it, and how do young
children exhibit it?
13. Discuss the major differences between child-centered and teacher-directed
early-childhood education programs. What does each type of program emphasize in its
work with young children?
14. Intensive early-childhood programs have been implemented in the United States. Give
at least four examples of ways in which children benefit from early intervention (in the
short term or the long term).
Page 3
Answer Key
1. Children grow more slowly between the ages of 2 and 6 than they did in the first two
years of life. As a result, their appetite decreases. There are also some common
nutritional problems that may affect young children. For example, (1) many young
children are compulsive about daily routine, which may result in a limited diet; (2)
children may have food allergies, even to healthy foods; and (3) children may have too
much sugar and not enough fiber in their diet, resulting in obesity and tooth decay.
Good (5 pts) Fair (3 pts) Weak (1-0 pts)
Discuss growth rate’s
effect on eating
habits
Discusses why
appetite decreases
States that appetite
decreases without
explaining why
Does not state that
appetite decreases
Name the most
common nutritional
problems
Names at least three of
the nutritional
problems
Names two nutritional
problems
Names one or no
nutritional problems
2. The corpus callosum is a band of nerve fibers that connects the two hemispheres of the
brain. It is essential to the communication between the two sides of the brain, which
results in children being able to coordinate both sides of their bodies. If the corpus
callosum does not develop correctly, a serious disorder such as autism spectrum
disorder could result.
Good (5 pts) Fair (3 pts) Weak (1-0 pts)
Explain what the
corpus callosum is
and what it does
Explains what the
corpus callosum is and
what it does
Explains what the
corpus callosum is or
what it does
Does not explain what
the corpus callosum is
or what it does
Explain what
happens if it
develops incorrectly
Knows that this could
be a potential cause of
autism
Knows that a serious
disorder can result
without naming it
Does not state that
serious disorder can
result
3. The prefrontal cortex is the executive of the brain, essential to planning, reasoning, and
anticipating. The limbic system controls the expression and regulation of emotions and
processes memory. As the prefrontal cortex matures, the child’s ability to plan increases
and impulsiveness decreases. As the limbic system matures, memory improves while
nightmares and irrational fears decrease.
Good (5 pts) Fair (3 pts) Weak (1-0 pts)
Explain the functions
of the prefrontal
cortex and limbic
system
Explains the functions
of the prefrontal
cortex and limbic
system
Explains the function
of the prefrontal
cortex or limbic
system
Does not explain the
function of the
prefrontal cortex or
limbic system
Describe the changes
that occur in a child’s
behavior as these
systems mature
Describes the changes
that occur in a child’s
behavior as these
systems mature
Describes the changes
that occur in a child’s
behavior as either
system matures
Does not describe the
changes that occur in a
child’s behavior as
either system matures
4. Myelin is a fatty coating on axons. Myelination of the axons increases the speed of
signals between neurons. It allows young children to think and react much more quickly
Page 4
than toddlers can. It is invaluable in processing several thoughts in succession.
Good (5 pts) Fair (3 pts) Weak (1-0 pts)
Explain the important
function of
myelination in the
nervous system
Explains at least four
of the ways in which
myelination affects the
nervous system
Explains three of the
ways in which
myelination affects the
nervous system
Explains two or less
ways in which
myelination affects the
nervous system
5. Animism is a child’s belief that inanimate objects are alive and that nonhuman objects or
animals have the same human characteristics as the child. For example, a child may
believe that a doll has emotions, that her pet cat thinks like she does, or that the chair on
which she stubbed her toe did it to her on purpose.
Good (5 pts) Fair (3 pts) Weak (1-0 pts)
Explain concept of
animism
Explains the concept
of animism
Is vague about the
concept of animism
Does not explain the
concept of animism
Give examples of
animism
Gives two examples
of animism
Gives one example of
animism
Does not give an
example of animism
6. Preoperational children lack an understanding of logical operations. They are able to:
(1) think in symbols, but they hold beliefs that are incorrect, such as animism. When
assessing a situation, they tend to (2) centrate, or focus, on a single aspect (e.g., the
height of the water in a glass, while ignoring the width of the glass). When considering
information, they (3) display egocentrism (i.e., can only consider through their own
perspective, literally). They (4) focus on the appearance of things and (5) consider the
world to be static. Once an object has been manipulated (e.g., the water has been poured
from a short, fat glass into a tall, skinny one), children (6) demonstrate irreversibility;
that is, they can’t imagine simply returning the object to its original state.
Good (5 pts) Fair (3 pts) Weak (1-0 pts)
Explain main
characteristics of
preoperational
thinking
Explains three or more
main characteristics of
preoperational
thinking
Explains two main
characteristics of
preoperational
thinking
Explains one or no
main characteristics of
preoperational
thinking
7. Egocentrism in Piagetian terminology means that young children assume that everyone
else experiences and perceives the world exactly as they do. For example, a child may
buy a gift for his mother that he actually wants; he believes that she will be delighted
with it because he would be. In everyday usage, the word egocentrism is synonymous
with being selfish or concerned only with oneself. For example, an egocentric adult will
assume that because he likes to have music blaring from his speakers, his neighbors are
enjoying his loud music, too.
Good (5 pts) Fair (3 pts) Weak (1-0 pts)
Explain difference
between child’s
egocentrism and
common usage
Explains the
difference between
child’s egocentrism
and common usage
Explains either child’s
egocentrism or
common usage
Does not explain
either type of
egocentrism
Page 5
Give an example of
each
Gives an example of
each
Gives an example of
either type
Does not give an
example of either type
8. Conservation is the understanding that the amount of something remains the same
despite changes in its appearance. For example, one test of conservation begins with two
identical glasses containing the same amount of a liquid. The liquid from one glass is
then poured into a taller, narrower glass. The child is then asked whether one glass
contains more liquid or if both glasses contain the same amount of liquid. Children who
are in the preoperational stage of cognitive development will believe that the taller glass
contains more liquid.
Good (5 pts) Fair (3 pts) Weak (1-0 pts)
Define conservation Defines conservation Is vague about what
conservation is
Does not define
conservation
Describe a
conservation task and
questions asked
Describes a
conservation task and
the questions asked
Describes a
conservation task or
the questions asked
Does not describe a
conservation task or
the questions asked
Tell preoperational
child’s response
Tells a preoperational
child’s response to the
questions
Tells a preoperational
child’s response to the
questions
Does not tell a
preoperational child’s
response to the
questions or gives the
wrong response
9. Vygotsky would say that the parents definitely should get involved. The parents can
serve as mentors and offer scaffolding by providing direct instruction, encouraging the
child to try to do it, interacting with Francesca, gradually letting her do it more on her
own, using directive comments, and helping her to see her progress. The parents should
see what Francesca is currently capable of and then offer the next step (the zone of
proximal development) to achieve the task. For example, once she can make the first tie
in the shoelaces, they can show her how to make the first bow. Once she can do that,
they can show her how to go around that bow with the other shoestring (or make a
second bow with the other shoestring and cross it if teaching the “bunny ears” method).
Helping her to master each step in succession is called scaffolding.
Good (5 pts) Fair (3 pts) Weak (1-0 pts)
State whether
Vygotsky would
want parents to be
involved
States that Vygotsky
would want parents to
be involved
Is vague about
whether Vygotsky
would want parents to
be involved
Does not state that
Vygotsky would want
parents to be involved
Tell what parents
should do
Mentions the zone of
proximal development
and guided
participation
Mentions the zone of
proximal development
or guided participation
Does not mention the
zone of proximal
development or
guided participation
10. Theory of mind is a person’s theory of what other people might be thinking. To have a
theory of mind, children must realize that other people are not necessarily thinking the
same thoughts that they are. Theory of mind also includes the realization that people
may hold false beliefs. Having a theory of mind is seldom possible before the age of 4.
Page 6
Good (5 pts) Fair (3 pts) Weak (1-0 pts)
Explain theory of
mind and age it
develops
Explains theory of
mind and the age it
develops
Explains theory of
mind or the age it
develops
Does not explain
theory of mind or the
age it develops
11. Both fast-mapping and logical extension refer to the surge in a child’s learning of
perceptual interrelationships among words. Fast-mapping refers to the phenomenon by
which young children develop an interconnected set of categories for words, a kind of
mental map, which makes speedy vocabulary acquisition possible. Fast-mapping speeds
the development of learning new words because children immediately assign a new
word to one of the categories in their mental language grid. Thus, the first time a child
sees a pet ferret, he may assign it the status of a type of dog or a kind of cat because he
does not have a weasel concept. The child’s understanding of the new word is not
always precise. Children refine their understanding through use and experience.
Logical extension refers to a child applying a newly learned word to another related
object. A young girl who was just read a story about a Dalmatian dog may then refer to
a black-and-white cow as a Dalmatian cow.
Good (5 pts) Fair (3 pts) Weak (1-0 pts)
Explain fast-mapping
and logical extension
Explains fast-mapping
and logical extension
Explains fast-mapping
or logical extension
Does not explain
fast-mapping or
logical extension
Give an example of
each concept
Gives an example of
each concept
Gives an example of
either concept
Does not give an
example of either
concept
12. Language shift refers to the tendency of children to become more fluent in their new
language than in the language spoken at home. This shift often occurs since young
children are static thinkers. They focus on the immediate status of their language (not on
future usefulness or past glory), on appearance more than substance.
Good (5 pts) Fair (3 pts) Weak (1-0 pts)
Define language shift Defines language shift Vaguely defines
language shift
Does not define
language shift
Explain how children
exhibit it
Explains how children
exhibit it
Explains how children
exhibit it without
making clear that
children show
preference for the
second language
Does not explain how
children exhibit it
13. Child-centered programs are based on Piaget’s theory that children will discover new
ideas on their own and Vygotsky’s theory that children will learn best with guidance
from other children and adults. These programs include a variety of opportunities for
children to find their own interests and skills, including artistic, cognitive, and life-skills
challenges. Montessori schools and Reggio schools are good examples of child-centered
programs.
Page 7
Teacher-directed programs are based on behaviorist theories that emphasize
step-by-step learning and repetition, with reinforcement for accomplishment, and assert
that children who learn basic academic skills early will be more successful in school
over the long run. Teacher-directed programs tend to be behavioral in their approach,
structured on a basis of reward and punishment, and focused on school readiness. These
programs, which are often taught by one adult to the entire group, include basic
academic activities such as writing letters, sounding out words, and counting. Good
behavior and adherence to routine are rewarded. Most preschool teachers, whether they
are aware of it or not, run their classrooms in a teacher-centered way.
Good (5 pts) Fair (3 pts) Weak (1-0 pts)
Discuss the major
differences between
child-centered and
teacher-directed
education
Discusses the major
differences between
child-centered and
teacher-directed
education and
mentions Piaget,
Vygotsky, Reggio,
and Montessori
Discusses differences
between
child-centered and
teacher-directed
education without
mentioning Piaget,
Vygotsky, Reggio,
and Montessori
Does not adequately
discuss the major
differences between
child-centered and
teacher-directed
education
Tell what
child-centered
education
emphasizes and what
teacher-directed
education
emphasizes
Tells what
child-centered
education emphasizes
and what
teacher-directed
education emphasizes
Tells what
child-centered
education emphasizes
or what
teacher-directed
education emphasizes
Does not tell what
child-centered
education emphasizes
or what
teacher-directed
education emphasizes
14. The benefits are most apparent for children with the lowest family incomes, living in
rural areas, and with disabilities. Early education’s long-term benefits become most
apparent when the children are in the third grade or older. Children from these programs
scored higher on math and reading achievement tests at age 10 than did other children
from the same backgrounds, schools, and neighborhoods. They are also less likely to be
placed in special classes for slow or disruptive children. In adolescence, the children
who had intensive preschool education had higher career aspirations, more pride, and
were less likely to have been abused. As young adults, they were more likely to attend
college and less likely to go to jail. As middle-aged adults, they were more often
employed, paying taxes, healthy, and not needing government subsidies. The greatest
lifetime return came from boys from high-poverty neighborhoods in the Chicago
preschool program, with a social benefit over the boys’ lifetime more than 12 times the
cost.
Good (5 pts) Fair (3 pts) Weak (1-0 pts)
Give four examples
of specific age
groups benefiting
Gives four examples
of specific age groups
benefiting
Gives three examples
of a specific age group
benefiting
Gives two or fewer
examples of specific
age groups benefiting