The views of Piaget and Gesell on how development occurs

AbstractVery few theorists have impacted and influenced child development as did the work of Jean Piaget and Arnold Gesell. Although they stand at opposite poles, both have recorded facts useful to parents and professionals alike. This paper presents the highlights of their theories and focuses on their major differences. The views of Piaget and Gesell on how development occursIntroductionIn Psychology, very few theorists have impacted and influenced child development as did the work of Jean Piaget (1896-1980) and Arnold Gesell (1880-1961). Although they stand at opposite poles, both have recorded facts useful to parents and professionals alike. Piagets contributions to learning theory and intellectual development have helped shape many†¦show more content†¦His answer was that growth of knowledge is a progressive construction of logically embedded structures superseding one another by a process of inclusion of lower less powerful logical means into higher and more powerful ones up to adulthood. Therefore, childrens logic and modes of thinking are initially entirely different from those of adults (Smith, 2000). Piaget claimed that children were in charge of the construction or the building of their own knowledge and that construction was superior to instruction (Gordon and Browne, 2004). Piaget thought that educators should provide a stimulating environment and have the children explore. Teachers should watch and also interact with the children, but they should let the children find and experience new ideas and knowledge on their own. (Crain, 2005)One of Piagets major contributions is what is known as the general periods of development. He found four major general periods or stages of child development (Crain, 2005, p. 115): Sensorimotor Intelligence (birth to two years). Babies organize their physical action schemes, such as sucking, grasping, and hitting. Preoperational Thought (two to seven years). Children learn to think but their thinking is illogical and different from that of adults. Concrete Operations (seven to eleven years). Children develop the capacity to think systematically, b ut only when they can refer to concrete objects and activities. Formal Operations (eleven to adulthood). Young peopleShow MoreRelatedPiaget Of The Child : Theories Of Development Essay960 Words   |  4 Pagesthe Child: Theories of Development I† (Learning Seed, 1997), according to Vygotsky, the cognitive development in children is in direct relationship, and dependent on interaction with others. (Feldman 2010, pg. 20). 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