Ch 1: Foundational Learning Theories
About This Chapter
Foundational Learning Theories - Chapter Summary
The lessons in this chapter delve into various theories of learning and cognitive development. You will become familiar with key terms as well as see some of the theories put to use in practical teaching examples. Topics covered in this chapter on foundational learning theories include:
- An overview of behaviorism
- Piaget's theory and stages of cognitive development
- Lev Vygotsky's cognitive development theory
- The mediated learning experience and constructivism
- Perkins' theory of learnable intelligence
- The nine components of research-based reading instruction
Our text and videos offer interesting, content-rich lessons along with fun visuals to enhance your learning experience. Each lesson is less than 10 minutes long and can be accessed anytime, as often as you'd like. Multiple-choice lesson quizzes and a chapter exam give you another method to drive home what you've learned in this chapter.
1. Behaviorism: Overview & Practical Teaching Examples
How can teachers use rewards and punishments to guide student behavior and learning? In this lesson, we will look at how behaviorism applies to the classroom, including the concepts of reinforcement, punishment, and extinction.
2. Piaget's Theory of Cognitive Development
Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development focuses on how learners interact with their environment to develop complex reasoning and knowledge. This lesson will focus on the six basic assumptions of that theory, including the key terms: assimilation, accommodation and equilibration.
3. Jean Piaget's Stages of Cognitive Development
Jean Piaget developed a theory of cognitive development that described and explained the changes in logical thinking of children and adolescents. Within that theory, he identified four stages of cognitive development through which all learners must proceed. This lesson will introduce you to and differentiate between those stages.
4. Lev Vygotsky's Theory of Cognitive Development
The role of culture and social interactions are imperative to cognitive development, according to psychologist, Lev Vygotsky. This lesson will discuss how social interactions play a role in cognitive development of children, provide an overview of Vygotsky's cultural-historical theory and describe the stages of speech and language development.
5. Social Constructivism and the Mediated Learning Experience
A well-accepted fact among educational psychologists is the idea that knowledge is not absorbed but rather constructed through a person's experiences with his or her environment. This knowledge may be constructed individually or collaboratively. This lesson will briefly explain the processes behind knowledge construction and provide information on how socially constructed knowledge can advance the cognitive development of learners.
6. Constructivism: Overview & Practical Teaching Examples
Learning through real-world experiences with others allows students to grow and understand things more easily. In this lesson, we'll examine constructivism in depth, including social learning, the zone of proximal development, and project-based learning.
7. Perkins' Theory of Learnable Intelligence
What is learnable intelligence? Find out in this lesson and learn to differentiate between the three types of intelligence described by David Perkins in his theory of learnable intelligence.
8. Research-Based Reading Strategies for Teachers
Learning to read is a complex process that balances multiple components, including: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, writing, spelling, assessment, and engagement.
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Other Chapters
Other chapters within the GACE Reading (617): Practice & Study Guide course
- Child Language Development
- Literacy Development & Literary Analysis
- Reading Strategies & Instruction
- Word-Learning Strategies
- Teaching Vocabulary & Reading Comprehension
- The Reading & Writing Connection
- Content Analysis Through Reading
- Making Connections While Reading
- Materials for Reading Instruction
- Classroom Environment for Literacy Instruction
- Teaching Diverse Learners
- Teacher & Parent Involvement in Student Learning
- Student Assessments & Evaluations
- Teaching with Technology
- Using Data & Monitoring in Reading Instruction
- GACE Reading Flashcards
