Early Childhood Intervention
During early childhood, the brain reaches about 70% of its
total weight with the growth of white matter (protects the brain) and grey
matter (responsible for covering cerebral regions). However, the grey matter
cells still need to be connected in order to activate the full function of the
brain. There are a number of different areas of the brain that will connect
during the early childhood period of rapid growth. Using your understanding of
brain development and Piaget’s pre-operative stage of cognitive development,
respond to the following scenario.
Early Childhood Interventions
You work as an early childhood specialist with an at-risk
population of children through Head Start. One of your job functions is to
assess children for possible developmental learning delays. To do this, you
have to understand how poor nutrition, exposure to infectious diseases, and
lack of parental knowledge related to accessing services could interfere with
the cognitive development of young children.
Using your knowledge of basic brain development and
Piagetian theory, respond to the following questions.
1. What developmental problems do you expect children in
your Head Start program to have because of living in a lower socio-economic
neighborhood? Explain your response using support from the readings.
2. According to Piaget, children ages two to seven are in
the pre-operative stage of development. Using the scenario above, explain the
importance of make-believe play and its uses in working with children. Create a
plan for using play with three-year-old clients that would allow you to assess
cognitive development.





