For one-semester undergraduate courses in cognitive development, developmental psychology, and child development. Also appropriate for use in graduate development seminars. This book offers a unified account of the major research findings and theories on the development of childrens thinking from infancy to adolescence; and also considers their practical implications. It examines the change processes through which development occurs, as well as the nature of the changes in language, perception, memory, conceptual understanding, and problem-solving that mark cognitive development. Eight central themes presented in the first chapter integrate and unify the presentation.
I. GENERAL PERSPECTIVES ON CHILDRENS THINKING. 1. An Introduction to Childrens Thinking. 2. Piagets Theory of Development. 3. Information-Processing Theories of Development. 4. Sociocultural Theories of Development. II. SIX SPECIFIC ASPECTS OF CHILDRENS THINKING. 5. Perceptual Development. 6. Language Development. 7. Memory Development. 8. Conceptual Development. 9. Social Cognition. 10. Problem Solving. 11. Development of Academic Skills. 12. Conclusions for the Present; Challenges for the Future. References. Author Index. Subject Index.