Discussion 1

Professional Philosophy of Cognitive and Language Development

As an early childhood development educator, it is crucial to develop your own professional philosophy of cognition and language development. Throughout this course, you have been exposed to several cognitive and language development theories and frameworks, and you have had an opportunity to apply these to your current or future settings. In this discussion you will develop your professional philosophy of cognitive and language development.

To prepare for this discussion,

• Please refer to the Week 5 Guidance for further tips and examples that will support your success on this discussion.
• Read Piper:
  • Chapter 9: Language for Learning
  • Chapter 10: Making Meaning, Making Sense: Putting it All Together

For your initial discussion, elaborate on your professional philosophy of cognitive and language development that you will use in your future career. Use evidence from the readings and address the following in your post:

• Describe the cognitive and language development theory (or theories) you will use to implement cognitive and language development strategies in the classroom. Support your ideas with at least one scholarly source.
• Discuss how you will recognize and work with a child’s cognitive and language readiness.
• Explain the factors that may help facilitate cognitive and language development.
• Identify at least three best practices for dealing with individual differences in learners.
• Elaborate on how you will continue your professional development in the field of cognitive and language development after your studies at the University of Arizona Global Campus.

Discussion 2

Family Partnerships in Language Development

As an early childhood development professional, you will have a large role in the process of language development for many children. As stated in Piper (2012), regardless of what theoretical framework you adopt as a professional, what matters in the end are the circumstances and environments in which children learn (p. 258). As an early childhood professional, you have the power to build family partnerships that support children’s learning, both in the classroom, and at home.

To prepare for your discussion,

• Please refer to the Week 5 Guidance for further tips and examples that will support your success on this discussion.
• Read Piper (2012).
  • Chapter 9: Language for Learning
• Read 12 Ways to Support Language Development for Infants and ToddlersLinks to an external site..
• Read Activities to Encourage Speech and Language DevelopmentLinks to an external site..

In your post,

• Choose an age (infant, 1, 2, or 3 years old) that you would like to write about. Write this as your discussion post subject.
• Write an article that you could share with parents in a newsletter or blog on your classroom website. Address the following:
  • Paragraph 1:
    • Describe the importance of family partnerships in early childhood learning, specifically cognitive and language development.
    • Describe how you will promote this as an early childhood development professional in your setting.
    • Describe your role and the family’s role in this.
  • Paragraph 2:
    • Share five strategies that promote cognitive and language development.
    • Be sure to include how these strategies can be used both at school and at home.
    • Provide families with enough detail so that they will be able to understand how to implement the strategy as well as how it specifically supports children’s language development.
  • Paragraph 3:
    • Share two cognitive and language development resources with families that support the implementation of a strategy.
    • These could be community-based resources or web-based resources.
    • Explain what the resource is and why it is valuable for families.