Child Development & Learning Flashcards

Which type of attachment is characterized by a child who is distressed when a caregiver leaves but resists comfort upon return?

Answer: Ambivalent/resistant attachment

Ambivalent or resistant attachment involves heightened distress at separation combined with difficulty being soothed upon the caregiver's return.

Fine motor skills in early childhood are BEST supported through which type of activity?

Answer: Finger painting, cutting with scissors, and stringing beads

Activities requiring precise hand and finger movements — like painting and cutting — directly develop fine motor skills.

What does 'scaffolding' mean in an early childhood education context?

Answer: Temporary support provided to help a child complete a task they cannot yet do alone

Scaffolding is the instructional support that adults gradually withdraw as a child gains competence, rooted in Vygotsky's ZPD concept.

Language development in children typically follows which sequence?

Answer: Babbling → single words → two-word phrases → sentences

Language progresses from babbling (~6 months) to first words (~12 months) to two-word combinations (~18–24 months) to full sentences.

A caregiver reads aloud to infants daily even before they understand words. What is the PRIMARY developmental benefit?

Answer: Building vocabulary, language exposure, and emotional bonding

Early read-alouds expose children to rich vocabulary, sentence patterns, and promote secure attachment through shared attention.

Which is an example of symbolic play in a toddler?

Answer: Using a banana as a pretend telephone

Symbolic play involves using one object to represent another, indicating growing abstract and imaginative thinking.

Brain development research shows that the most critical period for forming neural connections in a child's brain is:

Answer: Birth to age 5

The first five years of life are the most sensitive period for brain development, with billions of neural connections forming at a rapid rate.