Child Development & Behavior Flashcards

A nanny is working with a 5-year-old who is learning to tie shoes. According to Vygotsky, the most effective strategy is to:

Answer: Guide the child step-by-step and reduce help as the child improves

Providing graduated scaffolding within the ZPD — stepping in with guidance and pulling back as competence grows — is Vygotsky's recommended learning support.

Which milestone is typically achieved first in infant motor development?

Answer: Rolling over

Rolling over (usually front-to-back first) typically appears around 3–5 months, before sitting, pulling to stand, or walking.

A 3-year-old pretends a banana is a telephone. This behavior demonstrates:

Answer: Symbolic (pretend) play

Symbolic play emerges in the preoperational stage when children use one object to represent another, reflecting growing cognitive and imaginative ability.

Which of the following is a red flag in social-emotional development for a 12-month-old?

Answer: Does not point, wave, or use gestures

By 12 months, gestures like pointing and waving are key communication milestones; their absence may indicate a developmental delay warranting evaluation.

The concept of 'goodness of fit' in child development refers to:

Answer: The compatibility between a child's temperament and the caregiver's parenting style

Goodness of fit describes how well a caregiver's expectations and responses align with the child's innate temperament, affecting adjustment and development.

During which Erikson stage does a school-age child (6–12 years) primarily struggle?

Answer: Industry vs. inferiority

In the industry vs. inferiority stage, children compare their abilities to peers and develop either a sense of competence or feelings of inadequacy.

A nanny observes that a 4-year-old consistently shifts blame to others and cannot see situations from another person's perspective. This is most consistent with:

Answer: Normal preoperational egocentrism

Preschoolers in Piaget's preoperational stage are naturally egocentric and cannot reliably adopt another person's perspective — this is developmentally expected.