OAE Early Childhood Education Child Development Theories 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Maria Montessori's educational theory emphasizes:
- Direct instruction led entirely by the teacher
- Child-directed learning in a carefully prepared environment (Correct answer)
- Structured rewards for academic achievement
- Competition among peers to motivate learning
Correct answer: Child-directed learning in a carefully prepared environment
Montessori believed children learn best through self-directed exploration in environments specifically designed to invite independent discovery.
Question 2: In attachment theory, John Bowlby argued that early attachment bonds primarily serve to:
- Teach children social etiquette
- Provide a secure base for exploration and emotional regulation (Correct answer)
- Develop language and cognitive skills
- Establish dominance hierarchies among siblings
Correct answer: Provide a secure base for exploration and emotional regulation
Bowlby viewed attachment as an evolutionary mechanism that ensures proximity to caregivers, providing safety and a base from which to explore.
Question 3: A child who cries when a caregiver leaves but is easily soothed upon return is exhibiting which attachment style identified by Ainsworth?
- Avoidant attachment
- Secure attachment (Correct answer)
- Anxious-ambivalent attachment
- Disorganized attachment
Correct answer: Secure attachment
Secure attachment is characterized by distress at separation and quick comfort upon reunion, reflecting trust in the caregiver's availability.
Question 4: Howard Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences challenges the traditional view by proposing that:
- Intelligence is fixed and measured solely by IQ
- Children have a single dominant intelligence type
- Intelligence is multidimensional and includes abilities like music and movement (Correct answer)
- Academic intelligence is the most important for success
Correct answer: Intelligence is multidimensional and includes abilities like music and movement
Gardner identified at least eight distinct intelligences, arguing that traditional IQ tests measure only a narrow subset of human cognitive abilities.
Question 5: Piaget's formal operational stage begins at approximately what age?
- 2 years
- 7 years
- 11-12 years (Correct answer)
- 18 years
Correct answer: 11-12 years
The formal operational stage begins around age 11-12 and is marked by the ability to think abstractly, reason hypothetically, and use logic.
Question 6: Which theorist's work forms the foundation of behaviorism, proposing that all behavior is shaped by environmental stimuli?
- Sigmund Freud
- John B. Watson (Correct answer)
- Carl Rogers
- Erik Erikson
Correct answer: John B. Watson
John B. Watson founded behaviorism and argued that observable behavior, not mental states, should be the focus of psychology.
Question 7: The term 'sensitive period' in early childhood development refers to:
- Times when children are emotionally fragile and need comfort
- Windows of time when the brain is especially receptive to certain types of learning (Correct answer)
- Periods when children are most susceptible to peer pressure
- Stages identified by Erikson involving psychosocial crises
Correct answer: Windows of time when the brain is especially receptive to certain types of learning
Sensitive periods are biologically optimal windows during which specific skills or knowledge are acquired most easily and effectively.
OAE Early Childhood Education Child Development Theories 4
Maria Montessori's educational theory emphasizes: