Question 1

When shown a novel object and told that it is called a "wug," preschoolers know that two of those objects would be two "wugs." This ability to correctly add an -s when pluralizing is evidence of their proper use of _____.

Accepted Answer

The answer of When shown a novel object and told...

Question 2

Jessica is reading a storybook aloud to her 3-year-old daughter, Abigail. Abigail's father says, "Why are you bothering? It's not like she's going to learn to read from that." What would you tell Abigail's father about reading to preschoolers?

Accepted Answer

Research has consistently shown that reading to preschoolers has a positive impact on their language and literacy development. Children who are read to frequently as preschoolers tend to have larger vocabularies, stronger language skills, and are more likely to develop a love of reading. While reading alone may not be the sole factor in a child's ability to learn to read, it is an important part of early childhood development and sets the foundation for future literacy skills.

Question 3

Children typically understand the basics of grammar _____.

Accepted Answer

Children typically start understanding the basics of grammar when they are toddlers, as they begin to form simple sentences and understand basic rules, even before they have a large vocabulary.

Question 4

Overregularization in a child's speech patterns indicates that _____.

Accepted Answer

Overregularization occurs when a child applies grammatical rules to words and phrases that would not normally follow those rules, such as saying "goed" instead of "went." This indicates that the child is learning and applying language rules, which is a sign of language development.

Question 5

One of the benefits of being bilingual is _____.

Accepted Answer

Research has shown that being bilingual can delay the onset of Alzheimer's disease and improve cognitive function in old age.

Question 6

Which early-childhood method has been found to boost reading several years later in elementary school?

Accepted Answer

Code-focused teaching, or teaching children to recognize and decode the sounds and symbols of language, has been found to have long-term benefits for reading abilities. Studies have shown that children who received this type of instruction in early childhood had better reading comprehension several years later in elementary school.

Question 7

Demetrius's family recently immigrated to the United States from the Ukraine. After he attended kindergarten, his parents noticed that his English was more fluent than his native language. Demetrius was exhibiting _____.

Accepted Answer

Demetrius's situation is an example of a language shift, where a person's dominant language shifts from their native language to a new language due to environmental factors (in this case, immigrating to a new country).

Question 8

The structures, rules, and techniques used to communicate meaning in language are called _____.

Accepted Answer

Grammar refers to the system of rules and structures that govern the use of language to convey meaning. Inflections are specific changes to words that indicate grammatical information such as tense, person, or case. Logical extensions and theory-theory are not related to language and communication.

Question 9

Four-year-old Graciela is a fluent bilingual, which means that she _____.

Accepted Answer

Graciela is a fluent bilingual, which means she is fluent in both her native language and her second language.

Question 10

In terms of early-childhood learning, research has found that if the home educational quality is poor, then _____.

Accepted Answer

Research suggests that attending a quality preschool can help mitigate the negative effects of a poor home educational environment, making answer A the best choice. B, C, and D are not supported by research.

Question 11

Preschool programs are called "child-centered" when they stress each child's _____.

Accepted Answer

Child-centered preschool programs focus on the development and growth of each individual child, rather than just their motor skills or language development.

Question 12

Knowing which words, tones, and grammatical forms to use with whom constitutes _____.

Accepted Answer

Pragmatics refers to the social use of language, which includes knowing which words, tones, and grammatical forms are appropriate to use with different people and in different situations. Overregularization refers to the overgeneralization of a grammatical rule, while grammar refers to the rules for constructing sentences. Fast-mapping refers to the ability to learn new words quickly.

Question 13

If you want to find reliably high-quality group care for your preschooler, what type of program should you look for?

Accepted Answer

High-quality group care for preschoolers should be tailored to match the child's individual needs, interests, and developmental stage. This ensures the environment is supportive, engaging, and conducive to their growth and learning.

Question 14

Neuroscience has proven which statement about bilingual adults who mastered both languages before age 6?

Accepted Answer

Research in neuroscience has shown that for individuals who become bilingual early in life, both languages are processed in the same area of the brain. This co-location does not harm the structure of the cortex, indicating that the brain can efficiently handle multiple languages without detriment.

Question 15

Joachim lives in the United States. His mother speaks to him in Spanish. His father speaks to him in German. His parents hope that Joachim will _____.

Accepted Answer

Joachim's exposure to both Spanish and German from his parents could lead to him becoming a fluent trilingual.

Question 16

"I catched two mouses in a trap" is an example of _____.

Accepted Answer

The correct past tense of "catch" is "caught", but the individual has overregularized the verb and added "-ed" to the end. This is a common mistake made by young children when learning irregular past tense verbs.

Question 17

Child-centered programs are often influenced by the theories of Piaget and _____.

Accepted Answer

Piaget and Vygotsky are two influential theorists in child development. Piaget believed that children actively construct their own understanding of the world through exploration and problem-solving. Vygotsky's theory emphasizes the importance of social interactions and language in the development of cognitive abilities. Both of these theories emphasize the child's active role in their own learning, which is a key principle of child-centered programs. Freud's theories focus more on the unconscious mind and psychosexual development, while Skinner's theories emphasize behaviorism and reinforcement. Erikson's theories are focused on stages of psychosocial development, but are not as directly related to child-centered programs as Piaget and Vygotsky.

Question 18

Overregularization occurs because children _____.

Accepted Answer

Overregularization occurs because children assume that their language always follows the rules they already know, and they apply those rules even when they do not apply to certain words or situations.

Question 19

Why does a language shift typically occur?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Why does a language shift typically occur?
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Question 20

When is the best time to learn a language?

Accepted Answer

Language acquisition is easiest and most efficient during early childhood, specifically between the ages of 0-7 years old. This is when the brain is most receptive to language learning, and children can absorb new vocabulary and grammar rules effortlessly.

Quiz 9: Early Childhood: Cognitive Development