Last Minute Lecture

Cognitive Growth, Language Development, and Education — Summary of Chapter 12 from The Developing Person Through the Life Span As children progress through middle childhood (ages 6–11), their minds become more logical, their language more complex, and their learning more influenced by social and educational environments. Chapter 12 of Kathleen Stassen Berger’s The Developing Person Through the Life Span explores how children learn, think, and develop cognitively and linguistically. It also investigates how different educational settings and teaching methods affect academic outcomes and cognitive flexibility. Watch the full podcast-style video above or continue reading for a written breakdown of Chapter 12’s key concepts in cognitive development and educational practice. Cognitive Development in Middle Childhood Piaget’s Concrete Operational Thought According to Jean Piaget , children in middle childhood enter the stage of concrete operational thought . Their thinking bec...

Cognitive Growth, Language, and Early Schooling — Summary of Chapter 9 from The Developing Person Through the Life Span How do young children think, speak, and learn? Chapter 9 of Kathleen Stassen Berger’s The Developing Person Through the Life Span dives into the cognitive leaps of early childhood. It explores how executive function, symbolic thinking, language acquisition, and various approaches to early education support developmental growth from ages 2 to 6. Grounded in the theories of Piaget and Vygotsky, this chapter emphasizes the powerful role of interaction, play, and structure in shaping a child’s mind. Watch the full video above for a chapter breakdown in podcast form, or continue reading for a detailed summary of how young minds grow and learn through language and education. Cognitive Development in Early Childhood Executive Function Executive function includes working memory , inhibitory control , and cognitive flexibility —skills that underpin school readin...

Major Theories of Human Development — Summary of Chapter 2 from The Developing Person Through the Life Span How do we explain human growth, personality, and behavior across the lifespan? Chapter 2 of Kathleen Stassen Berger’s The Developing Person Through the Life Span introduces students to the most influential developmental theories in psychology. This chapter breaks down how leading thinkers like Freud, Erikson, Piaget, Vygotsky, and Skinner interpreted the complex journey of human development. Watch the video above for an audio summary of each theory, or read below for a structured guide to the foundational ideas shaping developmental psychology. Psychodynamic Theory: Freud and Erikson Sigmund Freud proposed that development occurs through a series of psychosexual stages , where unconscious desires and conflicts shape personality. Each stage focuses on different erogenous zones and unresolved conflicts that influence adult behavior. Erik Erikson extended Freud’s ide...