Understanding Children

There has, in recent years, been a revolution in our understanding of children′s minds. The result of that fundamental rethinking is shown here in essays which range systematically across the varied aspects of children′s cognitive development.
Central to this recasting of developmental psychology has been the realization that young children′s abilities have frequently been underestimated. In trying to discover what a child understands or is capable of, we need to consider the whole child and to try to see situations from the child′s point of view. Nor should we underestimate the difficulties that children encounter in formal education. These were the lessons contained in the work of Margaret Donaldson, whose influence pervades this book, and to whom it is dedicated.
Understanding Children reflects on the development of children′s minds – their abilities to understand language and to communicate; to explain events in the world; to read, write and draw; to deal with computers; to think, perceive and to gain awareness. It is inspired by the work of a psychologist whose writings have inspired and illuminated many thousands of students, teachers and academics throughout the world.

Spis treści:
1. An Introduction to Understanding Children: Robert Grieve and Martin Hughes.
2. Children′s Language: Eve V. Clark.
3. Children′s Explanations: Morag L. Donaldson and Alison Elliot.
4. Children′s Communication: Peter Lloyd.
5. Children′s Reading: Jessie Reid.
6. Children ′s Writing: Miranda Jones.
7. Children′s Computation: Martin Hughes.
8. Children′s Pictures: Roger Wales.
9. Children′s Awareness: Robert Grieve.
10. Children′s Perception: Lesley Hall.
11. Children′s Thinking: Robin Campbell and David Olson.
A Bibliography of Margaret Donaldson′s Published Work.
References.
Name Index.
Subject Index.

Nota biograficzna:
Robert Grieve studied psychology at the University of Edinburgh, where he is now Professor and Head of Department. Previously, he held posts at the University of St. Andrews and the University of Western Australia. He is editor, with Margaret Donaldson and Chris Pratt of Early Childhood Development and Education (Blackwell, 1983).
Martin Hughes studied philosophy and psychology at the University of Oxford, and obtained his PhD from the University of Edinburgh. He was Research Officer at the Thomas Coram Research Unit and Research Fellow at the University of Edinburgh, before he moved to his present post as Lecturer in Education at the University of Exeter. He has researched and written widely on the development and education of young children. His books include Children and Number (Blackwell, 1986).

Okładka tylna:
There has, in recent years, been a revolution in our understanding of children′s minds. The result of that fundamental rethinking is shown here in essays which range systematically across the varied aspects of children′s cognitive development.
Central to this recasting of developmental psychology has been the realization that young children′s abilities have frequently been underestimated. In trying to discover what a child understands or is capable of, we need to consider the whole child and to try to see situations from the child′s point of view. Nor should we underestimate the difficulties that children encounter in formal education. These were the lessons contained in the work of Margaret Donaldson, whose influence pervades this book, and to whom it is dedicated.
Understanding Children reflects on the development of children′s minds – their abilities to understand language and to communicate; to explain events in the world; to read, write and draw; to deal with computers; to think, perceive and to gain awareness. It is inspired by the work of a psychologist whose writings have inspired and illuminated many thousands of students, teachers and academics throughout the world.