Child Development and Learning
What to know
Early childhood development questions reward a stage-wise view of the whole child. Know the broad sequences and typical ages for motor milestones (head control, sitting, crawling, walking, pincer grasp), language (cooing, babbling, first words, two-word phrases, telegraphic speech), and social-emotional growth (attachment, separation anxiety, parallel versus cooperative play, self-regulation). Be able to name the major theorists and their core claims: Piaget's sensorimotor and preoperational stages (object permanence, egocentrism, conservation not yet present), Vygotsky's zone of proximal development and scaffolding, Erikson's trust/mistrust and autonomy/shame, and Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems. Understand Maslow's hierarchy as it applies to a classroom and Gardner's multiple intelligences as a lens for differentiation.
Traps to expect
Questions often test whether you can separate typical variation from red flags. A child not yet reading in preschool is typical; loss of previously acquired language is not. Watch for items that confuse Piaget's preoperational child (who fails conservation) with a concrete-operational child (who succeeds). Distinguish developmentally appropriate practice from simply "easy" or "fun" activity. Another common trap is mistaking a learning disability for a language difference - a second-language learner's silence is not automatically a disorder.
Rule of thumb
When a stem describes a behavior, ask: "Is this within the normal range for this age, and does it interfere with function?" If yes to range and no to interference, the best answer is usually to observe and support, not to refer or remediate.
Worked example
A 4-year-old insists a tall thin glass holds more water than a short wide one. The best interpretation: this reflects preoperational thinking (centration), not a math deficit. The appropriate response is hands-on comparison activities, not drill on volume formulas.