Symbolic Development

El objetivo de este estudio fue determinar los indicadores de adquisición de las acciones perceptivas simbólicas en la zona del desarrollo próximo y la zona de desarrollo actual, en 180 niños preescolares entre los 5 y 6 años de la ciudad de Bogotá, capital de Colombia. El nivel de desarrollo simbólico se valoró a través de la aplicación de un protocolo elaborado para este estudio con tal propósito. Esta investigación se fundamentó en el enfoque histórico-cultural de Vigotsky y su escuela psicológica. Los resultados obtenidos determinaron como indicadores: la posibilidad de generalizar rasgos de un objeto o una situación en el plano gráfico; la posibilidad de elaborar un símbolo reconocible; el uso del signo perceptivo como medio de recuerdo y la habilidad para explicar coherentemente el dibujo realizado. Los resultados mostraron que la mayoría de los niños evaluados requieren la ayuda del adulto para realizar las tareas propuestas. Se discute que para garantizar el desarrollo de la...

La función simbólica se transforma hacia los niveles de esquematización y modelación en la transición de la edad preescolar a la edad escolar. Al respecto, se busca precisar las posibilidades de desarrollo simbólico en la edad preescolar a través de la actividad de juego de roles sociales y en la edad escolar a través del aprendizaje de la lectura. Se discute el rol del adulto en el proceso del desarrollo simbólico, así como sus implicaciones en el desarrollo psicológico de la personalidad. Se concluye que la función simbólica y su complejización se constituyen en una necesidad del desarrollo psicológico de la edad preescolar en el niño antes de la introducción formal de la lectura en la edad escolar.

El objetivo de este estudio fue determinar los indicadores de adquisición de las acciones perceptivas simbólicas en la zona del desarrollo próximo y la zona de desarrollo actual, en 180 niños preescolares entre los 5 y 6 años de la ciudad de Bogotá, capital de Colombia. El nivel de desarrollo simbólico se valoró a través de la aplicación de un protocolo elaborado para este estudio con tal propósito. Esta investigación se fundamentó en el enfoque histórico-cultural de Vigotsky y su escuela psicológica. Los resultados obtenidos determinaron como indicadores: la posibilidad de generalizar rasgos de un objeto o una situación en el plano gráfico; la posibilidad de elaborar un símbolo reconocible; el uso del signo perceptivo como medio de recuerdo y la habilidad para explicar coherentemente el dibujo realizado. Los resultados mostraron que la mayoría de los niños evaluados requieren la ayuda del adulto para realizar las tareas propuestas. Se discute que para garantizar el desarrollo de la...

La imaginación narrativa creadora es una formación psicológica de la niñez que posibilita que los niños vean las cosas desde el punto de vista del otro. En el Trastorno del Espectro Autista (TEA) esta formación psicológica tiene comprometido su desarrollo. El objetivo de este artículo es explicar de qué manera se desarrolla la imaginación narrativa creadora en un niño con TEA. Esta investigación es de diseño pre-test -post-test. La intervención se fundamentó en el uso de las actividades de lectura compartida de literatura infantil y juego narrativo a partir de una interacción comunicativa intencionada con una duración de tres años. Los resultados mostraron que las actividades de lectura compartida de literatura infantil y juego narrativo posibilitaron que el niño con TEA creara vínculos afectivos y que encontrara su propia voz para expresar su mundo interior, usando el lenguaje en un profundo dinamismo de interacciones comunicativas y sociales (utilizando para ello, el lenguaje verbal, no verbal y gestual, así como los silencios). Por consiguiente, tales actividades permitieron el desarrollo de la imaginación narrativa creadora, lo que contribuye a la prevención de dificultades de salud mental en el niño con TEA.

proceso lector, y luego se analizan sus implicaciones en el desarrollo infantil. Se concluye que entre más se fomente la expresión de ideas verbales de un texto en grupo de manera dialogada, se alcanzan mejores niveles de representaciones simbólicas, y por consiguiente se progresa en la comprensión lectora en el niño, porque se generan actualizaciones y transformaciones de la información. Palabras clave juego; educación de la primera infancia; dibujo; lectura; desarrollo infantil

El objetivo de este estudio fue determinar los indicadores de adquisición de las acciones perceptivas simbólicas en la zona del desarrollo próximo y la zona de desarrollo actual, en 180 niños preescolares entre los 5 y 6 años de la ciudad de Bogotá, capital de Colombia. El nivel de desarrollo simbólico se valoró a través de la aplicación de un protocolo elaborado para este estudio con tal propósito. Esta investigación se fundamentó en el enfoque histórico-cultural de Vigotsky y su escuela psicológica. Los resultados obtenidos determinaron como indicadores: la posibilidad de generalizar rasgos de un objeto o una situación en el plano gráfico; la posibilidad de elaborar un símbolo reconocible; el uso del signo perceptivo como medio de recuerdo y la habilidad para explicar coherentemente el dibujo realizado. Los resultados mostraron que la mayoría de los niños evaluados requieren la ayuda del adulto para realizar las tareas propuestas. Se discute que para garantizar el desarrollo de la...

This experiment was designed to clarify the referential status of infants' newly learned words. We introduced 15-and 17-montholds to a novel noun, presented in conjunction with pictures of two whisks that differed in color (one purple, one orange). We asked whether infants would extend this newly learned noun to other members of the same kind (other whisks), one differing only in color (a picture of a silver whisk) and another differing in both color and representational medium (a real three-dimensional silver whisk). Fifteen-and 17-month-olds' interpretation of the novel noun was not tethered tightly to the perceptual features with which the word had previously been paired. Instead, their interpretation was sufficiently abstract to include a new member of the same object category, although it differed in color and representational medium (a real silver whisk). Thus, by 15 months, infants appreciate the referential status of words and extend their meaning flexibly from pictures to objects.

The distinction between individuals (e.g., Rin-Tin-Tin) and categories (e.g., dogs) is fundamental in human thought. Two studies examined factors that influence when 2-to 3-year-old children and adults focus on individuals versus categories. Mother-child dyads were presented with pictures and toys (e.g., a picture of a boat or a toy boat). Conversations were coded for references to generic categories (''Dogs are furry''), ostensive labels (''This is a dog''), or specific individuals (''Lassie''). Overall, pictures generated more talk about categories; objects generated more talk about individuals. However, when objects could not be manipulated, speakers expressed relatively more category references. These results suggest that representations (in the form of pictures or objects-on-display) encourage young children and parents alike to think about categories.

The current research examined infants' ability to generalize information about the nonobvious properties of objects depicted in picture books to their real-world referents. Infants aged 13, 15, and 18 months (N = 135) were shown a series of pictures depicting an adult acting on a novel object to elicit a nonobvious property of that object. Infants were subsequently tested on their extension of the nonobvious property to the real-world object depicted in the book and their generalization of this property to a different color exemplar of the depicted object. Results indicated that, regardless of age, infants expected the real-world objects to have the nonobvious property, as indicated by their attempts to elicit this property with these objects. These findings indicate that early in their second year of life, infants are beginning to make inductive inferences about nonobvious object properties based on information provided in pictures.

Two themes emerge from studies of the development of symbolic understanding; that development proceeds through multiple levels of understanding prior to full and reflective knowledge of the representational function of pictorial symbols, and that development is founded upon individual cognitive and social cognitive proclivities as well as on supports from others in the social group. The classical theoretical antecedents to this contemporary perspective on the development of pictorial symbol understanding are briefly reviewed here and followed by evidence from contemporary research that provides support for these claims in the domain of pictorial symbol understanding and its development.

Three-to five-year-old children's knowledge that pictures have a representational function for others was investigated using a pictorial false belief task. In Study 1, children passed the task at around four years, and performance was correlated with standard false belief and pictorial symbol tasks. In Study 2, the performance of children from two cultural settings having very little exposure to pictures during the first three years (Peru, India) was contrasted with that of children from Canada. Performance was better in the Canadian than Peruvian and Indian samples on the picture false belief task and drawing tasks, but not on the standard false belief measure. In all settings children passed drawing and standard false belief tasks either concurrently with, or prior to, passing the picture false belief task. The findings suggest that children's explicit knowledge of the representational function of pictorial symbols matures in the late preschool years, developing more rapidly in cultures that strongly promote the symbolic use of pictures early in life.

The question addressed in this study is whether the claim that children understand the symbolic status of pictures by the middle of their third year is an overestimate of their ability. Specifically, we asked whether children use language if possible to facilitate their performance in graphic symbolic tasks. Language (availability of verbal labels) was manipulated along with iconicity (degree of resemblance between symbol and referent) and perceptual similarity (between choice items) in a series of four experiments. Children 2.5 and 3 years old were presented with a graphic symbol for 4 s and immediately asked to choose the object depicted (referent) from two choice objects. In Study 1, degree of iconicity between picture and referent was varied and both choice objects had the same verbal label. The 2.5-year-olds failed to use any pictures or replicas as symbols. The 3year-olds performed well with all types of symbols and better with highly iconic symbols. In Study 2, verbal label availability was manipulated by presenting choice objects having the same or different labels and by varying familiarity of labels. The 2.5-year-olds performed at chance when verbal labels were unavailable but above chance when they were available. The 3-year-olds were above chance in all conditions but performed less well when verbal labels were unavailable. Study 3 confirmed that young children use language to mediate picture symbol use. When 2.5-year-olds were provided with subordinate verbal labels in the matching task, subsequent performance was good even when choice objects had the same basic level verbal label. In Study 4, verbal label availability was contrasted with perceptual similarity between choice objects. When verbal labels could be used and choice objects were dissimilar, performance was best, and when

The impact of social scaffolding on the emergence of graphic symbol functioning was explored in a longitudinal training study. Links among graphic, language, and play domains in symbolic development were also investigated. The symbolic functioning of 16 children, who were 28 months at the outset of the study, was assessed in comprehension and production tasks across the three domains at monthly intervals from 28 to 36 months, and again at 42 months. Training was delivered in between monthly assessments during weekly visits. Half of the children received training, which consisted of the experimenter drawing common objects and highlighting the relation between pictures and their referents, for 16 consecutive weeks early in the study (early training, ET). The remaining half received a placebo version of training for these 16 weeks, followed by actual training for 4 weeks in the fifth month (late training, LT). After the first 4 months of training the ET group was found to have accelerated comprehension and production of graphic symbols relative to the LT group. After the fifth month, the LT group reached the same level of graphic symbol performance as the ET group. There were strong positive correlations found among graphic symbol functioning and language and play, and between play and language. These findings support the view that graphic symbolic development can be influenced by cultural scaffolding, that more extensive training is needed early rather than later in development, and that interrelationships exist among symbolic domains.

Young children often struggle with referential communications because they fail to compare all valid referents. In two studies, we investigated this comparison process. In Study 1, 4–7 year-olds (N = 114) were asked to categorize pairs of objects according to their similarities or differences, and then identified a unique quality of one of the objects by responding to a referential question. Children found it easier to judge the differences between objects than similarities. Correct judgments of differences predicted accurate identifications. In Study 2, 4–5 year-olds (N = 36) again categorized according to similarities or differences, but this time were asked for verbal explanations of their decisions. Recognition of differences was easier than recognition of similarities. Explanations of errors were either: (a) ambiguous; (b) color error: (c) thematic (creative imaginative explanations). Children offered thematic explanations when they failed to recognize similarities between obje...

El objetivo de este estudio fue determinar los indicadores de adquisición de las acciones perceptivas simbólicas en la zona del desarrollo próximo y la zona de desarrollo actual, en 180 niños preescolares entre los 5 y 6 años de la ciudad de Bogotá, capital de Colombia. El nivel de desarrollo simbólico se valoró a través de la aplicación de un protocolo elaborado para este estudio con tal propósito. Esta investigación se fundamentó en el enfoque histórico-cultural de Vigotsky y su escuela psicológica. Los resultados obtenidos determinaron como indicadores: la posibilidad de generalizar rasgos de un objeto o una situación en el plano gráfico; la posibilidad de elaborar un símbolo reconocible; el uso del signo perceptivo como medio de recuerdo y la habilidad para explicar coherentemente el dibujo realizado. Los resultados mostraron que la mayoría de los niños evaluados requieren la ayuda del adulto para realizar las tareas propuestas. Se discute que para garantizar el desarrollo de la...

The goal of this study is to identify developmental level of symbolic actions at perceptual level. 20 preschool children between 5 and 6 years old from the city of Bogota were included in the study. The level of symbolic development was assessed by application of qualitative protocol designed for this purpose before and after inclusion of the children in the social role-play. The results showed low level of symbolic development before participation on the playing activity. After participation in formative program based on social role-play the children showed positive development of symbolic actions. Such changes were observed by implementation of the same protocol after the program. The results have permitted to propose some indicators of positive symbolic development at

Toddlers learn more about the world from picture books with photographs instead of drawings, but commercial books often have tactile features such as flaps that may counterintuitively hinder learning. This study tested how lift-the-flap features in a commercial picture book of first words affected 2-year-olds’ (N = 32) learning of a new word for an unfamiliar food. Sixteen children saw the original lift-the-flap book, which depicted photos, and 16 saw the same book except that it was modified to have no flaps. The researcher went through the book with the child, labelling each fruit and vegetable six times. All children were unfamiliar with starfruit and were taught that it was called “carambola”. After they saw the book, children’s learning was tested by asking them to choose the target (i.e., “Show me carambola.”) from an array of three photos and then from an array of three fake food objects. Children who saw the lift-the-flap book chose the carambola target significantly less of...

El objetivo de este estudio fue determinar los indicadores de adquisición de las acciones perceptivas simbólicas en la zona del desarrollo próximo y la zona de desarrollo actual, en 180 niños preescolares entre los 5 y 6 años de la ciudad de Bogotá, capital de Colombia. El nivel de desarrollo simbólico se valoró a través de la aplicación de un protocolo elaborado para este estudio con tal propósito. Esta investigación se fundamentó en el enfoque histórico-cultural de Vigotsky y su escuela psicológica. Los resultados obtenidos determinaron como indicadores: la posibilidad de generalizar rasgos de un objeto o una situación en el plano gráfico; la posibilidad de elaborar un símbolo reconocible; el uso del signo perceptivo como medio de recuerdo y la habilidad para explicar coherentemente el dibujo realizado. Los resultados mostraron que la mayoría de los niños evaluados requieren la ayuda del adulto para realizar las tareas propuestas. Se discute que para garantizar el desarrollo de la...

The goal of this study is to identify developmental level of symbolic actions at perceptual level. 20 preschool children between 5 and 6 years old from the city of Bogota were included in the study. The level of symbolic development was assessed by application of qualitative protocol designed for this purpose before and after inclusion of the children in the social role-play. The results showed low level of symbolic development before participation on the playing activity. After participation in formative program based on social role-play the children showed positive development of symbolic actions. Such changes were observed by implementation of the same protocol after the program. The results have permitted to propose some indicators of positive symbolic development at Original Research Article

This qualitative research explores the development of the symbolic mind in children through learning Chinese Mandarin characters. Navigated through the lens of relational developmental system metatheory and guided by Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory, findings present the analysis of the developmental processes in children’s recognition of symbols and use of known symbols to make and share meaning. This study also offers an explanation of the effect of changes in the sociocultural environment on children's symbolic development. Further, cultural differences toward symbolic representation are discussed with the recommendation of focusing on recognition followed by writing when learning Chinese Mandarin characters.

Using a naturalistic video database, we examined whether gestures scaffold the symbolic development of a language-enculturated chimpanzee, a language-enculturated bonobo, and a human child during the second year of life. These three species constitute a complete clade: species possessing a common immediate ancestor. A basic finding was the functional and formal similarity of many gestures between chimpanzee, bonobo, and human child. The child's symbols were spoken words; the apes' symbols were lexigrams-noniconic visual signifiers. A developmental pattern in which gestural representation of a referent preceded symbolic representation of the same referent appeared in all three species (but was statistically significant only for the child). Nonetheless, across species, the ratio of symbol to gesture increased significantly with age. But even though their symbol production increased, the apes continued to communicate more frequently by gesture than by symbol. In contrast, by 15-18 months of age, the child used symbols more frequently than gestures. This ontogenetic sequence from gesture to symbol, present across the clade but more pronounced in child than ape, provides support for the role of gesture in language evolution. In all three species, the overwhelming majority of gestures were communicative (i.e., paired with eye contact, vocalization, and/or persistence). However, vocalization was rare for the apes, but accompanied the majority of the child's communicative gestures. This species difference suggests the co-evolution of speech and gesture after the evolutionary divergence of the hominid line. Multimodal expressions of communicative intent (e.g., vocalization plus persistence) were normative for the child, but less common for the apes. This species difference suggests that multimodal expression of communicative intent was also strengthened after hominids diverged from apes.

This qualitative research explores the development of the symbolic mind in children through learning Chinese Mandarin characters. Navigated through the lens of relational developmental system metatheory and guided by Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory, findings present the analysis of the developmental processes in children’s recognition of symbols and use of known symbols to make and share meaning. This study also offers an explanation of the effect of changes in the sociocultural environment on children's symbolic development. Further, cultural differences toward symbolic representation are discussed with the recommendation of focusing on recognition followed by writing when learning Chinese Mandarin characters.

This qualitative research explores the development of the symbolic mind in children through learning Chinese Mandarin characters. Navigated through the lens of relational developmental system metatheory and guided by Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory, findings present the analysis of the developmental processes in children’s recognition of symbols and use of known symbols to make and share meaning. This study also offers an explanation of the effect of changes in the sociocultural environment on children's symbolic development. Further, cultural differences toward symbolic representation are discussed with the recommendation of focusing on recognition followed by writing when learning Chinese Mandarin characters.

Mother-child conversations about pictures systematically differ from mother-child conversations about objects: Pictures are more likely than objects to elicit talk about kinds, whereas objects are more likely than pictures to elicit talk about individuals. The purpose of the current study is to examine whether this difference between pictures and objects is explained by differences in item complexity. Mothers and their 4-year-old children were randomly assigned to one of two conditions: Simple or Complex. In each condition, participants viewed 12 toy objects and 12 pictures, matched for content. The items were either highly detailed (complex condition) or very plain (simple condition). Replicating previous research, mothers and children provided relatively more focus on kinds when talking about pictures, and relatively more focus on individuals when talking about objects. The current results go further, however, to demonstrate that this effect is independent of the items' complexity. We therefore propose that the picture-object difference is not due to low-level differences in amount of perceptual detail provided, but rather is due to the greater ease with which pictures serve as representations (DeLoache, 1991). These data indicate the ways in which a fundamental conceptual distinction between kinds and individuals arises in different linguistic expressions and in different contexts.

The distinction between individuals (e.g., Rin-Tin-Tin) and categories (e.g., dogs) is fundamental in human thought. Two studies examined factors that influence when 2-to 3-year-old children and adults focus on individuals versus categories. Mother-child dyads were presented with pictures and toys (e.g., a picture of a boat or a toy boat). Conversations were coded for references to generic categories (''Dogs are furry''), ostensive labels (''This is a dog''), or specific individuals (''Lassie''). Overall, pictures generated more talk about categories; objects generated more talk about individuals. However, when objects could not be manipulated, speakers expressed relatively more category references. These results suggest that representations (in the form of pictures or objects-on-display) encourage young children and parents alike to think about categories.

A project of this sort could not be completed without the support and assistance of many individuals. It is with great pleasure that I take this opportunity to express my appreciation for them. First of all, I would like to thank my advisor, Professor John B. Black, for his generous support and advice in conducting this study. He is not only a man with a broad scope of knowledge but also a man with profound insights. Prof. Black has been an unfathomable source of intellectual stimulation and caring support during my doctoral study at TC-Columbia. It is indeed my honor to be one of his advisees. I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my dearest parents, wife and son, and family members for providing me an abundance of unconditional love, trust, and patience. I really appreciate my committee members. Prof. Stephen Peverly and Prof. Matthew Johnson kindly examined, helped, and advised me throughout the different phases of the dissertation study. Prof. Zhaohong Han and Prof. Lisa Son provided invaluable comments and suggestions. I would also like to thank Pei-Chun, Greg, Seokmin, Pi-he, Carol, Laura, Yanjin, Rong, Sharon, Na, Pauline, Kuo-hsun, and Sat who helped with this study's film shooting, acting, film editing, programming, data collection, and data analysis. Last but not least, I'd like to thank Fran, Justin, Patience, Greg, Cathleen, Steve, and Jess who kindly proofread and edited the dissertation. xiii DEDICATION For my parents, Hon. Kingdom Jing-Jenn Lu and Emily Chun-Luan Lu, who always love, support, and care about me, as well as expect me to accomplish greater self-realization. For Jessica, my wife, who firmly stands by my side whether or not we face storms, tsunamis, or life tests. For Benjamin, my son, whose curiosity and hunger for learning have encouraged my exploration for more knowledge in human world. CHAPTER I.

Resumen Las poblaciones indígenas en México son las más vulnerables, debido a que viven en condiciones de pobreza extrema y menor cumplimiento de sus derechos fundamentales. Se ha demostrado que los niños son el grupo que recibe mayor impacto sobre el desarrollo psicológico y físico. El presente trabajo tiene como objetivo describir la relación entre el nivel socioeconómico (NSE), habilidades intelectuales evaluadas con la Batería Woodcock-Muñoz y desnutrición en niños indígenas Tenek y Nahúa que viven en condiciones alta marginación. Los resultados muestran diferencias significativas entre los niños y niñas de nivel NSE bajo, NSE muy bajo y el rendimiento en las pruebas cognitivas que evalúan habilidad intelectual, inteligencia cristalizada e inteligencia visual. Respecto de los indicadores de desnutrición se observó una diferencia estadísticamente significativa para desnutrición aguda entre el NSE bajo y NSE muy bajo. Los efectos del nivel socioeconómico sobre las habilidades intelectuales y el estado nutricional han sido demostrados ampliamente, pero pocos estudios se han realizado con indígenas. Los hallazgos con estas poblaciones son un llamado urgente para las políticas públicas, considerando que el decremento en puntuaciones de habilidades intelectuales, y la desnutrición, en mediano y largo plazo representan graves costos en la calidad de vida, economía y desarrollo humano.

A bibliometric analysis of scholarly articles on picture books between 1992 and 2017 portrays both the worldwide and Asian trends based on the development of picture book research for the past 26 years. The findings are based on an analysis of 21,450 references to 619 articles on picture books in 295 journals indexed by the Web of Science. Four composite themes consistently emerge from the analysis are: (a) Reading intervention for young children; (b) Toddlers' transference through picture book illustrations to the real world; (c) gender equity issues; and (d) Special education concerns. The first two themes centre on early childhood education, whereas the other two focus on human rights. The potential themes in 80 articles, taken from 65 journals, present the inherent characteristics/features found in picture book research among 12 Asian countries. Although results present four core themes that have formed worldwide on the topic over the past 26 years, there are five specific themes generated in the context of this topic in Asia, along with three common themes. Computer-assisted instruction and educational technology are seen to be a potential trend in future picture book research related to Asia.

Scale errors occur when young children seriously attempt to perform an action on an object which is impossible due to its size. Children vary substantially in the incidence of scale errors with many factors potentially contributing to these differences, such as age and the type of scale errors. In particular, the evidence for an inverted U-shaped curve of scale errors involving the child's body (i.e., body scale errors), which would point to a developmental stage, is mixed. Here we re-examine how body scale errors vary with age and explore the possibility that these errors would be related to the size and properties of children's lexicon. A large sample of children aged 18-30 months (N = 125) was tested in a scale error elicitation situation. Additionally, parental questionnaires were collected to assess children's receptive and expressive lexicon. Our key findings are that scale errors linearly decrease with age in childhood, and are more likely to be found in early tal...

This qualitative research explores the development of the symbolic mind in children through learning Chinese Mandarin characters. Navigated through the lens of relational developmental system metatheory and guided by Vygotsky's sociocultural theory, findings present the analysis of the developmental processes in children's recognition of symbols and use of known symbols to make and share meaning. This study also offers an explanation of the effect of changes in the sociocultural environment on children's symbolic development. Further, cultural differences toward symbolic representation are discussed with the recommendation of focusing on recognition followed by writing when learning Chinese Mandarin characters.

Resumen El objetivo de este estudio fue determinar los indicadores de adquisición de las acciones perceptivas simbólicas en la zona del desarrollo próximo y la zona de desarrollo actual, en 180 niños preescolares entre los 5 y 6 años de la ciudad de Bogotá, capital de Colombia. El nivel de desarrollo simbólico se valoró a través de la aplicación de un protocolo elaborado para este estudio con tal propósito. Esta investigación se fundamentó en el enfoque históri-co-cultural de Vigotsky y su escuela psicológica. Los resultados obtenidos determinaron como indicadores: la posi-bilidad de generalizar rasgos de un objeto o una situación en el plano gráfico; la posibilidad de elaborar un símbolo reconocible; el uso del signo perceptivo como medio de recuerdo y la habilidad para explicar coherentemente el dibujo realizado. Los resultados mostraron que la mayoría de los niños evaluados requieren la ayuda del adulto para realizar las tareas propuestas. Se discute que para garantizar el desarrollo de las acciones perceptivas simbólicas se requiere de una mayor participación del adulto y la inclusión de las actividades específicas en la edad preescolar. Palabras clave: zona de desarrollo próximo, dibujo infantil, edad preescolar, desarrollo simbólico, signo perceptivo. Abstract This study aimed to establish those indicators related with the acquisition of perceptive symbolic actions in the zone of proximal development and the zone actual of development. 180 preschool children aged between 5 and 6 from Bogota, Colombia, participated in the study. The level of symbolic development was assessed through the administration of a protocol designed for this purpose. This research was based on Vygotsky´s historical-cultural approach and his psychological school. The results obtained in our study identified some indicators connected to reflexive acquisition of perceptive symbolic actions. The above-mentioned indicators comprehend: the possibility of general-ising features of a concrete object or situation represented graphically; the possibility to create a recognizable symbol ; the use of graphic symbols as a way to remember and, finally, the ability to explain the meaning of drawings. The results showed that most of the assessed children required adult assistance to fulfill the tasks. We discuss the need of constant external help and the inclusion of specific activities in order to guarantee the successful development of perceptive symbolic actions at preschool age.

Extensive exposure to representational media is common for infants in Western culture, and previous research has shown that soon after their 1st birthday, infants can acquire and extend new information from pictures to real objects. Here we explore the extent to which lack of exposure to pictures during infancy affects children's learning from pictures. Infants were recruited from a rural village in Tanzania and had no prior experience with pictures. After a picture book interaction during which a novel depicted object was labeled, we assessed infants' learning and transfer of the label from pictures to their referents. In a 2nd study, we assessed infants' learning and generalization of new names using real objects, rather than pictures. Tanzanian infants demonstrated a similar pattern of learning and generalization from real objects, when compared with infants in Western culture. However, there was a significant difference in learning and generalization from pictures to real objects. These findings provide evidence for the important role of early experience with representational media in children's ability to use pictures as a source of information about the world.

Extensive exposure to representational media is common for infants in Western culture, and previous research has shown that soon after their 1st birthday, infants can acquire and extend new information from pictures to real objects. Here we explore the extent to which lack of exposure to pictures during infancy affects children's learning from pictures. Infants were recruited from a rural village in Tanzania and had no prior experience with pictures. After a picture book interaction during which a novel depicted object was labeled, we assessed infants' learning and transfer of the label from pictures to their referents. In a 2nd study, we assessed infants' learning and generalization of new names using real objects, rather than pictures. Tanzanian infants demonstrated a similar pattern of learning and generalization from real objects, when compared with infants in Western culture. However, there was a significant difference in learning and generalization from pictures to real objects. These findings provide evidence for the important role of early experience with representational media in children's ability to use pictures as a source of information about the world.

Scale errors refer to behaviors where young children attempt to perform an action on an object that is too small to effectively accommodate the behavior. The goal of this study was to examine the frequency and characteristics of scale errors in everyday life. To do so, the researchers collected parental reports of children's (age range = 13-21 months at onset) scale errors over a 6-month period. All but 1 of the parents (N = 30) reported at least 1 scale error with an average of 3.2 scale errors per child. These results suggest that most, if not all, children commit scale errors during early childhood.

The current research examined infants' ability to generalize information about the nonobvious properties of objects depicted in picture books to their real-world referents. Infants aged 13, 15, and 18 months (N = 135) were shown a series of pictures depicting an adult acting on a novel object to elicit a nonobvious property of that object. Infants were subsequently tested on their extension of the nonobvious property to the real-world object depicted in the book and their generalization of this property to a different color exemplar of the depicted object. Results indicated that, regardless of age, infants expected the real-world objects to have the nonobvious property, as indicated by their attempts to elicit this property with these objects. These findings indicate that early in their second year of life, infants are beginning to make inductive inferences about nonobvious object properties based on information provided in pictures.

Extensive exposure to representational media is common for infants in Western culture, and previous research has shown that soon after their 1st birthday, infants can acquire and extend new information from pictures to real objects. Here we explore the extent to which lack of exposure to pictures during infancy affects children's learning from pictures. Infants were recruited from a rural village in Tanzania and had no prior experience with pictures. After a picture book interaction during which a novel depicted object was labeled, we assessed infants' learning and transfer of the label from pictures to their referents. In a 2nd study, we assessed infants' learning and generalization of new names using real objects, rather than pictures. Tanzanian infants demonstrated a similar pattern of learning and generalization from real objects, when compared with infants in Western culture. However, there was a significant difference in learning and generalization from pictures to real objects. These findings provide evidence for the important role of early experience with representational media in children's ability to use pictures as a source of information about the world.

Early Educators are charged with the duty of preparing pre-operational kids with the social skills necessary to be ready for school and to teach them basic symbolic skills required for literacy, mathematics, and spatial awareness.  For this reason it is proposed that we assess for these two skill sets together in order to devise appropriate educational plans.  The goal of this assessment is to capitalize on the relation between social and symbolic behaviors in such a way that we can use particular social and symbolic strengths to facilitate overall social and symbolic development, both with children on an individual basis and also in designing inclusive work groups that put children together on the basis of strengths and weaknesses.

Development in any domain is often characterized by increasingly abstract representations. Recent evidence in the domain of shape recognition provides one example; between 18 and 24 months children appear to build increasingly abstract representations of object shape [Smith, L. B. (2003). Learning to recognize objects. Psychological Science, 14, 244– 250]. Abstraction is in part simplification because it requires the removal of irrelevant information. At the same time, part of generalization is ignoring irrelevant differences. The resulting prediction is this: simplification may enable generalization. Four experiments asked whether simple training instances could shortcut the process of abstraction and directly promote appropriate generalization. Toddlers were taught novel object categories with either simple or complex training exemplars. We found that children who learned with simple objects were able to generalize according to shape similarity, typically relevant for early object categories, better than those who learned with complex objects. Abstraction is the product of learning; using simplified – already abstracted instances – can short-cut that learning, leading to robust generalization.