AP Psychology Students Visit Preschool to Observe Early-Childhood Development Practices at Work

In a unit studying the work of childhood development thought leaders like Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky, St. Margaret’s Upper School AP psychology students had the opportunity to see early-childhood development theories in action during an observation of students in St. Margaret’s Preschool.

 

The psychology students are studying the stages of human development, and in particular Piaget and Vygotsky. The theories of these two psychologists helped form a foundation for St. Margaret’s constructivist curriculum in the Preschool. That connection gave the Upper School students a unique opportunity.

 

Specifically, Vygotsky theorized that learning is a social activity, and children have a zone of proximal development where learning can be “scaffolded” by a teacher or a more capable peer.

 

“Teachers construct environments in a way that is tailored to each child’s learning needs,” said St. Margaret’s Academic Dean Jeneen Graham, who teaches AP psychology along with Nicki Yokota. “Everything that is done in our preschool, from the classroom centers to the gross motor station to the dramatic play area, is an effort to engage students in socially constructing their knowledge.”

 

Psychology students visited the Preschool, diligently taking notes as the young Tartans engaged in a variety of activities both in the classroom and outside. The psychology students then were tasked with making connections between what they observed and how it was based on Piagetian or Vygotskian theories.

 

To further help the students understand the unit, St. Margaret’s Early Childhood Development Center Director Cris Lozon was a guest lecturer, speaking to the Upper School students specifically about Vygotsky, his impact on child development and how social interactions help develop children’s thinking on how the world works.

 

“Dr. Lozon’s lessons really helped our students better understand his theories,” Dr. Graham said.

 

The unit offered an opportunity for St. Margaret’s educators to leverage the unique preschool-grade 12 campus as a classroom and opportunity for learning—something the school has prioritized in its ambitious Strategic Plan.