Learning
Children learn many things early on in their simplest
form. Infants can tell the differences between languages by the sounds
and the relevant contrast of the mother language. They also are able
to detect differences in lip movement and sounds. There are four
main areas of new research in this area.
The first area of new research is an infant's predispositioned
to learn certain information early on. A great example is an infant’s
response to animate versus inanimate objects. Researcher's noticed
that infants can tell whether an object is animate or not by using an echidna.
The infant was able to tell that the echidna was alive because it moved
up and down on its own, whereas, an inanimate object could not move without
help. Infants also understand the notion of support, however, only
to a limited extent. If a block is held in mid-air, then it is perceived
as impossible by the infant.
Another area of new research is the strategies and
metacognition of infants, the multiple intelligences, and the necessity
for infants to have guides for the learning process. There are several
strategies that an infant might use to learn various activities.
Multiple intelligences, explain how a child learns and becomes strong in
one area but weaker in other areas. Guides or teachers can help strengthen
the weaknesses formed by particular strategies and enhance strategies that
are already strong. So if an infant learns certain strengths and weaknesses
at an early age, then how do behaviors develop? I am asking this
question because there are many theories that say that infants learn behaviors
from people around them, but some infants behave in ways that nobody has
taught them.
I relate the idea of multiple intelligences to my
own life, because I have become more math and science centered than other
subjects. As an infant, I spent a great deal of time focusing my
attention on numbers. Research has proven that infants notice patterns
of numbers up to four. My mom told me that I spent a great deal of
time playing with my sister when she would hide my teddy bears and then
when she would appear with an extra bear.
