Chapter 4: Concept Development

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:

• Define what a “concept” is and recognize how they surround us in day-to-day life
• Identify activities that can serve as opportunities to support children’s conceptual development
• Explain the role that cultural tools (e.g., artifacts and objects) and social interactions (e.g., with other children or adults) play in supporting children’s conceptual development
• Describe how key concepts are developed during early childhood, such as spatial knowledge, numeracy, and causality