Traditional Academic
Children’s reasoning becomes logical and is no longer limited by immediate perceptions. Early on they usually can apply logical processes or operations only to concrete objects or events and they have difficulty with purely verbal or hypothetical problems. They can revise previous conclusions to consider new information, consider more than one part of a problem at a time, follow steps in a sequence, and reverse those steps.
Later (11 years and up), they develop the potential to solve abstract problems by using logical thought. They are no longer dependent on the here and now rather, they can draw logical conclusions both inductively and deductively.
Cognitive and Communication Milestones
- Begin to take the viewpoint of others
- Theory of mind more complex
- Decreased egocentrism
- Considers multiple variables when problem solving
- Understands subcategories
- Move from beginning logical (7-11 years) to fully logical (11+ years)
- Begin to understand abstract concepts and figurative language at 11+ years
- Demonstrate understanding of conservation
- Engage in conversation and can explain social relationships
- Use literacy skills to read and write
- Selective attention matures
- Complex planning abilities (11+ years)
Strategies to AVOID
Strategy to AVOID |
Rationale |
What to do instead |
---|---|---|
Solely whole group or lecture-based instruction |
Students continue to need multisensory instruction and varied stimuli |
|
Requiring or expecting logical thinking/reasoning |
Logical reasoning does not fully develop until around 10 years of age so many students will continue to need adults to support activities that rely on logic or abstract thinking |
|
Abstract or hypothetical situations |
Students still need information to be connected to real-life |
|
Extensive group work (early to middle of range) |
Extensive group work (e.g., big projects which span multiple days and/or weeks) requires perspective taking, logical thinking, reasoning, and complex planning. These skills do not fully develop until the end of the stage. |
|
Too much delay in reinforcement and/or cost response systems (early to middle of range) |
While students can now respond to more generalized or secondary reinforcers, and intrinsic motivation is emerging, students can become disengaged or lack motivation if tasks become too lengthy abstract, or difficult and are not supported with sufficient acknowledgement and reinforcement |
|
Emphasis on rote learning without offering opportunity for critical thinking/ consideration of multiple variables/reasoning |
Learning occurs beyond rote memorization and as academic learners; students need to be able to apply learned information to new scenarios |
|
Strategies to Use
Strategy to Use |
Rationale |
Examples |
---|---|---|
An array of visual supports (to support comprehension, behavior) |
Visual supports continue to be meaningful and increased literacy skills will also support text-based visuals |
|
Skills embedded in routines and activities |
Routines help individuals feel safe, secure, and in control which reduces negative behaviors, supports higher rates of engagement, and fosters independence |
|
Picture/Text-Based Communication Systems |
Due to increased problem-solving, reasoning, language, and literacy skills, students who are non-verbal will be able to communicate more complex ideas using picture-based communication systems and with emerging literacy they may even be able to utilize keyboards with word prediction. |
|
Delay in reinforcement if visually represented |
Reinforcement continues to be an important positive behavior support to support engagement and participation |
|
Negative Reinforcement |
Students have a better understanding of actions and consequences as well as processing multiple variables |
|
Opportunities for multi-variable thinking and problem solving (middle/end of range) |
Students can now focus on more than one feature of a problem at a time |
|
Reasoning, discussion/dialogues, beginning to explain the "why" of rules (logical thinking) |
Logic is emerging and students understand more abstract language and concepts. |
|