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How young children perceive symbols in their environment

The August 2005 issue of Scientific American included an extensive article, "Mindful of Symbols," on the use of symbols by children 30-months and younger. The author, Judy S. DeLoache, has concluded that young children have difficulty grasping the process of thinking symbolically. They mistake photographed objects for the real thing, for example, and treat small toys as if they are much larger. The article explained that grasping the meaning of a symbol entails dual representation and that children are capable of this only when they can see an object -- both as itself and as depicting something else. These conclusions could have implications in the infant/toddler classroom, where we bombard children with visual images, often at the wrong scale.

The study cited in the article was conducted at the Child Study Center of the University of Virginia, where researchers investigate the development of infants and young children. Most of the research focuses on early cognitive development and how young children begin to master the many symbols that are so important for thought and communication with others.

The original Scientific American story article be found here. For more about the Child Study Center of the University of Virginia's research and to see video clips of children in the research study, go to:

www.faculty.virginia.edu/childstudycenter/researchprojects.html

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