There are many ways in which cultural differences impact cognitive development. One of the areas in which we see the impact relating to cultural differences is with the development of reasoning and problem solving skills as is discussed in Chapter 8 of our textbook. Because our habits of mind are influenced by our cultural and historical circumstances, the decision-making strategies that we seek to promote in students reflect our own culture (Brenner & Parks, 2001). We must be aware of this and ensure that we are taking the cultural backgrounds of the children we work with into consideration as we help them to develop the ability to reason and solve problems. In this discussion, you will examine the social and cultural impacts on cognitive development by taking a deeper look at the development of reasoning and problem solving skills. Before responding to this discussion, review the Week Four Instructor Guidance for additional information, resources, and support. Cognitive, language, and motor skills are often thought to be closely interrelated developmental areas, because as children develop in these domains, they appear to demonstrate correlated developmental pathways. For this discussion you will need to choose one age group from the chart below and review all three videos for the age group you choose. After watching Pollacks (n.d.) videos, address the points listed below. Before responding to this discussion, review the Week Four Instructor Guidance for additional information, resources, and support.
