"Contrasting Theories of Child Development: Continuous vs. Discontinuous Perspectives" (2024)

Due Date: Points:

Overview:

Throughout your coursework and professional career, it is extremely important that you write in your own words. You will often be tasked with reading psychological materials and then to incorporate the content into a paper or other type of written or oral presentation. At times, the material you are reading might be quite technical, and it may be challenging for you to present these ideas in your own words. This is your opportunity to practice this important skill.

Review the following websites to learn about summarizing:

• Purdue Owl: Quoting, Paraphrasing, and Summarizing

• Example of a Summary

Instructions:

For this assignment, you will:

• Read the passage (below) from an older edition of your textbook.

• Think about the main ideas contained in the passage.

• Make a list of four (4) main ideas contained in the passage.

• In your own words (no direct quoting), summarize the main ideas in paragraph

form with a minimum of four (4) complete sentences.

Textbook Passage:

“Continuous theories of development assume that development occurs in a smooth progression as skills develop and experiences are provided by caregivers and the environment. Continuous theories emphasize the importance of environment rather than heredity in determining development. A second perspective assumes that children progress through a set of predictable and invariant stages of development. All children are believed to acquire skills in the same sequence, although rates of progress differ from child to child. The abilities children gain in each subsequent stage are not simple “More of the same”; at each stage, children develop qualitatively different understandings, abilities, and beliefs. Skipping stages is rare or impossible, although at any given point the

PSY260 – Educational Psychology

Summarization Assignment PSY260–EducationalPsychology SummarizationAssignment

See Also

Open Access Week | Purdue Libraries

Did not summarize. Only one main idea was included. Quoted excessively or used word substitutions excessively. Included an excessive amount of extra information not found in original source.

Demonstrated adequate understanding of passage material. Some main ideas were incorporated. Some quoting and/or used word substitution was present. Included some extra information not found in original source.

Demonstrated mastery of passage material. Incorporated most main ideas. A few word substitutions or extra information were included.

Demonstrated excellent mastery of passage essence. Incorporated all main ideas in own words. Quotes, word substitutions, and extra information were not included.

0 points 4-5 points

Scholarly Source Reference citation was absent.

— —

Reference citation was included and correct.

0-11 points 12-15 points 16-17 points 18-20 points

Structure and Flow

Flow is poor. Paragraphing is inappropriate. Transitions are minimal or absent. Significant redundancy is evident.

Flow is adequate. Paragraphs may be too long or too short. Transitions are minimal, and redundancy is evident.

Flow is good. Paragraphing is mostly appropriate. Transitions are present, and redundancies are minimal.

Flow is excellent. Paragraphing is clear, and transitions are smooth and consistent. Inappropriate redundancies are absent.

0-11 points 12-15 points 16-17 points 18-20 points

Grammar and Spelling

Errors impede professional presentation; guidelines not followed.

Numerous errors somewhat interfere with professional presentation.

Few errors that do not impede professional presentation.

Writing and format are clear, professional, and error-free.

### Main Ideas:

1. Continuous theories of development emphasize a smooth, progressive development influenced by the environment.
2. Discontinuous theories of development propose that children progress through set stages that are qualitatively different from each other.
3. According to discontinuous theories, all children develop skills in the same sequence, though the rate of progress varies.
4. Discontinuous theories focus on inborn factors rather than environmental influences to explain developmental changes.

### Summary:

Continuous theories of development suggest that growth happens gradually through environmental influences and caregiver support. In contrast, discontinuous theories argue that children go through distinct, predictable stages, each providing qualitatively different abilities and understandings. These stages occur in a specific order, but the rate of progress can vary among children. Discontinuous theories place greater emphasis on innate factors rather than environmental ones to explain development over time.

References:

Slavin, R. E. (2021). Educational psychology (13th ed.). Pearson Education.

### Evaluation Rubric for Summarization Assignment

**Summary Content**
– Demonstrated excellent mastery of passage essence. Incorporated all main ideas in own words. Quotes, word substitutions, and extra information were not included: **50-55 points**

**Scholarly Source**
– Reference citation was included and correct: **4-5 points**

**Structure and Flow**
– Flow is excellent. Paragraphing is clear, and transitions are smooth and consistent. Inappropriate redundancies are absent: **18-20 points**

**Grammar and Spelling**
– Writing and format are clear, professional, and error-free: **18-20 points**

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Be sure to follow the provided rubric to ensure your summarization meets the criteria and remember to review your work for clarity and correctness. If you need further assistance, feel free to ask!

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