Connection to behavior

Just came across a link between a child's behavior and cognitive development, which follows up on what I wrote below. Here is a quote from "How to Behave So Your Preschooler Will, Too!" by Sol Severe, Penguin Books, 2002, p. 109:

Preschoolers learn to make decisions by predicting the outcome of their actions. They must be able to see the relationship between cause and effect, how they behave and what happens to them... They need to know the consequences. Children will learn this cause-and-effect relationship more quickly when you behave consistently.

Of course, the same can be said (and in spades) about predicting how the world works. There is cause and effect everywhere around us. A child's task is to become aware of these, and to understand them. Consistent patterns in the world lead a child to formulating realistic hypotheses, and reinforcing or contradicting them by experience. How does this translate practically? I'll give you an example regarding child's play, to follow up on yesterday's post.

My three-year-old was given a toy when he was about a year old. It is a variation on a classic toy. He was to put a ball in a hole at the top of a spiral track, and watch it roll down. So far, so good. The problem is, the manufacturers insisted on adding features, namely flashing lights, and "music". The problem is, in the real world, (unless we live in a world of dominos), most of our actions result in a single, immediate response, that is a direct result of our input. But the pressing of the button at the top of the track results in anywhere from 3-10 seconds of noise and lights, none of which has much connection to the child's activity.

A child exposed to this sort of thing too often will have more difficulty formulating accurate expectations of the world. In contrast, if a child for instance hits a metal slat on a toy xylophon, the sound is brief, immediate, and in direct correlation with his own action, helping him to understand both his role in the world, and the result of his behavior. If she hits it harder, the sound will be louder and more abrupt. If he hits it with a soft mallet, a more dampened sound occurs. This sort of experimentation will lead the children more readily to understanding the world around them, and will aid them in developing cognitive skills.

Short of getting manufacturers to change their production practices, or designing our own line of children's toys, my advice is simple: take out the batteries!