The aim of this fourth edition remains the same - to introduce students to Piaget's theory of how children construct and acquire knowledge. It has been updated and revised to incorporate the most important developments in Piagetian theory over the last several years. This fourth edition includes more information on the philosophic foundations of Piaget's thought; expanded discussion of affective development and its relatinoship to cognitive development; new material on the implications of Piaget's theory for education; and three new appendices - what Piaget's theory says about children learning to read; Piaget's constructivist theory and mathematics education; and computers, children and Piaget.
While I can't say that reading Piaget is the first thing I'd like to do on summer vacation, I must say I read a lot of this in airports, and it was REALLY interesting to see all of the parents interact with their children. I'm not an expert or anything on the ages of children, but it was a fun experiment to see how they interacted with their environment.
Something that turned me a bit off of this book was how repetitive it is. I suppose that I should be thankful for that, because it helps to reiterate points, and make sure that I understand something...but I felt like several of the chapters went into far too much depth in 'reviewing' previous stages. I really appreciate conciseness in textbooks, however I don't think textbook authors do. :)
This is a really great book for anyone interested in Piaget's stages of development...which is me, I suppose. :) Definitely worth a read if you are interested in education or working with children.
I highly recommend this book for both pre-service and experienced teachers. Wadsworth does an excellent job of summarizing Piaget's research and the resulting theories of cognitive development.
If teachers had a better understanding of development theory, curriculum construction would be much more effective and classroom management would lead to fewer power struggles.
I picked this up as a refresher and an easy overview. Very well written. Clear and easy to follow. Restates main ideas frequently. Extensive references and bibliography. Wadsworth writes with a personable voice. Includes several pertinent application chapters for educators. Works well as an introduction to Piaget, also, for those readers who are unfamiliar with his body of work.