By: Stephanie
The Situation:
A family has hired you to act as a baby-sitter for their
children for one weekend. The family's children are a oneyear-old girl, a five-year-old boy, and an eleven-year-old girl.
The family has hired you because of your vast knowledge of
intelligence, developmental psychology, and creativity.
While you are babysitting, you must intellectually challenge
the children and encourage cognitive development in them.
To do this you will be bringing books, providing them with
toys, involving them in activities, and watching a television
show or movie. Each child must have his or her own
enrichment. In addition, you may spend a maximum of $100
for each child.
Activity: Laundry toss
The young girl will be shooting socks or other
articles into a laundry basket. In the story
“Christopher counting”, Christopher counts how
many baskets his friend makes. Now, the young
girl can actually try her hand at something she
read while also helping to clean up the house!
Piaget’s Theory- this is helping to build her concepts
of reality, and her physical interaction with the
environment. She is not just reading the story, but
actually doing some of the activities herself.
Gardner’s Theory- This is an example of Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence because the
young girl is now seeing how mental and physical activities are related.
Toy: Infantino My First Color Puzzles
These 6 puzzles by Infantino match up and spin!
See how colors are made with 6 amazing color spinners!
Piaget’s Theory:
These puzzles have many colors and spin, the young girl can make a mental
picture that will now help her relate these color and images to things she sees
on a daily basis
Gardner’s Theory:
Spatial Intelligence by using mental images
to solve problems
TV Show: Dora the Explorer
A young girl with her monkey friend use a map to go on a search for
different treasures every episode. Throughout each episode, Dora
plays games with the audience such as counting, finding shapes, or
making sounds to get her to her destination.
Piaget’s Theory:
This involves play in student learning because even though the
young girl may think she is just watching a show and playing along
with the character, she is really learning basic skills to get her mind
rolling.
Gardner’s Theory:
Musical Intelligence because she must relate
sound and rhythm to help her get to the treasure.
Book: Christopher Counting
When Christopher Rabbit learns to count in school,
he enjoys it so much that he counts everything in sight,
including how many baskets his friends make when they play
basketball and how many peas and carrots are on his plate.
Piaget’s Theory:
In the story, the child can relate Christopher’s experiences to
their own. For example, every young child is forced to eat their peas
and carrots and now the child can relate their experiences and also
learn how to count.
Gardner’s Theory:
The counting works on the child’s logical-mathematical intelligence
because it helps with the ability to reason deductively and thinking
logically.
Movie: Baby Einstein: World Music
Einstein goes global, traveling around the world to introduce young viewers to
different cultures and types of music.
Piaget’s theory:
This movie introduces the child to different places around the world as well as the
musical aspect of it. These sounds and places will create the girls visual “map”
Gardner’s theory:
Musical Intelligence because the music will help the child build her auditory
functions.
Book: Big Truck and Little Truck
Big Truck and Little Truck worked on Farley's farm. Big Truck taught Little
Truck everything he knew. He taught him how to carry crops. He taught
him how to stake scarecrows. He even taught him how to pull his wheels
out of a muddy rut in the road. Big Truck could do anything.
But one day, Big Truck's engine wouldn't start. A tow truck came to take
him away to the shop, leaving Little Truck frightened and alone. Would Big
Truck be okay? Could Little Truck manage all by himself?
Piaget’s Theory:
The child must think of experiences and try to figure
out an outcome to the problem.
Gardner’s Theory:
Spatial Intelligence, the ability to create mental images
in order to solve problems.
Activity: Dora’s Tropical Fruit Salad
All boys love doing hands on things so what is a better thing than cooking! The
child can help make this colorful fruit salad while learning shapes and the
different colors. And best of all, when the work is done everyone gets to eat, not
to mention that it’s healthy!
Piaget’s Theory:
Concrete situation because directions are provided in order to figure
out how to do it.
Gardner’s Theory:
Logical-Mathematical Intelligence, ability to detect patterns
and measure mathematically
Toy: Connect Four
This game is two players so the babysitter can get involved. Boys are usually
competitive so this game will give them something to play for! You must get four in
a row of your color to win!
Piaget’s Theory:
Creates a mental map to figure out the patterns
of the pieces in order to get four in a row
Gardner’s Theory:
Logical-Mathematical Intelligence, the ability
to detect patterns
TV Show: Bob the Builder
Bob and his team must work together to repair buildings and other things throughout
their town. This shows how they work together to get the job done!
Piaget’s Theory:
Understanding experiences you would see in your own life
Gardner’s Theory:
Logical-Mathematical Intelligence, think logically and reason deductively
Movie: Secrets of the Furious Five
After defeating Tai Lung, Dragon Warrior Po (Jack Black)
faces his biggest challenge yet--teaching an introduction
to kung fu class filled with eager young bunnies.
Piaget’s Theory:
Concrete physical situations shown
Gardner’s Theory:
Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence, mental ability
to coordinate bodily movements. Mental and
physical are related.
Book: Nancy Drew The Secret of the Old Clock
Nancy is a sixteen-year-old high school graduate who desires to
help the Horners, who are poor, struggling relatives of recently
deceased Josiah Crowley. She is spurred on by her dislike for his
"heirs," who are snobbish, wealthy, social climbers. A clue to the
whereabouts of Crowley's will are hidden in an old clock. Nancy
interviews various relatives and friends of Crowley, and has a run-in with
thieves while trying to recover Crowley's mantel clock.
Piaget’s Theory:
Abstract problem solving
Gardner’s Theory:
Spatial Intelligence, create mental images to
solve problems
Activity: Bike riding
She can go outdoors and ride around the neighborhood
Instead of being stuck in the house all day and it’s a great
Workout.
Piaget’s Theory:
Physical experience
Gardner’s Theory:
Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence, mental ability
to coordinate bodily movements
Toy: Clue
A board game where each player must try and solve
a murder mystery by getting clues and guessing how and
where it happened and who did it!
Piaget’s Theory:
Logical structures that explain
Experiences
Gardner’s Theory:
Logical-Mathematical Intelligence, detect
patterns while solving the mystery
Spatial Intelligence, mental images to help
reach a conclusion
TV Show: Wizards of Waverly Place
A family of wizards lives in a normal town
where no one else knows they have magic powers.
The family must keep their secret while learning
life lessons by doing so.
Piaget’s Theory:
Solving problems within the family
Gardner’s Theory:
The Personal Intelligences, understand
feelings and motivations of others and of
yourself
Movie: UP
The story of an old man looking for adventure.
He turns his house into a somewhat hot air balloon
and he travels to South America where he runs into
many exciting things.
Piaget’s Theory:
Seeing the experiences of a man as he
Heads to another part of the world
Gardner’s Theory:
Spatial Intelligence, creating
f mental images
http://www.funderstanding.com/content/piaget
http://www.springhurst.org/articles/MItheory.htm
http://wmars.cwmars.org/search~S201?/jcounting/jcounting/1%2C18%2C1378%
2CB/frameset&FF=jcounting+books&1%2C1%2C/indexsort=http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3471711
http://shopping.yahoo.com/p:Big%20Truck%20and%20Little%20Truck:30002460
12;_ylc=X3oDMTB1c21tcDhkBF9TAzk2NjMyOTA3BHNlYwNmZWVkBHNsawNib29r
cw-http://www.nickjr.com/recipes/doras-tropical-fruit-salad.jhtml
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2267242&isTopSellingIte
m=true
http://www.nickjr.com/parenting/flicks_for_kids/ffk-secrets-of-the-furiousfive.jhtml