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Metacognitive Development in Early Childhood: New Questions about Old Assumptions

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Trends and Prospects in Metacognition Research

Abstract

Age-related improvements in children’s ability to monitor and regulate their mental operations are widely recognized to be a driving force in cognitive development, underlying age-related improvements in accuracy on a wide variety of tasks. Thus, a major focus of metacognitive research is the development of these skills during childhood. This work has primarily focused on achievements in middle childhood, largely because prevailing views hold that young children have extremely limited abilities in this domain. However, there is good evidence to suggest that young children may be more metacognitively skilled than previously assumed. This chapter reviews previous research, as well as recent findings from naturalistic and experimental studies to argue that critical milestones in metacognition are achieved in early childhood, providing the foundation for learning in a host of domains and subsequent metacognitive development. Then we discuss theoretical issues to consider when formulating a comprehensive model of metacognitive development in early childhood.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology & Center for Mind and Brain, University of California, Davis, 1 Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, 95616, USA

    Kristen E. Lyons

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  1. Kristen E. Lyons
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  2. Simona Ghetti
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Correspondence to Kristen E. Lyons .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Psychology, Aristotle Univ. of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, 541 24, Greece

    Anastasia Efklides

  2. Dept. Primary Education, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, 451, Greece

    Plousia Misailidi

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Lyons, K.E., Ghetti, S. (2010). Metacognitive Development in Early Childhood: New Questions about Old Assumptions. In: Efklides, A., Misailidi, P. (eds) Trends and Prospects in Metacognition Research. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-6546-2_12

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