Source: https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-for-primary-childrens-language-development-seneca-certified/1-2-7-social-constructionism [Revision notes](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes.md) › [Teacher CPD](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd.md) › [CPD for Primary: Children's Language Development - Seneca Certified](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-for-primary-childrens-language-development-seneca-certified.md) › Social Constructionism # Social Constructionism CPD for Primary: Children's Language Development (by Tom Hollins), topic 1.2.7 ## Social Constructionism Social constructionists believe that children learn to construct language based on gathering rules from language. Essentially, structure is developed from listening to the use of language. ### Origins ![Origins](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-08/9b4b0345-f42a-45c7-8f85-22e4d2aca14d/calendar-january.jpg) - Social constructionism was first developed by __Wittgenstein__ in the 1950s but was built upon by __Tomasello__ in 2003. ### Intention reading and pattern finding ![Intention reading and pattern finding](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-09/4d4d58b1-1aa0-49c9-9506-f57f1aa1da13/reading-children-books-.jpg) - __Tomasello__’s theory states that children listen to language and do two things: - Intention reading – children learn how to use language to achieve social ends - Pattern finding – children look at many utterances and develop schemas based on patterns in language ### __Braine__ ![__Braine__](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-03/a5047728-fda1-424c-83a2-bba2837245cd/shutterstock_218186962.jpg) - __Tomasello__’s pattern finding theory builds on a theory proposed by __Braine__ in the 1960s. - __Braine__’s theory proposed that children learn language in a __‘slot and frame’__ manner. - Essentially, the child develops a schema in which variables can be placed to suit the situation. - For example, a child may learn the scheme __‘I + want + a + non-specific item’__ to form utterances like __‘I want a drink’__ or to form the past tense, use a scheme like __‘I + Xed + it’__ and substitute a verb into the X – like __‘I liked it’__. ### Challenging social constructionism ![Challenging social constructionism](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-09/73d35e89-2ebd-4dbd-a75a-18d839fe0b06/brain-1845962_1920.jpg) - Children may understand social concepts (like __‘mummy’__ and __‘daddy’__) before the intention reading stage starts. - There is a fundamental lack of evidence – we cannot truly know what happens in a child’s brain. ## Well done! Thank you for completing our CPD course. We hope you've enjoyed it and that it has given you some ideas for your own classroom. [GIF: ](https://i.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTc5MGI3NjExNzNjYmVuY29hdGwyMHNycGFheGI0a29mNjA4ZGVtanF2ZTh0NTZ3OSZlcD12MV9pbnRlcm5hbF9naWZfYnlfaWQmY3Q9Zw/l0MYCn3DDRBBqk6nS/giphy.mp4) ## Test yourself on Social Constructionism [Practise this topic for free](https://app.senecalearning.com/classroom/course/8ba0c8b1-9e90-4088-8dd8-d20e52cdbc5b/section/656d0f54-cc56-4b8d-bfbe-d7cf5d5b38c1/session) - Previous topic: [1.2.6 Cognitivism](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-for-primary-childrens-language-development-seneca-certified/1-2-6-cognitivism.md) ## CPD for Primary: Children's Language Development (by Tom Hollins) contents ### 1 Children's Language Development - 1.1 Stages of Development - [1.1.1 A Child's First Year & Consonant Acquisition](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-for-primary-childrens-language-development-seneca-certified/1-1-1-a-childs-first-year-and-consonant-acquisition.md) - [1.1.2 Consonant Acquisition](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-for-primary-childrens-language-development-seneca-certified/1-1-2-consonant-acquisition.md) - [1.1.3 Beginning Stages of Language](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-for-primary-childrens-language-development-seneca-certified/1-1-3-beginning-stages-of-language.md) - [1.1.4 Lexical Development](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-for-primary-childrens-language-development-seneca-certified/1-1-4-lexical-development.md) - [1.1.5 Stages of Development](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-for-primary-childrens-language-development-seneca-certified/1-1-5-stages-of-development.md) - [1.1.6 Grammatical Constructions](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-for-primary-childrens-language-development-seneca-certified/1-1-6-grammatical-constructions.md) - 1.2 Theories of Language Development - [1.2.1 Behaviourism](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-for-primary-childrens-language-development-seneca-certified/1-2-1-behaviourism.md) - [1.2.2 Interactionism](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-for-primary-childrens-language-development-seneca-certified/1-2-2-interactionism.md) - [1.2.3 Interactionism 2](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-for-primary-childrens-language-development-seneca-certified/1-2-3-interactionism-2.md) - [1.2.4 Nativism](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-for-primary-childrens-language-development-seneca-certified/1-2-4-nativism.md) - [1.2.5 Chomsky](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-for-primary-childrens-language-development-seneca-certified/1-2-5-chomsky.md) - [1.2.6 Cognitivism](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-for-primary-childrens-language-development-seneca-certified/1-2-6-cognitivism.md) - [1.2.7 Social Constructionism](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/teacher-cpd/cpd-for-primary-childrens-language-development-seneca-certified/1-2-7-social-constructionism.md)