There are many ways in which cultural differences impact cognitive development. One of the areas in which we see the impact relating to cultural differences is with the development of reasoning and problem solving skills as is discussed in Chapter 8 of our textbook. "Because our habits of mind are influenced by our cultural and historical circumstances, the decision-making strategies that we seek to promote in students reflect our own culture" (Brenner & Parks, 2001). We must be aware of this and ensure that we are taking the cultural backgrounds of the children we work with into consideration as we help them to develop the ability to reason and solve problems. In this discussion, you will examine the social and cultural impacts on cognitive development by taking a deeper look at the development of reasoning and problem solving skills. Before responding to this discussion, review the Week Four Instructor Guidance for additional information, resources, and support.

Explain how cognitive characteristics help children learn how to reason, when these abilities to reason develop, and the role social skills play in the ability to reason. Use examples to support your thinking.

Discuss the cognitive characteristics that help children learn how to develop problem solving skills including the role culture plays in the way a child reasons or solves problems.

Describe how the development of reasoning and problem solving skills relates to Vygotsky's social constructivist approach and the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD). Use one additional scholarly source and examples to support your thinking.

Examine the cultural considerations that need to be taken into account when planning strategies to develop reasoning and problem solving skills. Provide a specific example for both reasoning and problem solving that supports your examination.

Cognitive, language, and motor skills are often thought to be closely interrelated developmental areas, because as children develop in these domains, they appear to demonstrate correlated developmental pathways. For this discussion you will need to choose one age group from the chart below and review all three videos for the age group you choose. After watching Pollack's (n.d.) videos, address the points listed below. Before responding to this discussion, review the Week Four Instructor Guidance for additional information, resources, and support.

- Explain the cognitive, linguistic, and motor milestones for this particular age group.

- Discuss the connection and/or relationship between cognitive, language, and motor skills and the areas of the brain associated with language and motor functioning. Support your discussion with at least one additional scholarly source.

- Give an example of how you might see this relationship inside and/or outside of the classroom. Make sure your example addresses the connection between each domain.

- Discuss how you can apply a strategy in the classroom or in a professional setting that incorporates and utilizes these three developmental skills.