Executive Functions and educational actions in an infant school: private uses and gestures at the end of the first year / Funciones Ejecutivas y acción educativa en la Escuela Infantil: usos y gestos privados al final del primer año

Abstract

From the end of the first year children begin to self-regulate their own behaviour. Executive Functions are already present. This paper shows evidence — from a longitudinal case study carried out at an infant school — of the beginnings of the functional use of a spoon by an 11-month-old child through self-regulatory processes with non-linguistic semiotic systems. These involve (1) private gestures including (a) ostensive, (b) pointing, (c) symbolic and (d) emotional gestures; (2) attempts at grasping; and (3) proto-canonical uses of the spoon. This self-regulation process is enhanced by the educational intervention of the teacher who demonstrates its use, invites, re-orientates and evaluates the child’s entry into spoon uses.