Home Alone and its Effects on Early Childhood

After being left to at home on Christmas holiday, Kevin must protect his home from burglars, and in the preoperational stage Kevin is able to think logically and effectively to stay alive until his family notices they have forgotten him, and return for him. Kevin utilizes Piaget’s view on private speech when creating most of his contraptions, as well as, being able to effectively plan and calculate the exact time to act. In Home Alone, Kevin also show Vygotsky’s Theory of Social Development using information processes which enhances from infancy.

Kevin is now able to operate executive function, memory, emergency literacy, and mathematical reasoning.

Private speech is a self directed speech used by children, and Piaget viewed it as an egocentric speech. Egocentrism is being unable to differ between other’s beliefs and self beliefs. The child often uses it to guide their thinking and working processes. Private speech also become more prevalent when the challenges increases. Private speech allows for a child to learn what works and does not work during tasks.

A main aspect of Vygotsky’s Theory of Social Development is the gains in information processing. In early childhood, a child is capable of executive function which allows a child to shift focus easily, use the working memory, and incorporate planning. Next, memory is remarkably important for recall (long term memory) and recognition (perception). Lastly, it is the theory involves emergent literacy and mathematical reasoning in early child development which expands a child’s level of understanding.

Home Alone. The film was created in 1990, and is about an eight-year-old boy, Kevin, who is forgotten at home during Christmas vacation. While at home, Kevin realizes that there are burglars trying to rob his home. Evidently, he knows he must protect his home and conjures up plan to defeat the burglars. Moreover, at the airport his family soon realizes they are missing their son, and tries to get back to him. However, they do not get back in time, and Kevin must defend his home on his own. Kevin came up with strategic plans while protecting himself from being hurt or worse, killed by the dangerous men.

Kevin’s Incorporation of Private Speech. During the movie, Kevin is seen using private speech. He is continuously saying things aloud as if he is expecting assurance that the task he is doing is correct. Continuously, when he is planning the traps for the burglars, Kevin sometimes says the plan as he works through it, and shows the “audience” what the trap entails. The burglars underestimate him because he is just a “kid.” But are soon surprised when he is able to outsmart the burglars and defend his home.

Theory of Social Development in Home Alone. Kevin proves Vygotsky’s theory by utilizing his executive function. He was able to change his focus where it was needed. Kevin was able to focus on the burglars and not lose focus on the men trying to kill and rob his home. Also, Kevin employs his mathematical reasoning abundantly in this film. He was able to plan traps at the points of entry he knew the men would come through, and correctly reason which traps would work effectively on the men. Lastly, the emergent literacy was principal in this film because Kevin was able to understand the plan of the burglars, and take care of himself while his family left him Home Alone. Kevin’s literacy helps him tremendously in communicating with the man he met at the church, and planning out the traps effectively.

In conclusion, theories in child development can be clearly seen in media. A theory that can be seen in Home Alone is Vygotsky’s Theory of Social Development because it applies mainly to how the cognitive skill develop in Early Childhood development. Also, the use of Private Speech was also widely used in the film and in turn greatly helped Kevin stay safe and protect his home.

Did you like this example?

340

14