DATA STRUCTURES AND ALGORITHMS I 2026
CODING CONCEPT REVIEW SHEET
◉ Constructivist Theory in Practice. Answer: For example: Groups of
students in a science class are discussing a problem in physics.
Though the teacher knows the "answer" to the problem, she focuses
on helping students restate their questions in useful ways. She
prompts each student to reflect on and examine his or her current
knowledge. When one of the students comes up with the relevant
concept, the teacher seizes upon it, and indicates to the group that
this might be a fruitful avenue for them to explore. They design and
perform relevant experiments. Afterward, the students and teacher
talk about what they have learned, and how their observations and
experiments helped (or did not help) them to better understand the
concept.
◉ Cognitive-constructivist view of reading. Answer: Aim to assist
students in assimilating new information to existing knowledge, as
well as enabling them to make the appropriate accommodations to
their existing intellectual framework to accommodate that
information. Ex. Because of Winn-Dixie; from her inference, and
active knowledge of the text says that people who have things in
common often become friends.
◉ Socio-cultural theory/Ex.. Answer: Extends the influence on the
cognitive-constructivist view out from the reader and the text into
,the larger social realm. Learning is viewed as social rather than
individual. -Lev Vygotsky Ex. Understanding the zone of proximal
development can be helpful for teachers.
In classroom settings, teachers may first assess students to
determine their current skill level. Educators can then offer
instruction that stretches the limits of each child's capabilities.
At first, the student may need assistance from an adult or a more
knowledgeable peer, but eventually, their zone of proximal
development will expand. Teachers can help promote this expansion
by:
Planning and organizing their instruction and lessons: For example,
the teacher might organize the class into groups where less skilled
children are paired with students who have a higher skill level.
Using hints, prompts, and direct instruction to help kids improve
their ability levels.
Scaffolding, where the teacher provides specific prompts to move
the child progressively forward toward a goal.
◉ Reader Response Theory. Answer: The main argument of reader-
response theory is that readers, as much as the text, play an active
role in a reading experience (Rosenblatt, 1994). This theory rejects
the structuralist view that meaning resides solely in the text. Words
in a text evoke images in readers' minds and readers bring their
experiences to this encounter.
,◉ Experiential Learning. Answer: As the name suggests, experiential
learning involves learning from experience. The theory was
proposed by psychologist David Kolb who was influenced by the
work of other theorists including John Dewey, Kurt Lewin, and Jean
Piaget
◉ Oral Language Development. Answer: The complex system that
relates sounds to meanings, is made of three components:
phonological, (rules for combining sounds) semantic, (the smallest
units of meaning that may be combined to make up words) and
syntactic (the rules that combine morphemes into sentences).
Reading and talking with children plays an important role in
developing their vocabulary. The more you talk to children, the
larger their vocabulary will develop. Note: Pragmatic is also the
rules that allow us to speak appropriately in different settings
◉ What are the stages of writing development?. Answer:
Scribbling/drawing
Letter like forms and shapes
Letters
Letters and spaces
Conventional writing and spelling (children in this stage spell most
words correctly with a reliance on knowledge of phonics to spell
longer words, they can punctuate, can properly use capital and
lower case letters. Writing different purposes is important,
handwriting and spelling becomes easier.
, ◉ What are stages of reading development. Answer: Early Emergent
Emergent (understands alphabet, phonological awareness and
knows phonics, have command of high frequency words, developing
comprehension and word attack skills, recognize types of texts, non-
fiction and fiction, and that reading has a variety of purposes).
Early Fluent
Fluent
◉ What are the stages of the alphabetic phase. Answer: The written
forms of spoken, alphabetic language languages which use letters
(graphemes) in a code to represent the sounds of speech
(phonemes) specific sequences of letters form words, this is the
alphabetic principle. If we obeyed this principle we wouldn't have
words like to, too, and two.
◉ Gradual release of responsibility. Answer: Teaching approach that
incorporates scaffolding (building on what the student already
knows) so that the responsibility for the content is shifted from
teacher to student.
◉ Strategies for vocabulary/literacy development. Answer:
Integration: connecting new vocabulary to prior knowledge
Repetition: encountering/using the word concept many times
CODING CONCEPT REVIEW SHEET
◉ Constructivist Theory in Practice. Answer: For example: Groups of
students in a science class are discussing a problem in physics.
Though the teacher knows the "answer" to the problem, she focuses
on helping students restate their questions in useful ways. She
prompts each student to reflect on and examine his or her current
knowledge. When one of the students comes up with the relevant
concept, the teacher seizes upon it, and indicates to the group that
this might be a fruitful avenue for them to explore. They design and
perform relevant experiments. Afterward, the students and teacher
talk about what they have learned, and how their observations and
experiments helped (or did not help) them to better understand the
concept.
◉ Cognitive-constructivist view of reading. Answer: Aim to assist
students in assimilating new information to existing knowledge, as
well as enabling them to make the appropriate accommodations to
their existing intellectual framework to accommodate that
information. Ex. Because of Winn-Dixie; from her inference, and
active knowledge of the text says that people who have things in
common often become friends.
◉ Socio-cultural theory/Ex.. Answer: Extends the influence on the
cognitive-constructivist view out from the reader and the text into
,the larger social realm. Learning is viewed as social rather than
individual. -Lev Vygotsky Ex. Understanding the zone of proximal
development can be helpful for teachers.
In classroom settings, teachers may first assess students to
determine their current skill level. Educators can then offer
instruction that stretches the limits of each child's capabilities.
At first, the student may need assistance from an adult or a more
knowledgeable peer, but eventually, their zone of proximal
development will expand. Teachers can help promote this expansion
by:
Planning and organizing their instruction and lessons: For example,
the teacher might organize the class into groups where less skilled
children are paired with students who have a higher skill level.
Using hints, prompts, and direct instruction to help kids improve
their ability levels.
Scaffolding, where the teacher provides specific prompts to move
the child progressively forward toward a goal.
◉ Reader Response Theory. Answer: The main argument of reader-
response theory is that readers, as much as the text, play an active
role in a reading experience (Rosenblatt, 1994). This theory rejects
the structuralist view that meaning resides solely in the text. Words
in a text evoke images in readers' minds and readers bring their
experiences to this encounter.
,◉ Experiential Learning. Answer: As the name suggests, experiential
learning involves learning from experience. The theory was
proposed by psychologist David Kolb who was influenced by the
work of other theorists including John Dewey, Kurt Lewin, and Jean
Piaget
◉ Oral Language Development. Answer: The complex system that
relates sounds to meanings, is made of three components:
phonological, (rules for combining sounds) semantic, (the smallest
units of meaning that may be combined to make up words) and
syntactic (the rules that combine morphemes into sentences).
Reading and talking with children plays an important role in
developing their vocabulary. The more you talk to children, the
larger their vocabulary will develop. Note: Pragmatic is also the
rules that allow us to speak appropriately in different settings
◉ What are the stages of writing development?. Answer:
Scribbling/drawing
Letter like forms and shapes
Letters
Letters and spaces
Conventional writing and spelling (children in this stage spell most
words correctly with a reliance on knowledge of phonics to spell
longer words, they can punctuate, can properly use capital and
lower case letters. Writing different purposes is important,
handwriting and spelling becomes easier.
, ◉ What are stages of reading development. Answer: Early Emergent
Emergent (understands alphabet, phonological awareness and
knows phonics, have command of high frequency words, developing
comprehension and word attack skills, recognize types of texts, non-
fiction and fiction, and that reading has a variety of purposes).
Early Fluent
Fluent
◉ What are the stages of the alphabetic phase. Answer: The written
forms of spoken, alphabetic language languages which use letters
(graphemes) in a code to represent the sounds of speech
(phonemes) specific sequences of letters form words, this is the
alphabetic principle. If we obeyed this principle we wouldn't have
words like to, too, and two.
◉ Gradual release of responsibility. Answer: Teaching approach that
incorporates scaffolding (building on what the student already
knows) so that the responsibility for the content is shifted from
teacher to student.
◉ Strategies for vocabulary/literacy development. Answer:
Integration: connecting new vocabulary to prior knowledge
Repetition: encountering/using the word concept many times
