SCADS: A Model of Children's Strategy Choices and Strategy Discoveries

Abstract

Preschoolers show surprising competence in choosing adaptively among alternative strategies and in discovering new approaches. The SCADS computer simulation illustrates how simple processes can generate this impressive competence. The model's behavior parallels data on children's addition in at least eight ways: It uses diverse strategies over prolonged periods of time, makes adaptive choices among strategies, discovers the same strategies as children, discovers strategies in the same sequence as children, makes discoveries without trial and error, makes discoveries without having experienced failure, narrowly generalizes new approaches, and generalizes more broadly following challenging problems. SCADS thus indicates plausible sources of young children's surprising competence at strategy choice and strategy discovery.