Stages of Cognitive Development

Abstract

From his observation of children, Piaget understood that children were creating ideas. They were not limited to receiving knowledge from\rparents or teachers; they actively constructed their own knowledge. Piaget's work provides the foundation on which constructionist theories\rare based.\rConstructionists believe that knowledge is constructed and learning occurs when children create products or artifacts. They assert that\rlearners are more likely to be engaged in learning when these artifacts are personally relevant and meaningful.\rIn studying the cognitive development of children and adolescents, Piaget identified four major stages: sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete\roperational and formal operational. Piaget believed all children pass through these phases to advance to the next level of cognitive\rdevelopment. In each stage, children demonstrate new intellectual abilities and increasingly complex understanding of the world. Stages\rcannot be "skipped"; intellectual development always follows this sequence. The ages at which children progress through the stages are\raverages--they vary with the environment and background of individual children. At any given time a child may exhibit behaviors characteristic\rof more than one stage.