Understanding Piaget's Stages of Cognitive Development

Jean Piaget, a Swiss psychologist, significantly advanced the understanding of children's cognitive development. He proposed that children progress through four distinct stages: the Sensorimotor Stage (0–2 years), where they learn through senses and actions; the Preoperational Stage (2–7 years), marked by the use of symbols and imagination; the Concrete Operational Stage (7–11 years), characterized by logical thinking about concrete events; and the Formal Operational Stage (11 years and up), where abstract thought and hypothetical reasoning emerge. Piaget emphasized that children's understanding evolves through active interaction with their environment, leading to the formation and adjustment of cognitive schemas. His theories have important implications for education, advocating for active learning and appropriate pedagogical methods tailored to children's developmental stages.

• Piaget's four stages of cognitive development:
  • Sensorimotor Stage (0-2 years)
  • Preoperational Stage (2-7 years)
  • Concrete Operational Stage (7-11 years)
  • Formal Operational Stage (11 years and up)
• Children learn through interaction and play.
• Educational practices should align with children's cognitive stages.