1. Jean Piaget Theory of Cognitive Development in Children
Patricia Engel-Bunch

2. Jean Piaget 1896-Born in Switzerland 1918- Earned Doctoral Degree
1919-Started to study language development in children
1921-Started work in child psychology
1922- Met and married Valentine Chatenay
1925, 27, 31- birth of two daughters and a son
1980-Died

3. Published his first scientific paper at age 10!
Also published much more:
The Language and Thought of the Child 1924
The Child’s Conception of the World 1926
The Child’s Conception of Casualty 1927
Judgment and Reasoning in the Child 1928
The Moral Judgment of the Child 1932
The Origins of Intelligence in Children 1936
Play, Dreams and Imitation in Children 1951
The Growth o Logical Thinking from Childhood to Adolescence 1958
Manual of Child Psychology 1970
Biology and Knowledge 1971
The Grasp of Consciousness 1974

4. Jean Piaget studied the intellectual development of children and concluded that children were not less intelligent than adults, they simply think differently!

5. Four Stages of Development

6. STAGE ONE: Sensorimotor Stage
Birth to age 2
Infants try to make sense of their world through their sensory perceptions and motor activities (skills they are born with)
looking sucking grasping listening
Object Permanence-understanding an object exists even though it cannot be seen or heard (important accomplishment at this stage)

7. Six Sub-stages of the Sensorimotor Stage
Reflexes (0-1 month)
- infant learns through inborn reflexes such as looking and sucking

8. Six Sub-stages of the Sensorimotor Stage
Primary Circular Reactions (1-4 months)
- infant coordinates sensations and new schemas (categories/classifications).
A child may unintentionally suck his thumb at first and then repeat the action because it brings him pleasure.

9. Six Sub-stages of the Sensorimotor Stage
3. Secondary Circular Reactions (4-8 months) -Child becomes more aware of world around him and interacts with it. The child will intentionally pick up a toy to put it in his mouth.

10. Six Sub-stages of the Sensorimotor Stage
Coordination of Reactions (8-12 months)
-actions are more intentional, child explores environment and imitates behaviors, has an understanding of objects.
A child realizes that when you shake a rattle, it will make a sound.

11. Six Sub-stages of the Sensorimotor Stage
Tertiary Circular Reactions (12-18 months)
-trial and error experimentation. The child will repeat sounds and/or behaviors in order to get desired results.
A child will try out different sounds/actions to get mother’s attention

12. Six Sub-stages of the Sensorimotor Stage
Early Representational Thought (18-24 months)
-Child develops symbols to represent events or objects in the world
-moving toward mental understanding of the world instead of just actions.

13. STAGE TWO: Preoperational Stage
Ages 2-6
Language development is very important
Use of symbols (a broom for a horse)
Increase in playing and pretending (to be mommy, daddy, doctor…)
Conservation-cannot understand the concept of numbers, length, mass, weight, volume and quantity)
Egocentrism! Only understand their own point of view

14. STAGE THREE: Concrete Operational Stage
Ages 7-11 (approximately)
Better understanding of mental operations
Logical thinking about concrete events
Difficulty with abstract or hypothetical concepts
Inductive Logic- a specific experience to a general principal NO DEDUCTIVE (general principal to an outcome)
Reversability- actions can be reversed (reversing the order of relationships between mental categories)

15. STAGE FOUR: Formal Operational Stage
Ages 12-adulthood (approximately)
Abstract concepts-less concrete, not relying on experience alone, consider possible outcomes and consequences of actions
Logical thought, deductive reasoning and systematic planning (hypothetical situations, predicting outcomes, science, math)
Problem solving- planned, logical, methodical, organized (as opposed to trial and error when younger)

16. Criticisms
Piaget’s Research-much was based on observing his 3 children, others were from well educated parents and of higher socioeconomic status.
Research also showed that environmental factors play a role in child’s movement between the stages, not only age

17. Piaget’s Influence and Legacy
Educational Contributions-
Children should be taught at their appropriate cognitive level, developmentally ready
Many educational programs are based on Piaget’s theory
Excellent “guideline”
Technology tools can easily support any of the stages through presentation or product.

18. What have you learned?
Check your understanding of Piaget’s four stages of cognitive development.
On the next slide, click on a stage and a point value to answer the questions.
After you check your answer, you will be brought back to the table to answer another question.
Good Luck!

19. 100 200 300 400 Sensorimotor Pre-operational Concrete operational
Formal operational
100
200
300
400

20. How do infants make sense of their NEW world?
Sensorimotor 100
How do infants make sense of their NEW world?
Answer!

21. What is object permanence?
Sensorimotor 200
What is object permanence?
Answer!

22. Sensorimotor 300
What sensorimotor sub-stage is an infant in if they purposefully pick up a toy and put it in their mouth?
Answer!

23. Sensorimotor 400
A child will repeat sounds and/or behaviors in order to get desired results. This type of experimentation is called ___________ _____ ____________.
Answer!

24. What is the approximate age a child passes through this stage?
Preoperational 100
What is the approximate age a child passes through this stage?
Answer!

25. Preoperational 200
What is egocentrism?
Answer!

26. Preoperational 300
This stage can be very playful and imaginative. What are some behaviors you may witness?
Answer!

27. Preoperational 400
Children in this stage have difficulty understanding the concept of conservation. What is conservation?
Answer!

28. What is the approximate age a child will enter this stage?
Concrete Operational 100
What is the approximate age a child will enter this stage?
Answer!

29. Concrete Operational 200
Children in this stage think more logically about concrete events. They still have difficulty with _______________________.
Answer!

30. Concrete Operational 300
Children have a grasp on this kind of logic. They understand how a specific experience, action, details would lead to the same outcome (generalization). What is this kind of logic?
Answer!

31. Concrete Operational 400
A child is able to understand that his dog is a beagle and a beagle is a dog and a dog is an animal. What is this reversing of relationships called?
Answer!

32. What is the approximate age a child will enter this stage?
Formal Operational 100
What is the approximate age a child will enter this stage?
Answer!

33. Formal Operational 200
Children in earlier stages solved problems through trial and error. How do children in this stage tend to solve problems?
Answer!

34. Formal Operational 300
Children think more ________________. Everything is less concrete. They can consider possible outcomes and consequences of actions!
Answer!

35. Formal Operational 400
Which subjects involve a lot of hypothetical situations and predicting outcomes?
Answer!

36. Sensorimotor 100
Through their sensory perceptions and motor activities. Skills they are born with (sucking, looking, grasping, listening)
BACK
Check your Answer!

37. Sensorimotor 200
The understanding that an object exists even though it cannot be seen or heard! An important accomplishment at this stage.
BACK

38. Secondary Circular Reactions 4-8 months
Sensorimotor 300
Secondary Circular Reactions 4-8 months
BACK

39. Sensorimotor 400
trial and error
BACK

40. Preoperational 100
Ages 2-6 years
BACK

41. Preoperational 200
Egocentrism is when a child can only see and understand from his/her point of view.
BACK

42. Preoperational 300
Use of symbols, like using a broom as a horse. Pretending to be mommy, daddy, a doctor…
BACK

43. Preoperational 400
Conservation-the understanding of the value of numbers, length, mass, weight, volume and quantity… It was difficult for many at this age to understand that 1 cup of water in a short glass is the same as 1 cup of water in a tall skinny glass, even when the water is poured from one to the other in front of them.
BACK

44. Concrete Operational 100
Ages 7-11 years
BACK

45. abstract or hypothetical concepts
Concrete Operational 200
abstract or hypothetical concepts
BACK

46. Concrete Operational 300
Inductive Logic
BACK

47. Concrete Operational 400
Reversibility!
BACK

48. Formal Operational 100
Age 12- adulthood
BACK

49. Problem solving is more planned, logical methodical and/or organized!
Formal Operational 200
Problem solving is more planned, logical methodical and/or organized!
BACK

50. Formal Operational 300
Abstractly
BACK

51. Formal Operational 400
Math and Science
BACK

52. Resources
Atherton J S (2011) Learning and teaching; Piaget's developmental theory [On-line: UK]retrieved 25 June 2012 from
Cherry, K. (n.d.). Jean piaget biography. Retrieved from
Jean piaget: Champion of children’s ideas. (2001). Scholastic Early Childhood Today, 15(5),
McLeod, S. A. (2009). Piaget cognitive stages of development. Retrieved from