Cognitive Development of a Preschooler

Piaget’s Preoperational Stage Preschool children are in Piaget’s Preoperational stage of cognitive development. Toddlers and preschoolers form attitudes about learning that can last a lifetime. Children learn from concrete (hands-on and tangible) evidence.

Egocentric Still think in terms of their own activities and their perceptions at the moment. Struggle with abstract terms. Continue to learn through make-believe play Learning that objects and words can be symbols and represent an idea. Limited view on ideas because these are based on the child’s perceptions.

How Preschoolers Learn Children are inquisitive and ask many questions because they are curious and want to understand the world around them. Preschoolers learn by participation and involvement in everyday experiences.

Four and Five Year Olds Four Year Olds – Learn colors and shapes – Sort and identify the differences between objects – Have an expanded vocabulary Five Year Olds – Begin problem solving

Reality and Fantasy Preschoolers can differentiate between reality and fantasy or make-believe. The imaginary life of kids is powerful and sways their perceptions of the real world until they master adult rationality and logic. Jean Piaget said that kids in the preoperational stage of cognitive growth use magical thinking until they learn the properties of physics and reality.

Cognitive Development Terms Conservation – Even though one property of an object changes, the other properties remain the same. – Examples: A ball of play-dough smashed into a pancake is still the same even though it looks different Liquid is the same amount even though it is poured into differently shaped glasses.

Cognitive Development Terms Classification – Putting objects into sets based on common traits. Examples: – Cats and dogs – Toy blocks and toy trucks

Cognitive Development Terms Sorting: – Placing classified objects into smaller groups based on how they are alike and different. Examples: – Sorting cats by color – Sorting blocks by size or shape

Cognitive Development Terms Seriation – Putting objects in a particular order based on size, weight, etc. Examples: – Lining crayons up in order from shortest to longest.

Cognitive Development Terms Transformation – The change of an object from one state to another. Examples: – Popcorn kernel to popcorn – Bread dough to bread – Jell-O powder to Jell-O

Cognitive Development Terms Reversal – What can be done up can also be undone. Examples: – A sand castle can be built and knocked down – A jacket can be zipped up and unzipped – A mistake can be made and fixed

Cognitive Learning Centers You will participate in six learning centers: – Conservation – Classification – Sorting – Seriation – Transformations – Reversal Fill out the worksheet and turn in before leaving class today.