PIAG E T’ S S T A G E

OF C O G N I TI V E
DEV E L O PM E N T
E R : JA IS H EN H . A RG O NILLO
PRESE NT

MODULE 6
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
a.)Define Jean Piaget's Stages of cognitive development,

b.) Provide example of the sensorimotor activities, and

c.) Explain how important for children interact with their

immediate environment.
WHO WAS PIAGET?
• JEAN PIAGET WAS BORN IN 1896 IN NEUCHÂTEL, SWITZERLAND AND DIED IN 1980 IN GENEVA
SWITZELAND.
• AT AGE 11, HE WROTE A PAPER ON AN ALBINO SPARROW, WHICH WAS PUBLISHED AND WAS THE START
OF HIS FAMOUS CAREER.

• AFTER GRADUATING HIGH SCHOOL, HE ATTENDED THE UNIVERSITY OF ZURICH, WHERE HE BECAME
INTERESTED IN PSYCHOANALYSIS.
WHO WAS PIAGET? (CONT.)
• HE MARRIED IN 1923 AND HAD THREE CHILDREN NAMELY
JACQUELINE, LUCIENNE AND LAURENT.
• PIAGET STUDIED HIS CHILDREN’S INTELLECTUAL DEVELOPMENT FROM
INFANCY.
• WHILE STUDYING HIS CHILDREN, PIAGET DEVELOPED THEORIES
CONCERNING HOW CHILDREN LEARN.
• HIS THEORY OF COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT CONSISTS OF FOUR
STAGES OF INTELLECTUAL DEVELOPMENT.
“ PIAGET’S STAGES
OF
COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT
”
STAGE 1. SENSORIMOTOR STAGE
BIRTH TO AGE 2
DURING THIS STAGE, THE CHILD BEGINS TO DEVELOP:

• REFLEXES
• HABITS
• HAND-EYE COORDINATION
• OBJECT PERMANENCE (KNOWING SOMETHING EXISTS,
EVEN THOUGH IT CAN’T BE SEEN)

• EXPERIMENTATION AND CREATIVITY (PIAGET

REFFERED TO THE CHILDREN IN THIS STAGE AS “LITTLE
SCIENTIST.”

• TRIAL AND ERROR EXPERIMENTS.

 STAGE 2. PREOPERATIONAL STAGE
AGE 2 - 7
DURING THIS STAGE, THE CHILD BEGINS TO DEVELOP:

• ABILITY TO REPRESENTS OBJECTS WITH IMAGES AND

WORDS.

• LANGUAGE SKILLS
• IMAGINATION
* CHILDREN LEARN THROUGH IMITATION AND PLAY DURING
THIS STAGE. THEY BEGIN TO USE REASONING, HOWEVER IT IS
MAINLY INTUITIVE, INSTEAD OF LOGICAL.
 STAGE 3. CONCRETE OPERATIONAL STAGE
AGE 7 - 12
DURING THIS STAGE, THE CHILD BEGINS TO DEVELOP:

• THE FUNDAMENTALS OF LOGIC

- ABILITY TO SORT OBJECTS
- ABILITY TO CLASSIFY OBJECTS
- UNDERSTANDING OF CONSERVATION (PHYSICAL
QUANTITIES DO NOT CHANGE BASED ON THE
ARRANGEMENT AND/OR APPEARANCE OF THE OBJECT)
STAGE 4. FORMAL OPERATIONAL STAGE
AGE 11 - 15
DURING THIS STAGE, THE CHILD BEGINS TO DEVELOP:

•ABILITY TO HYPOTHESIZE, TEST AND REEVALUATE

HYPOTHESIS.
* CHILDREN BEGIN THINKING IN A FORMAL
SYSTEMATIC WAY.
HOW DOES THIS INFORMATION APPLY TO
MY TEACHING?

HERE ARE SOME PRACTICAL WAYS TO TEACH

CHILDREN IN EACH OF THE FOUR STAGES OF
COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT.
 STAGE 1

SENSORIMOTOR ACTIVITIES
(INFANT TO TODDLER)

IN THE LATER STEPS OF THIS STAGE, A CHILD LEARNS

BY TRIAL AND ERROR. THEREFORE, PROVIDING A RICH
STIMULATING ENVIRONMENT ( RATTLES, BLOCKS,
ETC. ) IS HELPFUL. PEEK-A-BOO IS ALSO A HELPFUL
LEARNING GAME IN THIS STAGE.
 STAGE 2

PREOPERATIONAL ACTIVITIES
(TODDLER AND EARLY CHILDHOOD)
USE ILLUSTRATIVE VISUAL AIDS TO HELP CHILDREN UNDERSTAND
PRESENTATIONS.

• USE PHYSICAL PROPS.

• USE ILLUSTRATIONS AND ARTWORK.
STUDENTS HAVE DIFFICULTY SEEING THE WORLD FROM ANOTHER
PERSPECTIVE, OTHER THAN THEIR OWN.

• AVOID LESSONS ABOUT WORLDS VERY DIFFERENT FROM THE

CHILD’S.
 STAGE 2 (CONT.)
PREOPERATIONAL ACTIVITIES
(TODDLER AND EARLY CHILDHOOD)
CHILDREN NEED PHYSICAL, HANDS-ON PRACTICE WITH FACTS AND
SKILLS NEEDED FOR DEVELOPMENT.

• USE CUT-OUT LETTERS TO BUILD WORDS.

• DO NOT USE WORKBOOKS OR PAPER AND PENCIL ACTIVITIES VERY
OFTEN. HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES WITH PHYSICAL OBJECTS THAT CHANGE
ENCOURAGE
SHAPE. THIS MOVES THE CHILD TOWARD UNDERSTANDING CONSERVATION AND
TWO-WAY LOGIC.

• HAVE STUDENTS PLAY WITH CLAY, WATER, SAND OR PLAY-DOUGH.

• TALK WITH STUDENTS ABOUT WHAT THEY ARE EXPERIENCING AS THEY PLAY
WITH THESE OBJECTS.
 STAGE 3
CONCRETE OPERATIONAL
ACTIVITIES
(MIDDLE CHILDHOOD)
CONTINUE USING VISUAL AIDS AND HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES.

• GIVE TIME LINES FOR HISTORY LESSONS

• USE 3-D MODELS WHEN TEACHING SCIENCE.

GIVE STUDENTS OPPORTUNITIES TO MANIPULATE OBJECTS AND TEST OUT IDEAS.

• DO SIMPLE SCIENCE EXPERIMENTS, LETTING THE STUDENTS PARTICIPATE.

• SHOW CRAFTWORK TO HELP STUDENTS UNDERSTAND THE OCCUPATIONS OF PEOPLE

FROM EARLIER PERIODS.
 STAGE 3 (CONT.)

CONCRETE OPERATIONAL ACTIVITIES

(MIDDLE CHILDHOOD)
STUDENTS SHOULD NOT DEAL WITH MORE THAN THREE OR FOUR VARIABLES AT A
TIME.

• READING SELECTIONS SHOULD HAVE A LIMITED NUMBER OF CHARACTERS.

• EXPERIMENTS SHOULD HAVE A LIMITED NUMBER OF STEPS.

EXPLAIN COMPLEX IDEAS BY USING FAMILIAR EXAMPLES, GIVING THE STUDENTS A
WAY TO UNDERSTAND AND PROCESS NEW INFORMATION.

• COMPARE THE LIVES OF CHARACTERS IN A STORY WITH THE STUDENTS’ LIVES.

• USE STORY PROBLEMS WHEN TEACHING MATH.

 STAGE 3 (CONT.)
CONCRETE OPERATIONAL ACTIVITIES
(MIDDLE CHILDHOOD)
GIVE STUDENTS OPPORTUNITIES TO GROUP AND CLASSIFY OBJECTS AND IDEAS
ON COMPLEX LEVELS.

• GIVE STUDENTS SENTENCES ON PIECES OF PAPER, HAVE THEM GROUP INTO

PARAGRAPHS.

• USE OUTLINES AND ANALOGIES TO SHOW THE RELATIONSHIP OF NEW MATERIAL TO

ALREADY ACQUIRED KNOWLEDGE.
GIVE STUDENTS PROBLEMS THAT REQUIRE LOGICAL AND ANALYTICAL THINKING IN ORDER
TO SOLVE.

• USE MIND TWISTERS, BRAIN TEASERS AND RIDDLES.

• GIVE STUDENTS OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS IN ORDER TO STIMULATE THEIR THINKING.

 STAGE 4

FORMAL OPERATIONAL ACTIVITIES

(ADOLESCENCE)
AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS STAGE, CONTINUE USING THE TEACHING
STRATEGIES AND MATERIALS USED IN THE CONCRETE OPERATIONAL STAGE.

• USE VISUAL AIDS, LIKE CHARTS AND ILLUSTRATIONS, BUT ALSO

INCORPORATE A FEW MORE SOPHISTICATED GRAPHS AND DIAGRAMS.

• GIVE STEP BY STEP EXPLANATIONS AND MATERIALS.

 STAGE 4 (CONT.)

FORMAL OPERATIONAL ACTIVITIES

(ADOLESCENCE)
STUDENTS NEED THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPLORE VARIOUS HYPOTHETICAL
QUESTIONS.

• STUDENT SHOULD DISCUSS SOCIAL ISSUES.

•
TRYHAVE STUDENTS
AND TEACH DISCUSS
BROAD HYPOTHETICAL
CONCEPTS, “OTHER
RATHER THAN JUSTWORLDS.”
FACTS, AND USE
MATERIAL AND IDEAS RELEVANT TO THE STUDENTS.

• WHEN TEACHING ABOUT CIVIL WAR, DISCUSS OTHER ISSUES WHICH HAVE
DIVIDED OUR COUNTRY.

• USE LYRICS FROM POPULAR MUSIC TO TEACH POETRY, TO DISCUSS SOCIAL

PROBLEMS, ETC.
 STAGE 4 (CONT.)
FORMAL OPERATIONAL ACTIVITIES
(ADOLESCENCE)
STUDENTS SHOULD EXPLAIN HOW THEY SOLVE PROBLEMS.

• STUDENTS WORK IN PAIRS, ONE IS THE LISTENER AND THE

OTHER ONE IS PROBLEM SOLVER. THE PROBLEM SOLVER WORKS
PROBLEM OUT LOUD, THE LISTENER CHECKS TO SEE THAT ALL
STEPS ARE FOLLOWED AND SEEM LOGICAL.

• PUT A FEW ESSAY QUESTIONS ON TESTS, WHICH REQUIRES THE

STUDENT TO GIVE MORE THAN ONE FINAL ANSWER OR SIMPLY
ANSWER FROM ROTE MEMORY.
 THEORY OF COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT
CONCLUSION
•KEEP IN MIND THAT CHILDREN DON’T ALWAYS MOVE FROM ONE STAGE TO ANOTHER AT THE
SAME TIME.

•THEY WILL ALWAYS MOVE FROM ONE STAGE TO THE NEXT IN THE SAME ORDER, BUT YOU MAY
HAVE STUDENTS IN YOUR CLASSROOM ON DIFFERENT LEVELS.

•THEY ARE MANY PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS THAT CAN BE MADE FROM PIAGET’S THEORY.
•BY USING THESE IN OUR TEACHING, WE CAN HOPEFULLY TEACH STUDENTS IN A WAY THAT WILL
HELP THEM BE THE MOST EFFECTIVE LEARNERS.
REFERENCES
GILES, T. W. (MARCH 1995). A PIAGETIAN VIEW OF LEARNING STYLES. 1-4.
HUITT, W. (1997). COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT: APPLICATIONS. RETRIEVED NOVEMBER 15, 2008, FROM EDUCATIONAL
PSYCHOLOGY INTERACTIVE: HTTP://CHIRON.VALDOSTA.EDU/WHUITT/COL/COGSYS/PIAGTUSE.HTML
MILLER, S. A. (2007). DEVELOPMENTAL RESEARCH METHODS. IN S. A. MILLER, DEVELOPEMENTAL RESEARCH METHODS (P. 405).
SAGE.
NDERU-BODDINGTON, D. E. (MAY 2008). THEORIES OF INTELLIGENCE, LEARNING, AND MOTIVATION AS A BASIS FOR PRAXIS.
1-17.
SOCIETY, J. P. (2008, NOVEMBER 13). JEAN PIAGET SOCIETY ABOUT PIAGET . RETRIEVED NOVEMBER 15, 2008, FROM JEAN
PIAGET SOCIETY: WWW.PIAGET.ORG/ABOUTPIAGET.HTML
THOMAS, W., & KINGMA, J. (1996). THREE THEORIES OF COGNITIVE REPRESENTATION AND THEIR EVALUATION STANDARDS OF
TRAINING EFFECTS. 1-49.
THANK YOU FOR LISTENING!!

GOD BLESS
&
KEEP SAFE
 QUESTIONS:
1. Piaget’s theory focusses on children developing what? 4. Why is it important for children to interact with their
a. mental representations immediate environment?
b. language a. because it allows them to communicate with others
c. cognitive schemas b. because it allows them to learn language
d. theory of mind
c. because it allows them to develop new skills
2. How did Piaget describe children?
a. Like little adventurers d. because it allows them to make mistakes
b. Like small explorers 5. Which of the following statements is TRUE: According
c. Like little philosophers to Piaget, children
d. Like small scientists a. must complete each stage but in any order
3. Which of the following is a general criticism of b. can miss some stages but must meet the last one
Piaget's work? c. must complete all stages by the time they are 5
a. his work had little evidence to support it d. must complete all the stages in the same order
b. he did not take into account social influences
c. his statistics were flawed
d. he overanalyzed his results