STAGES OF COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT

Prof.Ed3 – BEED I-ABC

There are four (4) stages of

cognitive development as follows:

1. SENSORIMOTOR STAGE (from birth

to 2 years old)
Children begin to make sense of the
world by using their sensory impressions
and motor actions. Their ways of
reasoning and solving problems includes
MOTOR MOVEMENTS rather than
manipulation of ideas.

The six (6) sub-levels of sensorimotor

stage which marks the development of
essential abilities and understanding of
the world around them are following:
a. Reflex Scheme Level (from birth to 1
month old)
  The development of sensory
reflexes.

b. Primary Circular Level (1 month to 4-

month-old)
 Characterized by the development
of habits and mannerism.

c.Secondary Circular Level (from 4 to 8

months old)
 This indicates development of
coordination between vision and
prehension or grasping and
perception with the use of their
senses.

d. Coordination of Secondary Course

Round Modest Level (CSCRM level) (-8
to 12-month-old)
  It marks the development of object
permanence.

e. Tertiary Circular Reaction Level (1-

year-old to 1 & a half years old)
 This stage indicates the
development of child CURIOSITY.

f. Symbolic Representation Level (1

&1/2-year-old to 2 months old)
 It is characterized by mental
combinations.

What is the educational implication for

parents/ teachers?
@ To foster learning during this stage,
it is suggested that parents and caretakers
allow children to PLAY with OBJECTS or
other TOYS that produce SOUNDS when
struck or beaten. (e.g. drums and related
percussive objects)

2. PREOPERATIONAL STAGE (from 2 years

to 7 years old)
During this stage, the child’s language
increasingly becomes an important tool
in dealing with the environment. This
period can be divided into:

a. PRECONCEPTUAL LEVEL (2 to 4 years

old)
 It marks the development of
EGOCENTRISM (self-centeredness)
and ANIMISM (consciousness to
objects)

b. INTUITIVE LEVEL (4 to 7 years old)

 This characterized by the
development of initial schemes
 (plan of actions) like
carelessness/sloppiness.

What is the educational implication?

TO MAXIMIZE learning, children
may play by putting on costumes or
disguising something and
encouraging them to take on a
different character.
Mostly children enjoy playing
“bahay-bahayan” or watching
cartoon characters like PEPPA PIGS,
chuchu tv, cocomelon shows, etc.

3. CONCRETE OPERATIONAL STAGE (7 to

11 years old)
At this age. The child possesses
operative schemes that necessitate him
TO THINK in logical or reasonable terms.
  The CLASSIFICATION SKILLS- the
child’s ability to group sets of
objects and to group around a
common category of attributes.
 SERIARATION SKILLS- the children
develop the ability to arranged
ORDER of objects according to
height, length, or sizes.
 HORIZONTAL DECALAGE (meaning
to shift) – the tendency of the child
to solve some kinds of problems in
the concrete operational stage.
 VERICAL DECALAGE (reversed of
horizontal) the child learned the
idea of shifting thinking to another
set of new learning.

What are the

educational implications?
 At this stage of cognitive
development, children really enjoy helping
their mother in the kitchen, especially when
she cooks something. Helping their parents
brings satisfaction and enjoyment when
such new experiences turn into a great
learning opportunity.
 The teachers and parents may be
motivated to give children the
chance to MANIPULATE objects,
things, and ideas, do some
EXPERIMENTAL jobs with limited
number of procedures or steps to
follows.

4. FORMAL OPERATIONAL STAGE (11

years old and older)
 The development of ABSTRACT
THINKING and REASONING is the
benchmark of FORMAL operational stage.
The sub-categories include:

a. COMPOSITION STAGE -knows that

any two units can be combined to
produce a new unit.
b. REVERSIBILITY STAGE- when
combining two units, he knows exactly
that these can be separated again.
c.ASSOCIATIVITY STAGE – learns that the
same results may be obtained by
combining units in different ways.
d. IDENTITY STAGE – the process of
combination, he knows that combining
an element with the inverse or opposite
function invalidates it.
 e. TAUTOLOGY (duplication) Stage – He
believes that when classification or
relation is repeated, it is not changed.
f. ITERATION (repetition) Stage- He
understand that a number combined
with the same number gives new
number.
What is the educational implication?
During these stages, students are
filed with opportunities for HYPOTHETICAL
(imaginary or theoretical) situations. For
this reason, they must be MOTIVATED TO
WORK COLLABORATIVELY with groups, or
they may be allowed to work in pairs, so
they develop working on hypothetical
topics.
 Encourage them to write and act
with a SKIT or short story on
FICTIONAL issues.
LEONILO A. CAPELLAN
2024