Theory of cognitive development

• sensorimotor - birth-2

  • child understands world through senses and actions
  • playing peekaboo, child doesn’t understand what happens to objects after they disappear

  object permanance

  • an object continues to exist even if you can't see or touch it
  • children know to look for the object - watches as the toy is placed under cloth B, child looks for toy where they last found it, under cloth A
• preoperational - 2-7

  • understands world through language and mental images
  • Pour a glass containing same quantity of water to another with a different shape, the child says the taller glass has more

  Egocentricism

  • children under 7 only see things from their point of view, can't perceive anyone else's
  • ask the child what they see, after ask them what you can see, the child responds with the same as what they see as they can't perceive your view
• concrete operational - 7-11

  • understands world through logical thinking and categories
  • child will say that just because the shape of the glass has changed doesn't mean the quantity has, says glasses are equal

  conservation

  • children can think logically
  • they understand the quantity of water remains the same when poured in a glass with a different shape, will say that the glasses are equal
• formal operational - 12+

  • understands world through hypothetical thinking and scientific reasoning
  • instruct to them that "if you hit a glass with a feather, it will break", then ask if a feather hits a glass, what happens, they will say it will break
• Evaluation

  Advantages:

  • structured. clear
  • shows clearly how child's brain develops
  • supports abstract, logical thinking
• Evaluation

  Disadvantages:

  • doesn't account for learning disabilities
  • some children can see from other's point of views before age 7
  • cognitive brain development doesn't stop after 11/12
  • underestimated children's rate of development, with support they can move more quickly to the next stage of development
• soggy - sensorimotor

  pads - preoperational

  can - concrete operational

  fry - formal operational