Principle of Jean Piaget's Stages of Develoment

Principle of jean piaget's stages of development
Jean Piaget was a psychologist from Switzerland. To know about development of intelligence in children, he extensively observed his children. He studied mental development activities of his children. On the basis of study and research , he derived his principle. These principles known as principle of jean Piaget’s stages of development.
                  Piaget proposed four stages of cognitive development. These are sensorymotor stage, preoperational stage , concrete stage and formal operational stage. Piaget believed that all people pass through the stages the same order . It is important to note that the age ranges associated with the stage may not apply to every child . Some children may reach particular stage earlier or later than the others.

1.Sensory motor stage(Birth to 2 years) --- In this stage, motor activities perform as sensory motor activities. In initial part of this stage, children focus on what they are doing and seeing at the moment. For them objects are out of sight are out of mind. Later in this stage,babies develop object permanence. Beginning of this stage, babies represent objects in symbols. These symbols take the form of words and simple sentences. Children also start imitation and observing others.

2.Preoperational Stage(2 years to 7 years)--- In this stage, children can recognize objects and differentiate them. During this is stage, children start use of language. They collect new information and experience. Children’s increasing vocabularies help them to represent and think about people ,objects, events and feelings. They also gain the ability to represent objects mentally that are not present. They can count and deal with numbers.

Limitations -

i)Egocentrism- children of this stage experience egocentrism. They see the world only in terms of their own selves and are not able to appreciate others’ point of view.

ii) Animism- Children attribute life like qualities to inanimate objects.

iii)Lack ofconservation- Some characteristics o an object stay the same even though the object changes in appearance.

iv) Irreversibility-Irreversibility refer to failure to understand that certain processes can be undone or reverse.

3.Concrete operational stage(7 years to 11 years)— During this stage, children develop the ability to think in a more logical manner. They are less egocentric. They focus on different characteristics and not focus on one aspect of object. Thinking become more flexible. They can think multiple solution or problem. Logical thinking, spatial thinking are develop in this stage. They able to categorize objects in different class.They understand conservation and reversibility. They adapt themselves into environment.

4)Formal operational stage(12 years to adulthood)-This stage begins when children develop the capacity of thinking that is abstract, systematic, and hypothetical. These capabilities allow students to make abstract reasoning ,sophisticated moral judgements and plan more realistically for the future .They can understand historical time , learn algebra and calculus,imgine possibilities, form and test hypotheses and can use deductive reasoning.