The 4 Stages of Cognitive Development in Children, Explained

Are you familiar with Jean Piaget, a Swiss psychologist in the early 20th century? He specialized in growth and development. We still use his groundbreaking research to this day.

In particular, we rely on his notable four stages of cognitive development in children. Though growth continues throughout our lives, it's most profound in childhood. Piaget these key steps that most of us experience in order.

If this interests you, keep reading. We'll cover all four of these developmental stages in detail below.

1. Sensorimotor Stage

This is the first of the cognitive development stages that children experience. It starts at birth and lasts until around the age of two. During this time, children start to develop their understanding of the world through motor activities.

They begin to use their senses, such as touch, sight, taste, smell, and hearing. These allow them to explore and learn about the environment around them.

Object permanence is a key concept that children learn during this stage. They realize that objects continue to exist even if they are not in sight.

For example, let's say a toy is hidden under a blanket. The child will know that it's still there, even though they cannot see it. This is an essential building block for future cognitive development.

Cause and effect is another concept that children learn during the Sensorimotor Stage. They begin to understand that certain actions lead to certain consequences. For example, if they drop a toy, it will fall to the ground.

Finally, during this stage, children develop a sense of self. They start to recognize that they're separate from their surroundings.

It can be fascinating to watch them learn that they can control their movements. They then realize they can interact with their environment. As a result, their actions can have an effect on the world around them.

2. Preoperational Stage

The ages from two to seven years old is one of the most exciting stages of cognitive development. During this Preoperational Stage, children start to use words and pictures. They realize they can use these symbols to represent objects and ideas.

However, children during this stage are still egocentric. This means they have a hard time understanding other people's perspectives.

They may think that everyone sees the world the way they do. This could result in difficulty empathizing with others.

It's at this stage that you'll start to witness more noticeable uses of language. Language skills develop rapidly during the Preoperational Stage. It's fun to watch children start to use language to express their thoughts and feelings.

They can understand simple instructions and can ask questions to learn even more about their interests. For further details, check out this article on encouraging language with younger children.

Another important aspect of the Preoperational Stage is pretend play. Children will use their imagination to create scenarios and act them out.

Pretend play helps them to develop social skills. It's also useful for them to learn about different roles and responsibilities, as well as understand cause and effect.

Still, children during this stage may also struggle with logical thinking. Some even have difficulty with concepts such as conservation.

For instance, let's say a child sees a tall, thin glass and a short, wide glass with the same amount of liquid in them. You might find that they may think the tall glass has more liquid because it looks taller.

3. Concrete Operational Stage

From around seven to twelve years old, children experience the third of the cognitive development stages. It's true that every child grows at their own pace. For the most part, though, there are key trends that you can witness during these years.

For one thing, children become less egocentric. They begin to understand that other people may have different perspectives and experiences.

Children during the Concrete Operational Stage are capable of logical thinking. They can finally understand cause-and-effect relationships.

Further, they're able to perform mental operations on concrete objects. This can include adding or subtracting quantities or arranging objects by size or color.

Children at this stage also develop the concept of conservation. It takes time to learn that the amount of a substance remains the same even if its appearance changes. An example of this awareness would be when a liquid is poured into a different-shaped container.

During the Concrete Operational Stage, children start to think more systematically and logically. They can use concrete examples to draw conclusions and make predictions about real-world situations.

It's worth noting that children at this stage may still struggle with abstract concepts and hypothetical situations. They're still focusing on things that be physically observed or manipulated.

4. Formal Operational Stage

The Formal Operational Stage is the final stage of cognitive development that individuals experience. It starts around twelve years old and continues through adulthood. During this time, we become capable of abstract thinking and hypothetical situations.

This is when children are able to engage in deductive reasoning. This means they can start with a general principle or theory. Then, they're able to use it to make specific predictions or conclusions.

Another key factor is that they can start to think more critically about different perspectives and ideas. It's true that this level of critical understanding differs for everyone, though.

At this stage, individuals also develop metacognition. This is a neat function that means they can think about their own thinking. That way, they can reflect on their thoughts and behaviors to make changes based on their observations.

Unfortunately, not all individuals reach the Formal Operational Stage. Some may not develop formal operational thinking even in adulthood.

For some, their cognitive development may be limited due to environmental factors. These often involve a lack of access to education or resources.

Optimizing Cognitive Development in Children

After learning more about Piaget, you might be looking forward to watching your young one grow. You're better informed to witness each key stage of cognitive development in children.

Further, it's ideal to optimize their development in every way you can. That's where we come in. Sign up for a free developmental screening to see how we can work together for your child's brightest future.