Cognitive Development

Rachel Schueg

Cognitive development, another pertinent aspect of child development, is essentially how the brain learns to think, to deduct, to perform skills, etc. There are several theories which give reasoning to how a child’s cognitive skills develop. The first theory which will be mentioned here is from French psychologist Jean Piaget, who breaks down his theory into four stages.

The first stage is the sensorimotor stage, which, according to Piaget, lasts from birth to age 2. During this time, children gather information about the world around them through their senses and interactions with objects. The second stage is the preoperational stage, which lasts from age 2 through 7. Children learn to develop their memory and imagination. The concrete operational stage is from ages 7-11; during this time, children are attuning themselves to their own feelings and are beginning to understand that events are not, in fact, egocentric but outside of themselves. The last stage of Piaget’s theory is the formal operational stage from ages 11 and up, during which children are able to plan for the future as well as use logic to solve issues.

The Information Processing Model is another child cognitive development model, also broken into stages contingent upon ages. The first stage, from ages 2 through 5, is where children learn attention and memory skills. The second stage lasts from ages 5-7 and here is when children are able to solve problems, hone their memory skills and develop reasoning. 

Childhood and adolescence are both unique learning periods. Prior to cognitive theories like Piaget’s, it was believed children were just small versions of adults. After said theories, it was understood that children actually think entirely different than adults do. Meaning, there are differences in how they understand information. It is important to understand this in order to understand how, as educators, parents, caretakers, etc., one is able to teach a child effectively

https://childdevelopmentinfo.com/child-development/intellectual-and-cognitive-development-in-children-and-teens/