Piaget Stages Of Development

People that work with or have children should know the Piaget stages of development. Jean Piaget has developed a sequence of brain development for infants through adolescents. Keep reading to learn more about how thinking skills develop from childhood to a young adult.

1. Sensorimotor. This first Piaget stage of development occurs from birth to 24 months of age. Infants begin by using reflexes such as using the mouth to suck on objects and palm grasping. Learning is achieved by initiating actions to observe results in their environment. At this age, a child will notice that objects exist although it is not visible using their senses.
2. Pre-operational. The age span for this stage of development is two to seven years old. Kids at this age learn that words and pictures represent objects. Children at this stage know how to identify life from only their viewpoint only. At this age, Piaget stated that  they begin the accommodation process or to alter their beliefs due to life experiences.
3. Concrete operational. The large duration of this Piaget stage of development is from beginning of primary school to early adolescence. The accommodation process continues and children can think about concepts that are not tangible. Kids in this stage can classify objects using more than one criterion.
4. Formal operation. This Piaget stage of development occurs through adolescence. Young adults can use theoretical scenarios to consider important decisions. Individuals can now obtain information from various sources and evaluate it to make better decisions.

Note: The ages given are approximate which may differ at onset and completion.