Piaget’s Theory of Intellectual Development

Sensorimotor Ages: Birth – 1½ years Description: Children learn through their senses and their own actions. Object Permanence: an object still exists even if you can’t see it. Learning to control body Egocentric thinking http://www.contestformoms.com/uploaded_images/mom-eat-this-703645.jpg

Preoperational Ages: 2-7 years Description: Children view the world based only on their own experiences and how things appear to and affect them. Seriation – Being able to put things in order Representational Thought: understanding that symbols have meaning. http://www.fathering.org/images/PageGraphics/Resources.jpg

Concrete Operations Ages: 7-11 years Description: Children can think logically, but still make decisions based on their own experience. More socialized thinking, less egocentric Conservation: the amount of something stays the same even if the shape changes.

Formal Operations Ages: 11-death Description: People can understand facts outside of their experience. Understand deeper meanings and problem solving without actually experiencing the problem. Abstract thinking (intangible) Hypothetical thinking (supposed, theoretical)