How to Summarize the Stages of Piaget's Theory

Piaget's four stages of development have formed the basis of many child development theories since he introduced them in the 1920s. Beginning at birth with the Sensorimotor stage and culminating into adulthood with the Formal Operational stage, Piaget's theory is broad enough to continue influencing an understanding of both psychology and cognitive development. Basic understanding of these ideas enables students and teachers to understand and predict critical developmental tasks at each stage.

Instructions

    • 1

      Study how Piaget formulated his theory. What assumptions about child development formed the basis of his research? Include his assumptions about what motivated a child, how she learned and how much adult guidance Piaget thought she needed.

    • 2

      Define each of Piaget's stages. Determine the ages associated with each stage and consider how fixed those ages are. Include information on what developmental tasks are associated with each stage and which task is considered essential to assume mastery.

    • 3

      Explain Piaget's concepts of schema, accommodation and assimilation. Discuss how these ideas impact each stage and influence the child's cognitive development. Use these concepts to describe a child's predicted reaction to new information at each stage of development.

    • 4

      Provide information on Piaget's primary cognitive tasks for each stage. Focus on the development of symbolic thought, logic and perspective in each stage. Include information on how a child demonstrates his developmental level.

    • 5

      Discuss Piaget's views about the development of symbolic play and its implications for cognition at each stage. Especially focus on object permanence and the ability to form mental representations of things.

    • 6

      Explain how a child's ability to understand another person's perspective, both actually and emotionally, influences each stage. For example, consider how perspective and egocentrism impact sharing, turn-taking and imitation during social interactions at each stage.

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