Children learn different skills through every stage of their life, and you as a parent can learn to encourage the right skills at the right time.
Jean Piaget’s theory of cognitive development in children states that “children move through different stages of mental development”. The focus of his theory is in understanding the nature of a kid’s intelligence and how it develops during life stages. Taking Piaget’s theory into consideration, we will explain these key stages in a child’s development.
0-2 years. Sensorimotor Stage
As soon as your child is born, they start to develop their senses. They get to know the world through object manipulation and exploration. By performing basic actions, your child will develop a general knowledge of how the world works.
At this stage, you should encourage language development. Talk to your kid whenever it occurs to you. Let them know what you think or what your plans are. When they hear you speak, they will start to mimic you and try to form their own words.
This is also a good stage to encourage movement for physical development, as this is when they start to crawl and walk on their own.
2-7 years. Preoperational Stage
As soon as your child has developed the ability to walk and run, they begin to learn through play. At this stage, your kid will start to figure out how numbers and symbols work. They will have a better understanding of past and future, and they’ll develop imagination and memory.
Pretend Play is key in this stage of their life. An active imagination will improve your child’s understanding of symbols and time, and they’ll have fun while learning!
During this stage, your kid will also start to become more independent, and they might interact with other children who share common interests.
7-11 years. Concrete Operational Stage
Your child has developed a lot of skills by now, and this is the moment to hone them. Sign them up for a sports club, music lessons, or something else in which they hold a strong interest.
This stage is very important because it is when your kid becomes aware of the world surrounding them, their feelings, and other people’s feelings. They will become their own person and have more logical and concrete thoughts.
Piaget’s studies determined that child intelligence is a qualitative process in which your child’s understanding of the world is built over time. With these three stages in mind, you and your kid can work together every day to see the best results in their development.