Piaget’s childhood development theory notes that the development of children takes sensorimotor stages (Piaget, 1983). Naturally, the transition from one stage to another is characterised by shifts in understanding and interaction with the surrounding environment. Ordinarily, children utilize natural abilities and skills such as grasping, listening, sucking, and looking (Levine & Munsch, 2014). The pre-operational stage is from birth to age 2 where they rely on sucking and looking to develop cognisance. The sensorimotor stage has the baby experiencing serious change. The concrete operational stage extending from 2 to 7 years has the child developing the key motor skills. The formal operational stage marks the time from 7 to 11 years, which has the child enhancing its growth indicators.
Through every stage, the child shows cognitive growth assisted by senses and motor movements (Santrock, 2008). Notwithstanding these changes infants sensory perceptions are limited to the motor activities. For instance, in Piaget’s sensorimotor, development of schema is very integral to the future perception of the world (Lindon & Brodie, 2016). A child who cultivates a schema for horse in the course of development may not make a difference when he sees a cow considering similarity in hair, size, tail and number of legs. However, once told of the existing difference, a new schema to isolate the differences is planted on the child’s head.
Indeed, I am convinced that the importance of these stages of development cannot be quoted in not only understanding but also making proactive cognitive development. The assimilation and accommodation of different cognitive skills assists parents know the progress of their children. The extreme egocentrism in children is independent of the object permanence in the external world (Piaget, 1983). The capacity of a child to attain full capacity change and transition cognitive maturity shows their ability to use the acquired knowledge. These are important for adapting to specific situations.
- Levine, LE & Munsch, J. (2014). Child Development. Los Angeles: Sage.
- Lindon, J & Brodie, K (2016). Understanding Child Development 0-8 Years, 4th Edition: Linking Theory and Practice. London: Hodder Education.
- Piaget, J. (1983). Piaget’s Theory. In P. Mussen (ed). Handbook of Child Psychology. 4th edition. Vol. 1. New York: Wiley.
- Santrock, J. W. (2008). A Topical Approach to Life-Span Development (4 ed.). New York City: McGraw-Hill.