Understanding Piaget's Idea of Schema in Child Development

Jean Piaget was a smart guy who studied how children think and learn. One of his big ideas is called "schema."

• What is a Schema?
  A schema is like a mental box where we keep things we know. It helps us organize and make sense of information.

  For example, a child might have a schema for "dogs." This would include things like four legs, fur, and barking.

• Cognitive Growth:
  As kids grow and experience new things, they either put these experiences into their existing schemas or change their schemas to fit new information.

• Illustration:
  Let’s say a child sees a cat for the first time. They might think, “Hey, that’s a dog!” at first because they don't know any better (this is called assimilation). But once they understand that it’s actually a cat, they will change what they think and create a new schema for cats (this is called accommodation).

This process, where kids adjust their thinking as they learn, helps them understand the world in more complex ways over time.