Jean Piaget was a Swiss psychologist who studied how kids learn and grow. His ideas about how children think are really important in psychology. He divided learning into four main stages:

1. Sensorimotor Stage (Birth to 2 years)

• What Happens:

  • Babies learn by using their senses, like seeing and touching.
  • They develop their ability to move and control their actions based on what they sense.

• Big Achievement:

  • Babies start to understand object permanence. This means they learn that things still exist even if they can’t see them.
  • By around 8-12 months, 60-70% of babies understand that objects are still there when hidden.

2. Preoperational Stage (2 to 7 years)

• What Happens:

  • Kids start to play pretend and understand symbols, but they aren’t ready for logical thinking yet.
  • During this stage, kids learn a lot of new words. They go from about 200 words at age 2 to about 2000 words by age 6.

• Key Points:

  • Egocentrism: Kids often have trouble seeing things from other people’s viewpoints.
  • Lack of Conservation: They don’t realize that amounts stay the same even if they look different.

• Statistics:

  • By age 4, kids usually start using simple sentences.
  • By age 6, they can hold more complex conversations.

3. Concrete Operational Stage (7 to 11 years)

• What Happens:

  • Kids begin to think logically about real things around them.
  • They understand that amounts don’t change even when shapes do, like when you pour water into a different glass.

• Big Achievements:

  • Kids get better at organizing things and can follow logical steps.
  • They also begin to understand other people’s perspectives, which shows they are becoming less egocentric.

• Statistics:

  • By age 9, around 75% of kids can handle basic math and simple fractions.

4. Formal Operational Stage (12 years and up)

• What Happens:

  • Teens start thinking about more abstract ideas. They can create and test ideas and theories.
  • They can imagine different possibilities and use reasoning.

• Big Achievements:

  • They can think about complex moral and social issues.
  • They also become aware of how their own thoughts work.

• Statistics:

  • By age 15, about 30% of teens can think in this formal way, with more people gaining this ability as they grow up.

Summary

Piaget's theory shows that kids go through specific stages as they develop their thinking. Each stage has its own way of thinking. Knowing these stages can help teachers and parents create the best learning experiences. For example:

• Learning Strategies:
  • For young kids, play and imaginary activities are best.
  • For older kids, hands-on activities with real objects help teach them.
  • For teens, discussions about abstract ideas can help their thinking skills.

In short, Piaget’s ideas are still important for understanding how kids learn and grow in their thinking abilities.