Jean Piaget's Theory Of Cognitive Development

The cognitive constructivist theory can be traced back to the work of a talented individual called Jean Piaget who was born on August 9 1896 in Switzerland. By the age of eleven, he had published his first scientific paper, and by his early teens, Piaget’s mollusk papers were published and accepted by academics who were unaware of his age. In 1918, Piaget studied zoology at the University of Neuchâtel and achieved a PhD and after meeting Carl Jung and Paul Eugen Bleuler at the University of Zürich, his career changed direction leading him to study psychology at the Sorbonne in Paris. His work involved checking standardized reasoning tests designed to draw connections between a child’s age and his errors. However, Piaget disagreed with the construction of the test and set about designing his own which led to the birth of the cognitive development theory that was based around a concept of constructivism and

As this stage starts egocentric behavior reaches its height, but soon subsides and youngsters start to enjoy the company of other children. In addition, the young people are able to count to 20, do simple sums, and enjoy imaginative play. By the age of five, children are ready for school and have learned the skills to be away from their caregiver for short periods; nevertheless, this is a difficult time, as they have to separate reality from fantasy, adapt to a new environment (Wood, Smith, & Grossniklaus, 2001).
At about the age of seven, children reach the concrete operational stage. This is a major milestone in a child’s life and this stage shows the greatest cognitive growth and it is the time that children are able to master Piaget’s liquid test and start to think logically, but they still unable to comprehend abstract ideas. Reality is an important part of a child’s life now, as is learning, and personal possessions (Ojose, 2008, p.