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Piaget’s Theory in Relation to 5-6 Year Olds.

Piaget’s theory explains the gradual development of the parts that enable language, memory, attention, and reasoning, later on leading to achievement of information. There are concepts that influence how a child grows and they include schemas, assimilation, accommodation, and, equilibration. Children between the ages of 5-6 years old are in pre-school which is the preoperational stage. Concepts in the Piaget’s theory explain that there are ways of acquiring knowledge, taking in new information besides the one already acquired, altering information that the child already has and later striking a balance in the acquired, new and altered information. (Case, 1985)

A person who understands that intelligence is adapted and not inborn as most people would say has more patience dealing with a child who is in pre-school. In this stage, the child is more alert and acquires knowledge from the environment and with the help of assimilation and accommodation a person who understands Piaget’s theory should be able to strike a balance on how to gradually help children in developing cognitive functions. After understanding the Piaget’s theory one should have moderate expectations towards children in the preoperational stage and themselves too. (Piaget, 1952)

Piaget's theory of cognitive development facilitated the understanding of children's cerebral growth. Piaget’s theory stressed that children were not merely passive recipients of towards children knowledge. Instead, children are constantly exploring and experimenting as they build their understanding of how the world around them works. Through assimilation of information and accommodation children can critically equate what they should take in and what they should leave out this is known as equilibration. Cognitive development is a gradual process and peer relationships surrounding the child can affect how a child turns out later in life.

References

Case, R. (1985). Intellectual development: Birth to adulthood. Academic.

Piaget, J., & Cook, M. (1952). The origins of intelligence in children (Vol. 8, No. 5, p. 18). New York: International Universities Press.