I believe that children grow at different rates and not all children will develop at the same

pace. I also believe that if your child is not meeting their milestones right at the age that
everyone says they should, well I dont think that you should get worried if they dont. My son
was that way and every time that I would tell the doctor that he wasnt doing something we
would get home and he would start doing it. So in my experience I would wait it out a little
while and see what happens. Their learning is kind of the same way. They all learn at different
paces and dont push them to learn something or they may just shut down. Piagets cognitive
theory- Swiss cognitive theorist Jean Piaget received his education in zoology, and his theory has
a distinct biological flavor. According to Piaget, human infants do not start out as cognitive
beings. Instead, out of their perceptual and motor activities, they build and refine psychological
structures-organized ways of making sense of experience that permit them to adapt more
effectively to the environment. (Berk, 2013)
Piaget has four stages and they are- The sensorimotor stage spans the first two years of
life. Its name reflects Piagets belief that infants and toddlers think with their eyes, ears,
hands, and other sensorimotor equipment. They cannot yet carry out many activities mentally.
(Berk, 2013) Infants love to explore things with their hands and eyes. It is how they get a feel
for things around them.
The second stage is- The Preoperational Stage 2-7 years- As children move from the
sensorimotor to the preoperational stage, which spans the years 2-7, the most obvious change is
an extraordinary increase in representational, or symbolic, activity. These are very crucial years
for a child. They are learning so much in this time and they are like sponges, they soak

everything up. This would be the time if you are looking into teaching a second language then
do it because they will soak it up.
The Third stage is- The Concrete Operational Stage- According to Piaget, the concrete
operational stage, extending from about 7-11 years, marks a major turning point in cognitive
development. Thought becomes far more logical, flexible, and organized, more closely
resembling the reasoning of adults than that of younger children. (Berk, 2013) In this stage they
are becoming more aware of everything around them. They are learning so much right now.
The fourth stage- The Formal Operational Stage- According to Piaget, around age 11
young people enter the formal operational stage, in which they develop the capacity for abstract,
systematic, scientific thinking. After a child hits this age they start to make several changes.
Their voices change and their bodies change due to puberty. They are learning harder things in
school. They are becoming young adults, but they think they can make their own decisions and
you can let them, but make sure they know that they have to deal with the consequences.