Assignment 1a: Academic Writing

1.0 Intoduction
Every children have different abilities, personality and exposure, hence it leads to a
variety and different pattern of their cognitive development. This is relevant to the theory
proposed by Bruner (1990) that knowledge and competencies of thinking are situated within the
individual and can be studied independently of the situation within which they are used. Based
on my observation on two children, I had identified their progress in cognitive development. I
shall discuss further about their cognitive development based on the information and data that I
had collected about them.

2.0 Child’s Cognitive Development

There are two girls that I had choose and observe to analyse their cognitive
development. The first girl is Arissa Hussairy Bt. Muhammad Huswardi (Child A). The second
girl is Alia Sofea Bt. Azwan (Child B). Both of them are about 7 years old which most likely
undergo a transition process between pre – operational stage and concrete operational stage.
To test their cognitive development, I had carried out several activities with them and choose
Piaget’s conservation experiment as a model for my activities. Piaget used the term
conservation to refer to the concept that certain basic properties of an object (e.g., volume,
mass, and weight) remain the same even if its physical appearance changes (Ginsburg &
Opper, 1988; Piaget, 1952b, 1969, 1970; Piaget & Inhelder, 1974 cited in Cook, 2005). The
objective of this activities is to learn about Piaget's theory of conservation and to investigate
when children learn about the equality of numbers and mass (Dewey, 2007).

Based on the result that I had collected in Table 1, I found that the cognitive
development of child A and child B are different. They have different way of seeing things but
they also have the same ideas and concept for certain things. For instance, in activity 2 using
plasticine, child B tend to have a better concept on quantity (solid) where she claimed that both
of the plasticine shapes have the same amount of plasticine. This is called ‘reversibility’ where
she understand that object that can be reformed back into original shape has the same amount.
Child A suggest that the flat – like shape of plasticine have more material in it than the plasticine
which is in ball – like shape. This is called as ‘compensation’ where a property is defined by the
logical consequences of combining more than one operation or more than one dimension. This
portrays that their cognitive skills in analyzing the quantity or the volume of an object varies. In
concrete operational stage, the children begin to think logically but remain very concrete in their
logic. This stage is centered around rules that now govern the child's logic and thinking - rules
such as reversibility, identity, and compensation (Piaget, 2001). So this theory explain the
understanding of both of the children based on their answers and opinions.

3.0 Conclusion

In conclusion, I can see clearly the differences of their cognitive development between
child A and child B from the activities that has been carried out. It proves that Piaget’s theories
of child development are absolutely relevant where children achieve different things in the four
stages; sensorimotor stage, pre – operational stage, concrete operational stage and formal
operation stage.

(528 words)
 Activity 1 Activity 2 Activity 3 Activity 4 Activity 5
(Coins) (Plasticene) (Pen) (Biscuit) (Water)

Test of Conservation Conservation Conservation Conservation Conservation

Conversation of number of continuous of length of volume of continuous
quantity - quantity -
solids liquids
Child A Suggest that Suggest that Suggest the Suggest that Suggest that
both row of the flat pen that most the two part of the liquid of
coins have the plasticine has of the part at biscuit has water in slim
same amount ‘more the left side ‘more biscuit’ and high bottle
of coins. plasticine in it’ from its compare to has ‘more
original place one part of amount of
is ‘longer’ biscuit. water’.
Child B Suggest that Suggest both Suggest both Suggest that Suggest that
the spread row ball-like shape of the pen the two part of the liquid of
of coins have and flat like have the same biscuit has water in slim
‘more coins in shape has the length. ‘more biscuit’ and high bottle
it’ same amount compare to has ‘more
of plasticine. one part of amount of
biscuit. water’.

Table 1: Data collected from child A and child B