Piaget
Stage | Characterized | Sensori-motor
(Birth-2 yrs.)During the early stages, infants are only aware of what is immediately in front of them. They focus on what they see, what they are doing, and physical interactions with their immediate environment. Babies have the ability to build up mental pictures of objects around them, from the knowledge that they have developed on what can be done with the object. | Observed a mother with her 6 month old, she was talking to the baby like a companion and letting the baby play with her keys. The mother did get frustrated when it came time to get customer service at the deli because the baby would cry because mom took the keys and her attention from her. At around the age of eight or nine months, infants are more interested in an object for the object's own sake. Another example would be at the park for our daughter’s birthday; this couple had an 18 month old and a 2 yr old. The 18 mo old wanted sole attention but the dad was playing with the 2 yr old so mom took the child and was showing her how to climb like her brother and other children. I believe that babies have the ability to build up mental pictures of objects around them, from the understanding that they have developed on what can be done with the object. I also think that in this stage they start to develop the understanding that they can grab things and seeing the functions of their hands. | Pre-operational
(2-7 years)During this stage, young children are able to think about things symbolically. Their language use becomes more mature. They also develop memory and imagination, which allows them to understand the difference between past and future, and engage in make-believe. The vocabulary of a child is also expanded and developed during this stage. Pre-operational children are usually 'ego centric', which means that they are only able to contemplate things from their own point of view, and imagine that everyone shares