COGNITIVE / INTELLECTUAL / EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENTAL MILESTONE

Introduction to Cognitive Developmental Theory

Cognitive development refers to the transitions and continuities in mental processes like learning,

thinking and problem solving (Sigelman and Rider, 2012). Jean Piaget is a famous theorist that

explained about a child’s cognitive and learning skills. According to Piaget, intelligence is

described by how well organisms adjust to its surroundings. This behavior is guided by their mental

organizations known as schemata that allow them to make sense of the world and conduct activities

(Huitt and Hummel, 2003). The adaptation is motivated by their biological drive to achieve balance

between schemes and the environment known as equilibration (Huitt and Hummel, 2003).

Equilibration is reach through assimilation in which children understand new experiences according

to their present schemata (Sigelman and Rider, 2012) and accommodation whereby they revise

present schemes to fit in the new experiences (Sigelman and Rider, 2012).

Piaget stated that children’s cognition develop through four stages known as the

sensorimotor stage (from birth to age 2), the preoperational stage (from age 2 to age 7), the concrete

operational stage (from age 7 to age 11), and the formal operational stage (from age 11 to

adulthood). According to Cherry (n.d.) Piaget revealed that children’s thought change qualitatively

with increase in knowledge and change in the way they perceive about the world as they gradually

progress through these four stages. He noted that an infant who passes this four stages able to have

a mature mentally (as cited in Simawta 2010). In sensorimotor stage, children more likely to train

by using their five senses, object permanence and movement that are goal-directed (Barbara Blake

and Tambra Pope, 2008).While, In preoperational stage, children increase their ability in language,

egocentric, symbolic thought and think logically. In this stage of children, they able to complete

problem-solving tasks such as water, block and sand (Ojose, 2008). In concrete operational stage,

children can consider two or three dimension at the same time. Children in this stage will sense that
the wide of container is different. Furthermore, In formal Operation stage, children start to develop

abstract thought patterns. Reasoning skill is the mental process including in generalizing and

assessing impartial contention (Ojose, 2008). It also includes application, clarification, evaluation

and inference.

Cognitive development behaviors of the 3 children

The three children are developing in Piaget’s second stage of cognitive development which

is the preoperational stage. The first children who is Cheong Ming Xuan 3 years old disclosed a

few cognitive development milestones which were expected for 3 years old children through the

play. At about two to four years of age, children cannot yet manipulate and transform information

in a logical way. However, they now can think in images and symbols. During the Symbolic

Function sub-stage, children master the ability to picture, remember, understand, and replicate

objects in their minds that are not immediately in front of them (Ojose, 2008). Cheong Ming Xuan

who through symbolic function remembers the toy gun which was his favorite , its texture and he

purposefully seeks it out. Other that that, he also able to build towers of more than 6 blocks.

Normally, he will play together with his friends and he will not able to sit quietly . He will also

cannot wait for his turn to play the game and he was very interesting in making new friend. This

absence of sensory or motor cues characterizes the symbolic function. Categorization, or

classification, requires a child to identify similarities and differences. When we gave him the Lego

Toys to play, then after he used, he would put it back according to the arrangement .In the year 4

old checklist, there is no improvement and tick based on his cognitive development.

The second child who is Siew Hui Jing also developing in Piaget’s second stage of

cognitive development which is the preoperational stage. She developed his language in term

through singing rhymes, and naming colours and numbers. This development was observed when

he was able to sing the rhymes while she was commuting the puzzle box. The puzzle boxes have
different colours and alphabets on it and she was able to names the colour on the puzzle

boxes.However, She was not able to show his egocentrism well because his main focus was playing

with toys. This showed us the development of her cognitive development was tested through this

activities. By age 4 that according to Piaget, many children can classify by two criteria, such as

color and shape. While in 4 years old checklist, she can understand the idea of counting and

understand the idea of same and differences. She also able to remember parts of story.

The third child who is Janson Chan can turn book pages one at the times because his

parents always will practice reading with him .Other than that, he also can copies a circle with

pencil or crayon because his parents will teach him to draw something and most of the time he will

try to copied with pencil and crayon .Most of the time, he will scribble up and down with pencil

and crayon .According to Piaget and Luquets when they continue to scribble, children begin to

notice what they are doing and their hands and fingers become stronger and they are better able to

control their scribbling implement, their scribbles begin to evolve into shapes: circles, ovals,

squares, and crosses( Luquet's ,1927). Meanwhile, by age 5, most children can count to 20 or more

and know the relative sizes of the numbers 1 through 10 (Sigelman, 2012). Children intuitively

devise strategies for adding by counting on their fingers or by using other objects (Naito & Miura,

2001). Hence, it shows that Janson who is just 3 years old has yet to reach that cognitive

developmental milestone because he could only still counted from 1 to 10 with his fingers.

Comparison of the 3 children

The three children that participate in this research are from different background of family. The rate

of fulfillment achieved by the three children on cognitive developmental milestone checklist was

different. In other hand , Siew Hui Jing managed to achieve almost all of the development progress

that is supposed to present at 3 years old, but not one or two. Besides that, she also have complete a

4 years old milestone cognitive development checklist. She can be considered as a healthy fast
learner. Cheong Ming Xuan nevertheless did not perform much of the milestone in his designated

checklist. However, he did not show any sign of regression at all. While Janson Chan can only

fulfill partial action in the milestones. According to Piaget, children will learn the objects and words

through symbols and they will continue view the world in terms of themselves at preoperational

stages. Based on 3 years old milestone checklist, the similarities between three children are the can

learn through objects and symbols .According to Piaget, they will learn to use language and

represent objects by images and words ( Piaget, J, & Inhelder, B,1956). Children in this stage think

in a non-logical and nonreversible pattern. In the child care centre, there are many activities that

provided such as playing lego, blocks and this kind of activity can help the children to develop their

cognitive skills.

Conclusion / Summary

In conclusion, cognitive development of these three children is considers normal because

they can fulfil the requirement in the milestone to measure their cognitive development. Although

Cheong Ming Xuan and Janson Chan can’t fulfil some of the requirement but this may be due to

other factor such as environment factor or parental factor. Cognitive development of this three

children will continue to growth and they may will show improvement after reach formal operation

stage.
References

1.Piaget, J, & Inhelder, B (1956). The Child's Conception of Space. London: Routledge & Kegan

Paul

2.Huitt, W., & Hummel, J. (2003). Piaget's theory of cognitive development. Retrieved from

http://www.edpsycinteractive.org/topics/cognition/piaget.html

3.Cherry, K. (n.d.). Piaget's stages of cognitive development: Background and key concepts of

Piaget's theory. Retrieved from http://psychology.about.com/od/piagetstheory/a/keyconcepts.htm

4.Barbara Blake and Tambra Pope. (2008). Developmental Psychology: Incorporating

Piaget’sVygotsky’s Theories in. Journal of Cross-Disciplinary Perspectives in Education, 59-67.

5. Ojose, B. (2008). Applying Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development to Mathematics

Instruction. The Mathematics Educator, 18, 26-30.

6. Simatwa, E. M. V. ( 2010). Piaget’s theory of intelectual development and its implication for

instruction mangement. Management at Presecondary School Level, 5(7), 366-371. Retrieved from

http://www.academicjournals.org/article/article1379610138_Simatwa.pdf

7. Siegler, R. S. (2012). Emerging minds: The process of change in children thinking, New York

Oxford University Press.