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The Cognitive Development Of The Student

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When being an educator it is important to think about the cognitive development of the student. Two noted theorists, Piaget and Vygotsky, though they differ in their approach to cognitive development they commonly agreed that learning and development go hand in hand. Both theorists have great views, but I can relate more to Piaget. According to Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning, “Cognitive development refers to how a person perceives, thinks and gain understanding of his or her world.” Cognitive development has 5 major areas which are memory, language development, information processing, intelligence, and reasoning. (Cognitive Development)
Jean Piaget, a Swiss psychologist whose theories and concepts were deeply grounded in his earlier research in biology believed that, “Our thinking processes change radically, though slowly, from birth to maturity because we constantly strive to make sense of the world.” (Woolfolk, pg.32) He came up with the idea that there were four major things that influenced deviations in thinking: biological maturation, activities, social experiences, and the act of finding balance.
Piaget introduced the theory that cognitive development occurs in four universal, but distinct stages that increase by abstract levels of thought from childhood through adulthood. (Educational Psychology Interactive) “These stages are generally associated with specific ages, but these are only the general guidelines, not labels for all children of a certain

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