Cognitive development during middle childhood

Figure 1. This child is likely in the concrete operational stage of cognitive development. According to Piaget, children in early childhood are in the preoperational stage of development in which they learn to think symbolically about the world. From ages 7 to 11, the school-aged child continues to develop in what Piaget referred to as the concrete operational stage of cognitive development. This involves mastering the use of logic in concrete ways. The child can use logic to solve problems tied to their own direct experience but has trouble solving hypothetical problems or considering more abstract problems. The child uses inductive reasoning, which means thinking that the world reflects one’s own personal experience. For example, a child has one friend who is rude, another friend who is also rude, and the same is true for a third friend. Using inductive reasoning, the child may conclude that friends are rude. (We will see that this way of thinking tends to change during adolescence as children begin to use deductive reasoning effectively.) The word concrete refers to that which is tangible; that which can be seen or touched or experienced directly. The concrete operational child is able to make use of logical principles in solving problems involving the physical world. For example, the child can understand the principles of cause and effect, size, and distance. As children’s experiences and vocabularies grow, they build schema and are able to classify objects in many dif...

While reading, writing, and mathematics are important, developing cognitive skills is indispensable for lifelong learning. It is imperative that children reach their full cognitive potential, as childhood development and intellectual functioning predict survival, lifelong health, and human capital (Casanova et al., 2021). Cognition includes the general processes of perception, attention, memory, working memory, pattern recognition, executive function, concept formation and reasoning, intelligence, and academic achievement (Samuel et al., 2017). Just as with their physical bodies, there are specific activities and games we can practice to help children develop cognitive skills, and it is these cognitive development activities that we will share below. Before you continue, we thought you might like to This Article Contains: • • • • • • • • • • How to Promote Healthy Cognitive Development There are various factors that contribute to healthy A child’s environment plays an immense role in their cognitive development, and stability is paramount. For example, in a study of migrant children, Lu, Yeung, and Treiman (2020) found that migration offers the potential for higher household earnings; however, in terms of cognitive development, the reduction of parent involvement in the home outweighs the financial benefit. Parental involvement is a big part of cognitive development. Sleep is critical for cognitive development. Shortened Nutrition is crucial for developing brains, and nutr...

Children in middle childhood are beginning a new experience—that of formal education. In the United States, formal education begins at a time when children are beginning to think in new and more sophisticated ways. According to Piaget, the child is entering a new stage of cognitive development where they are improving their logical skills. During middle childhood, children also make improvements in short term and long term memory. Learning Outcomes • Describe key characteristics of Piaget’s concrete operational intelligence • Explain the information processing theory of memory • Describe language development in middle childhood Concrete Operational Thought Figure 1. This child is likely in the concrete operational stage of cognitive development. According to Piaget, children in early childhood are in the preoperational stage of development in which they learn to think symbolically about the world. From ages 7 to 11, the school-aged child continues to develop in what Piaget referred to as the concrete operational stage of cognitive development. This involves mastering the use of logic in concrete ways. The child can use logic to solve problems tied to their own direct experience but has trouble solving hypothetical problems or considering more abstract problems. The child uses inductive reasoning, which means thinking that the world reflects one’s own personal experience. For example, a child has one friend who is rude, another friend who is also rude, and the same is true ...

Children in middle childhood are beginning a new experience—that of formal education. In the United States, formal education begins at a time when children are beginning to think in new and more sophisticated ways. According to Piaget, the child is entering a new stage of cognitive development where they are improving their logical skills. During middle childhood, children also make improvements in short term and long term memory. Contribute!

\( \newcommand\) • • • • • • • • • • • • • • As we consider psychosocial development in middle childhood, we need to first consider what our psychodynamic theorists proposed for this age group. After considering the views of Erikson and Freud, we'll consider the status of the self and the advanced in self understanding that we see in this age group. Erik Erikson - Industry vs. Inferiority Erik Erikson proposed that we are motivated by a need to achieve competence in certain areas of our lives. As we’ve learned in previous chapters, Erikson’s psychosocial theory has eight stages of development over the lifespan, from infancy through late adulthood. At each stage, there is a conflict, or task, that we need to resolve. Successful completion of each developmental task results in a sense of competence and a healthy personality. Failure to master these tasks leads to feelings of inadequacy. During the middle childhood, children face the task of Industry versus Inferiority. Children begin to compare themselves to their peers to see how they measure up. They either develop a sense of pride and accomplishment in their schoolwork, sports, social activities, and family life, or they feel inferior and inadequate when they don’t measure up. Figure \(\PageIndex\): The academic award this boy is receiving may contribute to his sense of industry. ( According to Erikson, children in middle childhood are very busy or industrious. They are constantly doing, planning, playing, getting togethe...